Long term storage of a valuable pistol..

[Augustus]

Hi all,

I have a somewhat valuable pistol that I would like to put away for about 5 years.

I just discovered a small dot of rust on another pistol I have and now I'm worried about rust developing on my 'rare' pistol...

I was thinking about removing the grips and putting it in a sealed Tupperware container filled will new motor oil...sound good?

Thanks

[legion]

How about oil it up liberally and put it in that ziploc bag full of silica gel?

[NineOhOne]

Ziploc bags or Tupperware will also seal in moisture. You want a container that will "breathe". Silicone-impregnated sleeve and a typical gun case should do.

[Augustus]

901,

the sleeve you are referring to....is it called a 'gun sock'? sold at gun shops?

[Drdogface]

As Legion says, clean and oil well. Wipe down with Rig Rag. Then use one of those food shrink wrap machines to seal it with no air inside.

[NineOhOne]

Originally Posted by Augustus

901,

the sleeve you are referring to....is it called a 'gun sock'? sold at gun shops?

Yes. They're typically impregnated with silicone.

[NineOhOne]

Originally Posted by Drdogface

As Legion says, clean and oil well. Wipe down with Rig Rag. Then use one of those food shrink wrap machines to seal it with no air inside.

You're not going to get all air out with one of those, nor will you get all the moisture out of the metal. Best to let it breathe.

[Shoepop]

Originally Posted by Augustus

Hi all,

I was thinking about removing the grips and putting it in a sealed Tupperware container filled will new motor oil...sound good?

Thanks

That will work just fine.

[cbush]

Depends on where you are storing it. If you are storing it in the bottom of your septic tank until the statue of limitations runs out, then a tupperware container filled with oil might work. If you are going to store it in a climate controlled safety deposit box, clean and lubricate liberally with a good gun oil, then wrap in cloth or put in gun case. I kept 5 pistols loose in a safety deposit box for years with just a light coat of CLP, and no wrappings and had no rust or ill effects at all. I would be very hesitant to seal them in a plastic bag.

[tabs]

oil the thing up and place in a gun sock...they need to breath. U also can use a canvas gun rug..it using a vinyl rug don't zip it all the way up..

[svandamme]

would Tupperware last 5 years with oil, without leaking?
don't certain plastics break down from certain oils or oil based chemicals?

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by cbush

Depends on where you are storing it. If you are storing it in the bottom of your septic tank until the statue of limitations runs out, then a tupperware container filled with oil might work.

Post of the year

[targa911S]

If you go the oil route do not use motor oil. It has a rust inhibiter/remover. Remember bluing is really rust.

[Chaos Theory]

Originally Posted by targa911S

If you go the oil route do not use motor oil. It has a rust inhibiter/remover. Remember bluing is really rust.

I will admit I am an absolute novice when it comes to bluing. I googled but the info was spotty. Could you please expand on this. Also, is this the same bluing concept as we see on headers etc when referring to motor vehicles, say hotrods or Harley's etc.

Cheers

[competentone]

As for plastic bags; I've stored firearms for years in sealed plastic bags, with just a light film of oil on the metal. But I put a silica gel pack in the package before sealing it up.

If the link doesn't show, go to Cabela's web site and type in "silica gel" and you will find the convenient, reusable packs:

Cabela's -- Hydrosorbent Silica Gel

Edit: Additionally, disassembling it and coating every part with grease, before sealing it up in a plastic bag with silica gel will give you protection even if the bag were to fail and it was exposed to moisture (just in case a tornado hits your house and scatters your belongs, along with this pistol, throughout the neighborhood).

[cashflyer]

Take off all wood and plastic.
Bake the metal in a warm oven to remove moisture.
While still warm and wearing nitrile gloves, coat liberally with Eezox.
Still wearing gloves, reassemble then place in Bore-Store sock.
Now seal in a Z-Corr bag.


I read it on the internet so it must be accurate.

[competentone]

Originally Posted by Chaos Theory

I will admit I am an absolute novice when it comes to bluing. I googled but the info was spotty. Could you please expand on this. Also, is this the same bluing concept as we see on headers etc when referring to motor vehicles, say hotrods or Harley's etc.

Bluing (steel) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[john70t]

Suggestion on ammo(the other half of the tool)?

[targa911S]

Bluing is really corrosion. Rust. You apply a chemical to force rusting then heat with steam or water to convert it from red to black. This is an age old way of doing it but I'm sure the same principle applies to modern weapons.