View Full Version : Long Term Storage for BCGs
I currently have two BCM BCGs in each of my AR15s. I'm looking into buying a couple more BCM BCGs or just bolts for backups.
What would be the best method for long term storage for the BCGs and/or bolts ?
I was thinking of coating the BCG or Bolt with BreakFree CLP or LP and seal it up in a ziploc storage bag , any thoughts on that idea ?
Or should I just keep the BCG in the packaging they come in ?
Thanks for your time.
I also have a couple new "spare" BCG's. I took them apart and rubbed them with CLP and then lightly oiled a strip of T-shirt material with FP-10 and rolled the BCG's seperatley in its own T-shirt/oil rag and put both into a zip-lock bag. They sleep in one of my spare hard rifle cases with a bunch of other spare magazines and other AR junk. I don't see them ever rusting in a hundred years like this. Just do something reasonable to keep them oiled and sealed and they should reat for eternity in new condition. The one thing I thought of doing but didn;t was remove the ejector springs and the gas rings.... I had a fleeting thought that the tension may yield over time. I think I drank another beer and just wrapped them up and put them away as is.
Cincinnatus
12-29-09, 00:02
Is there a problem with spontaneous combustion involved with oily rags? Also, I have noticed things I have wrapped up in a CLP doused rag end up bone dry after a few years. Cosmoline might be a better option; however, one should investigate whether the removal of cosmoline (you have to rub it in gasoline, usually to get it off) in any way injures the finish on the parts. I don't imagine that it would, but sometimes things react in a way you might not expect.
Is there a problem with spontaneous combustion involved with oily rags? Also, I have noticed things I have wrapped up in a CLP doused rag end up bone dry after a few years. Cosmoline might be a better option; however, one should investigate whether the removal of cosmoline (you have to rub it in gasoline, usually to get it off) in any way injures the finish on the parts. I don't imagine that it would, but sometimes things react in a way you might not expect.
It depends on the type of oil. Spontaneous combustion can occur with certain oils, including linseed and many enamels, during the drying process. Once completely dry, there is no danger.
As for rustproofing, the basic concept is to deny oxygen -- the corrosive element -- from contact with the iron or steel with which it wants to combine. Any system that denies access to oxygen will inhibit rust. A coating with C/L/P, oil, cosmoline, parafin, you name it, will achieve this. Storing it in a vacuum will achieve the same. For long term, you need any coating that will not evaporate easily. Cosmoline will not evaporate readily, and that is its real use.
ThirdWatcher
12-29-09, 04:56
I'd just leave them sealed in the clear plastic bag they came in (unless you want to test them). I have used my spare BCM BCG, so I cleaned and oiled it and put it in a ziploc bag.
I use the heavy 30 weight Slip 2000 EWL and put it in a ziplock in my tool bag. If I check it in a few months and it's dried I'll try the Slip 2000 grease.
heartbreakridge01
12-29-09, 11:33
Speaking of Linseed oil, this can also be used a a preserver :) I would imagine any type of corrosion inhibitor would work. like it was posted above as long as oxygen and moistior are kept off the metal it will be fine.
you could go nuts and simply place them in a container completly submerged in an oild of some sort. LOL
Honestly, I think as long as they are well oiled and away from access to O2 or contained in a way that will prevent the oil from drying out or evaporating you should be fine.
RogerinTPA
12-29-09, 12:20
I'd just leave them sealed in the clear plastic bag they came in (unless you want to test them). I have used my spare BCM BCG, so I cleaned and oiled it and put it in a ziploc bag.
Same here. I just leave them sealed in the bags they came with.
Belmont31R
12-29-09, 12:38
How long term? A few years oil will work. Just check on them every couple months.
Really long term? Coat them in cosmoline, and keep moisture/oxygen away.
Cosmoline is what is used my armories for really long term storage. Those old Yugo Mausers and such you can get on the cheap come soaked in the stuff, and it takes hours to get it out. However the metal finish for being over 50 years old without regular care is very good.
Cosmoline is what is used my armories for really long term storage. Those old Yugo Mausers and such you can get on the cheap come soaked in the stuff, and it takes hours to get it out. However the metal finish for being over 50 years old without regular care is very good.
I remember reading somewhere, perhaps a WEB Griffin novel, that after Pearl Harbor a lot of firearms had to come out of storage in a hurry. This (supposedly) was achieved by boiling them in kerosene -- definitely not a job for the faint of heart.
A 2" ID length of PVC pipe with caps, and zip-lock plastic bag with your preferred lube/preservative should hold up for a while.
For just storing it as a spare which has to be readily available I just leave it in the bag it came in. Give it a glance from time to time to make sure all is well.
If for some reason I wanted to store one away for the end of times, I'd melt up a bunch of parafin wax and dip that rascal like a candle till it had a good thick coating. When it's needed it won't take much to melt the wax so that it dripps out of all the nooks and crannies for use. Think lighter, heat gun, torch, etc, not enough heat to mess anything up, just melt the wax.
Icedaddy56
12-29-09, 16:02
I just use the plastic bag method also, but wipe the bolt down with Break Free CLP Collector preserver. Made for people with gun collections for long term storage. Long term being 10 years if I recall correctly
I just spray CorrosionX on mine, and seal in a zip-lock bag. The lube stays moist and doesn't go anywhere.
