Hurricane....what would you do with your gun collection?
- Thread starter Rembrandt
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shermacman
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I can imagine coming back to a saltwater soaked safe. 
Most of New Orleans is several feet below sea level on a sunny day, Lake Pontchartrain to the North, the Might Miss wrapping around the South. Get out. Take everything valuable and get out. Unless you have a third floor of a reinforced concrete building. Then sit back with a mint Julep.
Most of New Orleans is several feet below sea level on a sunny day, Lake Pontchartrain to the North, the Might Miss wrapping around the South. Get out. Take everything valuable and get out. Unless you have a third floor of a reinforced concrete building. Then sit back with a mint Julep.I think I would take some of the more valuble ones and hope for the best on the rest. and if there was any room left I guess I would load up the wife too!
I should never have to worry about it. I live on top of a hill and it has never flooded here before, one of the main reason's we built here. We are also a little too far inland for even a big hurricane to do too much damage. Good Luck!
I should never have to worry about it. I live on top of a hill and it has never flooded here before, one of the main reason's we built here. We are also a little too far inland for even a big hurricane to do too much damage. Good Luck!
Hkmp5sd
Member
I was fortunate enough to be dead center of the bulleye of 3 hurricanes last year and my guns remained locked in safes. Due to my job, I'm one of the people that gets to work during hurricanes, so evacuation is not an option. Being securely bolted to a concrete slab inside a steel box is the safest place for them. A little water exposure, even seawater isn't going to destroy your guns. If they do get wet, just get them cleaned and dried as fast as possible.
Stauble
Member
like Hkmp5sd i got to sit through 2 storms last year and 1 storm this year(so far).
id definetly take all of my guns. id take a little ammo in case SHTF and the rest id leave in many plastic bags in a lock box (and hope it doesnt get wet)
id definetly take all of my guns. id take a little ammo in case SHTF and the rest id leave in many plastic bags in a lock box (and hope it doesnt get wet)
I'd take them with me. If I couldn't, well, lots and lots of cosmoline. Sure, I might calk the safe, but I figure that nothing would help more than a thorough coating of heavy oil/grease.
edit: Of course, cleaning them when I go back would be a pain...
edit: Of course, cleaning them when I go back would be a pain...
thereisnospoon
Member
First...that's what firearm insurance is for, but Alas, I can hear the "Act of God" line already.
How about some PVC pipe cut to length fixed with a cap at both ends (One fixed, one screw type) and some silicone to seal it up??
Sinmple, except I am not sure I would worry about the guns...I would run for the hills.
How about some PVC pipe cut to length fixed with a cap at both ends (One fixed, one screw type) and some silicone to seal it up??
Sinmple, except I am not sure I would worry about the guns...I would run for the hills.
Cyanide_357
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hmm... this would be an interesting way to keep your guns & ammo dry...
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=153494
Food savers... would at least work for some ammo, and pistols... Maybe you could find large enough roles that you could put some of your long guns in them.
cyanide
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=153494
Food savers... would at least work for some ammo, and pistols... Maybe you could find large enough roles that you could put some of your long guns in them.
cyanide
WarMachine
Member
Other than taking them with me, I guess my the only alternative I can think of is to put a nice coat of oil on them and put them in their own individual ziplock bags to keep any water off of them. 
Harry Paget Flashman
Member
At one of our local gun stores that used to do gunsmithing (now closed) I saw some harsh examples of hanguns exposed to salt water tidal surge from Hurricane Ivan. Presumably the owners had evacuated from the beach communities, their houses were swamped and they were unable to retrieve their guns for weeks. The owner of the gun store quit taking in guns to restore because he was so overloaded.
A co-worker, who lives in Midway close to the beach, had waves breaking through his house. It gutted the house, swept away all his furniture and all of his guns. He never found the guns.
At the same store last March I picked up a lightly pitted hard chromed 1911 Series 70 Gold Cup on consignment with six other 1911's from one old guy's collection that had been exposed to rain water from Ivan.
During Hurricane Dennis I put all my handguns that would fit into large freezer bags and put garbage bags over my rifles and shotguns. I also had plenty of WD-40 just in case. Thankfully we came through unscathed.
I like the idea of large PVC pipe, glued on one end and screwed on the other and may look into that.
A co-worker, who lives in Midway close to the beach, had waves breaking through his house. It gutted the house, swept away all his furniture and all of his guns. He never found the guns.
At the same store last March I picked up a lightly pitted hard chromed 1911 Series 70 Gold Cup on consignment with six other 1911's from one old guy's collection that had been exposed to rain water from Ivan.
During Hurricane Dennis I put all my handguns that would fit into large freezer bags and put garbage bags over my rifles and shotguns. I also had plenty of WD-40 just in case. Thankfully we came through unscathed.
I like the idea of large PVC pipe, glued on one end and screwed on the other and may look into that.
I would grease the bores and oil the ever-loving-snot out of the metal after removing the wood/rubber on them and bag them up with a couple layers of black plastic garbage bags. I mean DRENCH them with oil, quarts of motor oil are probably what I would use. I would bag up the wood dry and lock the whole nasty mess in the safe, taking with me only what I can carry and keep track of without worrying about the car getting broken into or anything like that.
