Where/how do you store your guns w/o a safe?

Secured vs. kids, not burglars

The threat I'm addressing is child access.

I have a cable lock + cheap plastic case with lock. That case is cabled to something heavy. The whole thing moderately concealed, and required parts stored separately and ammunition stored separately from both. I think that will handle the child access issue. The class of burglars that could take it could also probably get into an entry level safe, too. I saw some at Dicks with a 1/8 inch gap. Might as well have had a "insert pry bar HERE" sticker. If I go bigger, it will be with a Class C / TL15 equivalent.

I don't have anything I'd really hate to see a thief get. My little Marlin 795 is too big for concealment and too small for gang activity. I consider the risk quite low that it will contribute to someone's misery if stolen. If I ever get a pistol, shotgun, or AR15, then sure. I'd feel a moral obligation to take all reasonable steps to secure those.

I saw a thread on another forum where a locksmith said he sees broken safes regularly. I wonder...I'm starting another thread. "Ever had a gun safe broken into?"
 
under the bed, cable locked.

there was a time when i had the shotgun cable locked through the action and also through the bed frame, but its not necessary anymore.

that might work for you. your kids or ne'er do wells would have to take apart your bed to get away with the gun, and then it would have a big piece of metal hanging off it.

Of course, there are bolt cutters in the world.
 
have kids but no safe. my dad is getting one for me, so most of my guns are in his gunroom safe.

my current safe for longuns is on top of an armoir in den. i can barely reach it and with cable locks and ammo in separate place.

i am going to get a snap on type locking safe - has a key and just as good in my opinion as the cheap metal safes at Cabelas. Plus it has sliding drawers for parts and ammo and cleaning stuff. i can bolt it down also.

I think it is 36" wide so i think my upcoming shotgun purchase will fit.

not too worried about stealing, more to keep the kids out. if it is in a locked metal case with cable lock it should be good.

My Dad used to leave a loaded .38 revolver in a concealed closet in the basement that I was not supposed to touch. I of course being 12+ yrs old would show it to my friends - safely not pointing it etc. - but it is the other kids you have to worry about that do not have any training and have never held a gun. I was wrong, but I was a 12 yr. old boy.

They WILL FIND AND HANDLE your guns if they are accessible. That is a known so make sure they are in a safe, cable locked and ammo separate. Believe me I know.
 
Since it is not for HD just buy the best RSC you can afford. As long as it is locked up your kids won't destroy anything trying to gain access. Your home should be protected in layers from thieves if that's a concern. Your HD gun should be accessible to you but secure if you have one. Like you said, the kids friends should always be a concern.
 
To answer the question of storage, but lacking a safe, here's what I did: I searched supply catalogs for industrial or lab grade, heavy duty garage grade steel cabinets with key locks. Not flimsy thin metal doors easy to pry open, but at least thicker metal with better hinges and a better lock. It's a good compromise to keep kids out of the guns without having a large, heavy, expensive safe. Yes it is true some quality made cabinets can cost a great deal. But there should be plenty that fit a particular need at a reasonable cost. Another lead, in this economy, is to attend auctions at places where companies are going out of business. I cashed in this bigtime by getting a wonderful high priced work bench for next to nothing. And as a bonus, the drawers are all locking with keys and were full of nice tools.
 
Ten or so years ago I got a couple of those 'gun cuffs' that I thought would sell like hotcakes. Installed them in bedroom closets and keep em locked.

Just the wife and I here. Occasional 3 yo grandson. He dont mess w/ guns
esp when locked and closet doors closed (bifold doors).
 
The perfect shotgun safe

I've got kids "trained" to not touch my guns but they've got friends in our home all the time. Who knows what their friends parents teach (or don't teach) about handling weapons. Better to be safe than sorry...

I'm one of the owners of Gun Casket (www.GunCasket.com) and we actually just released a safe that would be perfect for your application. It's a small safe that perfectly fits most shotguns. It fully encloses your shotgun and you can slip it under your bed, behind a door, on a shelf in your closet etc.

You said you won't need your shotgun for HD, but if you do, our safe will open in about two seconds (if you know the 4-6 digit code).

Sorry, this post sounds like a commercial, but I think it's exactly what you and many shotgun owners have been waiting for. I wanted the same type of safe for myself and nobody makes one so our company decided to add this shotgun model to our lineup. Hope this helps.
 
Many years ago I didn't have the means for a safe but wanted to secure my firearms.

The old house we lived in had a rather large walkin closet in the master bedroom. I took and made a false wall in the back of the closet. The storage area was complete with pistol,long-gun and ammo compartments. I installed a pull chain light inside compartment and painted the sliding access pocket door to match the original side walls of closet.

You couldn't tell it was there when looking in closet and kids never did know it was there.

Of course a safe is the best route.
 
My idea

Before I got my gun safe I got some of the hooks that you use for bikes with the rubber on them. I put two in the wall horizontally to hold the long guns. Put them up about 7ft high and it would be tough for the kids to get to it. I then took a heavy duty eye bolts and put them deep into the studs. Took some cable with the crimp style connectors and made a loop with the cable through the eye (that way it couldn't be unbolted). I used the cable locks that came with the guns and ran it through the action and locked it to the cable.

With the pistols I used the locks that came with the gun and ran them through the action and they just "hung out" there from the cable bolted to the wall.

I know it was not as secure as a safe, nor was it fireproof at all (pretty ghetto looking too). It kept the guns away from the kids and would cause any smash and grab thieves to rethink..

I think the whole thing cost me less then $30 and made the wife feel a lot more secure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top