Handguns hanging on rods? Bad for muzzle crown/rifling?

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brekneb

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I am wondering about gun stores that have their handguns on display by using steel rods inserted down the bore muzzle first?

I can't see how this could possibly be a good thing for the rifling let alone the muzzle crown. It just seems like there's too much potential to knick the crown or scrape the bore. Am I right or wrong?

Do note, I am very much a new-guy when it comes to shooting/firearms. So correct me if I'm wrong about this.
 
I could see the potential issue, but it would depend on the manner of which they were placed on the rod... also, most of the rods I have seen used to display in such a manner are coated with a sort of plastic... in which there would be no worry...
 
I've seen those rod hangers made of plastic and wood, not steel. Are you sure they are metal?
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Yes, pretty certain. Looks like metal to me. At least at one particular store that is.
 
Could be aluminum. If it was aluminum, the rods would have to have been anodized.

I say that because the rods I saw were a dark color. (Didn't think to ask while I was there.)
 
I see no reason why a soft metal like brass or aluminum or plastic coated steel would damage the rifling or crown. I use brass hammers and punches in my work when I don't wish to mar or dent steel all the time.
 
For long-term storage on rod-in-the-barrel racks, metal-to-metal contact can lead to a galvanic (atomic) reaction. This amounts to a pitting of one or both of the metals.

Using some sort of isolator on the rods, such as heat-shrink plastic tubing, will protect the metals from each other. Even a good electrical tape will provide enough protection, but heat-shrink is "more elegant"! Wooden dowels also allow safe storage.
 
Alright. I have my answer. Thank you everyone for helping me out.

And I'm going to closely inspect the hangers (rods) next time I go in.
 
"...Am I right or wrong?..." Depends on the steel of the rod. Mild steel will never bother the steel of a barrel. It's not hard enough.
"...rods would have to have been anodized..." Anodizing is an Al colouring thing, not a protective coating. Al won't bother steel anyway. Too soft.
"...can lead to a galvanic (atomic) reaction..." One would suspect/hope that a firearm, for sale, wouldn't be on the rod long enough.
 
The glass fiber in fiberglas tent poles would be more abrasive then steel rods if it becomes exposed.

Whatever happened to hanging them up by the trigger-guards on vinyl coated steel hooks?
Works for me after 40+ years with no gun or finish damage.

rc
 
Has anyone

heard of a kaboom with one of those setups?
I've seen them advertised as a way to keep a SD gun handy.
Seems firing with the rod still in the bore would be bad news.
 
Sunray said:
"...rods would have to have been anodized..." Anodizing is an Al colouring thing, not a protective coating. Al won't bother steel anyway. Too soft.
"...can lead to a galvanic (atomic) reaction..." One would suspect/hope that a firearm, for sale, wouldn't be on the rod long enough.
Click to expand...

Anodizing is not a "colouring" thing. Anodizing is a protective finish for aluminum, yes it does come in colors, but the color is not the important part of the process.

The reaction referred to, galvanic corrosion, can happen rather quickly and has been a problem with aluminum products for a long time. Hence another reason for anodizing it prevents metal to metal contact.
 
"...rods would have to have been anodized..." Anodizing is an Al colouring thing, not a protective coating. Al won't bother steel anyway. Too soft.
Click to expand...

Anodizing is a chemical reaction that changes the surface of aluminum. The anodized surface, depending on the process used is between the hardness of ruby or sapphire.

Harder than the steel in your barrel for sure.
 
Has anyone
heard of a kaboom with one of those setups?
I've seen them advertised as a way to keep a SD gun handy.
Seems firing with the rod still in the bore would be bad news.
Click to expand...

That was my first thought. Keeping a loaded gun with something down the bore for storage seems like a poor idea. I can just see someone reaching out at night after hearing something, pulling on the gun at the wrong angle causing the rod to resist them, with thier finger in the wrong spot or a slip when it resists, and boom. Gun grenaded.
 
+1 on anodizing being a very hard protective coating. If I remember correctly its an aluminum oxide, which is so hard its used as an abrasive.
 
Having seen and worked on a number of 1927 Argentine 1911s that were stored in an armory on racks of steel rods I would be more concerned about damage to the breechface than bore damage. I had to replace one slide for a customer who brought it in and asked "Why does my brass look like this?" The breechface looked like someone took a round nosed punch and hammer to it. And those Argentine 1911 were made of pretty hard steel. Be extra wary of weapons from military armories south of the border.Some of those places just don't care about jamming them down a rod.
 
I used to just stick my handguns in rugs and pile them in. Then I built some shelves, but after a while, I had too many for the shelves. Then I thought of this:

Safe1.jpg
Safe2.jpg
Safe3.jpg

I cut a piece of ½” marine plywood to fit the left side of the safe and another piece to make a shelf near the top. Then I bought some reflective markers from Lowes. They’re made from wood dowels and coated with a hard yellow plastic. About 0.3” in diameter. I cut them into 4 ½” lengths, marked and drilled holes in the plywood and Gorilla-glued them in place. As you can see, they didn’t all line up exactly the same, but they’re close enough. With 5 pegs across in 6 rows, I have room for 30 pistols. There are holes drilled for a 6th row across, so I can add a few later if needed. The .22s and my 7mm Wichita still sleep in their rugs. Rifles go on the right side. Other valuables go on the shelf.

I’d considered using those plastic/fiberglass garden stakes, but the reflectors were cheaper and very smooth. I tested the peg’s strength by hanging a fully loaded (17 rounds) steel-frame Witness .38 Super for a month. No problem. It’s been over a year and the pegs are all tight, so I guess it’ll hold up.
 
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