Number of Guns Without a Safe

[colossians323]

hide em under your bed, no one looks there!

[Conker]

A safe doesn't have to be bolted down to the floor. Mine is bolted to a stud in the wall.

But to answer the original question, I would own 0 guns before having a safe. However, I did not practice that when I purchased a handgun and then a shotgun. I wish I bought the safe first. I was always thinking about them and if they were hidden well enough. Now, I no longer worry.

[otteray]

I know a co-worker that had an expensive, heavy safe.
It walked off while he was on vacation.
While probably not as good a solution as a secure safe, I have a key lock steel gun cabinet that bolts to the wall studs and then I additionally "daisy chain" the firearms together with a cable lock attached to the inside the cabinet.

Your best protection after locking them up in a safe or cabinet is not telling everyone that you have firearms.
Get together with your neighbors to organize a neighborhood watch.
When I go on vacation, I always have my good neighbor get my mail and newspapers as well as tell him that I am expecting no visitors. Know your neighbors.
Then, I stack boxes labled "For Goodwill", "Old Socks and Underwear" and "Rags" all around and on top of my locked cabinet that is first covered with a sheet or tarp.
I don't live in an apartment, though. What works fo me may not work for you.
Before Mr or Miss Thief get to my goods, they must first hop a 6' fence, get past my dogs or the neighbors dogs, then break into my shop.

[edward]

Hate to thread jack but I'm looking into getting a safe in the near future and I'm looking for some recommendations on good models if anyone would like to share an experience or preference.

I have about a dozen long guns and 4 handguns + valuables and many, many 50 cal cans full of ammo. In the end I see the collection growing to about half a dozen handguns and maybe 18 long guns.
Given this, does anyone have any size/model ideas on what would be a good fit for me? I've been looking at Liberty safes but if possible I would like to buy from someone relatively local rather than ordering through Cabelas. I was also planning on looking at the Cow Palace since I seem to remember someone always there that has a few safes on display.

I suppose what I am most unsure of would be how to bolt the safe down; I really wouldn't want a safe that couldn't be secured in this way. It would be going on the ground floor, and getting the safe to the spot I have in mind would be of no concern, but how hard is it and what kind of bolts should I use to drill into the floor to secure it? Has anyone had any load problem as far as floor support goes? If I got say a 550 lb. safe I would load it with easily 200 - 300 lbs. worth of stuff (mostly ammo) and I'm not too keen on seeing first hand if my floor won't support it.

Thanks

[Max-the-Silent]

I'm just starting to get into this hobby. Picked up my first firearm a few weeks ago. I want more.

The question is, how many guns would you own if you did not have a gun safe?

I live in an apartment and don't have room for a safe. There's no kids in this apartment (or complex for the matter), so I'm not worried about curious hands. I'm more concerned about theft. The fewer the guns, the easier it is to hide them. The fewer the guns, the less financial loss should there be a theft.

For me, I'm thinking three firearms totaling up to $2000. What do you guys think?

I know many folks think this way, but there's no real excuse for not having some type of secure storage for your firearm(s)

Even something as inexpensive as one of those stack-on cabinets will keep half-assed B & E'rs from scoring your shootin' irons.

http://www.cabelas.com/hprod-1/0005602.shtml

[RogueSniper]

I had three long guns and five handguns tucked away in a hidden panel in my closet and one handgun in a drawer with a false panel. That was during my time in Sacramento. Sac, especially downtown and near Oak Park, is not a good place to live. My place was broken into, right through the metal bars! Bastards! They never found the guns, Thank God!

After a year of all this foolishness I thought, "what the hell am I doing HIDING my guns?!" Lock or unlock, these guns are in the open. I got about $1500 together and bought a Liberty safe a month later. It's bigger than I would ever need at the time. Never had to worry about it ever since. I've moved about four times and that baby goes where I go. Plus, I have two GunVaults - one bolted to my closet and one bolted to my steel framed Govt issued desk.

Still concerned? I have a monitored alarm system with two motion sensors and every door and window is armed - and so am I!

Don't be cheap about the security of firearms. Someone mentioned above, can you live with yourself if your gun was stolen and someone got hurt or, worse, killed with it? A child, a friend, a family member ... even someone you don't know? It's not worth it. Err on the side of caution - lock it up and bolt it down.

