Humidity % in gun safe?

[IGot2P]

Just curious if any of you have checked the humidity in your gun
safe(s). I added another safe and I put this one in my shop which has a
furnace and is heated to at least 50 degrees F in the winter. My shop
also has air conditioning but is not used unless I am working in the
shop. Anyway, I have Cannon heater (like a Golden Rod) and also a Cannon
dehumidifier can of pellets in the safe but the humidity still shows
around 45% (temperature in safe is 78 degrees F). I only installed the
safe yesterday so maybe the humidity just has not had time to drop.

Comments please.

Don


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[Murff]

On Thu, 24 May 2012 23:58:42 +0000, IGot2P wrote:

# Just curious if any of you have checked the humidity in your gun
# safe(s).

I've never measured it, but I do keep an adsorbent desiccator[1] in
there. That sits in a mounting which has paper inserts impregnated with
cobalt chloride which is blue when dry, and turns pale pink as the
moisture content increases. An 8 minute session in a 900W microwave oven
once a week dries it out.

That, coupled with making sure that the guns are dried off as needed
before being put away, and kept lightly oiled, and I've not seen any
problems with rust.

BTW: It rains here quite a bit.

[1] I say "adsorbent desiccator" as that is an accurate description of
what it is and does. Google "dehumidifying egg". It looks ridiculous but
it does seem to work, so it gets house-room.

Murff...

[penultimate]

Excessive humidity is of course an issue but the real recipe for undesired =
corrosion is guns cooler than the air, leading to condensate, especially wh=
en it might run and "puddle" in stagnant air and dry slowly where it can ca=
use pitting. This risk is biggest in locations where temperature and/or hu=
midity change quickly. Think dew on your car early in the morning.

This risk is minimized inside the safe if the safe internals are kept just =
a little warmer than ambient in the room housing the safe. Moisture from w=
arm air will not condense on a [slightly] warmer gun when the safe door is =
opened. It does not take much of a heat source to do this. Hence effective=
ness of the Goldenrod heater. =20

It is important to be sure guns are WARM and DRY before storage. An icy gu=
n brought in from a hunt and tucked away in a closet (especially one on an=
exterior wall which may be damp already because of condensation on the col=
d wall) (or worse, a gun case which prevents airflow) or even a gun safe is=
a rust magnet. In late fall/winter, I dry and warm guns with an old hair =
dryer, open the action, and then blow hot air down the barrel (to evaporate=
any condensed interior moisture) before putting them away in the safe. Obv=
iously, this is a good thing to do if it is raining. Not so obviously, it =
is a good thing to do when it is just cold. Of course, a little light oil =
does not hurt either. =20

In terms of humidity control, I think it is a mistake to strive for low hum=
idity (<30%) or abnormal warmth inside a safe, except as it might occur by =
virtue of where you are. The reason is shrinkage/expansion of stock wood a=
nd attendant stock warping that, among other things, can cause a wandering =
zero. =20

[NBC...@giganews.com]

After exhaustive testing the U.S. Navy determined that 40 is the
optimal humidity for mothballing ships. Metal & wood will be
maintained properly.

[Sheldon]

<NBC...@giganews.com> wrote in message
news:jqeba7$4cp$1...@news.albasani.net...
# After exhaustive testing the U.S. Navy determined that 40 is the
# optimal humidity for mothballing ships. Metal & wood will be
# maintained properly.
#

+1 to NBC.Org. Many people try to keep their guns as dry as possible but
forget about the wood. A light coating of oil on metal parts and in the
barrel can't hurt either.

[Louis Boyd]

Sheldon wrote:
# <NBC...@giganews.com> wrote in message
# news:jqeba7$4cp$1...@news.albasani.net...
# # After exhaustive testing the U.S. Navy determined that 40 is the
# # optimal humidity for mothballing ships. Metal & wood will be
# # maintained properly.
# #
#

# +1 to NBC.Org. Many people try to keep their guns as dry as possible but

# forget about the wood. A light coating of oil on metal parts and in the
# barrel can't hurt either.
#

The most important thing is to never let allow condensing moisture on
steel parts. That occurs when the dew point is equal or higher than the
temperature of the metal of the guns. Keeping the humidity around 40
>INSIDE THE SAFE< will insure that, but if the guns are cold in a warm
room that has 40% humidity condensing moisture could exist. Keeping
guns in conditions with large temperature swings is bad. Having
standing water near a gunsafe can cause local high humidity conditions
even though the outdoor humidity is low.

It does not take much time to damage firearms in a safe. A few hours
of standing condensed moisture can cause noticeable rust. A week can
destroy them.

[Murff]

On Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:14:02 +0000, Louis Boyd wrote:

# It does not take much time to damage firearms in a safe. A few hours
# of standing condensed moisture can cause noticeable rust. A week can
# destroy them.

Indeed. Shooting at night, or in the winter especially (or even sometimes
in the summer as it isn't that hot here), make sure that:

1. If you know they're wet, dry off guns thoroughly, in a cool part of
the house, and apply a light covering of oil. If they're *really* wet
take the stock off as well beforehand.

2. If they're dry but cold, let them warm gradually in their cases/slips.
The main benefit comes from keeping humid indoor air from coming into
contact with the cold metal of the guns.

As I have no stainless barreled rifles, I check for rust frequently -
typically once every two weeks (adds maybe 5 minutes to a visit to the
safe either taking out or putting back, so the habit once formed is not
arduous). Not had any trouble with rust, so far.

Murff...

[Stanley Schaefer]

# The most important thing is to never let allow condensing moisture on

# steel parts. =A0That occurs when the dew point is equal or higher than th=
e
# temperature of the metal of the guns. =A0 Keeping the humidity around 40
# =A0>INSIDE THE SAFE< =A0will insure that, but if the guns are cold in a w=
arm
# room that has 40% humidity =A0condensing moisture could exist. =A0Keeping
# guns in conditions with large temperature swings is bad. =A0 Having
# standing water near a gunsafe can cause local high humidity conditions
# even though the =A0outdoor humidity is low.
#
# It does not take much time to damage firearms in a safe. =A0 A few hours
# of standing condensed moisture can =A0cause noticeable rust. =A0A week ca=
n
# destroy them.
#
During hunting season, the guns remain outdoors(in the van), unless
soaked in a blizzard or rainstorm. Just a few minutes inside is
enough to condense moisture and start rusting. Waxing metal and wood
helps, but isn't a total preventative. Locally, the humidity right
now is in the single digits, not much chance for rust here. It's
different in the fall when hunting the swamps. And yes, the swing in
humidity afftects stock to metal fit. Not a lot that I can do about
it.

What you say is a good reason to keep gun safes in the occupied areas
of a house rather than in a basement or garage.

Stan