As a side note the method of preservation you are describing dates from the mid to late 1960s used by the U.S. military. I attended many, many different packaging and preservation schools as an Inspector during my 38+ years working at a military depot. The storage methods you have been describing using VCI materials are for short term storage methods. The VCI materials works by out gassing and transferring the preservation material to the item being preserved inside sealed air tight bags. This storage method is used normally for storage of items for LESS than one year (short term pack) and not for long term storage.
Damp air is your enemy and I can tell you I have never stored any of my firearms in storage bags even though I had easy "access" to "mil-spec" storage materials.
The firearms you see below are in a locked room in my basement and hanging upside down from the ceiling which is the driest area in my home. The only preservation on these rifles is good old CLP which gets reapplied once a year or after returning from the range.
The rifles I do not shoot did have RIG applied to them until my supply ran out for long term storage protection, BUT RIG is no longer manufactured. Being the cheap bastard that I am these now have my triple mix of raw linseed oil, beeswax and turpentine applied to them.
In closing the last ten years before I retired I work in an office with two ex-army grunts and one of these grunts jumped out of perfectly good Air Force aircraft. Needless to say the office had inter-service warfare going on every day BUT no one was ever killed maimed or injured.
So please remember this...........
I never jumped out of a perfectly good aircraft.
None of the aircraft I worked on ever got stuck in the sky.
And NONE of the aircraft I worked on crashed.
Proud member of the Military Airlift Command, (MAC) 610th Military Airlift Support Squadron, Yokota Air Force Base Japan 1970-73 (You call we haul)
Edward Horton: Thanks for sharing more of your vast expertise! And . . .
ABC’s OF HAND TOOLS (the movie, Part 1)
ABC’s OF HAND TOOLS (the movie, Part 2)
RALPH VAN BUREN
(45B40-95B40)
I was born and lived for twenty-two (22) years in Buffalo, New York – which is about one hundred fifty (150) miles northwest of the New Cumberland Army Depot. I completed my eight (8) weeks of Basic Combat Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey – which is about one hundred (100) miles east of the New Cumberland Army Depot. I completed my eight (8) weeks of Advanced Individual Training at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland – which is about sixty (60) miles southeast of the New Cumberland Army Depot. And, ever since 1973, I’ve lived in Watkins Glen, New York – which is about one hundred twenty-five (125) miles north of the New Cumberland Army Depot.
Thanks for explaining why I never encountered any cosmoline of any kind nor any small arms of any kind that were treated with any cosmoline of any kind during my service in the United States Army. Obviously, I never received any training at all – United States Military or other – on long term storage of small arms. If I remember correctly, as a Small Arms Repairman, I was trained to only perform “Organizational” Maintenance – the lowest level of military maintenance. So, the long term storage of small arms must be either be “Direct Support” Maintenance, “General Support” Maintenance, or “Depot” Maintenance.
Undoubtedly, the most important fundamental I learned during my eight (8) weeks of Small Arms Repairman training was: EVERY SMALL ARMS WEAPON I REPAIRED MUST FUNCTION WITH 100% RELIABILITY. I was required to sign the Department Of The Army Maintenance Document as the “Repairman” for every small arms weapon I repaired, and my supervisor – as you very well know – was required to sign the same Document as the “Inspector” of my repair work.
What you say about Military Technical Publications – “Army TMs (Technical Manuals) were written to an 8th grade level. And Air Force TOs (Technical Orders) were written to a 12th grade level” – is absolutely 100% correct. Unfortunately, as you probably know, many Americans have a difficult time reading those TMs and TOs because, in most American “Public” Schools, students receive far too little instruction on the fundamentals of reading technical materials. The ABC’s OF HAND TOOLS (which was copyrighted in 1945) was written on a sixth grade level, but the overwhelming majority of the more than three thousand (3000) seventh grade students whom I taught had a very difficult time reading it. Sadly, in most New York State “Public” Schools – and probably in most “Public” Schools in the rest of the United States, all too many students never really learn the fundamentals of reading, writing, and mathematics.
Since every unprotected (unplated, unpainted, etc.) surface of any ferrous item that the average seventh grade boy/girl handles will rust overnight, I successfully used 3-In-1 Oil ® exclusively to protect all of the otherwise unprotected surfaces of all of the ferrous equipment, machines, and tools in my Seventh Grade Shop.
