Our take on Bore-Store Gun sleeves is simple: They work great, so buy them and use them — for ALL your valuable firearms.

Winter’s here, with rain and snow in much of the country. We known readers will have their guns in the safe for long periods. For winter storage, we recommend Bore-Stores. These thick, synthetic-fleece sacks cushion your guns, preventing nicks and scratches. The breathable fabric wicks away moisture, and the fibers are coating with corrosion inhibitors. I personally use Bore-Stores for in-safe storage with all my guns, and I have never had one of my guns rust inside a Bore-Store, even when I lived a stone’s throw from the ocean and its salty air.

Bore-Stores are offered in a range of sizes to fit everything from a snub-nosed revolver to a 33″-barrelled Black Powder Rifle. Bore-Stores can be purchased for $9.99 – $28.99 from Borestores.com. For most scoped rifles, we recommend the 10″x46″ SCR-1 case ($25.99). The Bore-Store manufacturer, Big Spring Enterprises will also craft custom sizes on request. For a long-barreled F-Class or ELR rig you may need a custom length. Or you can remove the scope and use the 7″x52″ SG-1 Shotgun Bore-Store for up to 32″ barrel ($28.99).

Bore-Store Handgun Cases | Bore-Store Rifle Cases | Bore-Store Shotgun Cases

API-Brand Anti-Rust VCI Storage Bags — Affordable and Effective

Consider VCI Bags for Long-Term Storage
While we prefer Bore-Stores for regularly-used guns, if you have heirloom firearms that will be kept in storage for very long periods without seeing any use, you may want to grease them up and place them in the thin, but rugged API brand VCI Storage Bags. The interior VCI lining emits a safe corrosion inhibitor vapor. The multi-layer exterior locks out humidity and airborne contaminants. These bags are also resistant to petroleum-based chemicals and seal out moisture. They have a handy velcro opening.

Here’s one VITAL bit of advice for using sealed gun storage bags. Be absolutely sure, before you seal up the bags, that your guns are DRY and that all metal surfaces have been coated with an effective anti-corrosive, such as BoeShield T9 or Eezox. NOTE: If you can’t afford the $15 API sacks, Brownells offers a three-pack of 12″x 60″ anti-rust rifle sacks for $22.99 — under 8 bucks a gun. That’s certainly cheap insurance for rifles and shotguns that may cost many thousands of dollars.

Get Your Guns Out of Foam-lined Cases — They Are Rust Magnets
Just about the worst thing you can do for long-term storage (short of leaving your rifle outside in the rain) is to store firearms in tight, foam-padded cases. The foam in these cases actually collects and retains moisture from the air, acting as the perfect breeding ground for rust. Even in warm summer months, humid air can leave moisture in the foam.

Remember, those plastic-shelled cases with foam interiors are for transport, not for long-term storage. Don’t repeat the mistake of a wealthy gun collector I know. He stored four valuable Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolvers in individual foam-padded cases, and locked these away in his gun safe. A year later, every one of his precious SAAs had rusted, some badly.