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Thank you author -- I knew cumulative / long-term probability had a name but did not know it -- Bernoulli Process.

>He could leave [his gun] in his attic with a couple of cans of ammunition, just in case something horrible does transpire where he might actually need it.

Please keep your firearms and ammo out of attics and crawlspaces, unless the alternative is underwater. The key to longevity is climate control, at least within reason.

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Yep. They also need regular "exercise" and lubrication if you want them to be worth anything in a WROL situation.

Back when my uncle was in the army, they stored all their weapons dry so the oils wouldn't trap all the dust. So I guess the attic is ok as long as you store it try, or in a gun case or something.

I went to a friend's house once and fetched a couple of old shitguns from her attic. They were serviceable, but had developed a this coat of rust, enough to require re-bluing.

I believe the heat cycling (heating + cooling + condensation) in an attic acts on guns the same way auto exhaust acts on a car's exhaust system.

There's enough oxygen floating around in various forms that the _lack_ of an oil layer can allow rust to form. There are other ways to treat it, as your uncle alluded to, but they are probably very sensitive to following the appropriate maintenance schedule.

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