i've got a bunch of handguns that i've locked & hid away since the boys were born, i just recently thought of maintaining them (probably too late, LOL), but let's say they're in OK condition, what should i do to keep them "fresh" while in storage? someone told me saturate with heavy grease for all the moving parts and coat the barrels, but that sounds like i might as well dunk it in oil...

 

Take them out, brush off the moving parts (slide, etc.), oil the parts as recommended (look for cleaning guides depending on which kind of firearm you have), and take them to a range for a test fire to make sure they still function properly/shoot straight. I'm not a gun nut, but having owned a few firearms and kept them stored for a while, this is the best advice I could give.

 

Hey Rich, still got my address?

Seriously though, it wouldn't be a bad idea to clean them and put them in a dry safe -- unloaded of course.

 

the best thing to do, go to a local gun store and ask for a tube or vile of LSA oil, it's specially designed for firearms, the barrel and all the mechanisims, and when you're finished with that vacum seal them in plastic bags, well if you don't plan on using them anytime soon

 

thanks! i'll go get that oil.

i don't have any vacuum seal contraption around, but that's a great suggestion, and now i'm asking myself why i spent so much money on (mainly) german & italian firearms when i haven't touched them in years...

a few might be worth some pretty penny now

 

Don't use plastic bags! Even if they are vacuum sealed, clean and oil your firearms and then purchase a electric gun safe de-humidifier. For extra protection use desiccant packets within the safe to further reduce moisture.

 

what kinds of german firearms do you have? i have a few k98 mausers, a few british enfields and a few mosin-nagant 91/30's (russian), and an AR-15
i'm kind of a collector

 

Sell them and be done with it. Why keep clutter?

 

+1 to what Vanishing Point said. Do not use plastic bags.

 

The US military used to use cosmoline (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmoline) for long term storage. I have no idea if we've got something better but complete coverage sounds like a good idea as long as you don't forget to remove the lube before use.