Storing rifles upside down

[thedbc]

I was browsing about looking for a larger safe and saw several images of gun safes with the barrels down.

Do any of you store long guns upside down? I never thought about it but it does make a bit of sense. Any moisture in the safe would ride down the barrel instead of building up at the bolt. Same with dust or bedbugs, etc.
From a safety perspective, you are never looking down the barrel of a weapon that may or may not be loaded.

 

[unclear.six]

I've heard stories of mountain boys from back in the day filling their hunting rifles with bear grease to the muzzle and then corking them off for the winter. They stored them muzzle down because the bear grease would actually seep through the pores of the steel and run back down into the stock. That's just hearsay though, not sure if its true or not.

 

[drtybykr]

They stack them one up, one down just to maximize the storage in the safe.

 

[no clever name]

They stack them one up, one down just to maximize the storage in the safe.

Been doing that for years. With AK's or anything with a charging handle sticking out the side it really helps.

 

[Chuckdog]

I don't think it would matter much on anything with a flash hider or something attached to the barrel that would protect the crown. I wouldn't store my sporting rifles muzzle down for fear of muzzle damage and any moisture that made it to the floor would be right in contact with the metal.

 

[TBurnham]

I've heard stories of mountain boys from back in the day filling their hunting rifles with bear grease to the muzzle and then corking them off for the winter. They stored them muzzle down because the bear grease would actually seep through the pores of the steel and run back down into the stock. That's just hearsay though, not sure if its true or not.

They did this back in the day cause they did not have heat and air and the temps inside thier houses would vary greatly. And metal would always sweat due to the temps changing so much. In todays houses we have heat and air and we do not have the temps jumping up and down like they did back in the day.

 

[unclear.six]

They did this back in the day cause they did not have heat and air and the temps inside thier houses would vary greatly. And metal would always sweat due to the temps changing so much. In todays houses we have heat and air and we do not have the temps jumping up and down like they did back in the day.

Thanks man. I can't remember who told me that. Interesting to know.

 

[amarsh89]

the DNR hunter education course tries to persuade you to store long guns either horizontal or muzzle down due to any solvents used for cleaning not seeping into the bolt and "gunking up"

 

[Chuckdog]

Before I had a safe, I stored mine horizonally on peg board. The safe kinda limits your options. I still store Encore barrels and AR uppers horizonally on the top shelf.