CZ-100
Member
All would be loaded into my travel trailer, which would be hooked to my truck and my family (pets included) and I would be heading out of town.
Actually did this for Hurricane Frances last year. Had 70 gal. of Diesel for the truck and ~60 gal of gas for the generator.
Actually did this for Hurricane Frances last year. Had 70 gal. of Diesel for the truck and ~60 gal of gas for the generator.
Lonestar.45
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I'd take them, and if I didn't have room, I'd bury 'em in the back yard in some big PVC pipe calked and capped off.
Okay, wishful thinking, I probably wouldn't have time for that. I'd take what I could and oil down the rest real good, run a bead of caulk around the door, and hope for the best. The safe is bolted to the cement foundation, so....in theory it would still be there later. Who knows. I feel for those in that situation.
Hey, isn't there a big D-Day museum down there? Wonder what they're doing with the Garands, Thompsons, etc?
Okay, wishful thinking, I probably wouldn't have time for that. I'd take what I could and oil down the rest real good, run a bead of caulk around the door, and hope for the best. The safe is bolted to the cement foundation, so....in theory it would still be there later. Who knows. I feel for those in that situation.
Hey, isn't there a big D-Day museum down there? Wonder what they're doing with the Garands, Thompsons, etc?
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
I wouldn't leave my guns behind, or my computer, or my kitty; my extensive collection of old socks is another matter.
LoneStranger
Member
The question in my mind is why do you always see people at the last minute going out to get material to weather the storm? One would think that with the frequency of these storms the locals would have material bought at better times, on sale, and precut and stored at their abode.
By the same token what to do with your firearms collection should be thought out long before you need to put it into action.
If things happen that you don't have time to preplan, just moved in or such, the quickest and cheapest would be to use garbage bags with a plastic, waterproof, tape. Would recommend that you use 4 bags pers gun and alternate putting them over each end with taping each one separately. You mission is to create a baffle effect for water leakage. Would also recommend putting guns barrel down in safe. If gun is completely submerged no difference, but if only shallow drowning barrel will deal with water better than stocks.
What do I know? We only have Fire, Flood, and Tornadoes around here and I live on high ground.
By the same token what to do with your firearms collection should be thought out long before you need to put it into action.
If things happen that you don't have time to preplan, just moved in or such, the quickest and cheapest would be to use garbage bags with a plastic, waterproof, tape. Would recommend that you use 4 bags pers gun and alternate putting them over each end with taping each one separately. You mission is to create a baffle effect for water leakage. Would also recommend putting guns barrel down in safe. If gun is completely submerged no difference, but if only shallow drowning barrel will deal with water better than stocks.
What do I know? We only have Fire, Flood, and Tornadoes around here and I live on high ground.
I had to evacuate during Charley last year. Put all the handguns in the truck's tool box (4) and got 4 long guns behind the seats of my Ford Ranger P/U (Mossie 500, Yugo SKS, Mosin M44 and a Marlin .22) All the guns were in cases (hard and soft) so it was perfectly legal driving around like that.
I wondered what would have happened if I had been pulled over:
Deputy: "Afternoon sir, do you have any weapons in your vehicle?"
Mr: "Oh yeah!"
I wondered what would have happened if I had been pulled over:
Deputy: "Afternoon sir, do you have any weapons in your vehicle?"
Mr: "Oh yeah!"
Although I own just shy of a dozen guns, I think my ammo reserves add up to a whole lot more than the value of the guns 
(Hint: Not all of my firearms are cheap ones either!)
It's be near impossible to save the ammo; although I could probably manage a mags worth......
(Hint: Not all of my firearms are cheap ones either!)
It's be near impossible to save the ammo; although I could probably manage a mags worth......
Take off the wood and glass parts, store them in 55-gallon drum of oil...
Seriously, any high-value collectibles or family heirlooms would leave town with me. Others would get coated in Cosmo, like buying a Mosin-Nagant or SMLE in the oil-wrap paper, after being dunkled in the Cosmo vat.
(The M-44 Mosin-Nagant I bought a couple of years back did look like it had been dunked in a vat of cosmo...so much in the bore I couldn't fit a .22LR bullet in the muzzle.)
Seriously, any high-value collectibles or family heirlooms would leave town with me. Others would get coated in Cosmo, like buying a Mosin-Nagant or SMLE in the oil-wrap paper, after being dunkled in the Cosmo vat.
(The M-44 Mosin-Nagant I bought a couple of years back did look like it had been dunked in a vat of cosmo...so much in the bore I couldn't fit a .22LR bullet in the muzzle.)
one-shot-one
Member
to late
but i would place my nicest ones in my hard cases, the rest lay down a heavy quilt lay 1st gun down roll quilt 1 turn over it place 2nd gun down repeat till all are rolled up chince up with a couple of belts and place all in locked covered truck bed. they are going with me.
but i would place my nicest ones in my hard cases, the rest lay down a heavy quilt lay 1st gun down roll quilt 1 turn over it place 2nd gun down repeat till all are rolled up chince up with a couple of belts and place all in locked covered truck bed. they are going with me.
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