ARMY STRONG
ARMY OF ONE
BE ALL YOU CAN BE
TODAY'S ARMY WANTS TO JOIN YOU
UNITED STATES ARMY
Last edited by 45B40-95B40; 10-02-2010 at 11:07 PM.
Reason: UNITED STATES ARMY
I did not hear anything before I retired 3 years ago so I do not know if the military totally switched to these new storage bags or if it was a one time purchase.
At $99.95 a pop for these new bags, I'll stick with Break-Free CLP at less than $10.00 a bottle for the same 5 year protection.
Break-Free CLP "Collector"
# Developed for the military to protect weapons for up to 5 years in storage, exceeds military requirements for rust and corrosion protection
# Synthetic oil formulation with multiple anti-rust and corrosion inhibitors
# Contains no wax or mineral oil, does not have to be removed before firing
# Safe for use on all metals and finishes
I’ve never personally used nor even examined any Zcorr ® M16 Rifle Bag, but it appears to me to be the modern-day PIERCE-ARROW of firearms protection bags. [The PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR CAR COMPANY undoubtedly manufactured the very highest quality automobiles that were ever manufactured in The United States. The PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR CAR COMPANY was located in Buffalo, New York (my hometown), it only manufactured “luxury” automobiles, and it was in business from 1901 through 1938.] Unfortunately, I’ve never been, I’m not now, and I’ll never be affluent enough to be able to own any PIERCE-ARROW automobile or even any of the very highest quality PIERCE bicycles or PIERCE motorcycles manufactured by the PIERCE CYCLE COMPANY [The PIERCE CYCLE COMPANY was the forerunner to the PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR CAR COMPANY.]
Please note that I’ve never used any ZCORR ® products of any kind, and I know nothing about them or their manufacturer (Heritage Packaging), even though I live only about ninety (90) miles from where their manufacturer is located.
It’s extremely important to note the most important factor regarding protecting firearms (and other items) with VPI/VCI/VpCI treated storage bags (according to the Zcorr ® Products website):
“The limiting factor on how long a ZCORR FSP Bag™ will provide anti-corrosion protection is how long the bag is able to keep the VpCI chemistry locked in. Because the foil barrier layer does not let any VpCI chemistry permeate it, the only way for it to escape is when the bag is opened and closed. Bags that are repeatedly opened and closed will maintain their protective qualities for approximately 5 years. Bags that are not opened frequently can maintain their protective qualities for up to 20 years.”
Like you, I’d be interested in knowing if the United States Military is currently using any Zcorr ® Products firearms protection bags.
For the record, the Zerust ® VCI Weapons Protection Bags that I use are ten (10) inches wide by fifty-four (54) inches long by four thousandths (.004) of an inch thick and cost me $2.50 each [ordered directly from the manufacturer]. Judging from my personal experiences using 1966 U. S. Military marvellum No. 30 VPI ® lined plastic and cloth firearms storage bags since the early 1980’s, I’m confident that the Zerust ® VCI Weapons Protection Bags that I use now will maintain their protective qualities for twenty (20) years or more.
I just recently purchased a bottle of EEZOX ® Synthetic Premium Gun Care, and I plan to try it out when I finally shoot one (1) of my new LEE-ENFIELD 1955 FAZAKERLEY NO. 4 MK 2 RIFLES. I’ll follow your suggestion and purchase a bottle of BREAK-FREE ® COLLECTOR Liquid and try it out on that rifle also. But I’ll never stop using good old 3-In-1 Oil ® on my firearms and my tools because, not only does it work especially well, but only good old VICKS VapoRub ® smells better!!
Hello guys,
The name is Jason and I am with Heritage Packaging and my primary focus is on our ZCORR line of preservation bags. We do offer a wide range of VpCI preservation bags starting with our economical bags which range from $7.99 - $14.99 all to way up to our Military M-16 bag. Currently our M-16 is used by a few units of the Marine Corp and our biggest hurdle is all the bureaucratic red tape in getting new materials approved.
If anyone has any questions just drop me a line as I don't want to be seen as a spammer.
, beeswax and turpentine applied to them.
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