Rubber Pads in Gunsafes?

Homerboy

Moderator
I had to rip the foam liner out of my gunvault. The back ends are glued down so I couldn't get to the rear mounting holes, and the whole liner is one piece all around, so I cut out the bottom part and left the sides and top in place. I went to Loews to see if I could find some foam to recut for the bottom, but they didn't have any. The guy showed me this rubber drawer liner that mechanics use for their tools. It's made by Kobalt and it's an "Anti-Corrosion Drawer Liner". It has a product called "Zerust" impregnated in the rubber that is a "VCI" (vapor corrosion inhibitor). When the liner is removed from the bag, it releases the odorless, invisible vapor that saturates the air in the enclosure. The Zerust supposedly clings to the surface of the items and protects them from rust. The label says it's OK for firearms. Anybody else use this stuff? I just wanna be sure it won't screw up the finish on the guns.
 
Most of my mechanics (I used to manage a shop) use that stuff. They tend to get it from Snap-On or Matco but I'm sure yours is the same stuff (at half the price, ha!).

I would use it.
 
Mechanics use their tools so often that all the oil and grease protects them! Personally, you couldn't convince me of such a claim, its just a sales gimmick. But thats just me. :cool:
 
I've used that here on the gulf coast and had good luck with it. My brother and I have it in the gun cabinet (walmart special 10ga cabinet) at the lease and I accidentally left an old wingmaster in there for 4 months without any problems or rust.

Joat
 
VCI's are real, and are very effective in corrosion protection. Theyare, however, perishable. Because they are a vapor, they work best in an enclosed environment. And, for the same reason, they go away with time and need to be replaced. If you do some searching, you can find emitters, small units you can set in a tool box, gun cabinet, fishing box, etc. I like them because they provide protection without having to cover everything in oil.
 
'twer me, I'd put in something that I knew would protect the firearms first, and then use a separate product to reduce corrosion.
My safe is lined with GI sleeping pad foam, cut to shape, and I use Eezox for corrosion protection.

Mechanics handle their tools with oily hands, to fix oily things in an oily environment. VCI materials may work, but you'd never be able to prove their worth in a gun safe.
 
Its no gimmick, VCI vapor technology is out there and in use in commercial industry, the marine industry, and by the Military for a few years now.. That little peice of cardboard you find in a new gun box or a new set of loading dies is it, those are called VCI Tabs. I've been using it for a little while and was so impressed with it, I decided to carry it on my site. You can read up on it here. http://manaboutracks.com/bullfrog.aspx
 
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I've been using VCI products from Van Patten industries for a few years and I'm convinced that they work.

I started out with a gun cabinet and keeping my guns oiled. I discovered small spots on one of my blued guns about six months later. After cleaning the guns again, I added a handful of Van Patten's VCI chips (impregnated cardboard) and had no rust for the next 18 months.

When I bought a safe I added these to the safe. Later, when I started using Bore stores, these chips went into the bore stores of the more expensive guns too. So far, no rust at all.

See http://www.theinhibitor.com for their products.

I'll never store guns in a safe without some form of VCI protection in the future.
 
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