Need help convincing someone NOT to store guns in foam lined case.

V

Venom1956

New member
I need help convincing an acquaintance of mine NOT to store his pistols in a foam case. :( He doesn't think anything is going to happen. Could you guys perhaps supply some pictures of some guns left in a foam case? Or suggestions how else to persuade him? He's a good friend and I would really really hate to see his guns become ruined.
 
venom, 4/1/12

I live in the tropics and have had my guns all stored in either the original factory foam cases or store-bought cases for a number of years now. No problems with the foam cases so far for the last six years. I always have a dessicant in the safe however. What kind of problems have you had with the foam cases?

best wishes- oldandslow
 
I wish I had a photo but I told a friend to open his foam case .He asked why? Just open it !! I knew where it had been stored and where it had been and the weather conditions .He opened it and was shocked to see the entire gun covered with condensation !:eek:
Condensation is a big problem.In the arctic a cabin has two parts .One where you live is heated but the other for your equipment is unheated .That prevents condensation in guns which of course would freeze and jamb the gun when taken outside.
If you have to store a gun in the case keep the case completely open.
 
During a Barrett amorers and long range shooting class, Jon Weiler said that we should not store our Barretts or any other guns in foam lined cases. At that time, Barrett cases were foam lined. When I took the class, Barrett was just getting started with gun-specific fitted plastic instead of foam.

The problem with foam? According the Weiler, the foam can absorb moisture from the atmosphere. So when you store your gun in a foam lined and closed case, you end up storing your rifle in a high moisture/humidity case. This is less than ideal for the gun.
 
I've never heard that storing in a foam case is bad. Can you explain what causes the condensation? Also, is that the only known issue or are there other problems it causes?
 
Salmoneye said:
Add sheepskin to the cases not to leave a firearm in...
Click to expand...

Back in the '60s I helped a buddy cut a Browning Superposed from a sheepskin lined soft case. Fuzzy shotgun. Bad juju.
 
here in WI humidity/moisture is a huge problem IMO its not constant and predicitable like other places. deer rifles up here take alot to the misfortune in fall winter basements are just fine for storage but come spring when the ground defrosts and all that moisture seeps into the basement... look out! On top of those things mentioned by everyone else another main problem with foam lining is after awhile it begins to decay (from age or chemical reaction) this can become extremely corrosive! there are foams that address this issue and are inert they usually state this as a selling point are are quite pricey. 99% the foam isn't in a cheap PLANO case such as his im positive its not. obviously i can't make him change his habits but i'd rather try then to see him open his pistol case and find them all ruined. especailly since some are gifts I bought him. *NOTE: typed from phone
 
I never knew there could be issues with storing in foam cases I keep all 3 of my pistols on their original foam cases. But I do have a dehumidifier in my safe maybe I will be buying a pistol rack for the top of my safe. I know here in Illinois I have the issue of my guns being stored in 72° climate controlled house and taking them outside in the summer and they instantly start to condensate but I always clean/oil them before j put them away.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
My Gen3 Glock 35 came in a foam-lined case :confused:

Of course around here humidity is only an issue after a hot shower.
 
gooo

I have seen the foam inside of my mickey mouse ears turn to a goooy tar. The different foams react to vapors from chemicals stored in the safe, or wax on a box of wadcutters can degenerate powder too.

I have been lucky, over 50 years of safequeen's and only my S&W blued handcuffs pitted and rusted. Because I had them "safely" put up.
My firearms now sleep commando style, lubed and in their glory. :-)
 
Cases padded with anything are for protecting a firearm from damage while transporting it. That's all. They are not designed for long term storage in a world where the temp and relative humidity can go up and down randomly. Store your gun on a rack or shelf in open air in a climate controlled environment (i.e. a heated and air conditioned home). Basements and attics and garages can be very bad. Any material that can absorb moisture from the ambient air will put it in contact with your gun. Leave it in there long enough and you can ruin the finish. Leather holsters and scabbards can also trap and hold moisture. Fabric cases or rugs are also a good way to rust a gun. If you have been storing your guns in padded cases or rugs and have not seen any rust then consider yourself very lucky. I have seen countless customer's guns who weren't so lucky. Every single one was stored in a fabric/pile/foam lined case.
 
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Made a mistake once by placing my deer hunting shotgun in the foam case coming out of the woods at camp and the next morning it had a lot of surface rust on it.
 
I have kept several handguns in cases for many years without any problems. Lately I have been keeping them out and I plan on getting a rack.
 
Get a psychrometric chart and you can tell if you are going to experience condensation.



psc_01.gif


They are really not that difficult to read. You start with a point of space temperature and humidity (from the local weather report). If your gun metal is colder than the the space temperature follow a horizontal straight line back toward the curved line to the left. If you hit that curved line before getting to the gun metal temperature you are going to have condensation concerns. For example: where you live you have a day that is 84 degrees F and 80% humidity. Picking that point on the chart and moving to the left in a horizontal line finds you hit the curved line at about 78 degrees F. Thus if your house is below 78 degrees F (where you keep the gun) and the gun has been there a while, it can be assumed the gun metal is the temperature inside the house (below 78 degrees F). Taking this metal at a temperature below 78 degrees F into an environment that has moisture content associated with 84 degrees F and 80% humidity will likely result in condesation. You can follow the moisture content per pound of dry air on the right to predict how much condensation.

You can see from the chart that the dehumidifier rod keeps the temperature a couple of degrees above the saturation line (curved line), which is the point of condensation. It might help to print one of these charts and keep it taped to your gun safe. If your gun metal is below that saturation point for the temperature and humidity you are experiencing, then condensation might be a pending problem.
 
It's not all foam cases, necessarily, it's the cheaper low density ones. Though I wouldn't use any foam case for long term storage. Aside from condensation, they can degrade and you end up w/ dissolved foam all over your firearm. I've seen the consequences and it's not pretty.
 
BTW, In have a couple of PLANO cases that are designed differently.They just have two small blocks of foam in a hard case,that's all ! You have to do some searching on their website and I doubt very many dealers have them as it seems few have heard of them.

Plano 1301 Airglide case :)
 
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