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Old November 15, 2012, 08:58 PM   #1
Josh17
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Store a Glock in cold weather question

Sorry I posted this earlier but was from my phone and kept making errors so I asked for it to be deleted.

I wanted to know if its okay to leave a Glock in a car 24/7 during winter. I have a Glock 26. I live in Colorado so winter gets cold. On rare cold days it can get to -15. Average lows at night are probably 10 degrees at night in the month of Dec and Jan and Feb. But I planned to leave it in the car for 6+months of cold season. Is that okay? If not what can be done? BTW I leave the Glock 26 in the case that it came with. That is all i leave it in.

I tried to use a paper towel/rag to wipe out any lube on the gun since I know lube and cold weather can sometimes cause issues.

So basically am I good to keep it in there all winter long? My plan was say every few weeks to take it out of my car, wipe it down with a dry rag to remove any lube/moisture in the gun. Is that a good idea or should i just LEAVE it in my car 24/7 and not take it out? I heard bringing in a gun that's been sitting in the cold then brining it into the warm causes moisture to build up immediately..... So any advice on how I should store it? Any cheap ideas of how to store it - like a cheap gun case built for winter (if they exist) or what if I left the gun in a zip-lock bag all winter? Or should I just keep it in the case?

Sorry I have no idea so i just wanted to make sure my Glock is fully reliable if I leave it in my car 24/7 during the cold. Of course I have another spare in my house so I'm not leaving my only gun sitting in my car, in case anyone wondering.
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Old November 15, 2012, 09:06 PM   #2
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You could leave your Glock in your freezer, take it out and it would fire (lots of youtube videos demonstrating this) so I wouldn't worry too much about reliability.

What you do need to check for is rust. Glocks are extremely rust resistant but they're not rust proof. The constant cold/hot/cold/hot will create lots of condensation inside and out so just check it now and then and apply a wipe with an oily rag and you should be good to go.
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Old November 15, 2012, 09:50 PM   #3
Carne Frio
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During the fall and spring, your car can go through
the freeze/thaw cycle, at least daily. This might be
a cause for some condensation. I have kept a Glock
in my vehicle quite often. Just take it out once a
month or so and wipe it down. Never got rust on it.
I can't say the same for blue steel guns. I would
wipe them down at least weekly. For true winter,
don't worry about it. The Glocks are very popular
for people who spend much time outside during
the winter.
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Old November 15, 2012, 10:03 PM   #4
JustinBiscuit
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I live in Wisconsin and keep an M&P in my car without any issues. I keep a desiccant pack in the safe and rotate the ammo twice a year.
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Old November 15, 2012, 10:13 PM   #5
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Living in Washington, condensation corrosion in a vehicle is a major concern.

Over several years I've tried a number of corrosion inhibitors for firearms and some of my more costly tools/machines. Nothing is perfect, nothing works under any and all circumstances, but... this is what I've found with these products.
  • Boeshield. I worked for Boeing, so this was "free"... works well but leaves a waxy film. Great for non-working surface stuff.
  • Starrett M-1. This works well on bare steel tools machines and equipment, and dries completely.
  • Eezox. This has been around the gun world for quite some time and usually finishes in the top 2 or three products in testing. 6BR test. I have never tried the Corrosion X product as described in this test.
  • Tipton Rust Inhibitor Chips. I didn't have much faith in these when I bought them, so I tried them out first with low buck items. They work very well in a small storage box application. Die boxes, plastic gun boxes... toss a few in a gun box and you're good to go. Really... I'm still kinda surprised.
  • Inhibitor VCI corrosion products. This is what I've been using mostly for the past 2 years... or rather a combination of Eezox and VCI firearm bags. For "car guns" and "shop guns" - I clean the gun, apply Eezox to all parts inside and out, wipe off excess, drop firearm in a VCI bag... and away we go.
So that's it. Some of these products are easier to find at your LGS than others, most can be ordered via the interweb.
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Old November 15, 2012, 10:40 PM   #6
45YearsShooting
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A Glock may be the best pistol for your intended use. Leave it in the car and don't worry about it. It will be fine. Even better, take it out and shoot it every now and then.
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Old November 16, 2012, 12:09 AM   #7
DaleA
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Quote:
Even better, take it out and shoot it every now and then.
Do the above. You can read all you want here but to become more confident with YOUR gun in YOUR conditions take it out and shoot it once in a while just like you might have to take it out and use it for real.

I'd bet it shoots just fine but are you going to take MY word about YOUR gun?

If it does give you problems get back to us and I bet there will be *lots* of suggestions to cure any problems you encounter but try it first.
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Old November 16, 2012, 12:54 AM   #8
Josh17
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Quote:
During the fall and spring, your car can go through
the freeze/thaw cycle, at least daily. This might be
a cause for some condensation. I have kept a Glock
in my vehicle quite often. Just take it out once a
month or so and wipe it down. Never got rust on it.
I can't say the same for blue steel guns. I would
wipe them down at least weekly. For true winter,
don't worry about it. The Glocks are very popular
for people who spend much time outside during
the winter.
By taking it inside and wiping it down do you mean Just simply field stripping the Glock and wiping it down to make it dry?

Also yeah I still plan to shoot it whenever I get a chance to keep myself familiar with it and also to ensure proper function. But working 7 days a week I don't get much time at all. So for the most part it will be sitting in my car the entire time.
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Old November 16, 2012, 01:02 AM   #9
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It's been my experience that metal objects that are always left in the passenger compartment of an automobile don't have to be provided with any special anti-corrosion protection other than what would be required to store them inside in the same general geographical area.

That is, if you live in an area where you have to work very hard to keep your guns protected against corrosion due to salt air or high humidity, you'll have to do the same for a gun left in your car. But whatever you do to keep them safe inside will also protect them from corrosion outside.

What will give you trouble is leaving a gun in a car until it's very cold and then bringing it inside where it's warm. Similarly taking a gun out of a cool, air-conditioned area where the gun has become cool into a warm, humid environment will be problematic.

In other words, it's very abrupt temperature transitions that cause the problem, and specifically going from cold to warm in a hurry. The transitions it will undergo while being left constantly in the car will be gradual enough that condensation won't really be an issue, in my experience.

If you take a gun inside where it's warm, after the gun has gotten really cold in the car, you'd better plan to do a detail strip to clean it carefully and get all the condensed moisture out of the works. You might try to warm it and dry it rapidly with a hair dryer as an alternative solution.
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Old November 16, 2012, 02:02 AM   #10
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Quote:
You might try to warm it and dry it rapidly with a hair dryer as an alternative solution.
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All hunting and carry guns were always unloaded, broken down(as in bolts opened,slides locked back,shotguns opened up,etc.) set by the stove to be dried out when brought from the cold into the warm house.
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Old November 16, 2012, 05:44 AM   #11
Josh17
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Never thought of the air-dryer idea that's a good one. So basically I should just leave it alone in my car, then say every month or so bring it inside, field strip it (nothing to detail on a Glock expect for field stripping it) then wipe it down inside and out with a dry rag/paper towel or whatever, then blow dry it for a good minute or so, then take it back out to my car and store it again?

That's what I got out of it - just wanted to make sure I got it right. Thanks for all the advice.
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Old November 16, 2012, 06:46 AM   #12
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Keeping a firearm in a vehicle, all the time? Theft comes to mind.

What is the purpose of a gun, in a glock box? What would you use it for?

Police Officers, holstered Glocks on belts, in uniform, go out, drive, stand, walk, get rained on! And don't worry about their Glock pistols, they were made for those conditions.
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Old November 16, 2012, 07:23 AM   #13
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Lots of reasons to leave a gun in the car/truck depending on the situation of the owner and where he lives and/or works. It is a perfectly valid thing to do. We have frequent lengthy threads on what we call "truck guns" same thing.

I would have no worries about a Glocks ability to withstand sitting in a car year round. You are going to drag it out and shoot it periodically anyway, and at that point I am sure you are going to inspect it. You won't find anything wrong with it, but it is good to inspect any potential self defense weapon periodically anyway.

I keep a very small .380 in my Jeep at all times as an extra, a BUG, and as something I can slip into a pocket at a moments notice if I need to go to town at some odd hour, or after work when I have taken off the full sized pistol.
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Old November 16, 2012, 10:04 AM   #14
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I store a Glock in my ATV front storage locker 24/7. I am in central Pa. and sometimes i wont take it out for a year. I have never had any issues cosmetic or functioning. My Glocks are my beater guns.
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Old November 16, 2012, 11:06 AM   #15
Carne Frio
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"By taking it inside and wiping it down do you mean Just simply field stripping the Glock and wiping it down to make it dry? "

Yes, I do it for peace of mind. I have never found that it was
wet or that rust had started. It is kept in a lock steel box, which
has a security cable around the seat frame. It will deter a quick snatch and grab.
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Old November 16, 2012, 12:44 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carne Frio
During the fall and spring, your car can go through the freeze/thaw cycle, at least daily. This might be a cause for some condensation.
Your car will go through a freeze/thaw cycle every time you start it from cold and turn on the heater!

Good air circulation can evaporate the moisture rather quickly, while poor circulation cannot. So, don't store the gun in a plastic bag, let it breathe.

If it is going to sleep in the glove box or center console, take it out once in a while, look it over, wipe it down and take it out to play, or at least tell it that you still love it.
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Old November 17, 2012, 12:04 AM   #17
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Thanks for all the advice. This forum is always helpful
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Old November 17, 2012, 08:49 AM   #18
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You may have seen this before, but it's still cool
http://theprepared.com/content/view/90//administrator/
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Old November 17, 2012, 01:57 PM   #19
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And to think I feel guilty if I do not clean my carry gun, Gen4 Glock 19, after I shoot 120 rounds at an IDPA match!

It's in my holster now, under a shirt, and it has not not been cleaned for a couple of month"s. Oh the guilt!

The nice part of shooting a Glock, I know it is going to work, got our first batch of ten, in Toronto in 1983?

Holster to bed side table, to holster. Day in, day out, year in, year out. How many rounds fired from this one? Two/ 3K?

Do I like my 9mm Glock, well yes.
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Old November 17, 2012, 03:34 PM   #20
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After you have had cars broken into 5 or 6 times you'll stop thinking about leaving a gun in the car. If you own a loaded firearm you need to be in physical control of it all of the time. Why would you want to leave it in the car?
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Old November 17, 2012, 04:42 PM   #21
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I have carried guns in the desert, mountains, jungle, plains and forest... I have never seen a gun that didn't fire based on temperature... I have read about it, but apparently that had to do with the oil being used for lube freezing into a paste.. Most guns of any quality will take conditions that would kill the owner long before it destroys the guns reliability.

The German army in WWII supposedly added gasoline to the oils they were using and that stopped the problem..
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Old November 17, 2012, 04:53 PM   #22
Brit
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Might have fixed the lube problem, but the still lost, aye.

Leaving a gun in a car? No, not good.
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Old November 17, 2012, 11:16 PM   #23
Josh17
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To those asking why anyone who keep in the car have you people ever heard of a "truck gun" . LOTS of people do this and there are many reasons why.

At least JHenry got it right.
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Old November 19, 2012, 02:04 PM   #24
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josh do you not have a CC ?? If a truck or car is broken into and your handgun is stolen thats a great reason not to leave on in it but what ever floats your boat. For the parts that need a heavier lube or high wear and high load ares Pro-Shot Pro-Gold lube is a heavy lube that still works from 100* below to 400* above and breakfree clp is good lite lube needs.
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Old November 23, 2012, 10:59 AM   #25
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Some much more knowlegable than me about the Glock have said that the Glock is like the AK-47 in that they can take alot of abuse and still function.
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