I've stored numerous fine doubles in leather, lined leg of mutton cases for many years. I use Beretta brand gun socks in them and have never had one iota of a problem with any of them.

I feel like they are safer in the LOM cases than they are being banged around going in and out of a gun safe. I have some guns in a safe but the nicest ones are stored year 'round in nice LOM cases.

The Beretta socks are treated with Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor. This technology has been around for decades. Brownells sells, or used to sell, VPI paper that was great for bore protection and wrapping small parts for storage. If I was going to have any problem with rust or corrosion I would have had it many years ago. JMO, OMMV.

https://www.beretta.com/en-us/produc...-vci-SFOU65001

Makes sense now to store muzzle down.
Of course the relatively expensive safe and another older gun cabinet I have are configured to store muzzle up.
Fortunately there is no end to this Parker addiction.
Next project would be to configure a proper gun room for storage and admiration!

That’s all well and good Stan but we have all heard or read of horror stories of guns that were stored in lined cases WITHOUT the extra protection you provide to your guns. Anyone who stores guns in cases without extra protection (which is the norm) in my opinion, is just asking for trouble.





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Interesting thread and have learned a few things already so thank you to everyone sharing their experiences. Dean I’m going to ask for a follow up - I have a field gun and competition type gun I store in their cases - is the worry moisture accumulation in the case ? Or is there something else going on in the closed case - they are in the molded plastic clamshell type case with fabric interior that the guns were purchased with.

The foam rubber linings in molded plastic cases are subject to deterioration. When that happens the foam sticks itself to the gun, both wood and metal. It can be cleaned off but it is a pain in the rear, and you are subject to damaging the finishes on the gun in so doing.

I will never use these type cases for storage, only for transport, etc.

Irrespective of your storage method, a quality, automatic dehumidifier is the first line of defense. Phil C may not have a humidity issue in sunny Arizona, but if you live in the northeast you probably do.
Basements, while the logical location for many, are usually more damp than the upper floors.
Having said all that, we have been seeing single digits on the hygrometer this winter, when the humidifier runs out of water.

The problem arises because of the metal parts of the gun being in contact with a fabric or foam liner where there is no air circulation coupled with humid conditions. This a problem in long-term storage under these conditions. Certainly not a problem for short-term storage of just a few months between inspection, use and subsequent cleaning and oiling before being stored again.





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The guns also seem to just fit in there better with the muzzle down.

Thank you Dean for the explanation. ok - new fears unlocked ! both are in socks inside the case and are fairly new so hopefully that takes some risk out of it - but I can see where this could happen over time. I like the cases as I know the gun is safe from handling and transportation damage - hadnt thought of the long term storage risk.

So am I the only person who has gotten a gun out of the safe and turned a bit too quick and whacked the end of the barrel on the top of the gun safe. I have also been putting my gun together standing in the back of my 4 Runner and banged the barrel on the lifted back door that is high enough to stand under ..but not high enough for you to throw a shot gun up on your shoulder. So many ways to make mistakes.

The night before departing for two weeks of fly-fishing in Alaska in the last week of June I had my new 10-wt Winston rod out and was flexing and feeling its action when I collided the tip with the ceiling fan which was on medium speed… thank God there was no damage except to my pride.





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