NFOA MEMBERS FORUM
General Categories => General Firearm Discussion => Topic started by: Critter on July 21, 2014, 08:20:53 PM
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74.5 Degrees and 37% Humidity. Yea or Nah???
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According to the NRA gun museum, ideal for most guns is 70 degrees f. and 50% humidity.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MUha850vkkAJ:www.nramuseum.org/media/940963/conservationinfo.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MUha850vkkAJ:www.nramuseum.org/media/940963/conservationinfo.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)
In theory, lower than 50% humidity is good for the steel, but can be detrimental to the woods. The 50% is a good trade off.
If the temperature is higher, or lower, the humidity can be adjusted accordingly. Don't remember if it should go up or down.
I just stick to 50%
Beyond the humidity, museum wax is very much recommended for storing guns.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012S1XBO/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1405994433&sr=1&keywords=museum+wax (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012S1XBO/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1405994433&sr=1&keywords=museum+wax)
There is two kinds of MW, one for protecting and making things look their best, and another kind, made to keep things safely in place on shelves, so they do not fall off. For guns, you want the kind in the link.
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To preserve wood, humidity should remain relatively constant regardless of temperature. To preserve steel, humidity should be relatively low regardless of temperature. Very low humidity can be detrimental to wood. Steel can be oiled (or, apparently, waxed) to help preserve it in higher humidity. It's a tricky balance.
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Ya, I'm finding that out. Hope for the best I guess. I'm doing what I can.