Clean firearms with the normal stuff you use. Oil it, heavily. (Use a ton.) Axel grease, coat the whole firearm, any metal parts. Forget the inside of the barrel, just be sure to cap it with a condom. (Not a used one, smartass. No lube.) Grease the inside of the chamber. Really gum it completely shut at the bolt/breech. Close the action with the grease in place. Wrap in plastic bag. Get as much of the air out of the bag as possible. Lower, say a pistol, into a bucket full of water to displace the air and seal it. If water gets into the bag, you're starting over. Bury inside a water proof container. An unused, cleaned out and dry (this is key, dry) cooler will work. Anything that won't leak. This can be buried, but people have metal detectors. (Look up how deep you want to go for yourself. Geography and metal detector evasion, ect.)
To clean, use diesel or kerosene. Zippo lighter fluid would work, but you're going to need several bottles. Have towels you don't care about handy. Use gloves.
Good luck with your... Uh, friend.
thanks! sorry for the late reply, this sounds like really sound advice. What are your thoughts on the waterproof capability of one of those gun bags? its all plastic, cotton and polyester, but very strong and durable. Are legit gun bags like that any good at regulating the humidity? My, uh, friend has had the guns in there a long time. There wasnt any good place to put it for a long time so they were laying sideways. There's a hunting rifle in there for deer. They're being stored upright right now, but do you think the time it spent on its side caused any damage?
Not familiar with the gun bag you're referring to. Idk. Stored on its side... Really doesn't matter, as long as the sights aren't knocked around. Scopes and sights will be off if they get knocked around.
The line up is: Start with a clean and we'll oiled firearm. Coat all metal parts with axel grease, including the opening to the chamber and the end of the barrel. The most important part of the whole thing is water displacement. Old or new firearms, doesn't matter, if you're looking at long term storage, make sure water won't be an issue. If the metal has a coat of axel grease, water can't get to the metal. Whatever container you choose and where you store them: Water. Make sure water can't get into that container. If there's any signs of rust, make sure to eliminate with those first. Rust has a funny way of reproducing. If you're storing for years without looking at them, this is where you're starting point is. If you're looking at 6 months in a closet, just a wipe down every few months should be fine. (If there's rust, once a month, no rust, two months.) If you're buring them, it's all about coating with grease and picking a trusty container.
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