Rust with Pistol Safe

M

mattbennett23

Inactive
Hey guys,

First time post. A little background I guess. I have three pistols, a S&W SW40VE, an S&W M&P40c, and a Ruger LC9S. I have my CPL and shoot for fun and personal defense. I work 12 hr shifts and am not allowed to carry at my workplace. I recently purchased a SnapSafe XL lockbox to keep my carry gun in while I am work (probably either the M&P or LC9S).

I try to take good care of my guns, and my SW40VE has never had a rust issue at all. When I got my M&P, I think I had a faulty batch, as the slide rusted badly and had to be replaced. Smith and Wesson took care of it under warranty with no issue. BUT, since then I have become paranoid of rust, lol...

I clean my guns once a month whether fired or not, and after every range trip. After cleaning I use Rusty Rags, which leaves a nice light coat on them and shine. My question is, having my pistol locked up inside a tighter foam safe for 12 hrs a day leads me to think I may get rust issues. Am I overthinking it? Should I put silica packs into the safe also? Whats the best way to keep your gun from rusting when locked up in a foam environment 12 hrs at a time?

I dont have any other way to lock my carry gun up while at work, so any tips or advice would be appreciated. It is either an option like this or not carry, and I would much rather carry.

Thanks a lot!

Matt
 
I am in Michigan, so we deal with a lot of different weather and plenty of humidity. I guess I'll have to throw some in and stay on top of maintenance. I just wish my fancy melonite gave me the same confidence my cheap SW40VE gives me when it comes to rust resistance...
 
I don't think you'll have any problems. Presumably, you would remove the gun from the safe at the end of every shift. If you see any problems developing, you should certainly catch it early and come up with an alternative plan.
 
Use the silica dessicant packets religiously. Remove the pistol when it doesn't need to be in there, and periodically remove the save and open it up indoors or in the sun, just to dry it out. Overnight, leave the safe open to air out.

Do inspect the foam, if it's closed cell foam, it won't absorb moisture. Other foams do absorb water and they are the culprits when it comes to rust. You can swap out the foam and eliminate much of the problem, or the anxiety, anyway.
 
You can search the internet and find a cheap humidity gauge to buy. I have 2 gauges, one in my safe and one immediately outside the safe. No matter what I do with silica, heaters, etc inside the safe, I find that the humidity inside does not vary by more than 1 or 2 points from the humidity outside the safe. Throughout the year, my humidity varies from about 40 to about 70, depending on the humidity outdoors, and on how much my forced air furnace has been running. The furnace dries the air significantly. Even when the humidity is up to 70, I have not had rust on any well oiled surface.

However, I am skeptical about any foam, and skeptical about any really tight container.
 
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Have to ask, What is a tighter foam safe?
I have a Golden Rod in my safe, it's been in there since the safe was purchased in the 90's and has been operating ever since. Have never had a moisture issue.
 
Thanks for the responses. I am just getting foam paranoid. I also got a Tactical Walls Shelf for when I am at home and have the same concerns with that. Just have to give it them a wipe with the Rustys Rags every day and keep an eye on them....
 
If it is open cell foam take it out and throw it away. Replace it with something else. Newspaper is probably better. If it is just sitting in your car it shouldn't be getting knocked around too much.
Placing the gun inside a silicone impregnated gun sock should help. Doubly so if you wipe the gun down with it so you don't leave any salty fingerprints on the metal.

Sitting in a box shouldn't be any worse than up againt your body as far as rust goes.

I don't know what you mean about not trusting melonite, but it is probably the most rust resistant finish on the market.

Open cell foam is the enemy.
 
At my place of work I get large packets of silica gel. Like 1-2 pounds. They come with big copy machines, and we receive a few each week. They're everywhere in my house. Huge box of goldfish? Silica packet. Bag of Doritos? Silica packet. They will inevitably end up in my gun safe when I get one
 
Ya I will probably throw some silica packs in there and not worry so much. John Williamson I just am not sure I trust it. I just got my M&P compact back from Smith and Wesson again for the 2nd time due to rust issues.... Neither was severe but it was forming rust. I have never had a spot of rust on any other gun I have ever owned. My other Smith's are all rust free, but none are melonite either. I currently have the M&P compact, a ruger lc9s, and a SW40VE. Never had any rust on either of those or any other gun. I kept them cleaned and oiled and wipe them down with Rustys Rags after I have carried with them.

Anything can rust, but the only rust I have ever had is on melonite... Twice...
 
For several years my wife and I lived in a different city to take care of her mother. We still had our home since we had to travel back and forth every two or three weeks. In my brilliant mind I thought it would be could to raise the temperature for the AC so that we could save a few pennies on electricity. Little did I know when we came back the temp in the house matched the outside which made it very humid. Inside my safe luckily only one of my rifles developed surface rust due to the humidity. From than on I decided to live the AC at 76 and not 82. Haven't had a single problem since than. In other words keep your area cool enough to to displace humidity as well.
 
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