Firearm Storage Recomendations

[bingo 7]

I have young children and really had a dilemma with how to have quick access but still safe from little hands. I actually went with a similar combination trigger lock as was posted in the op. At the time my choice for home protection was my old riot gun. I was very worried about being able to come up with the combo or the wife coming up with it if a situation would arise. My solution set the combo simple, like 9-1-1. When the SHTF or at 3 AM do you think I could come up with my son's birthday multiplied by our anniversary. Heck no, I have always been a Keep It Simple Stupid person. 911 seemed reasonable. I realize with this security is not top notch, but it meets my needs of keeping a loaded gun ready for use but safe from little hands.

[Phoenix David]

I'm sure I'm not the only one that carries while @ home. If my gun is not on me it's locked away. I hate to need a gun and it be too far away.

I am glad to see that I am not the only one that does this. Makes me feel less paranoid.

[TheTransporter]

For those of you in Apts or that can't "fit" a larger safe through the door ways of where you would like to store you firearms I have an answer to your prayers.

http://www.zanottiarmor.com/

They are a little pricey but are able to be taken apart and reassembled. Like you can put one together inside a closet and it's bigger than the doorway, so wheeling your safe out becomes a serious problem for would be theives.

I got one and am very pleased with it.

[Cypher1]

Nice thread.
I personally have one problem with all of the options posted in the first thread. (Skimmed the rest, sorry if this is repeating something already said). Everything looks like a gun safe.
Gun safe=guns. Any robber is going to know that and know that guns are money.
I prefer to leave anyone not realizing there are guns while still protecting the firearms.

This is my storage solution.
Now at first look it looks like...a file cabinet. Yep.
Except its industrial quality and really not possible to get into except with an angle grinder or similar. (Such close tolerances on the drawers makes no space to get a prybar in)
There is also a secondary lock on it. There is the standard one on the top front center, but there is one at the bottom on the right side (Not visible in picture).
The secondary lock is one of those circular deals (Do not know the official term for it).
The jist is 'here but still locked' or 'away and fully secured'.

Ive actually had a few cop friends along with one friend who runs a private security company come and try to find my guns. They knew i had firearms and but only one of the cops found them after 35 minutes.
The funny part is he actually found my standard gun safe from Homak first. We waited for a time which he said (no idea how accurate he was in his information) was equal to how long it would take to break into it (Its a homak, not the toughest sucker). Then he opened it. Boy was he upset. I use that to store ammo as 2 50 cal cans sit side by side in it (Ends together) perfectly.

Anyways, sorry for rambling, little to no sleep lately.
I find it more prudent to go for an option that makes a thief or intruder (or child) not realize that "Thar be guns in der!" (Ok so that was a pirate not a thief...) while still having them easily accessible.

Plus the cabinet cost 300...nowhere near those huge safes.
(And before someone argues that those safes are more secure....)
If I was a thief, broke into a house when no one was home, saw a huge winchester/cabella/etc safe...id wait.
Just wait till the homeowner came home. People rarely expect an attack as they walk into their own home.
Force them to open the safe and take it all.
(Just a hypothetical situation of why I believe having a visible gun safe is a bad idea.)

Cypher

[phil_in_cs]

This is my storage solution.
Cypher

That looks very good. Can you store full length rifles and shotguns in that, or just carbines?

ETA: 42" wide was the widest a quick search turned up
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/9 ... eral-File/

[Pondo_Sinatra]

Nice thread.
I personally have one problem with all of the options posted in the first thread. (Skimmed the rest, sorry if this is repeating something already said). Everything looks like a gun safe.
Gun safe=guns. Any robber is going to know that and know that guns are money.
I prefer to leave anyone not realizing there are guns while still protecting the firearms.

This is my storage solution.
Now at first look it looks like...a file cabinet. Yep.
Except its industrial quality and really not possible to get into except with an angle grinder or similar. (Such close tolerances on the drawers makes no space to get a prybar in)
There is also a secondary lock on it. There is the standard one on the top front center, but there is one at the bottom on the right side (Not visible in picture).
The secondary lock is one of those circular deals (Do not know the official term for it).
The jist is 'here but still locked' or 'away and fully secured'.

