[WhipNasty]

Will a rifle fit in a steel 55 gallon drum. I know to burry it below the freeze line and I plan on vacuum sealing everything along with sealing up the drum with tar, but I wonder if .22 rifles will fit if I don't take them apart.

 

[ZoomZoom]

What's the length of the rifle? If I recall correctly, a 55 gallon drum is about 33" tall. You may be able to get 36" if you lay the rifle on an angle.

 

[lotsoflead]

Will a rifle fit in a steel 55 gallon drum. I know to burry it below the freeze line and I plan on vacuum sealing everything along with sealing up the drum with tar, but I wonder if .22 rifles will fit if I don't take them apart.

your best bet is if possible, go to a construction site and get some 10-12 inch PVC pipe, then purchase the end caps, coat the guns in LPS 3 and in special bags for guns or just heavy duty plactic bags, you can plant them and dig them up in a couple decades and fire them.

steel drums would rust out in a couple years buried.

 

[WhipNasty]

I had heard animals will chew through plastic so to go with steel. What is LPS? Also I wanted to bury other supplies and 10-12 inch is not very wide? Thanks

 

[ironhat]

<snip> steel drums would rust out in a couple years buried.

The access to my septic tank is a cut off steel drum. The house was built in 1974 and the removeable end just rusted through two years ago. But, I'll agree that it's not the best choice.

 

[ZoomZoom]

I had heard animals will chew through plastic so to go with steel.

I wouldn't worry about animals underground. I've never seen an animal chew on (let alone chew through) PVC. It's too hard. Most septic lines and many new tanks are made of plastic.

If you have the capability to install it, concrete is a great way to go. A sewer tank, culvert catch basin or similar would work nicely (if water sealed or installed in a spot that stays dry).

 

[NaeKid]

I had heard animals will chew through plastic so to go with steel. What is LPS? Also I wanted to bury other supplies and 10-12 inch is not very wide? Thanks

A lubricant / penetrating oil: LPS Labs: MRO Solutions, Lubricants, Greases, Degreasers & Cleaners

 

[lotsoflead]

I had heard animals will chew through plastic so to go with steel. What is LPS? Also I wanted to bury other supplies and 10-12 inch is not very wide? Thanks

sorry, i read that you wanted to bury guns and most people use schedule 90 ten or twelve inch PVC pipe capped on both ends.

 

[Bigdog57]

Longer rifle - just dismantle it! Longest part will be the barreled action. Any short rifle (say up to a 24" barrel) should fit. Makes fitting the PVC pipe easier too. Just remember to include the tools to reassemble it.

 

[testhop]

if you use pvc try to get one of the pipe cap a clean out plug .
that way you can just unscrew that end in stead of cutting the pipe.
i use a 2 inch pipe to carry my cleaning gear to the rangewith the clean out .
the rod dont get bent made them long enoughjt for patches jags cleaners .
works great.

 

[The_Blob]

whichever sealed container you go with make sure to include more-than-you-think-necessary dehumidifier/dessicant to reduce the chance of moisture

 

[Bidadisndat]

When the new gun laws were introduced in Australia, the sales of large diameter PVC pipe and end-caps went through the roof! (It's estimated that less than 2% of privately held firearms were handed in, and most of those were junk. Any of real value were supposedly snaffeled by some police and are now in private collections.)