Winterizing Tips for Firearms by Wayne Webster (best book club books .TXT) 📕

I know this is going to be a controversial  subject as everyone does it different, and every one had his or her preferred method, but how do the experts suggest that we winterise firearms or prepare them for long term storage?

Firstly you need to clean the weapon thoroughly, and make sure that all solvents that you have used have been neutralized. Solvent that is left behind for any length of time turns into a sticky mess that is very difficult to get rid of, and can eventually ruin your firearm.

Make especially sure that there are no traces of solvent on the bolt or action, if they get full of hardened solvent you will have a big problem on your hands. Once you have cleaned the barrel run a few patches of corrosion fighter through the bore. It is recommended to use Eezox, or CorrosionX.

Eezox leaves a glossy dry film with excellent rust resistance, while corrosion X is more like a conventional oil with anti-rust properties. There are also other products on the market that will work to, just be careful of all in one products that contain a solvent, and make sure that they do not contain any ammonia, ammonia actually promotes corrosion.

Make sure that all metal parts are covered, you don’t need to soak them in an anti corrosion fluid, a couple of thin coats will do just fine.

Some people suggest that you place a piece of blue masking tape, or electrical tape over the crown, to protect the crown during storage, I don’t but that’s probably a good idea, I take my toys out far to often and “play” with them to do that.

I know, boys and their toys!

Some people recommend that the optics be removed, I personally don’t, but for long term storage it is probably the right thing to do, you can just mark the position of where the scope was mounted if you are using a Weaver type scope mount. Store your scopes in an area where the temperature and humidity are stable.

Modern optics are sealed so that moisture should not get in, but there is always a chance.

Use gloves when working with your firearms, thin latex or nitrile gloves are recommended. Finger prints leave skin oils on your firearms which can actually promote corrosion.

Now this is something that I was not aware of, it is highly recommended to store firearms in gun sacks. These sacks cushion guns, preventing nicks and scratches, and the fabric is breathable, thus preventing moisture
, and the fibres are coated with corrosion inhibitors that help fight rust.

Bore Stores, or Gun Sacks can be found in a variety of sizes.

You can get them in any shape or form, from the smallest revolver to the longest rifle.

They are relatively cheap, and I think well worth spending the money on as they can save you a lot of money in the long run.

For long term storage of very valuable guns or family heirlooms it is recommended that they be stored in three layer storage bags available from Brownells.

Before using any type of these bags make sure that the firearm is dry and is coated with a rust inhibitor. If you don’t, you will promote corrosion and rust.

Do not store your fire arms in foam filled gun cases, these are moisture magnets, the sponge actually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. The same with gun carry cases such as these.

These items are for gun transport only, not for storage.
It is highly recommended to store your guns in a gun safe.

I know, they are expensive, but if you have invested a lot of money in your firearms it tis the best thing to do.

Finally prepare your gun safe for the winter with a dehumidifier. If you don’t have one, get one! You need to prevent moisture in the atmosphere from condensing on your firearms.

You can also get dessicant packs which you can place in the safe to absorb moisture.

Some people recommend storing you firearms upside down so that any accumulation in the bore can run out and thus not cause rust.

In my opinion if you have done all of the above, there is very little chance that this could happen, plus storing upside down could cause damage to the crown, which you do not want to happen.

Publication Date: 04-26-2016

All Rights Reserved