Ive actually had a few cop friends along with one friend who runs a private security company come and try to find my guns. They knew i had firearms and but only one of the cops found them after 35 minutes.
The funny part is he actually found my standard gun safe from Homak first. We waited for a time which he said (no idea how accurate he was in his information) was equal to how long it would take to break into it (Its a homak, not the toughest sucker). Then he opened it. Boy was he upset. I use that to store ammo as 2 50 cal cans sit side by side in it (Ends together) perfectly.

Anyways, sorry for rambling, little to no sleep lately.
I find it more prudent to go for an option that makes a thief or intruder (or child) not realize that "Thar be guns in der!" (Ok so that was a pirate not a thief...) while still having them easily accessible.

Plus the cabinet cost 300...nowhere near those huge safes.
(And before someone argues that those safes are more secure....)
If I was a thief, broke into a house when no one was home, saw a huge winchester/cabella/etc safe...id wait.
Just wait till the homeowner came home. People rarely expect an attack as they walk into their own home.
Force them to open the safe and take it all.
(Just a hypothetical situation of why I believe having a visible gun safe is a bad idea.)

Cypher

That is a really cool idea, but your "average" thief probably isn't going to come prepared to break into a gun safe (not a gun cabinet, like the Homak you mentioned), nor would they be willing to wait around for a homeowner and increase their potential exposure for an unknown benefit. 400+ lbs of safe holding 200 lbs of firearms, anchored into a concrete floor isn't going to walk out the door with the crook. I will grant you that your solution is pretty innovative, but I wouldn't dismiss gun safes just because they look like they have guns inside.

[Cypher1]

Yeh my solution really doesn't work for full length rifles or shotguns.
All of my rifles have either folding or collapsing stocks.
In the bottom drawer there are an SKS, AK, and Mini 30 each with collapsing stock.
The top drawer holds an M4, Mossberg 500 and my pistols.
The foam is high density closed cell polyurethane (i think, its been a while)
Nice and rigid but wont scratch the guns and its easy to use special glue to glue the foam uprights into the drawer.

Ok ill give ya that farblue.
But take the price difference alone...1000-5000? for a big regular gun safe or..300?
Ill take the 300. And its a lot easier to move with, specially since I am on the 2nd floor in a condo.
Just empty it, tilt it on its side and presto.

One of my friends uses this as a storage solution too but he has a bigger version with four drawers.
Well 3 drawers actually. The 4th..drawer is one of those panels that flips up to reveal a compartment for like storing 3 ring binders.
But that works well for his pistols to be stored on pistol racks.

He does have some full length rifles in his, but they are all AR-15's of different types.
They are full stock with like 20inch + barrels. He just pulls the reciever apart for storage.

Cypher

[Hatch]

That's a pretty good method of storage Cypher1, but it does follow more of a "security through obscurity" model of theft prevention (i.e., "if they don't know it's there, they won't steal it"). If cost is a factor, there's certainly a value to that model, as concealing something is usually cheaper than hardening it. People have been hiding their money under floorboards since money and floorboards were invented. That being said, you get what you pay for. You aren't going to get the same level of physical security and fire protection from a standard file cabinet, that you would from a purpose-engineered safe.

But on the issue of safes attracting the attention of burglars, when I was doing research before I bought my first safe, I came across a number of articles that reported (based on interviews with incarcerated thieves) that most house breakers will ignore a safe completely. A few will try the handle just in case, but if it's locked, they just move on. Most thieves break into a home when no one is there, and they are in a hurry to get in and out. Small, portable valuables (jewelry, electronics, etc.) are the grab and go items. Now, it's true they will take a firearm if they find one, but typically these are going to be stored in nightstands, dressers, or under the bed, so that's where they look most often.

I read an account where a guy came home to find his house had been burglarized. They stole a laptop, DVD player, some cheap jewelry, etc. But his safe was untouched. The funny thing was, he had forgotten to lock it the last time he went into it. If the thieves had tried the handle, it would have opened right up to reveal over $50,000 in guns, expensive jewelry, and cash. They stole the laptop off a desk ten feet from the safe, but never even bothered to check to see if the safe was unlocked.

I think the take away from that is, even a cheap safe is an effective deterrent against thieves, based on merely the psychological effect. A locked file cabinet may or may not provide the same benefit.

