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Storing Guns when Away from Home

5K views 32 replies 26 participants last post by  Thanis 
#1 ·
I do not own a gun safe.

My kids are old enough to leave the guns alone that I keep in our beedroom. They are 15 and 18 years old.

We do lock the door to the bedroom when we are not there in case the kids have friends over and we lock the door when we all go out to dinner or shoping since I do not take all my guns with me.

I don't have a lot of guns, just 2 pistols and a rifle. One of the pistols is always with me outside of work.

I don't think having a gunsafe would actually stop a person from getting the guns inless the safe is huge and heavy and can't take it with you.


I was wondering do you guys have gun safes and is it worth my while in case my house gets broken into when we are not there ?
 
#2 ·
I have a gun locker that is mainly to help keep honest people honest and to keep my son out of my guns.

Safes can deter burglars and a fireproof safe is just a good investment.

But given enough time a theif can defeat a safe.
 
#3 ·
Your kids may be honest and good but locking a bedroom door is not being locked.
Defeating a room door 'lock' is so easy my 6 yr. old knows how to do it.

Also if a burglar gains entry to your home while you are away guess what happens to that locked bedroom door. It gets swiftly kicked in and breeched, with ease and very little effort.
Now your guns and ammo are on the streets to be used or sold into criminal use. For me or mine or your neighbors to suffer secondarily as a result because you did not feel it necessary prudent to properly store and secure your firearms.

A locked bedroom door is a joke of a solution toward securing anything, especially firearms.
You might as well place a sign on the guns that says 'These are invisible. You do not see them!' which would be equally functional and effective.

Invest in your own safety and that of your childrens wealth and buy yourself a proper gunsafe and/or mode of securing your firearms properly.
If me, or mine, or your neighbor suffers at the hand of some criminal with your _unsecured_ weapons that were stolen then guess who is going to be the victim of a significantly spendy civil suit. Defending against a civil suit, even if you happen to win, will cost a hell of a lot more in time and coin and stress than that of purchasing a proper gun safe/lockable gun storage system. And do you think a civil court jury will buy a locked bedroom door, which everybody knows is childs play to breech, is an appropriate and functional means of securing firearms? I personally wouldn't bet on it.

You don't want to lose your home inclusive of your locked bedroom and/or your childrens college fund to a civil suit judgment over your unsecured very easily accessed without authorization by multiples of ways firearms.

- Janq

P.S. - Your bedroom has windows right?
Windows with breakable glass in them. That room is not secure nor is it a secure container.
 
#4 ·
I highly recommend some sort of gun storage system. A gun locker will work, and are fairly inexpensive. While they will keep kids out of your guns they are easily defeated. A good gun safe is going to cost more and are quite a bit heavier, but will keep your guns safer. If you purchase a fire resistant safe it will protect your weapons in most cases, depending on what the fire rating is. The good point of a gun safe you can also store jewelry and important papers in it as well.
 
#5 ·
In the past, I have secured firearms using:

1. A large eyebolt screwed into a wall stud in the back of a closet, bike lock running thru the eyebolt and trigger guards of firearms
2. A Homak gun cabinet, secured to the wall studs

As I learned more (and bought more :wink:), I decided I wanted more permanent security. I now have a Liberty Safe built into the back of a walk-in closet for “large items" and a small, in-wall between-the-studs simplex lock safe for “small items” I access on a daily basis.

Your environment and size of collection will determine the level of security you need to both keep your items out of the wrong hands and protect them from theft.

But be assured that *any* safe can be defeated given lots on time on the part of the thief. Best bet is to add more layers of security to even deter attempts (alarm system, dogs, etc.)
 
#6 ·
I'd like to clarify something. I've read a number of posts where the poster has "several guns around the house", such as a handgun in each bedroom, etc., for easy access during a SHTF situation. So, do those get locked up each time you leave the house, or are they hidden enough that you're comfortable with them being "out"?

Assuming there are no kids in the house (as in my case), there is obviously a trade-off between easy access for me and easy access for the robber when I'm not home. Thoughts?
 
#11 ·
Good question.
Personally, there are two loaded guns unlocked and hidden in my house at all times, weather I or my wife is home or not. I'm going to limit it to telling you that there is a shotgun in my dining room and a 30-30 in my stair way. When we are home, I have one of my .357s on my nightstand and when I'm gone my wife either has her 38spl or 32acp on hers. There is a 12ga that sleeps in arms reach of me when I am home as well

I look at it the same as a concealed weapon. It is effective because you can have it and someone else can't. Just as there is an art to concealing a handgun on your body, there is an art to concealing one in the house.

As far as the security of it goes, I am 6'4" and I have to stretch to get the 30-30 and I know where it is. No one is going to "accidentally find" that one. The shotgun is practically out in the open, but it is so small, black and evil that no one has ever noticed it. Plus, I rigged up a system that utilizes a "Level II" style security to release the gun. It will break before it comes out if forced.
 
