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Water tight gun cases caution!!

Lee Whitsel

Silver $$ Contributor
A word of warning. I got a new Pelican water tight hard gun case a few years ago. With a new rifle all at the same time. The day i went to the range to sight in the new rig it was kind of a misty damp day and then started a light sprinkle so i put the gun in the case and went on home. The light mist most of made the inside of the case damp. Cause when I opened it up after forgetting to clean the gun for some length of time when I got home the whole gun had rust from a to z. from the bit of dampness trapped inside. So now I spray the inside of all my case with something with an oil type base to make sure that doesn't happen again. So beware.
 
Lee Whitsel said:
A word of warning. I got a new Pelican water tight hard gun case a few years ago. With a new rifle all at the same time. The day i went to the range to sight in the new rig it was kind of a misty damp day and then started a light sprinkle so i put the gun in the case and went on home. The light mist most of made the inside of the case damp. Cause when I opened it up after forgetting to clean the gun for some length of time when I got home the whole gun had rust from a to z. from the bit of dampness trapped inside. So now I spray the inside of all my case with something with an oil type base to make sure that doesn't happen again. So beware.
Click to expand...
The gun needs the oil more than the case.
 
Lee Whitsel said:
A word of warning. I got a new Pelican water tight hard gun case a few years ago. With a new rifle all at the same time. The day i went to the range to sight in the new rig it was kind of a misty damp day and then started a light sprinkle so i put the gun in the case and went on home. The light mist most of made the inside of the case damp. Cause when I opened it up after forgetting to clean the gun for some length of time when I got home the whole gun had rust from a to z. from the bit of dampness trapped inside. So now I spray the inside of all my case with something with an oil type base to make sure that doesn't happen again. So beware.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure an oil type spray won’t prevent moisture from getting inside your case if you leave it open during a light mist.
 
Same with Cheep skin cases. Shooting buddy brought his rifle to the range. opened the case and the moisture "literally" dripped off his rifle!!
WD 40 is CRAP but it WILL drive out any moisture. Hose your rig down to drive out and get rid of any moisture, wipe it down real good and apply a good gun oil.
 
Riesel said:
Don't store your guns in a case, case is for short travels to protect gun, not store them. this includes just about any case.
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Very true! I have two friends that didn't know that and both ruined the barrels on their rifles. Lesson learned.
 
Soft gun cases will do the same and in no time. I had a Howa 1500 in one for less than a week and it started rusting the outside of the barrel. I believe a contributor to my issue was put a hot gun in the case on a humid day. Bad juju.
 
1705849416650.jpeg
This is the best if you really want to ruin a gun:oops:. Carried it behind the seat of my 69 f-150 year around, winter came and we got some snow I got it out to shoot a jack rabbit zipped it open and I don’t think it would have been any wetter if i would’ve poured a 1/4 cup of water in and zipped it shut. (It had probably been about a month since I had last had it out)
 
As others have said, those foam cases absorb moisture. Never store firearms in these cases for extended periods of time.

Here is what I do, and I have never had any problems with external corrosion:

Go to a fabric store and purchase some %100 cotton flannel. Cut into 12" squares. Dribble a few rows of Hoppe's Gun Oil (mineral oil) on the cloth then wring it out like a towel to distribute the oil throughout the cloth. The cloth should not be dripping wet with oil but evenly distributed throughout the fabric. The goal is to have a light film of oil embedded in the cloth. Place in a zip lock bag then add it to your range box or carrying case.

Wipe the firearm off after each range session / hunting trip before returning it to the carrying case. I also remove the bolt and wipe it off. Remove the firearm as soon as practical from the gun case and store in your safe when you arrive home.

Refresh to the cloth periodically to keep a light film of oil embedded in the cloth.
 
I think the best advice is not to store a rifle for any extended period of time in a case. Ironically, the cheap plastic hard cases are probably the best if the rifle is left in it, because they do not seal any moisture in the case. I find that waxing my guns works better than oil. Living in a super humid area, oil attracts lint and lint holds moisture. I use Renaissance wax, but Johnson's paste wax works as well.
 
MMMMM, let me think for a moment..... Maybe put something in the case that absorbs moisture like Dessicant packs or a sock full of rice? Did I win?
 
Having owned Pelican cases for my cameras for years - I'm well aware of the issues! While the case protects from physical damage and rain - they do have other issues, particularly with humidity. I learned that in Asia, you need to get the camera out asap after a flight. Firstly to equalise the pressure and let the camera acclimatise. The next trick is to get the camera out of the air conditioning - for around an hour- before using it, to prevent the lenses fogging. The reverse is also true - that you need to pack the camera back into the Pelican in a dry environment before a flight, or long hot road trip. Dessicant packs do help - but theres a lot of foam in there.
 
Desiccant packs from midway.
Monitor weight.
If humid day at the range, open when we get home.
Don't know how well it will work over the long run as this was a Christmas present for the wife.
Wifes-Savage.jpg
 
Lee Whitsel said:
A word of warning. I got a new Pelican water tight hard gun case a few years ago. With a new rifle all at the same time. The day i went to the range to sight in the new rig it was kind of a misty damp day and then started a light sprinkle so i put the gun in the case and went on home. The light mist most of made the inside of the case damp. Cause when I opened it up after forgetting to clean the gun for some length of time when I got home the whole gun had rust from a to z. from the bit of dampness trapped inside. So now I spray the inside of all my case with something with an oil type base to make sure that doesn't happen again. So beware.
Click to expand...

TEN TIPS for Winter Firearms Storage « Daily Bulletin

It's December already. That means winter has definitely arrived -- no doubt about it. If you plan to put away all or some of your firearms for the winter, here are TEN Tips for winterizing your firearms. 1. Bore Cleaning and Coating -- Clean your barrels and neutralize any solvents you may have...
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Consider Bore-Stores for Winter Storage of Fine Firearms « Daily Bulletin

Wintertime, the season of cold and damp, is right around the corner. There's already snow on the ground in some parts of the country. If you want your fine firearms to remain pristine and rust-free through the winter months, it's wise to protect then while they are stored in a safe.
bulletin.accurateshooter.com bulletin.accurateshooter.com

1705885444660.png
 
Lee Whitsel said:
A word of warning. I got a new Pelican water tight hard gun case a few years ago. With a new rifle all at the same time. The day i went to the range to sight in the new rig it was kind of a misty damp day and then started a light sprinkle so i put the gun in the case and went on home. The light mist most of made the inside of the case damp. Cause when I opened it up after forgetting to clean the gun for some length of time when I got home the whole gun had rust from a to z. from the bit of dampness trapped inside. So now I spray the inside of all my case with something with an oil type base to make sure that doesn't happen again. So beware.
Click to expand...

Oil doesn't play nice with a lot of the foam that's out there.
 
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