storage

[74 Camaro]

I have purchased a couple of rifles which I do not intend to fire. I bought them for their looks and for, hopefully, appreciation over time.

They are in a gun safe, warm and dry. However, how often should I take them out, wipe them down, lubricate moving parts, etc.? Should I being doing anything else to them every x number of months or years?

Thanks,

'74

[Jay Cunningham]

Welcome to M4C.

Are these AR-15 rifles?

[74 Camaro]

They are a compilation of various things. One is a Sig 556 which I've not fired. The others include a VEPR .223, a Mauser, a nice unissued SKS, an LWRC, a Tikka T3 Tactical, and a mix of common bolt action rifles and high end AK conversions. Nothing particularly valuable, but things I just liked and bought.

Oh, thanks for the welcome. I've been reading this forum for several weeks and decided to jump on board.

[Jay Cunningham]

This question would best be posed in the General Discussion forum. Your AR's will not really need any maintenance long-term in that environment.

[jtb1967]

I give all my long term storage firearms a wipedown with RIG. I then "try" to give them a fresh coat every year or two. I have some in long term storage that I've had coated with RIG for several years and they still show no signs of any problems.

[WS6]

Cosmoline, also has the added benefit of the classic "been properly stored" smell.

[Joe Mamma]

It sounds like your storage conditions are very good. I don't think you need to do too much more other than being careful to wipe down any areas you touch when you handle them from time to time. You can probably keep your guns in those conditions for many years without having to worry.

I'm a fan of Break-Free CLP for storage. It's easy to put the gun into action if you ever need to do so quickly. It also doesn't gum up or break down into some weird crap over time. I usually just use a light to medium coat on all metal parts. The bad thing is that it is thin so it will run off into other areas. But, I'm pretty confident it always leaves a protective coat even when most of it has run off.

Cosmoline is too much work to clean off. But, it's much better for storage in harsh conditions.

The only issue I see is with the wood stock guns. I don't think you want a lot of oil or preservative running into the wood and getting soaked up. But, I don't know what the best thing to do is, other than positioning them so that's minimized.

Joe Mamma