How do you store your mag o-rings?

[Konigballer]

This is a weird question, but what is the best long term way to store automag o-rings so they do not dry out, or degrade?

I have several RT and X-valve part kits, and I seperated the o-rings by size and then sealed them in tiny 2x2in ziplock bags for storage in a converted fish tackle box. I had read a while back that sealing the o-rings in bags might cause them to dry out and become useless over time, and that the o-rings needed to 'breathe' (aka air exposure) to keep them fresh. Is that true?

[Cyco-Dude]

i dunno man...they'll degrade regardless over the years (i think they only have a ten-year lifespan).

i wonder if coating them in synthetic oil would make them last longer? i know all of the old o-rings i had from 20 years ago are certainly expired; they were stored in baggies. i don't see how keeping them in the air would make the last longer. if anything, it seems it would make them dry out faster.

[bowcycle]

I store mine in baggies with a few drops of marker oil. I don't know how well that works, but I have never picked up one and had it be bad, even after a few years in the box.

[going_home]

In peanut butter.

[Laku]

I store mine in baggies with a few drops of marker oil. I don't know how well that works, but I have never picked up one and had it be bad, even after a few years in the box.

I do this as well.

[athomas]

I store mine in a plastic baggie inside a black plastic film canister. It keeps them out of the elements and away from UV degradation.

Major contributors to oring aging include air, contamination, light, and ozone. Eliminate these and you maximize your oring strorage life.

Most buna orings are rated for 15 years of storage at optimum condition. Poyurethane are only rated for about 5 years of storage at optimum conditions. However, it has been studied and documented that many of these types of orings last well beyond these dates if stored properly. The starting conditions of the orings might not be quite as good as they were when brand new, but they quite often still meet the necessary criteria for installation as a new oring. So, don't throw out your old orings just yet.

[Spider-TW]

I think the larger problem is that they may be old when you received them. I stored some spare buna quads in a cleaned medicine bottle for a few years. When the one in my mag failed, I replaced it. That one failed after getting on the field. All of them had lost their elasticity.

[GoatBoy]

My recommendation: don't carry polyurethane "spares". By the time you need to use them, particularly on a Mag, they may already be bad.

Carry buna spares, which are way cheaper (look at the prices) and have longer shelf lives. Use those in a pinch and order the polyurethane ones only as needed.

It's also cheaper to hand the buna ones out if you need to fix someone else's stuff.

[athomas]

I think the larger problem is that they may be old when you received them.

I think this is possibly the biggest problem as well. You never know how long the orings have been sitting on the shelf of a store or warehouse, and you certainly don't know the conditions of storage such as heat and light.

My recommendation: don't carry polyurethane "spares". By the time you need to use them, particularly on a Mag, they may already be bad.

In most cases, the polyurethane ones are still good as long as they started good, if they were properly stored. I have polyurethane orings that I have changed out in a mag, that were well over 15 years old and they worked just as good as any new one. More places carry buna orings as stock items, so you may have a better chance of finding old buna orings than old polyurethane orings, which could contribute to the buna ones being worst. The buna ones are still easy and cheap to carry as spares, and will work just as well unless you use CO2.

This thread definitely has me thinking. I may have to go through my stash of orings and get some new ones. I hate being without the proper items to fix any of my guns.

[JKR]

I try to keep my orings away from air and light. All my spare Mag orings are stored with synthetic grease rubbed on them and then placed inside contact lens holders. These are cheap, airtight, and make great ways to store orings in something more secure than a small plastic bag.

[Konigballer]

I went ahead and put a few drops of Super Lube in each little o-ring baggie for good measure. Eventually, I'm thinking maybe 15-20 years from now, we might all have to pitch in on a large o-ring order for all the different sizes to keep these things running after the AGD made stuff has turned to dust! The guns themselves will run forever.

[UncleStasiu]

I try to keep my orings away from air and light. All my spare Mag orings are stored with synthetic grease rubbed on them and then placed inside contact lens holders. These are cheap, airtight, and make great ways to store orings in something more secure than a small plastic bag.

Just wanted to say thank you for this idea! Already loaded 2 cases with o-rings!

[JKR]

Just wanted to say thank you for this idea! Already loaded 2 cases with o-rings!

You are welcome!

They stash easily in my parts/maintenance box (a fishing tackle box) and also fit the airtight Plano box I normally keep my orings, springs and things in.

http://www.planomolding.com/product.php?BCCID=139&PID=646

I use this small airtight box for spare tank orings, a couple of extra bolt springs, a spare sear, some extra nubbins and my orings. Between this case and the contact lens cases, I don't believe any air will get to my orings in storage. I also keep a contact lens case with a couple of tank orings in my playing vest in case I need them quickly at a game.