As to waiting for a home owner to come home, I think that would take a particular kind of criminal, where burglary is really a secondary consideration to rape or murder. While it probably does happen, I would guess that it would be in less than 1% of all cases of burglary, at least in the US. However, that scenario is itself a compelling argument for having a CCW and for owning a dog. When I come home at night, I almost always have my gun in my hand when I'm opening the door (because I'm bringing it in from the car). And if the dog doesn't meet me at the door, it's my cue to go immediately to alert posture.

Anyway, kudos for the creative re-use of a non-purpose engineered fixture, but cost savings is the primary benefit I see with your solution. It should be noted however, that you can get a good safe, for less than $1000 if you shop around. I got my safe (17 gun), 1500F/45, delivered across state lines, installed, bolted down, and with a drying rod, for around $950. I'm about out of room, so I'm getting ready to buy another one just like it from the same guy. Two smaller safes are better than one big one, after all.

--Hatch

[Cypher1]

Thanks for the reply.

A few things though.
First off, the filing cabinet (atleast the one i have) is not a standard one, its called 'industrial'. Basically what that means cause I actually had to look it up when i was looking into getting it lol. Extra thick metal construction. Dont remember how thick but i checked versus the standard ones and its more than twice as thick.
There is no fire protection element, you were right on the money there.

Here's another issue though I think I forgot to mention...
Weight Dispersion.
In some places (Only an issue with the 2nd floor really) the floor wont support a big heavy gunsafe.
That is another issue here that im dealing with. The filing cabinet has significantly more base area, solving that problem for me.

The other safe I have is one of those Homak 6 gun versions that i actually bout FOR my guns until i realized an issue with..fitting em. The safe is made for hunting rifles without protruding pistol grips lol. Whoopps.

Honestly I just cant wait till i move to GA, buy a house, and make a nice vault in the basement hmph.

Cypher

PS: Its Cypher, not cypher1. Thanks

[ais4122]

I bought a mini GunVault, finger pad access about 4 years ago and think its the best thing since sliced bread. But a week or so ago, it would not open, I would just hear a whirl sound. I called the GunVault co. in Wash and found out that the internal cable had broken. Shipping and labor (NY to Wa) was cost prohibitive. I can still use the safe, but I need the key to open it. I ended up buying a new GunVault, its bigger, with a storage tray. I was also amazed that it has a motion detector, so if you pick it up and walk away with it, a siren alarm will sound. Which is great because unless you secure them by a cable to stud, they can easily be taken. Im not happy about my first gun vault breaking after only 4years ( I open the door 2 times a day minimum) but I still like the safe enough to have bought another GunVault as the replacement. I would still recommend GunVault

I will use the semi broken mini Gun Vault for storing a firearm in my truck or when traveling.

[Cypher1]

Actually my mother uses a gun vault.
She only has one firearm, a S&W J Frame Model 60LS Ladysmith in .38Spl.
The gun vault works great for her to store the pistol at home when she isn't carrying it.

Personally the only loaded firearm non locked up is my SIG P228 and that follows me around the house (I wear it unless I am sleeping).

I wonder..anyone have any experience with these?

Supposedly give the quickest access of any gunsafe (Also have non biometric version) cause the door drops via gravity.

My two problems with a gun vault gun safe are one that it is able to be walked off with and two that they are rather small.

But that drop door safe thing looks like it goes between studs in a wall and provides handy access for one firearm, which when i start making the woman pop out kids, will be an issue.

Cypher

[Hero4Hire4]

Gun Safe Buyers Guide

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

To those of us that know incalculable value of firearms for protecting our loved ones, selves and property, especially in survival situations we also know the necessity of protecting those arms when we’re not around. This guide offers some excellent advice in making a gun safe selection.

I have learned the hard way by having some of my rifles stolen in a house burglary. I know some of you are thinking that I waited until after the horse was stolen to think about closing the barn door. That wasn’t the case with me. I had a gun safe. The problem was it was a cheap lower quality one. If your guns are valuable to you invest in a safe and spend the extra if you’re able to get a good quality safe made by a reputable safe manufacturer.

