Reader Question: Gun Storage
We’ve covered many aspects of a gun purchase. Things like finding a good deal to the first day at the range are important topics to cover. There is still, however, much ground to be covered for new gun owners and sometimes it’s difficult figure out what to write about next. One thing we haven’t covered yet is where to put your gun once you own it. Thankfully, Bob J. helped us pick out a new article topic with a great reader question:
“I bought an XDm after reading your review. This is our first gun and me and the wife really liked shooting it. I just wanted to ask if it’s ok to store the gun in the case it came in or should I get some other case?”
Well, Bob, great choice on the gun and I’m glad you two like it! Keep me updated as to your progress. As far as your question goes, and as with many of my answers, there’s a few schools of thought…
Personally, I never store my guns in the foam lined plastic cases they come in. While they’re perfectly fine for transporting to and from ranges and such (especially in the case with the XDm line), that foam can potentially damage a gun in the long run.
They’ve said there’s two main enemies to guns: politicians and rust. Those foam lined cases, with few exceptions, are allied with the latter enemy. In most cases, especially in the more humid parts of the country (like here in Florida), that foam sucks up moisture like a Dyson Vacuum cleaner powered by nuclear fusion and Red Bull. Leave your gun in it for any extended time and that moisture will destroy even the highest quality, water-resistant finish.
When I’m not using the foam lined cases, I store my guns in either a safe with a dehumidifier (which is a bit of overkill if you only have one gun), a single gun safe with a silica gel thingy that I replace regularly or a gun sock/gun pouch…with a silica gel thingy that I replace regularly.
Silica gel packets are awesome. You get them for free just about any time you get anything that comes in a box and they are great for keeping moisture away from guns and ammo. Each of those packets can absorb about 40% of its weight in moisture. Some of them can even be reused by sticking it in an oven for a bit. They can potentially be poisonous, depending on their composition so keep the packets away from children and especially pets.
Ideally, with just one gun, you would have it in a readily accessible drawer in, perhaps, one of those drawer type of gun safes (like the ones GunVault makes). The GunVaults, in particular, come with a little moisture control thingy that you put in the safe with the gun. Since Florida has an average of 99.99% humidity, I go a step further and keep one of the reusable silica gel packets (designed for full sized safes) in the back of the drawer as well. If you’re in an area like Las Vegas, well, you probably won’t need that extra step. You’ll still need some silica or other moisture wicking device inside the storage device (safe/bag/sock/etc) with the guns however even in super dry regions.
I hope that answered your question, Bob, and thanks for reading!
If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to ask on our Facebook Page, on Twitter or using our Contact Us form on the site. We look forward to hearing from you!
Image used under Creative Commons license from Katie Brady.
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