How to store pistols?

[Vinnie Boombatz]

@vinnie,

What oldmanDan posted is modular. You can break it down and move it into the room piece by piece. Ive been seeing more about these recently. Apparently good for apartment dwellers who can't just wheel in a large safe.

Interesting. Thanks for clarifying that.

[SharedShots]

Carpenter and welder.

If you're going to stay in that home for a long time, design it and have it built. It can be something simple for low cost or extravagant with unlimited funds.

Even just having something welded up will work at low cost. Since its in your house worry less about some super dooper thing because anyone who thinks you have enough to worry that much about will just wait for you and get you to open the safe. There is not one person here that with proper motivation will not open their safe, not one.

You get exactly what you want, it can't be removed by casual burglars and chances are it will be better than anything store bought. You won't have to worry about something fitting into a specific space, it gets welded up just for you. While you're at it you can have the entrance door enhanced too.

You can have power for lights, an internal camera, dehumidifer all provided for and depending on size probably not spend as much as something that will not fit quite right, not be big or small enough, be pain to get in/out.

You want fire resistance? Its not rocket science, just look how safe companies do it, its materials they just stick inside. You can buy it and line the walls, ceiling, bottom and door. You can put in a sump pump in case of flooding, something that comes on automatically and sends the water into the drain etc. All that stuff and its far less costly than buying something of the shelf.

[sigstroker]

How about a stack on iwc-22 or iwc-55.

So long as you can find two studs you can mount them in any wall. They aren't that deep but the basically take no space since they are inserted into the wall. If you can cut dry wall and insert 4 screws you can install it yourself.

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As long as you can avoid cutting through water pipes or electrical wiring.

[Uncivil Engineer]

As long as you can avoid cutting through water pipes or electrical wiring.

Which is rather easy to avoid with a dry wall hand saw. That won't cut through a pipe or conduit. So that leaves you with electrical. If there isn't a plug right below our a light on the wall above the spot you picked you are likely good to go. A hand saw will cut through dry wall rather fast
The only power tool you are likely to need is a drill. Closest make a good placement and rarely f water or electrical in the wall.

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[SamGoldstein]

Thanks for all the info guys. The suggestions seemed to range from low cost to anything goes custom storage. I carefully considered the various ideas and I decided that for my budget and security needs, the metal tool chest from Harbor Freight was good enough. The gun room built by the previous owner, though very plain, met his needs and so I believe will meet mine. The humidity can be controlled but as previously pointed out, Colorado has very low humidity. Certainly no worse than Kommiefornia. If anyone is interested I can post pics of the drawers full of pistols!

[fal_762x51]

I think you glanced over the part where the OP states that the stairway is narrow and no way a normal size safe would be possible.

I think you glanced over the part he links to a modular safe.

[Tractionavant]

Pics please!

[Springfield45]

I have one of these for my regular tools. It would work great for storing hand guns and a couple of carbines in the top drawer. The wooden top makes a great spot for cleaning and gunsmithing. The bottom drawers would be good storage for holsters and cleaning kits, supply's. The quality of construction is excellent and is lockable.

[Deelayed]

I currently have 10 pistols (revolvers and semi-auto). I expect to purchase at least 10 more in the future. I've been looking for ways to store my pistols that is convenient to me. Right now, they are scattered among various cases and bags. Ideally, I would like to put them in cabinet drawers that I can pull out. My constraints are:

1. I moved to Colorado and I have a basement in which the previous owner created a "gun room". Nothing fancy. I use it as my reloading area and long gun storage. The door is steel plated.

2. No way we are getting a real safe down there. Stairway is too narrow and there is no other outside access.

I was looking for a Stack-on cabinet (I have one for long guns), but I don't like what is offered for pistols.

I really like the idea of using a harbor freight tool cabinet with all the drawers. I can move it into the basement "gun room" easily and it fits my budget. It has a lock too.

Anyone have any suggestions better than this? Or perhaps a good cabinet to use?

Thanks.

May I call you "pistols". I wish I could be called "pistols" but I don't have the gross to justify such awesomeness.

[SamGoldstein]

Pics please!

Here's some

[SamGoldstein]

May I call you "pistols". I wish I could be called "pistols" but I don't have the gross to justify such awesomeness.

My collection is nothing special. Just stuff I picked up in my lifetime.

[divingin]

I have one of these: https://www.gunsafes.com/Dakota-Inte...ular-Safe.html

If you can get a sheet of plywood into the room, you can likely get the parts for this safe in (figure on 2 people for the heavier parts, though.) Once bolted up, it's pretty secure (much more so than the sheet metal cabinets or mechanics boxes.)

[Hockeytodd03]

If you have access to a table saw simple shelves are real easy. I have a Stack On safe that I made into a ammo locker. I measured the depth at 15", bought 1/2" x 24" x 24" particle boards cut them in half and then to 8" to have a 12x 8 shelf support. Next used 1' x 6' pine boards 2 deep cut to the width of the locker. Stacked them in there and have about 5 shelves.