Subject: Re: Tips on storing a rifle?From: ditto@ezonline.com (DrD)Date: Wed, 30 Oct 1996 00:50:06 GMT>Any good advice on burying/storing a rifle for say up to 15 years?>How deep? How to keep out moisture, corrosion?>Different in cold or temperate climate?>If private property is not available?A few things to consider - 1)   Use Plastic pipe, as other have said, and put dessicant inside(bake it first to make sure it's fully activated.)2)  Cosmoline the gun, treat both wood and metal parts3)  Bury the pipe vertically, deep enough it would foil regular "offthe shelf" metal detectors4)  Seal ammo in ziplock bags before putting into pipe, for doubleprotection.  Same with primers and powder.5.  NOTHING should rest on the bottom of the pipe.  Use a plasticplatform type thing to keep everything off the bottom of the pipe, incase water does get in.  If that happens, and it's only a smallamount, it won't damage your gun.  However, a barrel sitting in 0.25"of water for 5 years isn't going to look pretty.6.  The shrader valve/vaccum idea is nice, but it provides anotherarea for leaks to occur.  Is a vaccum really necessary?   I doubt it.7.  Make sure the ENTIRE gun is coated with cosmoline or some type ofanti-rust & corrosion compound.  This includes inside the barrel, theinternal action, etc.  Field strip the weapon and store in pieces.It'll fit into the pipe better that way, anyway, and you can use asmaller length pipe.  Small pieces can be stored in Ziplocks.  Mosttrigger sets can, too.8.  Make sure you have spare parts for the firearm stored with it, forobvious reasons.9.  Storing a gun with a fiberglass stock is definitely better thanwood.  Fiberglass doesn't rot. 10.  Make sure all springs are released before storing the gun.Dry-fire the gun to release the firing pin spring.  Better yet, removeall springs from the gun, if possible.  They're one of the weakestparts, and most easily damaged if stored compressed.  Have a completeset od spare springs, firing pins, and ejectors for the gun.11.  Never store magazines loaded for long term, because springs willweaken in them as well.  12.  Consider storing ammo seperate from guns, for only one reasons -in the extremely remote event that a cartridge would spontaneouslycombust/explode, it would compromise the integrity of the storagecontainer, and everything would be at risk.  This will most likelynever happen, but remember Murphy's law.13.  Seal the pipe with waterproof sealant.  Don't just use a threadedcap and assume it will keep the water out, seal it all - twice.14.  Before putting pipe in the hole, put 6" of stones in the bottomof the hole, and surround the pipe with stones, rather than dirt.This will allow water to drain away from the pipe.  Stones also tendto shift better than packed dirt, and in the event of an earthquakeyour seals have a better chance of remaining waterproof, and your pipeuncracked.  Also makes removal easier than packed dirt.15. Use common sense when choosing a location to bury the cache.Don't bury it next to a stream or in a floodplain where it can beswamped or wash away.  Remember, it's waterproof and full of air, ifit's underwater it will have an urge to float. 16.  Bury only late at night, and use little or no light.  If youattract any attention, your stuff will be gone in a week.  17.  It's doubtful that gun collection agents will scan your entireproperty with metal detectors or mine sweepers, as it would be tootime consuming.  But, you can be sure they would use that equipmentinside your home, in order to discover any hiding places.  Thermalimaging equipment would probably be used, too.  I believe public landis the best place for a cache.18.  Make sure to check the cache site every few months to make surethere are no visible problems.  Also, if there's any sign that peopleare building nearby, it's probably time to relocate the cache.  Whileit may not be a danger immediately, it's tough to explain to a fellowwhy you're digging up his newly planted yard at 3am because you didn'trealize your cache was part of a new housing development.19.  Probably best to paint the pipe before burial, if for no otherreason than should it be washed up, or uncovered by natural means, itwould attract less attention and be less visible if it were black orbrown.  It could even pass for a log or tree stump if it becamepartially unearthed, and were painted brown.20.  Don't bury the pipe near young trees whose roots will spread outand either crush or unearth the pipe.  You see what tree roots do tosidewalks; a pipe would be no different.21.  Don't bury caches in a place where natural erosion, by wind,rain, freeze/thaw will unearth or affect it.  Bury all caches belowthe frost line, or the pipe stands a good chance of cracking as theearth around it freezes and expands.Well, that's about all I can think of off the top of my head for now.There are probably a few things I didn't take into consideration, butI'll worry about them first time I try to cache anything.  :)--D--.sig--"You Suck!"  -- Patricia Mendoza, July 2, 1996, to President Clinton     in Chicago, for which she was promptly arrested by     local police, acting under Clinton's direction.  She     faces a possible 35 years in jail.