#7 ·
Agreed with 3LD. ^^

Any safe or method can be defeated if enough time and circumstance is allowed.
But a locked bedroom door, that is akin to placing the guns in a cardboard box and writing 'DO NOT TOUCH' on the front. Bogus.

There are many safe and inexpensive ways and alternatives to secure your firearms without having to spend coin on a traditional gun safe, which admittedly are quite spendy.

- Janq
 
#8 ·
You need to get a gun safe. I have one of the larger ones installed by a safe company and it's anchored to the concrete floor - it's not going anywhere. Just locked behind an interior door isn't very good.
 
#9 ·
I started out with a simple Stack-On 10 gun locking cabinet that I picked up new for $100. It did the job. I got thinking about it one day and wanted to make it more secure. I bolted it to the studs in the wall and through the floor around the floor joists. I drilled a hole and put a second lock on it with a different key and then had an additional steel plate welded onto the face that completely covers the hinge and the channels around the door. Also added a 1/4 steel plate in the bottom just to make it really heavy. Over kill, maybe, but I felt better. That thing would have to take out the floor and the wall to be moved. It was in good.

As my collection grew and I bought/acquired/inherited more and more firearms, I realized that my $200 bubba-ized cabinet was inadequate both in capacity and quality.

I now have a big Fort Knox 90 min fire rated safe that holds many firearms among other things of value. At first, $2k seemed like a lot to spend on a safe, but when you think about it, the contents are worth so much more than that (be it physical or sentimental value) that it is worth the cost. After I had justified it (to myself and then to my wife) and was willing to fork over the $2k, I found one on craigslist for "$900, you move." STEAL!

So I went to get it, not totally realizing what I just bought or where it was. Long story short, I had to borrow a bigger tractor than I had to lift it out of the basement and onto the trailer. Tipping the scales at nearly 1200lbs empty, I'm not too worried about anyone taking it, but I poured a little concrete bunk for it anyway and used a steel strap around the top bolted to the foundation.

She'll probably stay in the house forever....

Theres nothing wrong with a good cabinet or an inexpensive safe, even if its not fire rated, its going to keep them out of the wrong hands.

your kids are 18 and 16? I don;t know your kids and its not an attack on them, but I know that when I was a teenager, I had plenty of "weak moments" it would probably be better to be safe. And I wouldn't trust your childrens friends either, but someone elses kids may be more prone to "weak moments" and all it takes is one mention of those guns to the wrong person.
 
#10 ·
I have an inexpensive gun locker that is bolted to the floor. My guns are all locked in there when I'm away for an extended period. If a BG got past the alarm system, he would still be trying to rip it open as the police came.

I suggest an inexpensive one, just to stay on the safe side (no pun intended).
 
#12 ·
I don't trust any kids with guns. When I have mine someday they will be well educated but nowhere near guns until they are able to buy their own.

I know some gun ranges have storage options there, but I think you really should get a small safe that can be bolted down rather than storing it outside.
 
#13 ·
I have two Browning gun safes...a short one, and a tall one.
When I'm home, both safes are open. When I leave the home, both safes are locked.
The safes are out of site, and hard to get at...not impossible...just not out in plain view.
Professional could certainly get in either, but the local dirtbags wouldn't get anything without lots of work.
First they have to get by the neighbors...they see everything, and then the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Certainly there are easier pickings at other places...:22a:
 
#14 ·
I, like JoninNy, have an inexpensive safe. It has a number configuration code to open it up and is securely (as best I could) attached to a wall 2x4. I suppose it could be pried out eventually but the house alarm would not give them any time to do so. On a second idea, if we were to leave home for any extended period of time, I would think about a safety deposit box at the bank.
 
#15 ·
I have a medium size Liberty safe for all my rifles and hand guns, ( I have a mini vault in my closet that stores my ready gun). I always keep the safe locked, even when I step out of the room for a moment. Get a good safe! It will give you some piece of mind while out of the house or on vacation. I have two sons, 12 and 17. They know better than to handle firearms with out my direct supervision, but I would never leave a weapon where they or their friends could gain access. The consequences are too great, and irreversible, not to mention potentially criminal.
 
#16 ·
A safe, no matter how expensive or well installed, is merely to keep honest people honest.

We have a Stack On mounted in an inconsipicous place, and we freely acknowledge that is is to keep the guns organized, dust free, and out of our children's hands/sight. It would never stop a thief, and it's certainly not fireproof. Those are the risks we take.

My parents kept our guns in a closet (12g always loaded, rest unloaded, ammo on the upper shelf--when Dad wanted a gun, you'd better bring it loaded so that stuff was all stored together and it NEVER crosssed my mind to play with the guns, show them to visiting friends, etc....but that was over 20 years ago). It worked for them.

Where's your risk tolerance I guess is what I'm getting at.

I understand Janq's point, but if the thief is in your home, he's in the wrong. If he steals the unloaded John Wayne gold engraved 30-30 from over the fireplace and kills someone with it, how is that my fault? How much security is enough?? My car is certainly more deadly than my guns, and yet the only thing keeping it secure is a locked garage door (since we leave the cars unlocked)....so if it's stolen and he runs someone over am I to blame because I only had one door between the evil outside world and my deadly car? I don't know, I'm only wondering out loud....seems to me you can't win for loosing some days.
 
