Storage of rifles?

L

Lugerman

Inactive
I am moving to another state for a new job soon. I will be leaving my rented house here and have rented a condo at destination. I am thinking what to do with my two .22lr rifles and one air rifle. I don't want to drive across the country with them and I don't yet know if the condo I will reside in is safe enough for them, so I want to store them in a safe storage unit for a few months if possible.

My bank doesn't offer deposit boxes big enough, so I was wondering what my other options could be? Are self storage units safe enough? Is there any type of higher security storage out there that won't cost more than $80 per month? Suggestions are appreciated.
 
Unless you are talking about some seriously high-value .22 rifles, you are just better off taking them with you. Get yourself a decent hard case and move them with your household items.
 
Indeed. These are German and Austrian competition rifles worth several thousands. I will be driving for 6 days, spending nights in motels on the road, different states and laws regarding transporting firearms, plus I have no idea how it is at the new place and the landlord's access habits etc. I would rather leave them behind, then when everything is set there I will buy a good gun safe and bring them over. Thank you in advance for any suggestions about storage.
 
You don't need to worry about laws while transporting them. You are covered by federal law as long as the rifles are unloaded and kept securely encased. Hotels are another matter. I'd want to bring the cases in with me rather than leave them in the car.
 
I also would take them with me were I in your shoes. The very last place I would leave them would be a storage unit.

If you are really set against taking them with you, how about storing them with a gunsmith for a nominal fee? At least he would be likely to have secure storage, climate control and an alarm system, unlike a storage unit.
 
Another reason to leave them with a dealer or gunsmith is that they can forward them to you at your new location.
It involves some paperwork and knowing the local laws of your new residence, though.
 
what happens if the gunsmith goes out of buisness, or some other odd event? This happened to a friend of mine who took a pistol to a gunsmith and never got his gun back.

It makes sense to me to assess the security of the new rental before you bring all your guns. The idea of a temporary storage unit is fine. Why wouldnt a storage unit be any less safe than a home or residence? You could also buy that safe first and store the guns in the safe in the storage unit to add another layer of security to the situation. You could also rent a storage unit at the new town close to the new condo saving a return trip and you would be closer to your posessions to check up on things if you decide the storage unit is not working out.
 
tlm225 said:
...how about storing them with a gunsmith for a nominal fee?...
Click to expand...

  • Gunsmiths (and dealers) get robbed.

  • Gunsmiths (and dealers) go out of business.

  • Gunsmiths (and dealers) are FFLs and must satisfy various state and federal laws regarding custody and delivery of firearms.

  • If you're going with this option, choose an established and reliable gunsmith (dealer), with an excellent reputation. Work out all the details about what you want to do, what he is willing to do, and cost, ahead of time, and get it written down. Work only with the principal (the owner of the business) and not some guy at the counter.
 
IIRC, you would also have to pay shipping and then transfer fees to the new FFL.

I have moved many times and just brought my guns with me, or in the case of my last move, I boxed everything up, declared and insured with the movers and let them do the work. Everything came out fine.
 
Since this is only a few guns, the possibilities I think of are;

Insurance on the items – document them with photo's and get insurance.

Good transport protection: I have a airline quality ski case that doubles at times as a long gun carrier. I made up some foam blocks that hold things snuggly. This time of year ski cases are not unusual.

As has been said, even a cheap gun safe will keep rental employees – maintenance men from having sticky fingers – especially if it is hidden.
 
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