Thread: How do you prevent rust in your gun safe?

I use a 7w LED in the bottom of two safes....not so much to heat the safe but to create air movement from the minor heat differential. Check out museum archive storage.....they keep the air fresh by circulating the air.....mould, mildew and rust cannot exist in that environment.

Wardrobes are not good places to have firearms because there is a lot of clothing fabric absorbing atmospheric moisture and releasing it as conditions allow.....and the air circulation is limited. Garages are just as bad when a wet vehicle dries off....one guess where all that moisture goes.....!

Only problem with LED light spectrum it will fade things so make sure it is shielded and not reflecting directly on your walnut stock.....!

I keep all my guns under the bed, especially now that the place your safe is at is on the new FAL information.
I get to shoot a few dust bunnies but no rust on guns.

I use indicating silica gel sachets from Silica Gel Products. I bought a bunch of them & use them in the safe & separate ammo storage. I don't have a heater in the safe. Up north it isn't that cold but does get very humid. If the humidity is up or after a long period of rain I'll run the dehumidifier in the room where the safe is (not the garage). I find I don't have to recharge them much.

Originally Posted by flyingpillock

Cheers Longshot
Interesting, not sure if it could be related but I had a plastic tub of damp rid fall to the bottom of the safe a few years ago, cracked the tub and spilled the trapped liquid causing the safe to rust in places. It was about the same time I first noticed the guns picking it up but put it down to being in the garage, since moved into the house.
Thanks to all for your advice, apologies for the double post🙄

I know a guy in Switzerland who was a corrosion engineer his whole working life. He went to White Island before the eruption and came back with lots of photos of rusted metal but none of craters or steam. At historic ruins the main he looks at is the reinforcing steel in the concrete. I can ask him for an opinion about the spillage of the damp rid if you like.

Originally Posted by johnd

I keep all my guns under the bed, especially now that the place your safe is at is on the new FAL information.
I get to shoot a few dust bunnies but no rust on guns.

Shit I hope they are loaded with the magazines in......!

I did spill a little damp rid in the safe. It rusted the screws in the butt of a rifle. Washed the carpet on the floor of the safe and no problems since.

I found in the past I only had rust on firearms (I live in a beach side suburb) when 1. I used inferior gun oil and or 2. I had left it too long between reapplications or 3. Put in safe without cleaning and oiling after use.

Best gun oils for me are Breakfree clp, G96. Oiling about every 4 months seems to work ok.


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