Sheep skin and long term rifle storage.

[Buzzcook]

I was recently gifted with a sheep skin rifle case with the hair on the inside.

I've been told to avoid leaving my rifles in cloth lined cases because they hold moisture. Would the same thing be true of sheep skin?

 

[Daggitt]

You are correct. Cases are for transport and not for storage. Even cases claiming the gun won't rust should not be trusted. Search this site for , "Rust" and you'll get more info than I have time to reiterate. DO NOT store it in the case unless you find rust appealing.

 

[PetahW]

Once upon a time, a pal of mine stored a rifle at the end of deer season in a new sheepskin-lined guncase, claiming the natural lanolin oils in the sheepskin/wool would keep his rifle rust-free.

Guess what ?

When he checked the rifle the following Spring, it was rusted on every external surface.

So we live/learn........................................



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[Picher]

I've had people bring rifles and handguns to me for repair or accurizing, placing them in a gun case that had been in their relatively damp basement, then in the car trunk in the hot sun.

It only takes a few hours under those conditions to leave a thin layer of rust over the entire gun!!! No; don't store guns in gun cases unless you're sure ambient humidity levels are under 50% for the entire time and there are no wide variations in temperature.

 

[Gunplummer]

Most hides are tanned with large amounts of salt. It leaches out of the fur too.

 

[solocam72]

Yea this is a BAD BAD idea! My uncle bought a brand new S&W 629 .44 Magnum 8 3/8" bbl, Its stainless, I think its called a 629? I'm not a S&W guy so forgive me if those numbers are wrong, I know there's a model 29 also, and I think its the blued version? Anyway when he bought the revolver he also bought a really nice sheep fur lined leather shoulder holster for the revolver so he could carry it deer hunting, my uncle is a REALLY meticulous guy and takes VERY good care of everything he owns, he didn't know any better and left the new gun in that nice new holster, he hadn't shot it quite sometime so he got it out one day and to his surprise the leather strap that went around the trigger loop had eaten away at the metal, it looked awful and he was sick to say the least!