Basement Storage for guns and ammo

[PineTar]

I'm losing my conditioned air storage and I'm looking for your best solutions to keep the firearms rust free and the ammo fresh in the basement.

Basement situation: typical New England poured concrete, unfinished, It's dry and passively heated with forced hot water pipes routed up into the house. In the summer, the 1 gallon dehumidifier can fill up in 24hours at 70%. Obviously I get the temperature swings between seasons.

I can repurpose a large basement closet to fit a safe and storage containers. This is a light wood framed closet and my first thought was to insulate and tighten up the air flow in this room. At the same time I'd beef up the construction. Not sure if I'll be able to run electric humidity options here.

Thoughts? What should I be thinking about here - thanks.

 

[LittleCalm]

If you are keeping everything in a safe, just use an in-safe dehumidifier and call it a day. I’ve never had an issue. For the basement generally, most 50-70 pint dehumidifiers have an outflow connection. Just buy a small pump at HD and run a tube from that outflow to a small diameter PVC pipe through the sill and have continuous dehumidifying.

 

[safetyfirst2125]

I'm losing my conditioned air storage and I'm looking for your best solutions to keep the firearms rust free and the ammo fresh in the basement.

Basement situation: typical New England poured concrete, unfinished, It's dry and passively heated with forced hot water pipes routed up into the house. In the summer, the 1 gallon dehumidifier can fill up in 24hours at 70%. Obviously I get the temperature swings between seasons.

I can repurpose a large basement closet to fit a safe and storage containers. This is a light wood framed closet and my first thought was to insulate and tighten up the air flow in this room. At the same time I'd beef up the construction. Not sure if I'll be able to run electric humidity options here.

Thoughts? What should I be thinking about here - thanks.

Watertight safes and ammo cans. Solves humidity problems.

 

[MisterHappy]

Make sure the safe is up on something, in case the floor endampens.

Other than that, see above; that covers it.

 

[40 Creedmoor fan]

Unless it gets damp, storage in the cold air is fine. Cold air can hold a lot less water. Just to give you an idea: air at 68 degrees holds twice as much moisture as air at 50 degrees.

Plus all the suggestions above. I run a dehumidifier in the basement attached to a small sump pump from home depot. All ammo is stored in sealed ammo cans with dissicant pockets as well.

 

[xtry51]

If you can, apply a sealant paint to the walls and floor. It makes a huge difference. I run a dehumidifier year round. You don't have to get crazy with the setting, just lower the amount in the air by some portion is enough.

Desiccant packs in the safe/ammo cans. Yoy can dry them out once or twice a year in the oven at 200F for 30min.

Nothing directly on the floor. Safe up on wood blocks. Ammo cans on metal shelves. Always assume your basement will flood and allow for at least a few inches of water. Also do not stack stuff touching the concrete walls. Always an air gap.

 

[hminsky]

Our basement is flagstone in a 1890's house, and does leak a little at the corners when in heavy rains in the summer.

I have a dehumidifier in the basement which drains to a basement drain, I only need to run it in the summer. My gun cabinet in the basement has some of those GoldenRod
warming rods, which seems to keep things dry, I have a number of antique winchester 22 rifles and have not seen any signs of rust though they've been stored down there
for years now. Cabinet is not sitting on the floor, it's on some 2x4's

 

[Wickedcoolname]

I wipe everything down with WD40 3 times a year. Been doing it for 35 years. Not a spec of corrosion on my guns.

 

[Quite_Exasperated]

what he said, a good coating of oil for the safe queens once a year, especially the bore..just clean it before you use it..

 

[kalash]

To echo what's already been said - my safe is up on wooden blocks with a golden rod inside, ammo cans have desiccant packs inside but that's probably unnecessary.

 

[TOM1960]

I'm losing my conditioned air storage and I'm looking for your best solutions to keep the firearms rust free and the ammo fresh in the basement.

Basement situation: typical New England poured concrete, unfinished, It's dry and passively heated with forced hot water pipes routed up into the house. In the summer, the 1 gallon dehumidifier can fill up in 24hours at 70%. Obviously I get the temperature swings between seasons.

I can repurpose a large basement closet to fit a safe and storage containers. This is a light wood framed closet and my first thought was to insulate and tighten up the air flow in this room. At the same time I'd beef up the construction. Not sure if I'll be able to run electric humidity options here.

Thoughts? What should I be thinking about here - thanks.

Wipe down the guns with a silicone cloth before putting them in the safe. Make sure safe is not directly on top of a concrete or dirt floor in your basement. You can DIY with pressure-treated wood and some heavy duty galvanized nails, creating your own safe stand. As for the ammo, get a freezer locker that no longer works. You can probably get one for free and the owner would be glad to have you take it off his hands. Those things are well sealed and air tight. Will hold thousands of rounds of ammo and free up valuable space in your safe. MA law requires only guns to be locked up, not ammo, so you will be in compliance.

