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Member
Combining dessicant and oxygen absorbers apparently is a no go because the oxygen absorber requires some moisture to do it's thing.Originally Posted by MegademiC
Really lean towards Ballistol as the first line. It's been doing it's job well for over a century and so far in my own use I haven't seen it fail on any of the claims they make when used as instructed.
Senior Member
What is the negative impact? They don't absorb everything instantly, they will reduce available amounts of each chemical over a period of time, which is the goal. Even if there is 0 moisture, there is no negative to having o2 absorbers in there that I'm aware of.
Last edited by MegademiC; 07-15-17 at 09:34.
Member
There may not be a negative other than not allowing the o2 absorber to work which would happen once the dessicant saturated. Rust needs water plus oxygen to occur and the o2 absorbers need a sealed environment so in my opinion having them achieve that and effectively pulling a vacuum on the container as quickly as possible seems preferable.
Senior Member
I am on M4C right?
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Yep. Preservation and protection is an important part of maintenance. If you're wondering if this is Yet Another Lube Discussion, it isn't - though some of the materials discussed may aid in ease of cleaning and reduction of friction, the technical aspect I'm curious about are their environmental resistance, particularly when frequent inspection won't occur.
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Two other things come to mind:
Springs: They're as susceptible to corrosion as any other steel, but with the added conundrum of taking a set and/or wearing out. Would it be advisable to remove as many springs as possible from the weapon/ magazines, preserve them using whatever means, and store them "without load"? There's the anecdote of Soviet AK magazines being found in warehouses after being left loaded for decades and still feeding normally... but how many more cycles did they work before they failed? As many as an unused magazine, or less?
Ammo: Brass and copper are also prone to corrode, but using oils or solvents to protect them is a big no-no. Possible seepage into case mouths and primers will potentially damage the substances inside - whether rendering them inert, or worse, causing them to spontaneously combust. For these, desiccants, oxygen removers, and rigid containers seem to be the answer, whereas vacuum-sealed bags may develop leaks at sharp points (e.g., the tips of M855).
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Quality springs don't take a set, they wear out from use similar to bending wire back and forth till it breaks. That would be another plus for VCI since it operates as a gas and gets inside everything with (in my opinion) Ballistol coming in second since for the most part it doesn't matter what it is on in terms of most metals(copper, lead, zinc, and I think brass are exceptions), leather and wood.
Keep ammo dry and at something near a constant room temperature and that is about it. Watch what paper it is in contact with if any. I know some of the batches of import 7.62x51(thinking it was German?) that came in sealed packs was heavily corroded and an acid in the cardboard boxes inside the plastic was alleged to have been the main cause.
Senior Member
Wipe down blued metal with a damp rag to remove water soluble salts from where metal has been touched, then blow dry before applying lube.
It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense. Mark Twain
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