If you want to store your firearms properly, you would need to have a gun safe ready at your home or in your car if you are outdoors. The gun safe is the safest to have when it comes to proper gun storage, as it would allow you to store your firearms with protection against thieves, fires, floods, and even the various elements in the air that can sometimes cause damage to several parts of the guns.
However, having a gun safe isn’t enough for proper gun storage, as there are several aspects of the guns that you should take a look at in order for them to have a longer lifespan. Here are the best long-term gun storage tips that you can follow to prolong the life of your firearms.
Clean the Guns Thoroughly
Before storing the guns inside the gun safe, you would first need to make sure that the firearms are clean so that there wouldn’t be gunk, sweat, and dirt that are sticking or hiding in different parts of the guns. These elements would often present too much moisture on the firearms, and this moisture could then lead to the metal parts corroding or rusting faster than normal.
So, it is essential to clean the guns thoroughly first so that the moisture buildup would be reduced. In addition, you should also apply a very light layer of lubrication to the metal surfaces of the guns so that you can give them a seal or coating against moisture that may build up inside the gun safe.
Don’t Leave Fingerprints on the Guns
While cleaning the guns, you may sometimes leave fingerprints on some of their parts. These fingerprints would also leave moisture on the metal parts, which can cause rusting. So, if you are going to clean the guns, you may want to wear rubber or cotton gloves so that you won’t leave fingerprints on the guns accidentally.
But sometimes, we would leave fingerprints without us knowing, so it would always be best to double-check and inspect all parts of the gun so that you can clean the fingerprints before you place the gun inside the safe.
Follow Proper Gun Safety
If you are cleaning guns and handling them, then it is important to learn about proper gun safety. Handling guns may look simple at first, but there are several steps that you need to follow in order for the guns to remain safe and secure.
Of course, when cleaning them, there are certain procedures that should be followed so that you won’t endanger yourself and others inside the house. These procedures include making sure that there are no bullets inside the gun’s cartridge and also checking if the safety lock is activated.
Always Make Sure that the Gun Safe is Bolted Down
For large gun safes, you would need to make sure that the safes are bolted down on the floor so that they won’t easily be moved or carried by thieves if ever they enter your home. Fortunately, a lot of large gun safes today are already built to be bolted down on floors, so you won’t need to drill anything on the gun safe in order for them to stick on the floor of your bedroom or any room where you want to place the safe. But, make sure that the floor can support the weight of the gun safe so that it won’t get damaged.
If you own a small gun safe like a pistol safe, we recommend that you hide in places where thieves wouldn’t normally look for it, like in a false back of a cabinet or a false bottom on the floor. No matter how secure a small gun safe is, thieves will still be able to carry it when you leave it lying or stored somewhere in the bedroom.
Reduce the Humidity Inside the Gun Safe
Humidity is usually the biggest enemy of guns, especially if they are stored in high humidity cabinets and safes. When there is high humidity inside the gun safe, the firearms stored within the area would be more susceptible to corrosion and rusting. In addition, heat can also contribute to the rapid deterioration of guns when they are stored for too long in a warm place.
So, you will need to control the humidity inside the gun safe, which is fortunately easy to do today because dehumidifiers are readily available in physical and online stores. In fact, there are even dehumidifiers that are made specifically for gun safes, and these products would usually keep your gun safe’s humidity at an optimal level. Experts say that the ideal humidity for gun safes is 50%, which is what gun safe dehumidifiers can deliver easily. So, buy a dehumidifier along with the gun safe to offer the optimal protection for your firearms.
Don’t Put Guns Too Close Together
Some people who own large gun safes would often fill the safe’s interior to its maximum capacity. However, that is usually not ideal, as the guns would be placed too close together, and when they are too close, there is a risk of bumping, scratching, or denting at least two guns whenever you are pulling out one firearm.
So, as much as possible, don’t put the guns too close together so that you don’t accidentally scratch or dent the guns when you are taking out one of them. In addition, you may also want to install gun cradles on the gun safe if it doesn’t have them, as the cradles would provide a safer surface for the rifles, shotguns, and other long guns to lean on.
These are the best long-term gun storage tips that you need to learn before owning a gun or purchasing a gun safe. As evident in this article, having a gun safe wouldn’t be enough to provide protection for your firearms, as they need to be taken care of properly by cleaning them regularly and placing them in a controlled environment where moisture and humidity wouldn’t be too high.