AR-15 and coldness?

AWick20 · December 29, 2010, 05:37 PM

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!

Jimro · December 29, 2010, 05:50 PM

Cold and dry is good storage conditions. If there is any humidity you will start seeing rust on the steel parts.

Jimro

stellite · December 29, 2010, 05:50 PM

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.

Bamashooter · December 29, 2010, 07:45 PM

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.

AWick20 · December 29, 2010, 09:23 PM

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!

HKFan9 · December 29, 2010, 09:33 PM

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.

demigod · December 30, 2010, 09:17 AM

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.

kraigwy · December 30, 2010, 10:19 AM

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.

Clay · December 30, 2010, 11:17 AM

Are we talking about women or guns...got lost there for a minute.

Kreyzhorse · December 30, 2010, 11:52 AM

You won't have a storage issue due to temp.

Bamashooter · December 30, 2010, 06:01 PM

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.

rickyrick · December 30, 2010, 08:05 PM

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.

Mobuck · December 30, 2010, 10:22 PM

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.

December 29, 2010, 05:37 PM	#1
AWick20 Member Join Date: October 2, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 31	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!

December 29, 2010, 05:50 PM	#2
Jimro Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 5,291	Cold and dry is good storage conditions. If there is any humidity you will start seeing rust on the steel parts. Jimro __________________ "Gorsh" said Goofy as secondary explosions racked the beaten zone, "Did I do that?" http://randomthoughtsandguns.blogspot.com/

December 30, 2010, 10:19 AM	#8
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 9,211	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. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Oct '78 Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

December 30, 2010, 11:52 AM	#10
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 11,379	You won't have a storage issue due to temp. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

December 30, 2010, 08:05 PM	#12
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Location: Mesquite Jungle Desert, West Texas, USA Posts: 2,450	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. __________________ *Navin R. Johnson*: "He hates these cans!!!! Stay away from the cans!!!!"

December 29, 2010, 05:50 PM	#3
stellite Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2009 Location: all over Posts: 153	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.

December 29, 2010, 07:45 PM	#4
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,706	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.

December 29, 2010, 09:23 PM	#5
AWick20 Member Join Date: October 2, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 31	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!

December 29, 2010, 09:33 PM	#6
HKFan9 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2008 Posts: 2,528	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.

December 30, 2010, 09:17 AM	#7
demigod Junior member Join Date: March 13, 2008 Location: AZ Posts: 1,129	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.

December 30, 2010, 11:17 AM	#9
Clay Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2009 Posts: 166	Are we talking about women or guns...got lost there for a minute.

December 30, 2010, 06:01 PM	#11
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,706	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.

December 30, 2010, 10:22 PM	#13
Mobuck Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 1,969	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.