“Question! This summer has been very humid and my guns are starting to rust! What do you recommend to solve this issue? A few of these guns were inherited from my dad so I want to keep them in the best shape possible.” -Bill, Zerust Customer

Thanks for your question, Bill! Read on for our take on this issue. Generally speaking, careful storage strategies, cleaning, and lubrication should cover most issues with gun rust. We have a few thoughts on this, and a few product recommendations that may help.

Storage

One of the most important factors is where you store your guns. Firearms should be stored in a low-humidity area, between 30 to 60%. Ideally, you’ll want to measure humidity near where the guns are stored. An inexpensive hygrometer, which measures humidity percentage, can be added to let you know what’s going on in that area.  You may also be able see the humidity level on your thermostat, especially in newer models that include smart functionality. If you find you consistently have high humidity during the hot summer months, a dehumidifier in or near the gun storage area might be necessary.

If you have central air, the dehumidification effect of air-conditioning is helpful in lowering your home’s humidity level. This works because as the warm, humid air passes over your evaporator coils, the moisture in the air condenses into liquid and is drained outside or to a drain pipe. You can think of this as a bonus side effect of cooling your home (and you deserve it, with the cost of the electricity these days!)

We recommend firearm storage in the driest location of the home, away from bathrooms or kitchens. If you keep a gun safe in the basement, a dehumidifier is probably necessary to keep the moisture down. Desiccants stored in the safe can help absorb excess moisture, and our rust prevention vapor capsules can be easily added to any size safe, providing a convenient way to protect against rust with our innovative VCI technology.  For guns that are in long term storage and infrequently used, our VCI protection bags can keep moisture out, and add VCI protection around the firearm, reducing the chances of rust. We’ve heard of small rod dehumidifiers that go inside of a gun safe, raising the temperature slightly to keep things dry. If you have the ability to run power inside of the safe, this can add additional protection.

Care and Cleaning

If you are using your gun during the summer months for range shooting, hunting, or as an everyday carry, sweat and oils from skin on the gun surface can exacerbate corrosion. After use, we recommend field stripping your weapon and wiping down the parts with a good quality gun cleaner and oil to remove sweat, skin oils, and gun shot residue. If rust is encountered, fine steel wool can be used to gently remove the rust spots. For the toughest rust removal, chemical removers or electrolysis can be used.

After cleaning and oiling, for longer term storage, use our VCI firearm bags. These convenient and effective VCI protective bags prevent rust for up to 5 years, leaving no residue behind and ensuring you get to enjoy more time shooting, and less time maintaining your prized firearms. This is a nice alternative to the classic rust-preventative, Cosmoline grease, which is very effective in preventing rust in storage for years, but requires extensive removal of the grease when taking out of storage.

Don’t forget to take batteries out of your scopes to ensure they don’t go dead or leak! Alkaline batteries in particular have a nasty reputation for leaking battery acid and ruining devices. We recommend using li-ion or NI-MH batteries instead as they can last for years in storage. We hope this helps. If you have more questions, contact us for information on VCI products to help with rust prevention of a range of consumer products by emailing or calling (330) 405-1965.