Security on sale (shows a so called premium discount gun safe opened in about 2 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhOjWHbD6M

Browning safe video show additional problems with cheap safes
http://media.browning.com/video/wmv/05safes_128k.wmv

Cheap Gun Safes opened
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uI48y-h ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8i3zVGQ ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Q3aDy- ... re=related

I typically don’t like to make exact gear recommendations to people for any thing security and survival related. However considering the importance of protecting your arms for hunting and protection I’ll step away from my norm and suggest several gun safe manufactures. If you’re from outside the USA I’m sorry I’m not familiar with any safes from other countries. I’m sure you should be able to do a web search and find what you’ll need based on the suggestions of the guide above.


Fort Knox Safes (Very good gun safes.)
http://www.ftknox.com/

Halls Safes (Very good but rather pricey.)
http://www.hallsafe.com/

Sportsman Steel Safes
http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/

[St.Michael]

All the kids in my house are small. I keep my loaded mags up at the top of the closet along with the 1911 they go to. I am too poor to get a storage safe right now so I just keep my doors locked at all times. As for thieves, they can have my stuff as long as I am not around. If I am or my family is, then sucks for that guy.

[TofuBento]

my storage device...and yes...it is pink.

[SMoAF]

I went with the fully upgraded Fort Knox "Titan". They weigh in @ 1900 pounds each empty. Seriously, the safe sales guy I had deliver the safe told me afterwards that if I ever move again, forget his number, he's not moving the frigging things again, even WITH hydraulics. They're big enough for my wife and I to stand in and close the door when empty, and I've never regretted going high-end. A $3000 safe is expensive if empty, but if it's filled with Title II stuff, it's cheap, CHEAP insurance.

[ArmyOfDarkness]

I went with the fully upgraded Fort Knox "Titan". They weigh in @ 1900 pounds each empty. Seriously, the safe sales guy I had deliver the safe told me afterwards that if I ever move again, forget his number, he's not moving the frigging things again, even WITH hydraulics. They're big enough for my wife and I to stand in and close the door when empty, and I've never regretted going high-end. A $3000 safe is expensive if empty, but if it's filled with Title II stuff, it's cheap, CHEAP insurance.

I'm willing to guess it probably costs the same if not more for the taxes themselves.

[SMoAF]

I went with the fully upgraded Fort Knox "Titan". They weigh in @ 1900 pounds each empty. Seriously, the safe sales guy I had deliver the safe told me afterwards that if I ever move again, forget his number, he's not moving the frigging things again, even WITH hydraulics. They're big enough for my wife and I to stand in and close the door when empty, and I've never regretted going high-end. A $3000 safe is expensive if empty, but if it's filled with Title II stuff, it's cheap, CHEAP insurance.

I'm willing to guess it probably costs the same if not more for the taxes themselves.

You'd be very right, if I'd done them on Form 4s instead of a bunch on Form 3s when I had my SOT.

[mr.trooper]

Im moving into an appartment soon. it will be my first time living in one.

i have both rifles and handguns. i have a safe at my parents house, but Its bolted to the wall, and it would be a huge pain in the butt to remove it.

i dont have any spare money to buy a safe (getting married in a few months). Im only planning on bringing 4 guns: my AR-15, 10/22, Ruger MKIII, and KelTec P32. I have a lockable hard case for the AR15, and I could put the P32 in a lock box.

Any sugestions on how to store my Rugers? I have a bunch of unused trigger locks, but how do i keep them from being removed from the apartment?

[Broken1]

Im moving into an appartment soon. it will be my first time living in one.

i have both rifles and handguns. i have a safe at my parents house, but Its bolted to the wall, and it would be a huge pain in the butt to remove it.

i dont have any spare money to buy a safe (getting married in a few months). Im only planning on bringing 4 guns: my AR-15, 10/22, Ruger MKIII, and KelTec P32. I have a lockable hard case for the AR15, and I could put the P32 in a lock box.

Any sugestions on how to store my Rugers? I have a bunch of unused trigger locks, but how do i keep them from being removed from the apartment?

