Damp-Rid in Gun Safes

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gatorjames85

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So, I got a new gun safe a couple weeks ago. To control humidity until I got a goldenrod, I put some Damp-Rid buckets in it. Last night, I looked on the label and saw that the active ingredient is Calcium Chloride, a salt. I looked it up on the interwebz, and sure enough, it is corrosive to steel. I pulled the tubs out right away, but it still has me worried. Do I need to wipe my guns down or clean the interior of the safe? I just wiped down all my guns and don't want to have to do it again if I don't need to. This might sound paranoid, but I have been burned bad by rust on my guns before. For the record, both tubs were on the other side of the divider from my guns.
 
Wouldn't hurt to reclean and oil everything. Damp-rid is not really a dessicant, it's just a moisture absorber, and once it gets saturated, what you wind up with is a bucket of salty water in your gun safe. It's designed for use in a ventilated space like a closet or basement, just to reduce the overall humidity to fight mold and mildew.
 
I've used damp rid in my gun closet for years without a problem.
It's not like the salt is getting on your guns. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I think you're fine with the Damp-Rid, but the Remington rechargeable dehumidifiers are a better solution. When they're saturated, you simply plug them in to recharge them.
 
Wouldn't hurt to reclean and oil everything.

Normally I would do this to be sure, but I just doused all my long-term storage guns (i.e. last night) with oil and I don't really want to strip it all off and relube them if it isn't necessary.
 
I've never used a Damp-Rid bucket before but anything that has any sort of salt in it wouldn't go in my safe... even if it never comes in contact with my guns.

If you don't want to deal with having to clean extra oil or grease off before using your guns I'd suggest our storage bags. All are reusable, don't require extra grease or oil, firearms are ready to use right out of the bag, the bags last 5 - 20 years depending on how often your in and out of them, and we offer Highroad users 10% off.:)

DSCN1688-1.jpg

Available in 4 sizes.
 
No guarantees, but I think as long as the salt doesn't touch the guns you're fine. I'd be careful to change the buckets as soon as the solid is all gone, but that's probably overkill.
 
The main cause of rust is not so much the humidity but a sudden change of temperature. Suppose you kept your safe in a garage or basement and it got cold overnight. If the ambient temperature rises too fast the next morning the thin air in the safe will warm much faster than the dense steel in your guns can. The "cold steel" will draw the moisture out of the air causing your guns to sweat like an iced tea glass and rust. Keeping a steady temperature is much more important than moisture control.
 
Your Goldenrod will control the humidity in your safe without the use of any dessicant, once the rod has a chance to stabilize the temp.

I have one in a gun locker that probably isn't half as air tight as your safe and have never had a problem with rust since I installed it 6 years ago.

If you want to double up you can buy a 2 lb can of silica gel crystals and recharge it when it turns color.
 
Been using Eva-Dry plug-in (to recharge) dessicant modules for a few years now...got tired of putting dessicant bags in the oven for 12 hours. I couldn't be happier.
 
"I have one in a gun locker that probably isn't half as air tight as your safe"

Goldenrods require a leaky container to work according to the manufacturer.

"How GoldenRod Works
GoldenRod® heats to a surface temperature of less than 150° F (which is almost too warm to hold) and circulates warm, dry air throughout an enclosure on a 24 hour basis. This increases the temperature of the air inside to several degrees above the ambient outside temperature. Expansion of the heated air forces the moist air outside through the vents or loose fitting doors leaving the dry air inside."

The crack around the door of a typical gun safe with a heat-sensitive expanding door seal appears to be enough from what I've seen over the years.
 
Save some $$ and check out Dri-Rod brand. I believe they are a few bucks less than a Golden Rod. I have one in my safe....To monitor humidity, I have a digital hygrometer. They can be had for less than 10 bucks.
 
I appreciate all the replies. A few people have weighed in on this, but do yall think I am ok now that I have removed them? BTW, I went the silica cat litter route for the time being.
 
My safe is in a closet. I use Damp-Rid buckets in the closet but not in the safe itself. I've never had a problem. I don't think you have anything to worry about unless you tip the bucket over and spill that stuff on your guns. Then you'd have a problem. :uhoh:
 
I've been keeping a Damp-Rid bucket in the bottom of my safe for several years. I change it out for a new one about every 4 months or so.

No worries. Works like a charm.
 
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