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OK to store guns in attic?

27K views 25 replies 24 participants last post by  Taurahe 
#1 ·
Money is tight and I can't really afford to buy a nice safe (I'd rather buy once, cry once) and so I have my long guns and a couple pistols stored in my attic. My kids are young enough that there is no way they can access the door, and so that is where I keep them. My question is: Can the high temperatures cause any damage to the guns? They are all black (no wood, just polymer). Any problem with storing a cheap scope that I never use up there?

Thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
Better not be.. because I used weapons that were stored in 125+ heat during the First Gulf War.. and bet my life on them working... :)

On a more serious note, the weapons will get hotter than that during firing and not be damaged so sitting up in the attic shouldn't harm anything. Perhaps any lube might evaporate slightly so.. check the weapons when you get them down to go to the range, but otherwise, I don't foresee any problems.
 
#6 ·
I wouldn't consider it. More important than the heat is the humidity. I had a friend store some guns in what was supposed to be an air conditioned storage unit. It wasn't. Metal and humidity equals rust. They might do OK if they are completely covered by protective grease or cosmoline, but I wouldn't chance it. Buy a cheap safe and use it store your ammo once you can afford a nice one.
 
#8 ·
I found out the hard way when I stored some oem wood rifle stocks in the attic! A 10-22 stock cracked :mad: So I would definitely say NO to storing guns there!
 
#9 ·
My safes are full so I actually store a few long guns in the attic and have never had a problem at all. Being that I live in one of the highest humidity areas I use plastic hard cases and put a small cheap dehumidifier pad in the case with each gun. No rust, no fuss.
 
#10 ·
It depends on the gun and the environment. I would not hesitate to store a modern polymer-stocked rifle like an AR, in an attic, in any environment. But I would not keep a wood-stocked firearm up there, especially in damp, humid or salt-air environments.
 
#12 ·
Temps and humidity aren't the only things to worry about in attics. You should also take pests into account. Mice, rats and squirrels will chew on anything including plastic. And bugs are always a problem. Get some good trigger locks, lockable gun cases and make room on some high shelves.
 
#14 ·
The heat in my S. FL attic will destroy all things plastic. I would not do it. A locked gun case in a closet is a better choice.
 
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#17 ·
I don't think it's something I would do unless they were well lubricated, like leaving the factory heavily lubricated and sealed tight for water and air in PVC or something similar with silica dessicant inside. Which would likely eliminate a good portion of any savings you're hoping for.
 
#20 ·
I agree about saving for a nice safe, good idea.

That said, please consider what I did (a few decades back) with limited resources and young kiddies. I build an interim safe out of plywood, and mounted it in a closet. It would lock, with a metal hasp, do almost nothing to deter a determined thief, and keep my kids and their young friends away from my small gun collection.

Plywood piece of mind.

(Eventually replaced plywood model with a very nice metal safe, which now one of my adult (kiddies) owns.)

.
 
#21 ·
I guess the question becomes how much one values their firearms and how willing they are to ruin them? I am not a betting man. Put them in the attic, but don't come crying later if there is damage.
 
#23 ·
It really depends more on humidity than heat. You live in the deep south where high humidity abounds. Unless you have a great dehumidifier running in your attic, I'd choose another location.
 
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#25 ·
If you are only worried about the kids, just get a gun cabinet - six sides of 16 ga steel and be done. If worried about theft, maybe put up a false wall in front of the cabinet or hide under the bed. Only way I'd store in the attic is over oiled and vacuum sealed in airtight bag with desiccants inside - and only ones I didn't plan on shooting for a while.
 
#26 ·
You are better off getting a cheap metal gun cabinet and mounting it in a closet. The point of security is to keep them safe from hands they do not belong in, and they do that just fine.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
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