# Condensation during cold weather



## fivehourfrenzy (Aug 12, 2007)

When I was waiting for the shooting portion of my CCDW class, someone was talking about leaving their handgun in the glove box during cold weather, and although I didn't hear much of the conversation, I caught enough to hear something about bringing it into a warm building after it sits in a freezing car could cause primer failure or something of the sort because of condensation build up. I'll let some of you fill me in more on that.


----------



## Ram Rod (Jan 16, 2008)

Inside the loaded round there is not a whole lot of air. Far from being in a vaccuum, but unless you're going from real extremes, I don't see much problem. Outside the case, primers have a very tight seal, and alot of manufacturers seal them. Moisture will condense rather quickly on and inside the firearm though when brought from cold to warm. It doesn't take long depending on the temperature differences. For the most part, I don't see an issue unless it's done quite frequently, in which case, shoot up the ammo and load some new. Here's an article I ran across searching the internet. I do love the internet ya know?
http://survival.com/IVB/index.php?showtopic=6773


----------



## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

I don't think you would have problems with the ammo unless you did it over and over for months/years.

However, you MIGHT get a failure-to-fire due to condensation build-up if you take the gun from cold to warm (gets frosty, then the frost melts into liquid water), then back to cold. We used to see that with M16s during winter field exercises in Alaska and North Dakota. Bring the cold weapon into a humid & heated vehicle/tent, it gets frosty, frost melts, gun is taken back outside, water freezes solid, weapon fails to fire when user tries to shoot (or you get one shot and the bolt stays frozen forward).

Rule to follow to prevent this is to leave the weapon outside (monitored, of course) if you will be inside briefly; if not possible, get it inside and up to room temp as quickly as possible (placed near heater), then wipe all moisture off the bolt/carrier and inside of the upper and re-lube with winter-weight oil.

I move my Glock back and forth between car and house quite regularly in the winter, and just dry it off once the frost melts, before taking it back outside. Never had any problems.


----------



## Snowman (Jan 2, 2007)

DJ Niner's on top of it. Technically it's not condensation that gets you. Condensation is gaseous water (water vapor) changing to liquid phase. This is not the case when bringing your gun into a warm environment. It's what you see on the outside of your glass of iced tea.

As DJN said, it's the frost melting.


----------

