Long term storage

[Scout]

Been doing a bit of searching on long term storage, I figured I'd go with a good coat of oil/grease/something and a vacuum sealed bag. My real question is, should a rifle or a shotgun be stored standing upright or laying down? If I can lay them upright with no warpage then that will help with where I want to store them. And long term could be a few months, few years, few decades, I really don't know.

 

[Slawburger]

Mine have been standing upright "|" not "_" for decades. Well, okay it is more like "/".

 

[Sheepdog Gear]

Mine have been standing upright "|" not "_" for decades. Well, okay it is more like "/".

Ha! Funny. For LONG term, I'd say lightly coat them in a good gun grease, and get yourself a FoodSaver. Vacuum packed guns should last indefinitely. Maybe throw a desiccant pack in where any air pockets would be, (shotgun barrel, inside receiver, etc).

Edit: Ok, obviously didn't thoroughly read the post. Sorry. Maybe you could get some Mosin crates and stand them up? Or large PVC pipes and build weapons caches with them?

 

[snorko]

Google "backwoods home" magazine and look in the archives for a good article on a guy who buried an SKS for 10 years then dug it up.

 

[Scout]

Was just thinking that where I want to put them there may not be room to stand them upright.

 

[Sheepdog Gear]

Was just thinking that where I want to put them there may not be room to stand them upright.

Oh. Your original post infers you wanted to stand them upright.

 

[Savage99]

With wood stocks, I have seen it recommended to store firearms muzzle down. The theory is that any oil in the action won't move into the buttstock and "rot" the wood (muzzle up). I have seen some older rifle where they had too much oil and over time the wood behind the action became soft and oil soaked. Just a thought.

 

[Mgderf]

Remove the stock. Wrap and store separated from the action.
Find a massive tub. Fill with cosmoline and heat until liquid.
Remove heat. Immerse firearm minus stock into liquid cosmoline.
Let cool until cosmoline is gelled. Take gun out of gelled cosmoline and wipe off excess.
Wrap in wax paper and bury.

You're welcome comrade.

 

[snorko]

Google "backwoods home" magazine and look in the archives for a good article on a guy who buried an SKS for 10 years then dug it up.

Here is the link. A guy buried an SKS for 15 years. Bury a gun and ammo for 15 years by Charles Wood

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Here is the link. A guy buried an SKS for 15 years. Bury a gun and ammo for 15 years by Charles Wood

Why did he bury .223 ammo with an SKS??

 

[Sheepdog Gear]

Why did he bury .223 ammo with an SKS??

'Twas as Mini 14.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

'Twas as Mini 14.

Ah, okay. The other guys mentioned an SKS but the article didn't say. I thought it was an SKS that I hadn't heard of! Come to think of it, that would be a pretty sweet rifle...