Gun safe?

[gucci pilot]

Gents, I ain't calling anyone out here but, I was curious on how many folks that you know of don't have some sort of way of locking up a firearm. When I was college, I kept my rifle and shotgun under my bed. (Yeah, dumb.) When I was stationed at my first duty assignment, I kept them on top of the cabinets in the kitchen. (Not much better) I had orders in hand to move to Germany when a friend of mine was burglarized and had his guns stolen. Two months later, his now sawed-off shotgun was used at a hold up. I shortly sold mine after that, and in Germany was required to store my new guns at the armory.

I noticed in a different thread that a member just had the same happen to him. What are your thoughts on having appropriate storage for your prized assets? I'm sorta stuck in my crawl over this. I kinda see this as my role as a responsible owner. Now, I'm not saying you gotta go out and make a vault but, what do you guys do?

Thanks...

[luchador768]

I just got my first safe last year. Before that I was a hide em' wherever I could, (even my prized M1a Scout!) I sleep a lot better

[Thunderbird]

I do have a safe, but I admit that I occassionally get sloppy and leave a gun sitting on my workbench or accidentally leave the safe unlocked.

Anyways, someone is almost always home, and I pity the theif that breaks in when my wife is home more than if I am home. When it comes to the kids she doesnt mess around. I might show mercy. She would do horrible things to them.

[ghost]

buy a safe that way you dont regret it later.make sure your firearms dont end up in the hands of criminals or your children if you have any.

[K5Cruiser]

When I was younger I didn't have a safe and simply did the hide thing, which I'm sure wouldn't work in a burglary. I think that some people would rather spend their money on another gun, as opposed to a safe, if they could only afford one and not both.

Please buy a safe if you don't already have one.

[paul0660]

If you have the dough to buy the gun but not AT LEAST a lockable cabinet, you don't have enough dough. If you have enough dough to buy a gun, and ammo for it, and NOT enough to buy AT LEAST a lockable cabinet, you are stupid and enabling criminals.

It isn't rocket surgery.

[Thunderbird]

You guys would be suprised at the secure storage ideas you could come up with if you put your mind to it.

If you cant afford an expensize safe, look into alternatives. File cabinets for handguns, old school lockers for long guns, control boxes from the telephone, cable, electric co., etc. Old refridgerators and freezers can have locks added to them too. OR, my favorite, take a broken vending machine and trick it out. Here is one I did a while back. I have done two of these, plus a safe.





Obviously all of these take some modification, preferrably some welding, but if you are broke it beats the heck out of sticking them under a bed or in a closet. Fire protection from a good safe is hard to beat though.

[paul0660]

You can find stack on 8 gun cabinets, WHICH ARE CALIFORNIA APPROVED AND SAVE Y0U BUYING ANOTHER CABLE LOCK, for about $100. It is minimum due diligence.

[Bruce3]

bought a safe with my first firearm. knowing that my firearm would most likely to be used in a crime bugs me more than losing it.

[XD 40]

This article from KCRA might help you decide.

LINDA, Calif. -- Yuba County deputies have arrested a Linda father after his 14-year-old son accidentally shot his 12-year-old son in the head.

Tou Her
Yuba County Sheriff's Office
Tou Her

Investigators said that on Monday, the son of 42-year-old Tou Her took his father's handgun and loaded it, then pointed it at his brother.

The gun went off and struck the younger boy in the head. However, he is expected to survive.

Her is facing charges of criminal storage of a firearm and felony child endangerment.

http://www.kcra.com/news/19595399/detail.html

[Obviously a Plant]

I bought a safe while I was waiting for my first DROS to come through. I would not sleep well thinking that my missing gun could be the cause of an injury or death (that I did not intend). +1 for putting a padlock on a fridge, $40 very well spent. With steel sides & plenty of insulation it could probably stand-up better than a bunch of safes in a house fire... +10 for the Pepsi machine safe! I'm trying to figure out how to store a pistol in my cat; he's always around the bed at night and no one can catch him but me- don't know if I can get DOJ approval though...

[ck867]

I bought a safe while I was waiting for my first DROS to come through. I would not sleep well thinking that my missing gun could be the cause of an injury or death (that I did not intend). +1 for putting a padlock on a fridge, $40 very well spent. With steel sides & plenty of insulation it could probably stand-up better than a bunch of safes in a house fire... +10 for the Pepsi machine safe! I'm trying to figure out how to store a pistol in my cat; he's always around the bed at night and no one can catch him but me- don't know if I can get DOJ approval though...

+1. I bought my safe when I was waiting for my 10 days on my first gun. I saved my money until I was able to purchase the gun and safe at the same time because I was not going to buy a gun without a safe. Now I need a bigger safe because I bought too many guns. So note to everyone, always buy WAY bigger than you think you need!

[IsaacGlass]

buy a safe that way you dont regret it later.make sure your firearms dont end up in the hands of criminals or your children if you have any.

+1000

[223Dude]

A LEO buddy of mine doesn't have a home safe (money issues). After the start of the rash of home burglaries I read here on CGN, I told him what was going on and advised him to get a safe or get those guns out of your house. He took his guns and stored them at work. About 3 months later, his house was burglarized and they took all of his ammo (maybe 300 rounds at most). Although the ammo is gone, he was very grateful that I advised him to get the firearms out of the house. As for myself, I've had a safe since I started having multiple firearms.

[MAC USMC]

I bought a large safe recently and a unexpected benefit occurred. Besides securing all my firearms (one or two loaded) I now know where all my important documents are located and can access anyone of them quickly. Not so in the past. My limited coin collection, wife's jewelery, and valued family photos are now protected. All good "selling" points to convince the wife you need a safe.

When you decide to buy a safe, get one larger than you think you will need. It will be beneficial.