Well if you are concerned about having them removed from the apartment then the lockable hard case for the AR15 is a no go it will just have a nice case to go with it once they cut the lock off at their place. If you are looking for a deterent to random access by people that are in your house for legitimate reasons then a gun cabinet mounted to the wall and floor would suit you adequately.
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... Id=3377107
It's not the best but it meets most of my needs, I have it screwed to the wall and floor. I live in a town house and I wanted something to keep random folks I have over from playing with my toys. It keeps their kids out of there as well. If the leasing office has to have someone come in to fix something I don't have to worry about prying eyes or what have you. A prybar and some time would get you into the one I have now, but there really is no way to stop someone who is determined to get something from getting it.

There is no solution for me that meets all of my needs. I don't have the room or the money for a giant gun vault, though I would like one and see the pros of having one. If I had my own vault and a robber decided he wanted what's in it I am sure they would just come back better prepared and crack it or burn it or just take it out. Remember if you can get it in then they can get it out.

[SMoAF]

Ya know, the people who break in and steal guns ain't the sharpest tools in the shed. If you use a rifle for home defense, have a handgun, and don't have a safe, you could always get creative. I've known people who kept their loaded rifle under their bed, and left a minorly modified loaded handgun on the nightstand. Minor modification: They removed the firing pin. The idea: Your average crackhead isn't going to look under your bed for your self-defense piece if they see a loaded handgun on the nightstand. They're gonna see the handgun, grab it, and scoot. If they're real unlucky, they may try to use it in a gunfight, and find out after the fact that they really should have test fired it. If their victim is unarmed, you may have saved the victim's life. If their victim is armed, the theif is gonna have a really bad night. If they try to fix it, well, odds are that they ain't gonna field strip it themselves, ID the problem, and then order the part from Numrich, so you notify the Po-Po of the serial and the fact that it's missing it's firing pin, and who knows, you might get lucky at the pawn shops or local gunstores.

Is it optimal? Nope. Is it better than nothing? That may or may not be your call.

[ArmyOfDarkness]

Ya know, the people who break in and steal guns ain't the sharpest tools in the shed. If you use a rifle for home defense, have a handgun, and don't have a safe, you could always get creative. I've known people who kept their loaded rifle under their bed, and left a minorly modified loaded handgun on the nightstand. Minor modification: They removed the firing pin. The idea: Your average crackhead isn't going to look under your bed for your self-defense piece if they see a loaded handgun on the nightstand. They're gonna see the handgun, grab it, and scoot. If they're real unlucky, they may try to use it in a gunfight, and find out after the fact that they really should have test fired it. If their victim is unarmed, you may have saved the victim's life. If their victim is armed, the theif is gonna have a really bad night. If they try to fix it, well, odds are that they ain't gonna field strip it themselves, ID the problem, and then order the part from Numrich, so you notify the Po-Po of the serial and the fact that it's missing it's firing pin, and who knows, you might get lucky at the pawn shops or local gunstores.

Is it optimal? Nope. Is it better than nothing? That may or may not be your call.

So thats why they make Hi-points!!

[MOS11C]

I have 3 Fort Knox Guardians 7251 fully loaded.
One solely dedicated to ammo and magazines.

[mk_ultra]

Im moving into an appartment soon. it will be my first time living in one.

i have both rifles and handguns. i have a safe at my parents house, but Its bolted to the wall, and it would be a huge pain in the butt to remove it.

i dont have any spare money to buy a safe (getting married in a few months). Im only planning on bringing 4 guns: my AR-15, 10/22, Ruger MKIII, and KelTec P32. I have a lockable hard case for the AR15, and I could put the P32 in a lock box.

Any sugestions on how to store my Rugers? I have a bunch of unused trigger locks, but how do i keep them from being removed from the apartment?

Get Stack-On safe/cabinet from your local big box retailer . $100 will take care of it .

[WhyNotFab]

I'm building a small corner storage area.. since my room was built initially as an add on garage, so I have no closets lol. It's just a small area in the corner where I framed up, sheetrocked.. waiting to paint, trim, install door and shelves. All I have is 1 handgun, 1 shotgun, and 3 rifles anyway.. so the rifles/shotgun will stand up nicely, 2 on each side.. on a shelf raised 1' off the ground. might make that area a hidden compartment for other valuables.. then above the guns, 2 more shelves for ammo/accessories/cleaning supplies. might even put some small shelves/hangers on the inside of the door itself for magazines, etc.