Firearm Storage

[JackEllis]

It's not practical to install a gun safe (long guns only) in my home. Our garage is the most convenient place because it's at street level but there's no room with two vehicles parked inside. My office on the street level second floor isn't practical because we have in-floor heat so the safe can't be bolted down and being at street level, it could be moved with a hand truck. The ground floor is problematic because it's 8 feet and a fairly steep slope below ground level and I'm not willing to risk damage to the interior stairway trying to muscle a safe down there (professional movers or not).

What I'm considering instead is a locking cabinet that measures roughly 18" deep by 38" wide by 55" high that would go in a hallway on the ground floor that measures 48" wide and could be bolted to the wall. The hallways is too narrow for a thief to get enough leverage to destroy the cabinet and even if it was not bolted to the wall, getting it into a position where it could be attacked would be difficult and time consuming for two or three people, let alone one. I'm planning to install a hasp with a combination lock over the keyholes so that they can't easily be drilled out.

The objective is not to prevent theft under any circumstance, because that's impossible even with a hardened safe. Instead, it's to make theft so time-consuming and difficult that a thief would give up. None of my rifles are particularly expensive so my concern is keeping them out of the wrong hands more than anything else.

I'm interested in thoughts about what I might be missing with this idea.

[hvacins]

Sounds like quite a lot of work considering your gear is still in plain view. I think depending on your current house construction including no practical place for a safe maybe something from Tactical Walls would do the trick. Of course you would spread out your gear in multiple locations but these guys do have many different ways to conceal your gear in plain view. Security level may be minimal, but this stuff relies on concealment in plain view. Check it out as an alternative, hope this helps...

https://tacticalwalls.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jimmy's]

Build or convert a closet with rebar in the walls and just use an industrial steel door and frame.

[Sousuke]

It's not practical to install a gun safe (long guns only) in my home. Our garage is the most convenient place because it's at street level but there's no room with two vehicles parked inside. My office on the street level second floor isn't practical because we have in-floor heat so the safe can't be bolted down and being at street level, it could be moved with a hand truck. The ground floor is problematic because it's 8 feet and a fairly steep slope below ground level and I'm not willing to risk damage to the interior stairway trying to muscle a safe down there (professional movers or not).

What I'm considering instead is a locking cabinet that measures roughly 18" deep by 38" wide by 55" high that would go in a hallway on the ground floor that measures 48" wide and could be bolted to the wall. The hallways is too narrow for a thief to get enough leverage to destroy the cabinet and even if it was not bolted to the wall, getting it into a position where it could be attacked would be difficult and time consuming for two or three people, let alone one. I'm planning to install a hasp with a combination lock over the keyholes so that they can't easily be drilled out.

The objective is not to prevent theft under any circumstance, because that's impossible even with a hardened safe. Instead, it's to make theft so time-consuming and difficult that a thief would give up. None of my rifles are particularly expensive so my concern is keeping them out of the wrong hands more than anything else.

I'm interested in thoughts about what I might be missing with this idea.

This might be okay if you also have an alarm.

[Pardini]

If you can bolt a cabinet to the wall,then you can bolt a safe to the wall. Why are you trying to talk yourself out of a safe?

[357manny]

Ever consider this?

https://tacticalwalls.com/

[357manny]

Sounds like quite a lot of work considering your gear is still in plain view. I think depending on your current house construction including no practical place for a safe maybe something from Tactical Walls would do the trick. Of course you would spread out your gear in multiple locations but these guys do have many different ways to conceal your gear in plain view. Security level may be minimal, but this stuff relies on concealment in plain view. Check it out as an alternative, hope this helps...

https://tacticalwalls.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dangit, beat me to it... lol

[Scratch705]

hey that coffee table thing is what was used in the trailer for the Death Wish remake.

[dwalker]

Build or convert a closet with rebar in the walls and just use an industrial steel door and frame.

This. an interior closet can be hardened to the point it will withstand fire, chainsaws etc. with a little planning, and no one will know its a gun cabinet.

[pacrat]

If you can bolt a cabinet to the wall,then you can bolt a safe to the wall. Why are you trying to talk yourself out of a safe?

^^^THIS^^^

Get 2 smaller safes. the 24" wide models. Easily moved up/down stairs with 2 guys. Put them in place. Then bolt them together internally. Then lag bolt them to the wall. If you can't "TIP a SAFE", you can't move it.

[mikeyr]

something like this on the ground floor, no issues getting it down the stairs. Its a safe you fit/bolt tougher on site. https://www.snapsafe.com/modular-safes/

[sonofeugene]

something like this on the ground floor, no issues getting it down the stairs. Its a safe you fit/bolt tougher on site. https://www.snapsafe.com/modular-safes/

This.

I bought their smallest one and I'm very pleased with it. Put it together, including hanging the door, by myself.

[WMG]

I used cars jacks for when I had to move my large safe up/down stairs ..... slow but worked and was controllable.

[Jeepergeo]

Snap Safe. You Bolt it together once inside your house. Or get Residential Security Cabinet to comply with CA storage laws then buy some replacement value insurance. NRA membership includes $2500 in insurance.

[JackEllis]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Putting the cabinet in a closet is something I hadn't thought of but we're going to rearrange one in a guest room to make space. That'll be much better than having it in a hallway where house guests and repair people can see it.

A lot of you recommended getting a safe. I spent a lot of time thinking about buying one and concluded it wouldn't make sense in my particular situation.