How to Keep Gun Safe Dry

As you probably know by now that the best way to store your valuable firearms is to keep them inside a gun safe. By storing them inside a safe, you can protect them from the burglars and potential damages that the environmental debris might cause.

However, your guns inside are not entirely safe from damages. Moisture that tends to get trapped inside can make the frames catch rust and make them inoperable over time.

Now that you know that moisture inside can cause damages to your firearms, you would want to know how to keep gun safe dry. Well, you just stumbled upon the right source for that. We are going to introduce you to several easy to follow methods, which will allow you to keep the inside free from moisture.

How does Moisture Get Inside the Safe?

The air that we have surrounding will have moisture content in it, which we all know by humidity. Now, if you were to trap air in a container such as a gun safe, it will let those moisture content settle on the surfaces. As a result, the surface will not be dry, which is not recommended for a gun safe.

Accordingly, you might ask that why does not the surfaces of the outside do not have moisture accumulating on it. Well, with the constant flow of air, the moisture content seems to be always in the move. That constant flow will not allow the moisture to settle on the surface. Hence, the surfaces of the outside do not have moisture accumulating on it.

Will the Moisture Settle in if I Open My Safe Frequently?

No, the moisture will most likely not settle on the surface if you open your safe very often. However, this factor will depend on the humidity level of the area that you are living in. If the level is extremely high, the moisture will settle in even if you open the safe frequently.

Apart from that, we would still recommend you to follow one of the methods of keeping your gun safe dry.

How will I Keep My Gun Safe Dry?

Even though there are to ways to prevent your firearms from catching rust, keeping the safe dry would be an option that most would prefer. Now, the methods that you can follow to keep your safe dry are:

• Method 1: Get Yourself a Safe That has a Sealant System

Among all the types of gun safes that are out in the market, the ones that come with a sealant can keep the inside dry. These sealants are mostly of silicone or foam, and they go along the door jamp of the safe. The primary function of these is to lock in the air inside, which will make a seal inside. This seal can lower the chances of the moisture getting trapped inside.

At the same time, if the safe that you already have does not come with a sealant system, you will still be able to modify the one that you have. There are many sealant foams, silicone, and caulking available in the market. Get one of those and install them on the door.

• Method 2: Install a Dehumidifier

You might already have a dehumidifier in your rooms. If you do have one in the room that you have placed the safe at, you will not have to go through the trouble of installing one inside the safe. But if that is not the case, you can opt for the rod style dehumidifiers that are out in the market. Those are exclusively manufactured for the gun safes.

Although, you will have to drill a hole on your safe if you want to install one of the wired ones. Thus, drilling a hole will somewhat disrupt the fireproofing and waterproofing characteristics of your safe. However, you will be able to find battery-powered ones in the market. With those, you will not have to drill any hole.

• Method 3: Install a Heating Source

If the commercial dehumidifier is not something that your wallet is allowing for the moment, you can also make one all by yourself. For this, you are going to require a bulb that has a high wattage rating. For example, if your safe is moderately-sized, you should go for the bulbs that are at least 25 to 30 watts.

Now, by installing one of those inside the safe, you will be able to keep the environment inside warm. And by keeping the insides warm, you will eliminate the possibilities of moisture settling on your firearms. However, you will have to drill a hole for getting the power cable out from the inside.

• Method 4: Throw Some Silica Packets Inside

Silica packets are the small little packets that you usually find inside a box that says “do not eat” on the exterior. You might have already thrown away many of them as they say “throwaway” on the package. But do not worry, these are relatively cheap and easily accessible in the market. You will be able to get dozens of them with a small little price tag.

The way that these packs work is that the silica balls inside will suck all the air from the surrounding and keep it dry. We would recommend you to place at least one pack of these in each corner of your safe. Once the overall sucking capacity of the balls is at its maximum, you will find out that they have got swollen. If they are swollen, you will have to replace them.

• Method 5: Move Your Safe to An Air-Conditioned Environment

If all the methods above do not seem feasible for you, you can move your safe to a location to an air-conditioned environment. Usually, the air-conditioned areas have a lower amount of moisture in the air. So if you place your safe in that environment, you will be able to ensure that the insides are dry.

Nevertheless, there is a catch. You will have to open the safe every now and then if you want it to keep it dry in that environment.

Final Words

Keeping the insides dry is crucial for a gun safe, and we hope we were able to show you how to keep gun safe dry properly. With that, we would like to conclude here by wishing you good luck and hoping that the guns that you store inside stay in pristine condition for an extended amount of time.