What's up with guns hidden/stashed in walls?

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aarondhgraham

New member
What's up with guns hidden/stashed in walls?

This last weekend I read no less than three posts in various forums,,,
Where people were remodeling a building,,,
And found a gun hidden in a wall.

One was an old black powder musket in the walls of a schoolhouse.

Back in the late 60's/early 70's my parents were antique dealers,,,
They would often buy a house and the contents.

Dad had a metal detector and he would always scan the stud walls,,,
He was looking for that bag of gold coins he wished for,,, ;)
I know for a fact that he found several guns.

Seven years ago when I was gutting a 1920's built house,,,
I found a metal lock box stashed inside the foundation,,,
There was a revolver inside it but rusted to death.

Why were people stashing guns back in those days,,,
I mean really stashing them permanently by entombing them behind lathe and plaster.

Was there some kind of confiscation scare going on that I never heard of?

I can readily see how a gun could be wrapped in a blanket,,,
Stored in the attic, and then forgotten about

But sealed permanently in a wall?

I never understood the reason behind the act.

Anyone ever wonder the same thing or have a reasonable theory?

Aarond

.
 
First off... I have no idea, but this is a very interesting phenomena that will be interesting to flesh out. I know folks who have found guns in similar situations. A friend has a cache of converted flintlocks found in the floor of an old barn he was tearing down. I will be following this thread.
 
Guns have been taboo in the past. People get the willies and stash them. Some may hide a revolver "just in case" they feel a need for it later.

Some will always want a gun available. A person could easily find themselves not permitted by law to have one and still want a gun around
 
I had 2 relatives who told me that because of what they saw during the Great Depression and WWII internment camps, etc. they kept a stash of cash and a gun hidden in a wall of their house ever since. Neither hunted or went shooting and it was there in case of some sort of anarchy or invasion.
 
This is a guess and only a guess but maybe it has something to do with what they did with that gun last before putting it in that wall....
 
If you lived in Chicago – until recently - you could always be in fear of the “gun police”. Chicago has a deserved reputation for semi legal searches and confiscation. If it was sealed in a wall the cops are unlikely to find it.
 
Its very common in Europe to hide stuff behind walls.

I think the theory is that its not visible to an outsider, but fairly accessible to the owner who knows its there. Most walls aren't anywhere as nearly "sealed" as they seem to be, particularly at the top.

Usual retrieval tricks included big fishing hooks on 20~30 Lb test line, lowered from above the ceiling for earlier "stashes" & even strings dropped back there with a magnet attached. You just "went fishing" with another magnet, pulled up the string & used that to pull up the gun.
 
Mauser C96

My brother and I unearthed a Mauser C96 pistol in the basement of an old house around 1964. Still have it. Pistol has no firing pin and no return spring. Plus the ramp has been slightly damaged by either a chisel or hard screw driver. Otherwise, it is in very good condition.
 
I can see this in the past 20 or so years,,,

I can see this in the past 20 or so years,,,
The fear of a total ban and confiscation has been high,,,
In fact, I know people who have guns and ammo buried in PVC pipes.

I guess the fear of a ban would be about the only reason to seal them up.

Aarond

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A friend of mine found $10K in cash hidden in a coffee can in his parents house after they died. The elderly couple never told anyone and apparently had forgotten about it. These were people who lived through the depression and didn't trust banks. The house has been empty for 5-6 years and they are still looking for more hidden treasure in the house and barn. There is a real possibility there is more and they don't want to sell it until they are sure.

I can see the same thing with firearms. There is plenty of info on the net with details on how to hide guns now. Our parents and grand parents had the same thoughts.
 
The only thing I ever found in the walls of a remodel was a stack of empty Budweiser tall boys. They explained a few things about the building I was remodeling.
 
I would guess that there are quite a few newly hidden guns, magazines, and ammo in homes in NY, CT, MD, CA, etc. with recent registration requirements and bans.
 
How to stash a weapon

With the government wanting to rid you of your firearm, many people are wanting to stash something for protection. A rifle, handgun and some ammo for your son or your family should the need arise.
The best place to store anything is in the earth...buried.
A six-inch diameter section of PVC with end caps, about 30" in length will work great. The secret is Nitrogen or Argon. Glue one end of the section, then store whatever you want to bury. Then add the other cap. In one end drill and tap a hole to accommodate a Shrader valve (cost about a buck). Install the valve using teflon tape. Use a vacuum pump to remove the Oxygen and allow Nitrogen to refill the vacuum. No need to oil or wrap anything...no special bags. It will last probably about a hundred years without any degradation whatsoever.
Just FYI...
 
I agree with the PVC method. Since the Gov even if not officially they do know who has the guns.
If it comes to it. Bury on public lands and code the GPS locations.
 
I agree with the PVC method. Since the Gov even if not officially they do know who has the guns.
If it comes to it. Bury on public lands and code the GPS locations.
Click to expand...

I just hope people are doing this with Hi-Points and not Hi-Powers!:D
 
And this will be the key success for gun control.

Even if there's noncompliance, a good amount of guns will be squirreled away. These will never see the light of day again as people will be affraid of getting caught with them.

I've known several law abiding citizens that feel that they could somehow get into trouble for having a legal firearm in the home.
 
rickyrick said:
And this will be the key success for gun control.
Click to expand...

Based on just the few responses to this thread so far and human nature, I would guess that the squirreling away of guns and any other valuables such as money, jewelry, etc. has been going on for just about as long as the human race has been around.

Doesn't mean that the gun controllers are successful.

Back in the late 60's/early 70's my parents were antique dealers,,,
They would often buy a house and the contents.

Dad had a metal detector and he would always scan the stud walls,,,
He was looking for that bag of gold coins he wished for,,,
I know for a fact that he found several guns.
Click to expand...

Seven years ago when I was gutting a 1920's built house,,,
I found a metal lock box stashed inside the foundation,,,
There was a revolver inside it but rusted to death.
Click to expand...

A friend has a cache of converted flintlocks found in the floor of an old barn he was tearing down.
Click to expand...

I had 2 relatives who told me that because of what they saw during the Great Depression and WWII internment camps, etc. they kept a stash of cash and a gun hidden in a wall of their house ever since.
Click to expand...

My brother and I unearthed a Mauser C96 pistol in the basement of an old house around 1964.
Click to expand...
 
There is a tire shop that does the nitrogen thing.

There is a tire shop that does the nitrogen thing.

They never say a thing about guns in the advertisements,,,
But they say they provide their nitrogen service to any storage container.

Aarond

.
 
Nitrogen is common, you can get tanks of it. It's the gas of choice for pre-pressuring hydraulic accumulators. As far as tires go, it's a gimmick rip-off
 
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