Leaving Gun in Car

tumbleweedWhile at work I'm not alowed to carry my weapon. So I leave it in the car in the Glove Compartment. Now My worry is that the Heat or the Humidity could effect my gun. It gets about 85 right now outside when I have the chance I keep the sun roof open but its still probably over 100 in my car. I keep my car in a secure parking lot which I can see from my office window which is only 30 feet from my car so I'm not worried about breakins. I carry a XD9MM SC if anybody has any ideas around this or if this is bad for my weapon please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Corey

It gets to over 120 degrees in the shade in Arizona and our guns still still function. Not to worry, it will be OK.

Clean and oil it after each use and the Humidity will not be a problem either.

tumbleweed

I wouldn't worry about the heat too much. Just increase your maintenance on the gun a bit (more silicone cloth wipe downs and lube checks).

Irregardless of your secure parking lot and your distance to your car, the glove compartment is not the place for a firearm; especially if it's loaded. Consider getting something like this Center of Mass.

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Originally Posted by czerbe

tumbleweedWhile at work I'm not alowed to carry my weapon. So I leave it in the car in the Glove Compartment. Now My worry is that the Heat or the Humidity could effect my gun. It gets about 85 right now outside when I have the chance I keep the sun roof open but its still probably over 100 in my car. I keep my car in a secure parking lot which I can see from my office window which is only 30 feet from my car so I'm not worried about breakins. I carry a XD9MM SC if anybody has any ideas around this or if this is bad for my weapon please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Corey

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I've been leaving a weapon in the car, on and off, for about two years now. Humidity in Missouri is really bad but I've had no problems with weapon corrosion. I apply one drop of RemOil to the slide and work it over all metal surfaces of weapon. I probably do this once every two weeks...really depends on how much reholstering has happened in that time. They're still running strong!

I think sweat is the real killer, and possibly oceanside humidity. I'm not sure what the source of humidity is in PA.

I, too, leave a gun locked up in the heat all day, and I agree that the gun and ammo will likely not suffer any long term effects.

But what I do often wonder about is how much the heat would increase the pressure in the chamber, were I ever to have to fire the gun, while it and the ammo are still at ~100 degrees.

I use standard (not +P) .45 ACP, which is a low pressure chambering, so it might be OK. But what about .40 S&W, or a 9mm +P?

I'm not so sure about that.

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Originally Posted by Bisley

But what I do often wonder about is how much the heat would increase the pressure in the chamber, were I ever to have to fire the gun, while it and the ammo are still at ~100 degrees.

I use standard (not +P) .45 ACP, which is a low pressure chambering, so it might be OK. But what about .40 S&W, or a 9mm +P?

I'm not so sure about that.

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Factory ammo is usually ok for the most part.

Hand-loaded ammo for magnums or +P are def. something to watch for.
Guns will get a nice shot of waaaay over pressure if the rounds are heat soaked.

Heat affects pressure- big time.

The recipe you load in the winter will have substanially higher pressre in the summer.

I don't recomend shooting heat soaked ammo.
Even warm-to-the-touch hand-loads will exhbit much higher pressure than they did in winter.

If your winter recipe shows sings of high, not yet dangerous, pressure- adjust accordingly for summer by backing it down some and testing.

If you are close to max pressure in winter, in summer you my find you are over the limit and giving your gun a poundng it don't deserve.

Whenever I go into a restraunt/bar, bank, or Indian reservation (not allowed to CC in my state in those places) I leave my SA .40 4" in my car not a problem...ever. And I've left it in there when the inside of my car has gotten to 130 degrees (I've got an inside thermometer.) However I strongly recommend changing the ammo in your magazines/speed clips once a month as heat makes things expand and cold shrink(hehe).:mrgreen:

My friends and I routinely lay magazines loaded with 9MM, .40S&W and .45ACP on the tailgate of our trucks in the full sun while on practice sessions in the boonies. Air temp has varied from 20 to 120 degrees. Most of our Mags are black and they can get too hot to hold onto for more than a second or two. When that happens we pick them up by their plastic base plate and insert them quickly. They get hot in mag holders on our belts also.

We have done this with Glocks and their unsupported chambers, H&K's, Sig's, S&W M&P's, XD's and some others.

Our ammo has been Remington, Federal, Winchester, Wolf and a bunch of handloads.

We have yet to experience ammunition related problems in that environment.

I have chrono'd in cold and hot weather with the same load and only experienced 15 or 20 FPS variations and no excess pressure signs in the case or primer. Our loads are all within the powder manufacturers chart values or factory loads.

In my opinion if you are using factory loaded ammunition from a reputable company you should not have an ammunition problem due to storing your gun in your car.

Whether that is a wise place to store it or not from other perspectives, such as security, is of course another question.

tumbleweed

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Originally Posted by TOF

My friends and I routinely lay magazines loaded with 9MM, .40S&W and .45ACP on the tailgate of our trucks in the full sun while on practice sessions in the boonies. Air temp has varied from 20 to 120 degrees. Most of our Mags are black and they can get too hot to hold onto for more than a second or two. When that happens we pick them up by their plastic base plate and insert them quickly. They get hot in mag holders on our belts also.

We have done this with Glocks and their unsupported chambers, H&K's, Sig's, S&W M&P's, XD's and some others.

Our ammo has been Remington, Federal, Winchester, Wolf and a bunch of handloads.

We have yet to experience ammunition related problems in that environment.

I have chrono'd in cold and hot weather with the same load and only experienced 15 or 20 FPS variations and no excess pressure signs in the case or primer. Our loads are all within the powder manufacturers chart values or factory loads.

In my opinion if you are using factory loaded ammunition from a reputable company you should not have an ammunition problem due to storing your gun in your car.

Whether that is a wise place to store it or not from other perspectives, such as security, is of course another question.

tumbleweed

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This is good information. Thanks.

As far as leaving a gun in the truck, I keep it zipped in a Maxpedition bag while away from my vehicle, at work, and take it in the house every evening. It gets a careful inspection every morning.

Thank you for all your help I do need to keep it more secure then in the Glove... but right now thats my option cause I don't want to keep it at home. I carry it with me where ever I go except for the obvious places I can't (ie. school, bank, bar.) I hate that I can't take it to work but I do respect my job and the law. Thank you very much gentelman.

This may be out of place, but I have to recommend that you get a vehicle lock box for your gun. For me, the possibility of someone stealing my gun and hurting/killing an innocent person with it is too great to leave a gun in the glove box.

Just my opinion though-

I've never had a problem leaving any of my Glocks in the Texas heat for long periods of time, but I too would recommend against leaving a gun in the glove box if at all possible. For theft and liability reasons. If you can't carry it on your person, get a vehicle safe and lock it up.

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In my opinion if you are using factory loaded ammunition from a reputable company you should not have an ammunition problem due to storing your gun in your car.

Whether that is a wise place to store it or not from other perspectives, such as security, is of course another question.

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agreed. ammo in iraq reaches much higher temps in vest than yours does in the glove box. quaity wepons are designed , on purpose, for more than anticiapted pressures.

i agree on the security issue also.

in california wher i live if your car was broken into and yoyur weapon stolen and used in a crime, or god forbid, killed a kid, you would do jailtime.

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I have to recommend that you get a vehicle lock box for your gun.

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also agreed! :smt023