Ive kept mind in soaking in a jar of fully synthetic oil in the past.
A friend stores his in a jar of ATF.
A bit extreme, I know, but if you have a place for it, it's a guaranteed way to deny oxygen. :)
Ive kept mind in soaking in a jar of fully synthetic oil in the past.
A friend stores his in a jar of ATF.
A bit extreme, I know, but if you have a place for it, it's a guaranteed way to deny oxygen. :)
Well hidden from thieves too!
Buckaroo
Thank you all for the replies, very interesting ideas here.
I think I may try to just keep them in the bags they come in from BCM for the time being, and keep an eye on them.
Brownell's dosen't have Cosmoline anymore they now carry "Rust Veto" (http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=26344/Product/RUST_VETO).
This stuff forced in like packing bearings by hand then sealed in a vacuum sealer bag and kept out of direct sunlight should last a couple lifetimes.
EzGoingKev
12-30-09, 16:06
If you want cosmoline in a spray can go to a motorcycle shop and buy a can of Chain Wax.
Spray on a thin coat, let it thicken up some and then recoat.
Works great as a metal preservative but sucks as chain lube.
tweakmeister
12-31-09, 22:45
Ultimate: Wrap in VCI paper and put into a Brownells storage bag.
otherwise just oil heavily and put into a ziplock...just check on it.
I remember reading somewhere, perhaps a WEB Griffin novel, that after Pearl Harbor a lot of firearms had to come out of storage in a hurry. This (supposedly) was achieved by boiling them in kerosene -- definitely not a job for the faint of heart.
I remember the WEB Griffen novel, but I thought that the best trick was to have the metal parts steam cleaned...
In my very limited experience, Hoppes 9 and elbow grease is fine for removing cosmoline.
As for storage, you're going to store this stuff indoors somewhere, right? I'm a minimalist: just a light coat of heavy oil and a ziploc. The ziploc is just to prevent the oil from getting on other stuff.
Now, if I were burying guns, then I'd take a bit more care...
Bimmer
sundowner41
01-12-10, 17:29
Wipe everything down with CLP or Militec and you're good to go. There are so many good lubricants out there now, you really can't go wrong.
ColdDeadHands
01-14-10, 07:38
I'd just leave them sealed in the clear plastic bag they came in (unless you want to test them). I have used my spare BCM BCG, so I cleaned and oiled it and put it in a ziploc bag.
I think testing them is a good idea. especially after I had a new BCG that gave me trouble. Test it, then store it.
ThirdWatcher
01-14-10, 14:00
I think testing them is a good idea. especially after I had a new BCG that gave me trouble. Test it, then store it.
Yeah, when it comes to my weaponry I have OCD too. :D
You can also pack in a couple of your GF's tampon pads for moisture protection. ;)
The Bravo Company bolts comes in a sealed plastic sleeve and I don't know about oil, But I do know they put grease around the Cam pin slot. This grease should make a rust resistant enviroment in the sleeve.
Question for you Ziplock bag users: Will your oil/preservative interact with the plastic bag? Has anyone stored an oil-soaked item in a Ziplock bag for several months or so and seen whether it can cause problems?
I ask because I once went on a motorcycle trip with a quart of spare motor wrapped in a plastic bag placed in one of my saddlebags just in case. At the end of the first day, the slight seepage of oil from the plastic oil bottle ate through the bag and got all over my clothes. Plus, it turned the bag into a gloppy mess that ruined some of my clothes. That's when I discovered that not all plastic is impervious to oils.
As for Ziplock bags specifically, I do not know whether they interact or do not interact with oils, but it is something I'd keep an eye on.
As for me, I'd find an oil-resistant plastic tube, seal one end, drop the bolt into it, fill the tube with ATF, and seal the open end. Should work, should be about the same size as a 35mm camera film case, and thus fairly small and easy to store. Plus, ATF is cheap.
I remember reading somewhere, perhaps a WEB Griffin novel, that after Pearl Harbor a lot of firearms had to come out of storage in a hurry. This (supposedly) was achieved by boiling them in kerosene -- definitely not a job for the faint of heart.
Man I think you are right sounds like some thing Cpl. McCoy would do in Griffins The Corps.
I use the plastic tackle box type trays for my parts storage, they are now available with VPI protection. Put the parts in the box, a few squirts of CLP and you are good to go. I would be careful with what I used on bolts, I would want to use a product compataible with the extractor o-ring. I would not use cosmoline, too hard to clean off and better products are available today. On the question about ziplock bags and oil, for years I have stored heavy LSA oiled magazines in ziplock bags with no problems. After about 10 plus years or so the bags do seem to start to split, usually around the feed lip area, I don't believe this is oil related but just plastic aging. Also some of the plastic tackle box trays I use have been in use for over ten years with no problems. I can't speak for all oil, but the LSA and CLP I use don't seem to hurt plastic too much.
I save the old cosmo off of old surplus stuff I get when it's not all crudded up. Bet I got about a cups worth in a small plastic ziploc bowl I swiped from the wife. A light coating would do and be easily cleaned up with oderless mineral spirits.
I really like the PVC pipe idea mentioned previously. Will have to give that a shot.
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