Gun room humidity 60% too high ?

Henry Schmidt · Henry Schmidt's Garage

I just finished a gun vault for storing my firearms and ammo. The room is 9 x 8 x 7. The walls are insulated and covered in sealed 1/2 in Doug Fir paneling.
My question is "what is the maximum humidity for proper gun storage ?" Assuming that too low might damage the wood.
At this point I have controlled the room to 60% @ 69degrees inside and the outside is 97%.
I read online that 65% seems to be a sort of target figure but that seems high.

kaisen · 07-12-2010, 07:28 AM

I don't know about guns specifically, but 60% is good for wood but bad for metal.
Too low and the wood will suffer but the metal will love it.

ODDJOB UNO · ODDJOB UNO's Garage

well heres a damn good example of a garage sale find. years ago hitting a garage sale ran into a brand new rem 870 pump. completely surface rusted from being inside a home with a swamp cooler. reason july and august here we get 68% humidity and 113-122 degrees. with all that humidity blued metal rusts period.

if yer storing yer aircraft metal parts on the west coast outside as was done during WWII, then smear the living hell out of yer parts with WD-40. thats what WD-40 was made for. nothing else.

for guns.....................NEVER EVAR EVER USE WD-40 anywhere the HELL AROUND FIREARMS as it will migrate and quite possibly DEACTIVATE YER PRIMERS even if rounds not left in firearm. once agin REPEAT AFTER ME..............."I WILL NEVER EVAR EVER USE WD-40 AROUND FIREARMS" very good you have passed the 1st quiz.

next get some CLP(cleaner,lubricant,protectant) smear the hell out of firearms and then place in silicone gun-sock available from midway/brownells.

next get dehumidifier for room.

next get DESSICANT bags available from brownells/midway.

next avoid buying "blued" guns if possible from now on. stainless is lightyears easier to maintain for long periods.

ask me how i know all this crap. that damn "great buy" rusted rem 870 took me weeks to remove all the rust and even then i had to get the damn thing re-parkerized. giant azzed PITA!

good luck.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Don't get above 45% or else you will likely have a mold problem.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

There are 2 issues, Specific Humidity and Relative Humidity

1) Specific Humidity - The true amount of moisture in the air. It usually is either declared as a partial pressure or the dew-point. The higher this number, the more total moisture is present. More water = more rust

2) Relative Humidity - The amount of moisture in the air vs. how much COULD be held if saturated. The closer you are to saturation, the more moisture will build up on metal. The thicker the layer of moisture, the more likely you will oxidize

Surface contamination, salts, dirt, acids, etc, will accelerate the oxidation

Here is a low level presentation, and a few slides

http://www.nstcenter.com/docs/PDFs/TechResourcesPresentations-The%20Role%20of%20Relative%20Humidity%20in%20Corro sion.pdf

tabs · 07-13-2010, 02:09 AM

WD40 has Kerosene which attracts moisture.

targa911S · 07-13-2010, 05:38 AM

I keep my room/workshop at 45%. makes rust blueing hard but now I use a rusting box. Fixed.

I use Rig or turbine oil on everything.

Henry Schmidt · Henry Schmidt's Garage

I want to thank all of you that have contributed insight to this issue.
After reading your posts and others it looks like 60% is not optimum but reasonable.

Here in SoCal I haven't noticed much in the a of mold or mildew but I will watch for any signs. Thanks Stoney

I placed some raw steel (bead blasted, no coating) in the room and will monitor it for a week or two.

I have noticed that the humidity is dropping regardless of the outside humidity so we may be seeing some moister from the wood paneling that is drying as time passes.
Who knows?

Jim Bremner · 07-13-2010, 07:44 AM

Somethings that will dry the air out. Leave a 60w lightbulb on all of the time, Golden rod or other device, Cat litter or rice, Silca Gel .

Do not leave silca gel packs on metal! I left 1 touching my 1911 and another touching a S/S mag. BOTH have damage from corrosion from this!!!!!

I have seen big buckets of silca gel at the grocery store. I need to get one.

berettafan · 07-13-2010, 07:52 AM

Funny how even among gun nuts there are different perspectives. Oddjob's comment on SS only, from a shotgunner's perspective, is like telling a longhood owner he should put a water cooled honda lump in the car. Kinda misses one of the major joys of ownership!

Will defer to experts but my belief is that a man would be hard pressed to find a crappier finished gun than an 870 express so i'd not necessarily use that as a rust barometer.

Also funny to see 68% humidity considered high. You Az guys have it good on that subject!!! Walked from my 72 deg. house to the back porch to shoot my Crosman pellet gun and the friggin scope was COVERED in wetness before I even sat down! Target cards even got soggy!!!

Jim Bremner · 07-13-2010, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berettafan

Funny how even among gun nuts there are different perspectives. Oddjob's comment on SS only, from a shotgunner's perspective, is like telling a longhood owner he should put a water cooled honda lump in the car. Kinda misses one of the major joys of ownership!

Will defer to experts but my belief is that a man would be hard pressed to find a crappier finished gun than an 870 express so i'd not necessarily use that as a rust barometer.

Also funny to see 68% humidity considered high. You Az guys have it good on that subject!!! Walked from my 72 deg. house to the back porch to shoot my Crosman pellet gun and the friggin scope was COVERED in wetness before I even sat down! Target cards even got soggy!!!

Air in Las Vegas can be drier than nitrogen during some months

targa911S · 07-13-2010, 08:22 AM

If it rusts just boil and card.. LAL

Henry Schmidt · Henry Schmidt's Garage

Just as a 30 day update, the room has been maintained at 55-60% and there is no sign of any rust issues. I placed a plate of raw steel (1/6" steel plate bead blasted) on the inside and the outside of the room but out of the weather and the outside plate has developed a patina of rust. I think 60% is going to work out fine.

Shawn 357 · 08-20-2010, 07:41 PM

Henry,
From being at your place I would assume that the humidity would be similar or less than my house (even though we are in different parts of town your place does get hotter) and I haven't had any rust issues in my safe. I have gone months without a dehumidifier with no issue. I have a couple guns that rust if you look at them funny and as long as I wipe off the finger prints they haven't given me any issues.
Hope this is a good reference point,
Shawn Muscat

Henry Schmidt · Henry Schmidt's Garage

Thanks Shawn.
It's been a while, everything going well?

Shawn 357 · 08-20-2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry Schmidt

Thanks Shawn.
It's been a while, everything going well?

Haven't had to rebuild an engine for a while

I've been cruising around in that little Spyder you worked on the last couple days so things definitely could be worse. I'll have to make the trip to Fallbrook soon to say hi.