Condensation on muzzleloader barrel in season cabin.

[BigBoreBLR]

Thinking of putting my 1960's don france built 45 cal caplock in my seasonal snowmobile cabin. The heat source is vented propane. When I am not there, I leave the heat off. It's a 12x12 cabin and I do cook in there too, once the place heats up enough.

Would any of you be worried about the cold metal making condensate while the cabin warms up. It can be below freezing in there pretty often.

 

[TreeMan]

Thinking of putting my 1960's don france built 45 cal caplock in my seasonal snowmobile cabin. The heat source is vented propane. When I am not there, I leave the heat off. It's a 12x12 cabin and I do cook in there too, once the place heats up enough.

Would any of you be worried about the cold metal making condensate while the cabin warms up. It can be below freezing in there pretty often.

I have a large gun safe in an unheated outbuilding. My guns did show rust with temperature changes until I put one of those heated golden rods in the safe. I wouldn’t advise leaving your rifle there unless you coat it with a cosmoline like grease.

 

[Stone]

I have a seasonal cabin as well and there are times I get there and it's below zero. I heat with ventless propane and I never turn on electronic things like the TV until it has warmed up to full temp, which can be 6-8 hours.

As far as condensation on the metal of a gun, I wouldn't worry as long as it isn't handled. It would evaporate soon as the ambient temp comes to normal.

Maybe wipe the metal down with a good oiling?

 

[FPDoc]

Thinking of putting my 1960's don france built 45 cal caplock in my seasonal snowmobile cabin. The heat source is vented propane. When I am not there, I leave the heat off. It's a 12x12 cabin and I do cook in there too, once the place heats up enough.

Would any of you be worried about the cold metal making condensate while the cabin warms up. It can be below freezing in there pretty often.

I would be. Could try vacuum pack with dessicants or mil spec vapor weapon storage bags etc. I'd worry as much about some guy, taking it home and taking very good care if it for himself. Wouldn't be such a big deal with an old something or other buried in grease and tucked under the cabins porch.
These days liability for a functional firearm left available to "others" without being in a safe etc...depending on where you are... could be worrisome also.

 

[Stone]

I would be. Could try vacuum pack with dessicants or mil spec vapor weapon storage bags etc. I'd worry as much about some guy, taking it home and taking very good care if it for himself. Wouldn't be such a big deal with an old something or other buried in grease and tucked under the cabins porch.
These days liability for a functional firearm left available to "others" without being in a safe etc...depending on where you are... could be worrisome also.

I think your last point is the one I would fear the most.

I have a loaded 357 Magnum tucked up in a spot only I could get to quickly at my seasonal cabin. It's in a leather holster and I have never seen any indication of rust.

 

[hawkeye2]

Circa 1960 we used to hunt from the back (inside) of the barn. There was a clearing there with a few old apple trees and deer used to come in late in the afternoon. When I got home from school we used to go there and wait till it was too dark to see. My great uncle had tied a wide board to the back door with bailing twine and laid an army blanket on it. The guns laid on that blanket 24/7 for the entire month of November which was the season in Maine at the time. There was no condensation and no rust. Temperatures could range from shirtsleeve weather to sub freezing during that time but as long as the guns came up to temperature and cooled off gradually no moisture formed on them. I have both guns to this day and they still show no damage from that treatment. One is a high grade Parker 12 gauge double and the other is a Remington rolling block.

 

[FishDFly]

Purely depends on how fast the warm up is.

 

[Okie Hog]

Wipe the metal parts down with Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil or other quality oil and treat the bore with same. You will have no problem.

This building is my above ground tornado shelter and firearms vault. The walls and ceiling are 8" of reinforced concrete. It's unheated and the gun vault has golden rods. No firearm in that building has ever rusted.

 

[kyron4]

If you don't have elec. for the golden rod you can use the "rechargeable" dehumidifiers that have the beads in them. And +1 on the Mobil 1 oil, best gun oil and a quart will last forever.

 

[sheriff john]

Around here (NE Missouri) temps vary wildly and humidity is generally high. Anything not at least oiled rusts in no time. Even cans of smokeless powder rust. Hoppe's gun grease in tubes work well, even if the stuff is 50 years old. The silicone impregnated gun sleeves from Midway are also helpful. Grease is king on our farm.

 

[johnfrommd]

If you are going to do that, wipe the rifle with a thin coat of Birchwood Casey's Barricade preserative and coat the bore with a coat of TOTW Mink Oil Tallow. The tallow won't interfere with loading so, when you want to shoot, you just have to load up and head out.

This method has worked for me for years when storing a hunting rifle in an unheated cablin. Temperature extremes and condensation does not have any effect on it if treated as above.

 

[ohio ramrod]

For long term storage I like the Spray on Antirust spray. It is like a thin cosmoline, and washes off with
brake cleaner/or carb cleaner .For the wood I use furniture wax . Just be careful with the cleaners on the wood.