You can always get a safe deposit box at the bank and visit your gun during banking hours.

[Mosby]

My suggestion would to invest in a safe and find renters insurance which will cover any theft, because any determined thief/s will find a way to pry the safe loose unless anchored in concrete and cart it off. Your everyday B&E would not probably take the the time and effort to haul a stand up safe through a apartment complex. How many thieves pack a furniture dolly with them, unless they know your goods and come prepared. Once again as other responders have stated the less "friends" know about it the better.

I use to either load the whole shebang up and have a traveling armory, or stash the stay behinds in various places throughout the house and garage. This got old after scratching my head and thinking where in the heck is the so and so. My wife finally told me no more purchases until we buy a safe. Best investment for peace of mind in my opinion.

As to Edward's post, gun safe manufactures will list the how many weapons it can hold. In my experience get one a little larger than your collection as it is a pretty tight fit per specification. Also with that many weapons and ammo in the safe they better bring a fork lift. While I am not a carpenter, if you can distribute the load between two floor joices (sp) and use lag bolts you should be fine, in CA. the building code should state the span between each. Or use bolts, nuts and washers if you cannot tie into the joices (sp). Hope this helps...

[Mosby]

My suggestion would to invest in a safe and find renters insurance which will cover any theft, because any determined thief/s will find a way to pry the safe loose unless anchored in concrete and cart it off. Your everyday B&E would not probably take the the time and effort to haul a stand up safe through a apartment complex. How many thieves pack a furniture dolly with them, unless they know your goods and come prepared. Once again as other responders have stated the less "friends" know about it the better.

I use to either load the whole shebang up and have a traveling armory, or stash the stay behinds in various places throughout the house and garage. This got old after scratching my head and thinking where in the heck is the so and so. My wife finally told me no more purchases until we buy a safe. Best investment for peace of mind in my opinion.

As to Edward's post, gun safe manufactures will list the how many weapons it can hold. In my experience get one a little larger than your collection as it is a pretty tight fit per specification. Also with that many weapons and ammo in the safe they better bring a fork lift. While I am not a carpenter, if you can distribute the load between two floor joices (sp) and use lag bolts you should be fine, in CA. the building code should state the span between each. Or use bolts, nuts and washers if you cannot tie into the joices (sp). Hope this helps...

[sb_pete]

I imagine you keep it in a cabinet or closet. Get a proper solid wood door and a deadbolt. Then buy some renters insurance.

[Moonclip]

Pretty much all locked up in safes except a few broken project guns and old bolt actions I have bolts and mags and such removed from.

[movie zombie]

also in the market for a gun safe and waiting for a next good bargain at costco: does anyone worry about the weight of these things at 500 pounds on normal flooring?

movie zombie

[WokMaster1]

the thought that if someone steals YOUR guns & kill someone else should be enough to tell you that it is YOUR responsibility to secure your firearms properly. This should not even be up for discussion, period.

[Air]

I just got my rig together this week actually. When I was renting, I secured my pistols in a locked drawer. The rifles were just in the closet...Not Secured. Stupid.

Purchased a Stack-On 8 Gun Cabinet this week, it's not a "real" safe, but It's DOJ approved so that's good. Put it into a locked closet and bolted it down. So Now, a thief would have to go through two locks to get to them. If somebody is really determined, they will get them. But this will definately stop the smash and grabbers.

[Clodbuster]

The closet that I had used had a solid wood door, 2 dead bolts' and hidden hinges. It did not help. Get something made of thick steel and bolt it down to somthing solid. The fact that it looked more secure than anything else in the place probably attracted the thieves even more.
Also join the NRA, they have a great insurance program.

At the time, I was also a bit naive in thinking that living a block away from the district's police station made the area "safe", and that you buy guns to protect "yourself".
No area is safe, and you have to protect your guns.

Just in the news last night, home invasion robberies are on the increase, and theives are using large moving vans to cart stuff off. No one takes any attention with all the people losing their homes and moving in this economy.


Clod

I imagine you keep it in a cabinet or closet. Get a proper solid wood door and a deadbolt. Then buy some renters insurance.

[sorensen440]

does anyone worry about the weight of these things at 500 pounds on normal flooring?

movie zombie

I wouldnt worry about it at 500 lbs
thats like to large guys standing in one spot