 

[KMM696]

... MA law requires only guns to be locked up, not ammo, so you will be in compliance.

MA regulation requires it be locked up.

From MA 527 CMR 1:

1.12.8.39.1.1.4 Permits Not Required. Permits shall not be required for the following: (1) For smokeless propellants displayed in commercial establishments intended for sale and not exceeding 25 lbs. and stored in original manufacturer’s containers of one lb. maximum capacity. (2) Small arms ammunition, primers, smokeless propellants and black powder stored in original containers and stored in a locked cabinet, closet or box when not in use as provided in Section 1.12.8.50. Small arms ammunition, as used here, shall mean any shotgun, rifle, or pistol cartridge and any cartridge or propellant actuated devices, excluding military ammunition containing bursting charges or incendiary, tracer, spotting, or pyrotechnic projectiles

 

[BTSDOG]

i run a dehumidifier that feeds into a condensate pump so i dont have to empty the bucket all the time, and in my gunroom i have eva dry units in the gunsafe and powder cabinet, with dessicant packs in all the pistol boxes. also have two small electric heaters, one in gun room and one in my workshop that are on timers and keep both rooms in the 70's +-during the winter months....In the summer, the basement stays fairly cool, just need the dehumidifier for muggy days........

 

[whacko]

I have stored my guns in my unfinished basement for 10 years at least. 2 safes. I run a dehumidifier in the basement in spring and summer and just empty the bucket once a day. I'd do that even if I didn't store guns down there. I don't have any rusting issues at all on any of my guns in 10 years of storage down there. I don't clean my guns that often either as I shoot multiple times a week. Hunting guns and milsurps that I use less often just get a spray and wipe down of the externals with remoil and back in the safe.

 

[btnh6668]

All my stuff is in my basement. I use a humidifier for the basement. I use two humidifier rods in each of my safes along with monitors to keep track of temp and humidity. All my ammo is stored in ammo cans in stackon cabinets with rechargeable dehumidifiers. I have no issues. Moisture Control Products | Lockdown

 

[mac1911]

I'm losing my conditioned air storage and I'm looking for your best solutions to keep the firearms rust free and the ammo fresh in the basement.

Basement situation: typical New England poured concrete, unfinished, It's dry and passively heated with forced hot water pipes routed up into the house. In the summer, the 1 gallon dehumidifier can fill up in 24hours at 70%. Obviously I get the temperature swings between seasons.

I can repurpose a large basement closet to fit a safe and storage containers. This is a light wood framed closet and my first thought was to insulate and tighten up the air flow in this room. At the same time I'd beef up the construction. Not sure if I'll be able to run electric humidity options here.

Thoughts? What should I be thinking about here - thanks.

1. Get that humidity down , get a larger dehumidifier one that can auto drain
2. Temp swings dont help much avoid large swings in temp.
3. Get a bunch of these to place in tour small places. I have them in my safe a large one in my small room with tools and the small ones I put in gun cases.

VCI Emitters | ZERUST®/EXCOR® Corrosion & Cleaning Solutions

VCI Diffusers (also known as VCI emitters) emit Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors that provide targeted corrosion protection in hard-to-reach enclosed spaces.

www.zerust.com

4. Ammo should be fine in any sealed container.
I think one of the things that helps is separate your “storage” and “regular” use items so your not constantly moving fresh air around .

You can also take a fresh clean piece of steel and leave it your basement for a week or so and see if it rusts up quickly?

Get that humidity down 70% is to high.
Even if you have to run 2 . I rum a small unit in my small room in the summer months along with my bigger unit. It can take some time nut once you get down to 50% range you might empty it once a week. Unless you have moister issues.

Lets hope a vapor barrier was used on your floor before they poured it?

 

[falcon123]

If you are keeping everything in a safe, just use an in-safe dehumidifier and call it a day. I’ve never had an issue. For the basement generally, most 50-70 pint dehumidifiers have an outflow connection. Just buy a small pump at HD and run a tube from that outflow to a small diameter PVC pipe through the sill and have continuous dehumidifying.

I just drilled a hole in the slab to drain the humidifier. I built my own house so i know that there is a foot of crushed stone under the slab and my basement is dry.

 

[DW357]

Yup run a dehumidifier. Only time it’s not running is basically November - March

 

[TOM1960]

MA regulation requires it be locked up.

From MA 527 CMR 1:

1.12.8.39.1.1.4 Permits Not Required. Permits shall not be required for the following: (1) For smokeless propellants displayed in commercial establishments intended for sale and not exceeding 25 lbs. and stored in original manufacturer’s containers of one lb. maximum capacity. (2) Small arms ammunition, primers, smokeless propellants and black powder stored in original containers and stored in a locked cabinet, closet or box when not in use as provided in Section 1.12.8.50. Small arms ammunition, as used here, shall mean any shotgun, rifle, or pistol cartridge and any cartridge or propellant actuated devices, excluding military ammunition containing bursting charges or incendiary, tracer, spotting, or pyrotechnic projectiles

I stand corrected. Add a hasp and padlock to the freezer locker. Problem solved.

