Lisa J Thompson
In the realm of firearm safety, the question arises: Can a gun safe be too dry? While the primary purpose of a gun safe is to secure weapons and protect them from unwelcome access, the internal environment also plays a vital role in preserving the quality of firearms.
In this exploration, we delve into the significance of maintaining an optimal moisture level within gun safes and the potential risks associated with excessive dryness. Let’s navigate through the nuances of gun safe humidity to better understand the balance between protection and preservation.
It is important to have a gun safe within a house to keep guns out of children’s reach and defend your home from any unwelcome invasion.
However, it seems that having a safe firearm is not enough, but knowing how and when to adjust the inner environment of the safe plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality of the weapons.
But, can a gun safe be too dry? In this post, we will tackle this one question related to adjusting the gun safe’s internal environment. Scroll down to learn more.
Can A Gun Safe Be Too Dry?
Yes, although it isn’t nearly as problematic as wetness. However, you should always maintain all of the weapons you store in your gun safe at the proper moisture level. When a gun is downright dry, it can not work properly and perhaps corrode. If the stocks get too dry, then they can break and become hard to use. You can avoid these difficulties with a gun safe.
However, a gun safe might get too dry. We can use a hydrometer to check up on the moisture level inside your gun safe: the objective is to maintain 50 percent relative moisture, or at a minimum between 40 to a maximum of 60 percent. The safe begins to harm the internal items under and over this point.
Gun Safe Should Be Dry At A Certain Level
How Do We Know If Your Safes Are Too Dry?
In the past, determining whether or not the gun safes were excessively dry was a difficult process. Yet, with new technological advances, it is now a simple job.
Because it can monitor the moisture of the gun safely, using a hydrometer is among the best options. And, of course, a low humidity level will result in dryness in your gun safes. The moisture content in a gun safe typically varies with the climate. Some users even have reported their safes growing drier and dryer throughout time.
You should also be aware that gun safes with a high amount of humidity can be dangerous. As a result, using this hydrometer regularly can help you maintain the condition of your gun safes.
What Makes A Gun Safe Dry?
Exterior Heat
If you reside in a hot climate with little moisture, the gun safe may get excessively dry and quickly dry up in arid temperatures of approximately 80 ℉.
Warmth is particularly dangerous in bright areas when lights might beam directly on the safe. Any storage space with insufficient insulation is dangerous. Throughout the summertime, for example, a garage may become heated.
Exterior Heat Causes Safe To Dry Out Quickly
Safe Material
Many gun safes warm up more quickly than the others due to their material. An iron or steel safe can need a longer time to heat up, guaranteeing that the safe’s moisture content remains constant.
A wooden safe is more susceptible to high temperatures, and it will heat up over time. The inner items of the wooden safe can get dry easily due to the absence of oxygen. Adding lubricants to the metallic surface could also help to produce moist protection.
Excess Moisture-Collecting Items
It’s also possible that you have more moisture-collecting things in your safe than you need. For instance, silica gel packages canisters may assist in managing excess humidity. Silica gel can absorb moisture in the air.
However, if you utilize too many of these packets, your space may become dangerously dry. After a while, the silica compound may degrade, making the item more difficult to use.
Silica Gel Packages Can Absorb Water Particles In The Air
What Is The Best Temperature And Humidity For Gun Safe?
Firearms may rust if they are exposed to humidity, which is why you are required to store your weapons in a secure location such as a garage or shed. Those areas are not exposed to day-and-night temperature fluctuations.
In the marketplace, there are a variety of dehumidifying goods. The substance is silica gel, which collects water particles in the air. Make sure you have a dehumidifying solution handy wherever you keep the weapons.
How to Raise the Humidity Level To Prevent Dryness In Gun Safe?
Increasing the moisture levels inside the gun safe is, of course, one of the quick fixes for dryness. Considering present tech, making gun safes humid should be very simple:
Remove the dehumidifier from the safe
What if you notice that the moisture value is lower than you’d want to? The best option here is to turn off any dehumidifiers you’ve been using. The climate may be already arid enough that dehumidifiers aren’t required.
After withdrawing the dehumidifier, you can recheck the humidity levels. If the humidity level is now high (over 60% is rather high), you should consider a less powerful dehumidifier. You may have to test a few various techniques before finding the one that works best for you.
Add dry gun pack
The gun safe may have extremely low moisture levels when you reside in the desert despite doing nothing to create it. For extra complete peace of mind, you may use a firearm dry pack.
Merely described, this is a specialized bag where you place the pistol before taking out all the air. This bag leaves a vacuum within, protecting the weapon from every potential harm caused by external factors. Of course, this practice implies that the pistol will be harder to reach in an urgent situation.
If you reside in a tropical city or nearby water bodies, you probably need to maintain relative humidity low. If you stay in a dry, arid climate, though, you will require dry packs. Finally, it would be best that the temp is in the 60 to 70 Fahrenheit range.
Select another place to place your gun safe
The moisture levels in certain homes fluctuate greatly from one room to the next. Basements, for example, are generally moister than other rooms.
So it’s a good idea to inspect each home area you believe you would wish to keep safe. Is this place typically dry enough to preserve your firearms? Or do you have to make adjustments to create a conducive environment for them?
You may discover that you have the ideal location for the gun safe that you had not previously thought of.
Clean and maintain your gun safe regularly
It’s also important to note that regular cleaning and lubricating your weapons is among the finest methods to keep them protected from the weather. If you make periodic checkups a part of your monthly routine, you’ll immediately notice whether a weapon is too dry.
Regular Cleaning Routine To Keep An Eye On The Safe
Most Commonly Asked Questions
What’s the best way to get the moisture out of a safe?
A dehumidifier, especially one with silica gel packets, is the simplest technique to eliminate humidity from a safe. Instead of simply dissipating the moisture, these packages extract it.
Is it necessary for a gun safe to be airtight?
Gun safes aren’t completely airtight and shouldn’t be. A gun safe does have many openings but not quite enough to allow for genuine ventilation.
We wouldn’t advocate making an airtight safe because they’re designed that way intentionally. For instance, if ammunition starts leaking, you’ll want to ensure those glasses have somewhere to go.
What moisture levels should a gun safe have?
The moisture levels inside a gun safe should be around 50%, which is deal to avoid getting wet on your things while also preventing the wood in your guns from drying out.
The Final Verdict
So, can a gun safe be too dry? Overall, leaving the under $1000 gun safes in a dry environment is not a good thing to do. Instead, keeping the moisture level around 50% is advisable to maintain the longevity of firearms within the safe and the safe itself. Thanks for reading.
