Lately, I’ve had a number of conversations about different ways to keep your firearms in storage and how to maintain them. I think it’s pretty obvious the importance of firearm storage and having the ability to protect your firearms. Security is obviously a reason, but protecting your investments is another great reason to make sure you have a quality safe for your firearms. I have been asked questions about where to put your gun safe and how to keep guns less susceptible to rust due to moisture. There are a number of ways to help flight against rust and moisture in gun safes.

Finding a Place To Put Your Safe

One of the most common questions I get when talking about gun safes is placement in the home. Most guys I talk with have to negotiate a spot for their safety in the house with their wife. Before trying to pick out that perfect place in your home, try to find a place with minimal moisture and temperature changes. One place that’s fairly common for a larger safe is in the garage. This to me is a less than ideal location for a few reasons including safety and climate. The garage is typically not as secure as inside the home. If someone gets the garage door up they basically drive up to the safe and load it up in most cases. The bigger issue with having a safe in the garage is the amount of moisture and temperature changes the guns and safe will go through.

Depending on where you live, ammunition and firearms will go through a number of cycles between hot and cold. Probably, one of the best places for a larger safe is in a part of your home with the least amount of temperature change and moisture. A second story room is a great option even though it may not be the easiest to install a safe.

Ways To Reduce Moisture

I decided to install my safe in my basement even though basements can often have moisture in them. Having layers of protection is always the best way to go when looking at protecting your guns. I ended up putting in a small dehumidifier in my gun room. Then I installed an electronic dehumidifier as well as a rechargeable crystal dehumidifier. Installing an electronic and rechargeable crystal dehumidifier into your safe for storage is a relatively inexpensive investment. It’s a simple step to make sure your firearms are protected against moisture in your safe. I recently put a humidity detector inside my safe and it had an average rating of 8-10% humidity compared to 35% in my basement.

Picking up even a rechargeable crystal dehumidifier can greatly reduce the amount of humidity safe. Taking small steps to help create a better environment for your firearms. You can also take precautions for your ammunition as well. There are smaller silica packages available for ammunition cans or cases. These packages are easily placed in the traditional metal or plastic ammo cans and will take nearly all humidity out of the can. Some of the smaller silica packets are reusable and can be put in the oven to recharge the silica.

Overall Thoughts

Let’s be honest, at the end of the day it’s always fun buying firearms and accessories but it’s not always fun to buy safes or storage devices for your guns. It may not always be a fun topic to talk about but a very important one. Taking small steps to ensure your guns are protected by small dehumidifiers is a simple way to protect your investment. Let me know what other practices you guys do to keep your guns safe in storage. If you have any questions about storage or anything else firearms related feel free to message me on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!

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