moisture protection in gun safe ?

[JeffB1961]

so i'm getting a used sentential gun safe and i'll be putting it in the basement . i'm concerned about moisture control since i'm in the beautiful mountains of southwest Virginia . it stays fairly cool there in the summer and the lines/exchanger/hot water plate for our wood boiler are near where it will be and knocks the bite of cold off under the house in the dead of winter . so no huge temperature swings since it' stays mostly between 45ish to 70ish there . i keep my guns in gun socks and cases . sooooo .... should i go electric ? discant beads ? or both ? if electric is there anything better than the golden rod ? it seems to be popular on youtube FWIW ....... . i have a laminate and a few wood stocked guns so FWIU i don't want to get too dry for fear of cracking them ????
what are y'alls thoughts and opinions ?

 

[Nickziegler]

I started off with a bead in mine. Way too bog of a pain in the ass. Went to electric rod and don't worry about it. I also take out each gun and give them a cleaning regardless of use each winter after most seasons are closed

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[Sccritterkiller]

Golden Rod....done

 

[pacoalcracker]

beads are a pain.....go with the golden rod. They have a few different lengths to choose from and its unlikely to dry out any wood stocks. Mine has not in 10 years and its the 24" size.

 

[Dbolick]

I keep my safe near my dehumidifier in the basement and it has done pretty well, to be fair I don’t have a very fancy safe, it’s one of the filing cabinet style safes so the air exchange from inside the room to inside the safe is about the same in terms of humidity level

 

[Weldor]

We only get humid a few months a year, desiccant bags 3 lbs, ea. 2 in the safe. oven dry them every couple of months.

 

[Idaboy]

Electric bar, gun safe element of some type for sure.

 

[Davyalabama]

Safe of that type, rod. You want more, damp rid, lol.

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

Gooooooolden Roooooooooood.

 

[199p]

I run 2 heating rods in mine and it keeps it nice and toasty inside, and keeps it all nice and dry.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

GOLDENROD

 

[2000gtacoma]

I have 2 electric rods and 2 bags of the hornady dessicant bags. No moisture issues so far.

 

[EdP]

I also live in the mtns of sw Va, just a few miles west of Damascus. My safe is in my finished basement and I don't use anything and don't have any problem. This is the heated/cooled part of my house so the temp stays pretty even and the relative humidity stays low. Also, guns should be stored w/o a case of any kind. Storing in a case will often cause rust due to moisture absorption by the case material.

Note that a golden rod will not reduce the amount of moisture in the air (humidity). By increasing the temperature it will increase the amount of moisture air can hold and thereby reduce the RELATIVE humidity. A relative humidity level of 80% or above is needed for steel to rust. A heater will also keep the temp in your safe steady and that will help keep relative humidity down.

Desiccant will reduce the moisture in the air to also keep the relative humidity down. You can get desiccants that change color to show when then need to be regenerated in the oven.

Keeping your safe in a heated and cooled space should be all that is needed. This site talks about the same issue with regard to tools and explains it better than I did: https://workshopcompanion.com/Demos...lassroom_files/Shop_Notes_Rust_Prevention.pdf

 

[def90]

Don’t let you safe sit directly on a concrete floor either, put a rubber mat between the concrete and the bottom of your safe.

 

[TheWatcher]

I use one of these. Check it every month or so and plug it in for a few hours when it needs to dry out.

Eva-Dry 333 ft³ 6 oz Mini-Dehumidifier Mfr# E-333 - Ace Hardware

Eva-Dry compact dehumidifiers have been the most efficient way to gather moisture and have an absorption rate much higher than more traditional disposable dehumidifying products on the market through the years and today The AC compatible and compact renewable units designed for a variety of...

www.acehardware.com

 

[Agross]

I use both, not that hard to throw the packs in the oven for a few minutes a couple times a year. I never store my guns in the cases in the safe.

 

[Sadie]

When on a concrete slab it's a good idea to make a platform 3 and 1/2 inches tall using 2x4s and leave an open end for air flow.

 

[Sadie]

And a golden rod.