Garage storage, Safe vs Pelican

Tim

Tim

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I’m tired of schlepping stuff up and down the stairs from/to my man cave every time I go to the range. Every time I go I bring pretty much the same core stuff. So, I’m looking to start storing stuff in the garage.

I’m not particularly worried about theft, I’m more concerned with rust prevention.

What would be better, a new safe or a set of Pelican cases locked in what amounts to a tool crib?

I’m only thinking 2 rifles and 2 pistols and ammo in ammo cans.
 
Gun safe with a bigass dehumidifier in it?

Everything in my garage (back when I lived in a real house) wanted to rust instantly every summer.
 
Safe with a dehumidifier. Even with desiccants, I have not had luck with Pelican cases preventing rust here in the Carolinas, especially if its something you'll be opening and closing frequently.
 
Supermatch said:
Safe with a dehumidifier. Even with desiccants, I have not had luck with Pelican cases preventing rust here in the Carolinas, especially if its something you'll be opening and closing frequently.
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It's because the air here is made of hot soup.
 
Forgive me if you know this already.

The problem with a pelican case in an unconditioned space in NC is that there is only a small difference between the current temp and the dew point. You go shoot, pack up, and put the case full of daytime air in the garage. That night the temp drops 20 degrees and the water condenses on the gun. Even as things warm back up the next day the water is slow to evaporate. Things rust.

In a safe you run a golden rod. A golden rod is a heater, not a dehumidifier, it does noting to reduce the amount of water in the air. It works by ensuring that the temp inside the safe never falls below the dew point. In winter when you open the safe, room air rushes in, but it doesn’t condense on the rifles because they have been warmed. Without the heater when you open the safe in the afternoon the warmer garage air will condense on the cold rifle steel.

So, you don’t need a safe, but to prevent rust you want a sealed box and a small heat source.

I’d just stack the ammo cans. You’re not keeping a years worth of ammo to carry back and forth, so you’ll shoot it before corrosion becomes a problem.

I’m a bit paranoid about humidity, I rarely reload in the summer time because I don’t want humid air in cartridges that will later be used at lower temperatures. I’m gearing up for annual pistol reloading now.
 
Another vote for in the garage and put down a stall mat so it’s not sitting directly on the concrete.
 
Tim said:
Heated?
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I believe he refers to those fat rubber mats commonly used in horse stalls.

I'd suggest the use of silicone gun socks no matter what you end up doing. Cheap, easy, effective.
 
Is your safe inside your house or in your garage? Mine is in my home and I’ve never had the least bit of trouble with rust using pelican cases.
 
CarolinaColtCollector said:
Is your safe inside your house or in your garage? Mine is in my home and I’ve never had the least bit of trouble with rust using pelican cases.
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I have a fully equipped “man cave” in the house complete with safe, ammo racks, wet bar, couch, etc. IOW, normal storage is not the issue.

What I’m trying to decide about is storing commonly/frequently used items (a couple rifles, gear, a couple pistols) in the garage so I can stop spending 30 minutes hauling stuff up the stairs every time I leave for the range.

Essentially, I’m lazy.
 
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Friday said:
I believe he refers to those fat rubber mats commonly used in horse stalls.

I'd suggest the use of silicone gun socks no matter what you end up doing. Cheap, easy, effective.
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I get that the idea is to get them off the concrete no matter what. I’d plan on some sort of rack for that. But I did some googling and saw stall mats that were heated. Was wondering if that’s to solve the condensation issue @JimB pointed out.
 
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Tim said:
I have a fully equipped “man cave” in the house complete with safe, ammo racks, wet bar, couch, etc. IOW, normal storage is not the issue.

What I’m trying to decide about is storing commonly/frequently used items (a couple rifles, gear, a couple pistols) in the garage so I can stop spending 30 minutes hauling stuff up the stairs every time I leave for the range.
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Keep it well oiled or rattle can it, problem solved. 😬
 
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Go with a small gun safe in the garage with dehumidifier. Add a wifi hygrometer and set parameters on low and high temp/humidity. It will notify you if it gets out of range. Hand oil or wipe all guns as they come and go into the safe. Check bi weekly or monthly

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If you’re feeling like going all out the best thing would be to add a mini split to keep it climate controlled. I did this with my 21x28 detached shop and it’s worked perfect. No more hauling equipment for work in and out of the hour nor guns for range trips.
 
My recent experience with golden rods is that they’re not all the same. The cheap ones use little energy and put out little heat. The expensive ones from Lockdown (they also make inferior cheaper ones) are worth the extra cost. Lockdown is part of the non-firearms conglomerate spun off from S&W.
 
Tim said:
I get that the idea is to get them off the concrete no matter what. I’d plan on some sort of rack for that. But I did some googling and saw stall mats that were heated. Was wondering if that’s to solve the condensation issue @JimB pointed out.
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Might work, but I don’t think they are designed for heavy weight and heating a large mass, they heat the air in a stall. If it works at all it would be much less efficient than a golden rod inside the safe.

I suggest elevating the safe using fender washers at the bolt down points. The small gap allows a little air circulation that I hope is enough to prevent condensation and corrosion, I don’t really know if it does. Folks say that a gap would allow a thief to get a pry bar under it, but the gap is small and levels the safe, and I think they’d throw a chain around it and just pull it up with a truck either way.

For what you want, a cheap stack-on box could be lag bolted to the studs in a corner. Build a base for it or just let it hang, and put the ammo cans on or under it.
 
Tim said:
I get that the idea is to get them off the concrete no matter what. I’d plan on some sort of rack for that. But I did some googling and saw stall mats that were heated. Was wondering if that’s to solve the condensation issue @JimB pointed out.
Click to expand...
Not sure. At my last place I have a big safe in the garage with two golden rods running inside. I need had an issue with moisture or rust.
 
We've had a somewhat wet/hot year so far in the mountains. Not terrible, but in-between a pretty good amount of rain it would get hot and sunny. Perfect weather if you like to cut grass all the time.
A goldenrod is the only thing that really works for me. My elevation is good to have clouds settle down on the house and there's times that I'll be in the fog all day while it's nice and clear down in town. Those desiccant stuff couldn't keep up, the moisture/humidity just gets too intense sometimes. Firearms that don't see lots of use get the silicone sock as well.

I'm a pelican case fan boy. I sold pelican cases at the dive shop and they were one of the best products in the store. Never any problems or returns.
I should just sell mine I never use them. They're too clunky and heavy for day tripping and not the best for long term storage, even in a constant climate. I can see the justification if you have a hi-dollar rifle or shotgun, and they're the best you can use for travel like airports, which I never do. Great product though.
 
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