 

[Parker Schreiber]

Make sure the safe is up on something, in case the floor endampens.

Other than that, see above; that covers it.

Putting a safe "up on something" instead of bolted to the foundation makes a thief's job a lot easier. So unless the only reason you are using a safe is to comply with legal and insurance requirements, contact a security professional to work out the best compromise.

 

[jpdopes]

A golden rod and one of these (changed out annually) has worked for me for 16 years.

 

[groundscrapers]

I use a goldenrod and a tub of damprid. I also went so far as to get a humidity gage like you would have in a humidor that I stuck inside to keep an eye on things

 

[Rankin]

Ballistol every three to four months. Good for leather wood or metal.

 

[sjohnston0311]

Cover everything in cosmoline.

 

[MisterHappy]

Putting a safe "up on something" instead of bolted to the foundation makes a thief's job a lot easier. So unless the only reason you are using a safe is to comply with legal and insurance requirements, contact a security professional to work out the best compromise.

Bolt it to the wall behind; bolt the riser to the floor, then the safe to the riser.

Get a safe that so heavy that ti can only go down the stairs,

Add a special security system:



IMO, water is a more-likely threat, than bad guys.

 

[mac1911]

Its been my experience when “they” want your shit “they” will get it.
No need to make it easy though.

Im more worried about lazy jonny junkie snagging any low hanging fruit when he does a quick smash and grab

 

[SeanT]

I run a dehumidifier into my furnace condensate pump in the spring and summer. I have an off-brand Goldenrod in the gun safe and nothing in the ammo cabinets. No rust or moisture issues for the past 10+ years. I do have a gauge near the safe and the humidity never gets above 70% in the most humid summer weather.

Definitely raise it off the ground. Others have mentioned woods blocks, but I personally used hockey pucks since they’re a uniform height and won’t pass moisture through. I also used them to the back so there’s airflow all the way around. I then put anchors through the safe and puck to the floor and back (use a bit of glue or tape to hold the pucks in position as you shift it around).

 

[tuna]

I’ve stored my guns in several basements, the last place being the worst. Damp, unfinished, prone to minor flooding. I used cheap cabinets to barely comply with law. Good coat of oil on firearms, cabinet on pallet to keep out of actual water. No corrosion and no problems.

Guns aren’t sugar, no matter how sweet. Minimal precautions will keep them fine. Don’t overthink.

 

[snd1t]

I'm losing my conditioned air storage and I'm looking for your best solutions to keep the firearms rust free and the ammo fresh in the basement.

Basement situation: typical New England poured concrete, unfinished, It's dry and passively heated with forced hot water pipes routed up into the house. In the summer, the 1 gallon dehumidifier can fill up in 24hours at 70%. Obviously I get the temperature swings between seasons.

I can repurpose a large basement closet to fit a safe and storage containers. This is a light wood framed closet and my first thought was to insulate and tighten up the air flow in this room. At the same time I'd beef up the construction. Not sure if I'll be able to run electric humidity options here.

Thoughts? What should I be thinking about here - thanks.

VCI Bags

You can also cut one into strips and hang in the safe to help protect anything not in its own vci bag

They last a number of years....way longer than advertised and are the bomb

 

[paul73]

I'm losing my conditioned air storage and I'm looking for your best solutions to keep the firearms rust free and the ammo fresh in the basement.

Basement situation: typical New England poured concrete, unfinished, It's dry and passively heated with forced hot water pipes routed up into the house. In the summer, the 1 gallon dehumidifier can fill up in 24hours at 70%. Obviously I get the temperature swings between seasons.

I can repurpose a large basement closet to fit a safe and storage containers. This is a light wood framed closet and my first thought was to insulate and tighten up the air flow in this room. At the same time I'd beef up the construction. Not sure if I'll be able to run electric humidity options here.

Thoughts? What should I be thinking about here - thanks.

rifle/pistol ammo will be fine with no additional humidity control measures.
shotgun shells may get powder absorb moisture.
this gizmo sort of works, if you put it inside of the safe and run its refresh cycle monthly:
Amazon product ASIN B00BD0FN8AView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BD0FN8A


for rifles and pistols if you simply never open original double packaged cartons you received your shipments with - will be fine for decades. or you can use airtight ammo tin cans with a pack of etilenglicol inside.

if you keep your guns in wet places - learn to know what parts in your guns are stainless and what are not - mostly various springs, like ejectors in bolts, etc - anything where a cost savings BS may have been done by a manufacturer.