Another well, errrr, simple question.
I have been storing my guns and all reloading equipment in our basement. It has always had a de-humidifier going....24/7.
This spring the Northeast got pounded by rain. We had ground water at the level of the underneth side of basement concrete floor. (no standing water in basement---but almost). I put a meter down there to check humidity.....it's at 48 to 50%.
Is 50% too high for storing all this stuff? The temperature stays in the 60 to 70 range. 70 in summer time.

squirrelbait wrote:

Another well, errrr, simple question. I have been storing my guns and all reloading equipment in our basement. It has always had a de-humidifier going....24/7. This spring the Northeast got pounded by rain. We had ground water at the level of the underneth side of basement concrete floor. (no standing water in basement---but almost). I put a meter down there to check humidity.....it's at 48 to 50%. Is 50% too high for storing all this stuff? The temperature stays in the 60 to 70 range. 70 in summer time.

Gidday squirrelbait. Don't know if the meter you used to measure the humidity in your basement gives the same readings as the instruments used by the Bureau of Meteorology, but 50% doesn't seem that high.

I lived in Cairns, Far North Queensland, which is in the tropics and suffered monsoonal weather including humidity readings up to 80%-90% and temps to 110F, or higher, during Summer (had little heaters in the wardrobes to stop mould and "fur" growing on everything).

I found that with care and regular cleaning of my firearms I had no problems with the humidity. I did, and still do, keep a 1kg bag of dessicant in each of my gun lockers to help in this regard. Visit your local whitegoods store, you can nearly always find these packs of dessicant inside new refridgerators etc, they may be able to help you.

Ensure that your gun safe is above the level of water (stands to reason), and if possible above floor level (may necessitate relocation). Put a dessicant pack in with your firearms and either reactivate or replace it regularly. Check your firearms every couple of days and keep them oiled (I also use a silicone cloth). Don't forget the metal parts that you can't see eg, trigger group internals etc. Just provide a little more TLC to your firearms than usual.

If you are careful the humidity shouldn't be a problem.

Cheers, Vince

Hi Squirrelbait....try this protectant and you won't worry about rust.

Regards,

SHOOTIST

G'Day shootist. We used CLP Break Free when I was in the Army. It is pretty good stuff without a doubt, but it still behoves you to check your firearms on a regular basis in a high humidity climate.

Cheers, Vince

i live in south cewntral missouri, here in the summer it also gets to 110 and we average a 80 percent humidity {may is our fire season with a average 40 percent humidity} {temperate rainforest}

in my gunsafe i burn a 40 watt lightbulb to keep humidity down in the rest of the house i check 4 times a year to keep the rust down but still ket some surface rust.

now my guns are 50 years old on average so they arent pretty any more but i keep them workable.

Hey, guys thanks for the inputs. The other big concern is my powders and primers. Are they affected by long term exposer to 50% humidity?

primers should be stable

powders in sealed gans should stay good for centuries

open powder cans should be used within 6 months

Check the powder for odor, powders having odor are considered bad. If in doubt, load only a few rounds for test firing. If anything unusual is noticed, get fresh powder beforte you load more.
Keep it coming...

Well George...All my powders have an odor...Would you mind explaining the particular oder you are talkin' 'bout...

It depends. The best place to store guns is in a cool, dry place that is secure. My basement is too damp to store anything. I store my guns in gun safes after they have been thoroughly cleaned and all metal surfaces coated with a film of good quality gun grease. Guns that are properly greased can be stored indefinitely. If I handle a gun to inspect it during the storage period, any metal I touch get regreased. Some guns have been greased and stored for decades and still look like new.

Powder and primers should also be stored in a cool dry place that is secure. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

Bushmaster wrote:

Well George...All my powders have an odor...Would you mind explaining the particular oder you are talkin' 'bout...

G'Day Bushy. From memory mate I think that if the powder takes on a pungent acidic sort of a smell it is allegedly "going off". However, I feel sure that there is someone here on the Forums who will know for sure.

17 Days to go.

Cheers, Vince

Most smokeless powders have a slight aroma similar to mild solvents.
Bad powder has a very strong acidic smell similar to the fumes generated when a battery in a metal flaslight leaks and corrodes the metal.

Or you might say it smells a bit like vinegar.
Most smokeless powder will also turn brownish or even a rust color as it ages and begins to go bad.

But THAT is usually heat related and not water or cold. I think that single base powders (like 2400 imr4350 etc.) are sensitive to moisture - they lose power as they absorb water. Heat does the same thing to these powders. They lose power as they degrade. Completely safe until it leaves a bullet in the bore.
Double base powders (like H110, WW748, H380 etc.) are completely unaffected by moisture. The temperatures that affect them are extreem. Unless you get them below -30 F or above 120 F they are fine.

I live in Oregon where it rains 9 months out of the year. Don't reload so can't give you any help there but I've never had a gun rust. I store them in the bedroom closet with NO dehumidifier. 100% humdity isn't that uncommon here and still no problems. Of course I do clean my guns at least once every 3 months, more often for defensive arms.

I use a dessicant I purchased from Sinclair. It's a round, aluminum contaier that shows red through the top. When it turns blue you place the can in the oven to recharge. I've been using it for two years, and it works well. I used to hang well oiled rags in the cabinet, plus keep the rifles well oiled. It had a great smell, but I never felt cofortable with it. The canned dessicant is much better. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal