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Old December 29, 2010, 06:37 PM   #1
AWick20
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AR-15 and coldness?

Hey all! So couple months ago I purchased a DPMS AR-15 just for varmint/plinking purposes and out here in the boonies guns kind of just lay around the house...We do have a gun safe that holds 24 but that is full right now and we have about 6 guns that sit around the house in corners. So...my concern is that, the room it is currently being "stored" in is usually on the colder end(probably about 50-60 degrees, very old house and huge open fields for cold drifts!), granted the rest of the house is warm but the AR-15 cant be stored in those rooms. Will keeping this rifle in that temperature affect it at all? Responses and thank you!
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Old December 29, 2010, 06:50 PM   #2
Jimro
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Cold and dry is good storage conditions. If there is any humidity you will start seeing rust on the steel parts.

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Old December 29, 2010, 06:50 PM   #3
stellite
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If the room gets to 300 degrees below zero then you will have effectively cryo-treated it and improved it's overall quality. But anything else will just make it cold to the touch.
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Old December 29, 2010, 08:45 PM   #4
Bamashooter
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you might try a soft case or even cover it with an old blanket if nothing else.I keep a 12ga. in the corner by the bed with an old small blanket over it. If nothing else it will keep the dust off of it.
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Old December 29, 2010, 10:23 PM   #5
AWick20
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haha good responses...yeah i do keep it wrapped up in a HUGE blanket and in a drawer and it always just seems a little cold to the touch! guess ill keep it there then if its safe thanks!
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Old December 29, 2010, 10:33 PM   #6
HKFan9
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Like others have said... cold and dry = good. Wrapping in blankets might trap in moisture and condensation in the event of a temperature shift. If you wanted it covered they sell those silicone treated gun socks for that purpose.
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Old December 30, 2010, 10:17 AM   #7
demigod
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Wrapping it up is a horrible idea. I stored a 10/22 in a cold room in a soft case once and pitted the heck out of the outside of the barrel. Wrapping a gun in a soft cover only traps moisture.

Cold won't hurt an AR. The only cold weather warnings for AR/M16 is when you come in from out in the cold. You don't want to rapid warm the gun by entering a warm room. Condensation will occur and could cause corrosion in exposed metal surfaces.
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Old December 30, 2010, 11:19 AM   #8
kraigwy
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What will effect it more is taking it from warm to cold. It sweats then can freeze. As far as keeping them in the cold wont hurt them.

I keep several in the shop which isn't heated until I build a fire. I can a porthole or window that I often shoot out of in bad weather. Even below zero I have no problems. 50-60 degrees isn't gonna hurt anything.

Having said that, cold ammo will be effected. For example, if I build a fire in my shop, and start shooting as it (and the ammo) warms up, you can see a difference in impact. The average is about 1 MOA per 15 degrees change in temp. But thats an extended shooting period you see that.
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Old December 30, 2010, 12:17 PM   #9
Clay
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Are we talking about women or guns...got lost there for a minute.
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Old December 30, 2010, 12:52 PM   #10
Kreyzhorse
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You won't have a storage issue due to temp.
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Old December 30, 2010, 07:01 PM   #11
Bamashooter
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the gun in my corner with an old blanket over it has never rusted or gotten wet. its inside my house not out in the shed. i cover it up to keep dust off of it. its not wrapped up just sitting there waiting on a bad guy with an old blanket over it.come on people.
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Old December 30, 2010, 09:05 PM   #12
rickyrick
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From cold to warm will cause the condensation I think as long as you rub it down once in a while with a little lube.

I wish that I had a gun cabinet filled to capacity and more in the corners, poor you.
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Old December 30, 2010, 11:22 PM   #13
Mobuck
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At my place 4 or 5 rifles stay out in the cold all winter. One each in a tractor, atv, 2 pickups, and in a toolbox in the barn. Cold won't cause a problem unless you overlube and it's really cold. It's changing temps that causes problems with condensation. We had a heatwave today and the tractors are dripping inside the barn. It's a big concern but not much can be done except warm them up well later and cook the moisture out of the gears and hydraulic lines.
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