Closet as a gun safe??

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If you aren't concerned about fire resistance, then I would seriously consider a safe that you could bolt to the floor inside the closet. It doesn't matter what kind of door you put on it, like Billca said, a good Estwing claw hammer would bust right thru it.
 
Just bolt down a safe in the closet.
Put the safe in the closet.
Put the safe in the closet? You people acting all logical make me want to take my toys and go home.
S&W460, What about placing a new safe snuggly inside your closet?
+1 on the safe in the closet. Without much effort you can get a pretty good safe for under $500
It'll be a lot easier (and maybe cheaper) just to bolt a safe (or two) down inside the closet.
save you a little $, just get a safe and bolt it to the floor and wall.
Then, later, you can put a safe inside the closet.
In all seriousness the safe sounds like the most practical option
My vault is in my closet, out of sight, out of the wives mind.
if you're talking about a box safe then don't bother reading the other paragraphs, becuase the closet will do fine. Just bolt it down.
A bunch of people already beat me to it. Put the safe in the closet. Sometimes we tend to overlook the obvious.
I would seriously consider a safe that you could bolt to the floor inside the closet.
I have two safes, in my closet.

+15 on putting your safe in the closet. Easiest, Cheapest, and most Practical Option. Really the closet is a better spot than the family room anyway. Having it out in the open, means more people see it.
 
I traded out a smaller safe to my son for a larger one for me :D

Larger one would not go into my closet and have any room left for clothing and stuff. The only logical place for it turned out to be in our bedroom.

Moved my wardrobe a bit, . . . put the safe behind it, . . . cannot be seen from bedroom door (peekers can't see it ;), . . . it is less then 4 ft from my side of the bed, . . . and the door, when it is opened, allows me a semi secure firing position behind the safe door. :)

May God bless,
Dwight
 
My buddy lined the whole interior top to bottom in diamond plate,lagged bolted into studs.Floor is concrete slab,installed a steel security door with deadbolts.
Added some lighting and custom racks. Came out real nice.Safer than a safe?
Probably not,cooler?? Yes,looks real bad as like a arsenal .
 
If you are real concerned about theft, you also need to look at the rating on the safe. Good ones have a time for a professional to crack rating and a fire rating. Locks and safes just keep the honest people honest and the average criminal out.
 
WOW thanks for all the replys and yes i thought about just putting a safe in the closet but i like the idea of haveing a lot of room for my guns so there not all jamed together. I can do all my own carpentry and my stepson can get me steel plate cheep i was thinking about lining with the steel plate and then cover 1/2 plywood with padding and fabric and make the inside of the closet resemble the inside of a safe but with a lot more room and a light.
 
Add another vote for just putting a safe in the closet. But...

...if you're going to do it the DIYS way, and it sounds like you are perfectly capable of doing so, don't forget to add steel to the floor and ceiling.

What about fire protection?

Lastly, might want to consider adding support under the floor if your closet is located over a crawl space or on an upper floor of the house and not on a slab. All that steel (and weight) might make the floor sag over time.

As for me, I bought a big-ol' commercial type safe (from Sturdy Gun Safes) and bolted it to the concrete floor in the garage. That thing isn't going anywhere, and with the fire lining also, I definitely have peace of mind...
 
I also have a 30x40 pole barn and plan on building a room in there and start reloading i could put a safe out there but would like my guns in the house where i can keep a eye on them:D. I also plan on building a range behind the barn i have 13 acres i think i could make a nice 100 yard range just for myself.
 
S&W460.....how about just transforming the pole barn into the Gun Safe/Safe Room......Let me know how that develops.....If I could only figure out how to sell the idea to my Wife...LOL.
Seriously, you sound like you have an excellent plan!!
 
Well the barn is all mine but i need half for my 71 mustang:D. i guess i could use the other half for my gun addiction:eek:
 
Boy, this got several of us talking last night.

Additional thoughts & concepts.
  • An alarm system is a must. A noisy one. That'll induce the thief to leave in a hurry. Consult alarm companies about local alarms that also notify a monitoring center.
  • Fire suppression -automatic CO2 or Halon firebottles to protect the assets in the closet.
  • Blast resistant wallpaper. Yes, you heard that right. This may offer a cost effective barrier cheaper than rebuilding the closet.
  • Check the floorplan. Some closets sit between rooms and share a common wall. Secure both closet doors and install a pocket-door on the shared wall for easier access.
  • If you hide the closet with a bookcase etc., you may need to make another one. A bedroom without a closet just feels wrong. Extend a wall and use sliding doors to make a closet if room size allows.
  • Alarm the closet door separate from bedroom doors & windows. If door breached, responding police can be informed. So can you.
  • Don't neglect perimeter security - exterior doors & windows.
  • Plant low (crotch-high) thorny bushes near windows to prevent approach from outside (leave space for window escape from fire though).
 
When I had to get a new safe the Mrs gave me the "Down in the basement" choice:rolleyes:
Safe in the basement camofluaged by gutting a refrigerator I got on Craigslist for free over it.
Now all you see is a fridge in the corner.
Hide in plain sight.

I "false walled" a section of the closet upstairs. Once you move the clothes all you see is a wall. But it has a hidden latch and hinges on a 3/4" sheet of ply covered with 1/4" sheetrock. I painted it to match the rest of the closet. You have to look REALLY hard to see that it is a door.
Slide the clothes over and a tweeker burglar would never know.
 
+1 on the internal lighting.... I have one in mine... and yes.... its a superduty closet I converted. I keep several guns and over a hundred Buck knives in it.... which was why I especially wanted the lighting...
 
Preventing unneccessary loss of life is more important than indoor decoration. You can always put the safe in your closet where no guests will see it.

IF you do not use a gun safe. Read this.

ALwAYS have a trigger guard in addition to barrel or breach into action locking mechanism.

ALWAYS Keep your ammunition locked seperatley and away from your weapon/firearm.

NEVER Get a plastic based trigger guard. NEVER let anyone else see or touch your lock keys. They can be copied for 5 dollars at a walmart.

If its your home defense fire-arm, take into account: Will it be more useful loaded and ready to go to defend from violent deadly intrusion, or will that more likely get my child killed from an accident.
Keep all ready to use for defense in home firearms, for me, i choose breach locked through the magazines or barrel. and i leave off the trigger guard. The breach locks will make it impossible to chamber and fire a round even if you pull the trigger. I keep the key on me at all times.

Above all else, simply not keeping track of your keys can result in theft, injury, or worse.

Bolt Cutters can potentially defeat most low-end locking mechanisms with minimal effort. Spending an extra 20 dollars can save a life.
 
And finally, above any advice given yet. The following is more important.

Owning a fire-arm will require you to change your responsibilities. Being unable to change or adapt ethically to these new responsibilities can result in loss of life. If you are unable or unwilling to adapt to the new responsibilities, you must not own a fire-arm. This is the root of every single accidental gun death. And it can never happen to you, untill it actually does.
 
The one time i had family guests visit that had both children AND ADULTS that were unfamiliar with fire-arms (To my knowledge) that i DID NOT use a gunsafe, was when i put them in a storage compartment owned by another company for 5 days. these are the things you must do to responsibly own a gun. Its not about tweaking your closet to be bullet proof or putting locks on ur gun. any key can be copied stolen or picked. its an overall responsibility.
 
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