Hi to all our Friends wherever you may be, especially those presently enjoying some much needed rain. As the saying goes ‘it never rains, it pours’, which is holding very true for much of Queensland at the moment. Many of us are finding ourselves stuck at home with access to ranges or hunting being restricted. Now is a great time to ensure all this added humidity, doesn’t finish up causing you bigger problems than the air conditioning bill. The safes in which we keep our valued firearms are not air tight. As the humidity outside soars, so too does the environment within them change, often to the detriment of all metal if not cared for.
What to Do?
First, be sure all your firearms are stored with a good coating of oil to protect them. It can certainly pay to pull them out and give them all a rub down. This ensures a physical layer of protection is in place between the precious metal and the air around. Make sure you do them all, especially the ones you may not have touched in a while. Use a good quality oil or even a CLP (Clean, Lube & Protect) product. You could try G96 or the Lucas Oils’ aptly named CLP.
Another helpful item is to use a dehumidifier inside your safe. This helps to draw the moisture out of the air. You can use single use desiccant available from many supermarkets for use in cupboards etc, however over time these can be expensive. Also available are multi-use products that allow you to dry out the desiccant and then re-use them. One such product is the Safe’n’Dry XL, with the distinct shotgun shell appearance. Simply place the ‘shell’ inside your safe. The crystals draw the moisture out of the air and into it, changing colour as they do. When ‘full’ (Pink), just take the bag of crystals out of the shell and put in a warm oven for about 3 hours. Once they have dried out they will turn Blue again. Let them cool at little and pop them back in the case in the safe. Simple, quick and clean for just $35.
Remember, prevention is much easier than repairing later. Get in and keep your gear ready to go so when the rain goes away, there’ll be no holding you back.
See you out there.
