doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gun Rack Padding Material

I am in the process of constructing a gunrack for my vault - and need advice on suitable materials to "pad" the areas of the rack that will touch the fiream. I have thought about pool table felt, then I saw some sheet cork material for sale. We have some very experienced and knowlegable folks here - so I am putting this issue out for discussion and suggestions.

I've used jigging felt which is usually white and 1/4" thick by 1 1/2" wide. We use bales of the stuff at work but it's slightly abrasive as made of some synthetic fiber. The injection-molded plastic racks in my StackOn are nicely radiused but hard and slippery so I used self-adhesie Velcro pile. Not very think and usually only 3/4" wide but works for me. Rifle cleaning cradle has suede leather but I'd guess that's not too good in contact with bluing. How about wool felt? I've never tried it but bought a sheet of 1/8" thick from Durafelt in Arkansas for making bp overpowder wads. Looks like it also would do this job as it comes in every thickness and density you could imagine.

How's that nice Manufrance Ideal doing?

jack

I stand mine muzzle down, and only have a dowel between each of the stock section near the butts. I'd think deerskin would be nice and soft or felt.

Jim & Jack - thanks for the advice. I plan to try the Ideal out on Ditch Parrots in January.

Get a couple bucks worth of leather remnants from a Tandy scrap bin. Cut with scissors and glue it in. Lasts forever.

Some leather is ok. Years ago, I had an unblued gun on a tanned piece of leather and the gun rusted badly where it contacted the leather. Also, watch the glues you use. I suppose the Elmers type might be quite safe.

Use 'Sack-Ups' as gun slips/socks. You can buy them at Sportsman's W/H in six-packs for <$30. They are heavy & silicone treated, as good as you can get for the purpose. On the floor use some astro-turf type carpet like you see inexpensive plastic entry way foot wipes being made from, the kind that has multiple plastic feet protruding vertically from the surface. Stand the sacked up guns muzzle down w/the muzzle slightly more foward toward the vault's door. They can go adjacent to one another w/no problem. You may wish to remove the bolts from bolt actioned guns and the operating levers from semi-automatics. Place those parts on the top shelf, but on a plastic roll up type cookie sheet or a piece of thin gauge Lexan, you want no metel to metal contact. Air can circulate under the carpet's 'feet', so no issues with contact causing rust blooms, no need for any special racking w/the socks. Vault is secured [bolted] to something I would hope, so no need to worry about it getting tilted, yes?

Stay away from:

* foam, it deteriorates and can a real PITA to deal with.

* wood, it has tannins/acids/moisture & will cause rust blooms

* metal to metal contacts, electrolysis can take place,even w/seemingly similar metals

* leather, Daryl already explained [tannins/acids]

* untreated cloth: old socks, T-shirts, sheets, etc. .. they may have been laundered w/chlorine bleach = BAD, over time. Any trace is also hygroscopic.

* laundry rooms or salt water acquariums, both present horrible corrosion risks. Put the vault somewhere else!

Hope something here is of use to you.

Don't ever use leather for long term storage in contact with metal. It's not just the acids and tannins, but leather is hygroscopic, and will absorb and retain moisture from the air. Bad news.

I'm relining some trunk cases, and found some polyester batting at a fabric shop that looks like a good liner for barrel slots in a safe. Always white, but comes in various thicknesses. The thicker stuff offers some light padding and the polyester will not absorb or hold moisture. The silicone sacks are a very good idea, but if you don't want silicone, you can get untreated cotton gun sleeves from Cheaper Than Dirt, in 6-packs.

Never thought of the tannins in leather. Sorry for the dangerous and bad advice. I've had no trouble yet but keep a goldenrod in the safe so maybe that saved me.

I've heard the chrome-tanned is the bad actor for holsters. Check out http://www.durofelt.com They're in Little Rock; run by an Indian lady who goes home annually to inspect the factory. So it's not American-made but a good product in my estimation. Contact cements outgases for a while but I dont think it would matter in the long term in a vault-size room with air exchange. Latex paint would be worse.

jack