I am trying to determine if any of you have definitive knowledge about which type of foam is more likely to allow a gun to rust. My experiences are purely anecdotal with no scientific basis. First let me say that I am very meticulous about cleaning my guns and always wipe them down with oil before storing. Most of my soft, zip up cases have open cell foam, as well as my Plano hard cases. I have not had rust form on my guns between uses using the open cell foam and hard cases. In contrast, I had a nylon pistol holster that had closed cell foam and I stored a Heritage Rough Rider in it for several months. When I removed the pistol there was a thin layer of red rust that had formed along the barrel where the holster was in direct contact with the gun. I also have a closed cell foam soft case that is fairly loose fitting, but the forward end makes direct and tight contact with my rifle’s front sight. After several months of storage in this case I noticed light red surface rust on the blued front sight.
My theory, and it is only a theory, is that the tight closed cell foam does not breathe or allow moisture to move through the foam. Contrast this with open cell foam that breathes or allows for moisture to be moved away from the gun. My limited and again anecdotal experiences have caused me to believe that closed cell foam making direct contact with firearm steel is more susceptible to rust since the closed cell foam doesn’t absorb moisture or allow it to be moved through the foam and away from the metal. I would love for someone in the know to please advise. I believe the more dense closed cell foam provides better impact protection for scoped rifles in soft cases, but I don’t want to invest in them if they are more prone to holding moisture and/or promote rusting.
My theory, and it is only a theory, is that the tight closed cell foam does not breathe or allow moisture to move through the foam. Contrast this with open cell foam that breathes or allows for moisture to be moved away from the gun. My limited and again anecdotal experiences have caused me to believe that closed cell foam making direct contact with firearm steel is more susceptible to rust since the closed cell foam doesn’t absorb moisture or allow it to be moved through the foam and away from the metal. I would love for someone in the know to please advise. I believe the more dense closed cell foam provides better impact protection for scoped rifles in soft cases, but I don’t want to invest in them if they are more prone to holding moisture and/or promote rusting.
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