#17 ·
I don't have a safe, YET.
I will be getting one soon.
That said, I keep my rifles and emergency rations behind an automatic moving cabinet, secured by a 256 bit encrypted radio frequency that I rigged from a garage door opener. I've been meaning to add a fingerprint access, but haven't gotten around to it.
As hard as I tried to hide it... I know it's not secure if someone wanted to go through the block wall or back of the cabinet. It is VERY well hidden though.

The only loaded weapons in my house, consist of a .38 F.I.E. wheel-gun under the crisper in the fridge, and the 1911 that is on my person at all times.
My nephews, and my lady-friend's kids come over every once in a while, and though I don't have any doubts about their actions and safety mindedness, I choose to keep these items "out of sight-out of mind".

All in all, I'm not too concerned just yet, but I know the security could be better.
Like I said, I'll be buying a safe soon and hopefully it will fit in my hidden room.
 
#18 ·
Any safe can be broken into given time. Most consumer type safes/residential security containers you can buy can be circumvented relatively quickly by an experienced pair of crooks.

However, it is better than trying to "hide" firearms or just laying on a wall rack or closet shelf. You just have to go by the most likely scenario. Sure, you could hire a team of private armed security, have a laser grid intrusion detection system, and vault doors as bedroom doors. But is it worth it? Probably not, unless you happen to be building an American embassy in Iraq or such.

To *me* (and you have ot the make the decision that is right for you), if I was in your shoes, I'd get the most safe I could afford. It won't stop an experienced or determined crook, but it will shake off the amateur or otherwise smash-and-grab crook that is the most common perpetrator of home burglary. They don't want to stick around and try to open a safe when they can just take your TV, maybe a few other appliances, some jewelry, and then run before anyone even noticed.

However, if someone else knows you have the safe, they could plan an extended attack while you are away, so of course keep knowledge of it on the hush if at all possible.
 
#19 ·
I would recommend a safe. I have a Sentry 14 gun safe from Wal Mart, bolted to the floor and wall. Darn sure not top of the line, but very affordable, apparently mediocre peace of mind. I don't have guns scattered all over the house since I carry all of the time. You asked for any ideas......well, what I would do in your shoes if I were away from home and unable to secure them otherwise is take them apart...disassemble them as far as you can. Put some parts in a box, in the attic maybe, or any seldom seen place. Put them in a gnarly looking box that nobody would even take a second look at. You may have a few boxes spread here and there, and you may even want to take one box of parts with you in your car or whatever. Personally, I don't think even thieves would be interested in a box full of parts and they darn sure won't be going on a search for the rest of the pieces of the puzzle....they want in and out in short order. I know it might be a bit of a hassle, but you can surely put all of your guns back together for that trip to the range or whenever you want to. I figure this would at least meet your current goal for peace of mind while you're away.
 
#20 ·
A friend's son just had a house build and it's a 3.5 bedroom place. From the outside of the house, the windows seem well-placed and in the normal positions. In the hallway, the bedrooms seem normal and the doorways look properly spaced.
In one of the bedrooms (not the master) you have to through a 'secret' panel in the closet to enter the .5 bedroom.
If he told you where the guns were, you probably couldn't find the room.
This, to me, is the perfect gun room. He still has a safe on another room for safety or to give thieves a false workout, but most of the other stuff is well-hidden. It's a bit bothersome to get into, but no one is going to find HIS stash.

This is my plan, if I can ever talk the wife into another move. (Married 37 years...lived in 25 places...)

Stay armed...Shhhhhhhhhh...stay safe!
 
#22 ·
if a safe is too complicated or out of budget, something like a heavy duty steel toolbox (they are about $20) with a lock is at least a start. Put the handguns in it and the bolt of any long guns... Lock it to the wall or some immovable furniture as well.

Your kids may be dependable, but I still would recommend a serious means of limiting access. After all, the 15 year old is still a minor.
 
#24 ·
As stated in other posts, I would buy a used gang/job site box.(used to store tool at construction sites) They can be found on E-bay/Craiglist either cheap of free. I would lift it a couple of inches off the ground and cut a couple of holes just big enough to slip the barrle thru the top. It is wide enough to bolt to the as least 2 wall studs. The locks recessed inside the box so cutting the shackle is very hard. It will keep a normal person(s) out unless somebody is going thru the trouble to cut the wall studs with a sawzall.

Somebody also posted a gun safe made from old soda machine.
 
#26 ·
I might be a little overly safe. I have a bolted down gun locker in my bedroom closet. It is an old house so I also have the skeleton key locks on all the doors. I lock the closet door, and the bedroom door whenever I am not in the room. The take two different keys. Skeleton locks might not be the best, but it is better than leaving everthing open. My youngest son is 13. He good with gun safety, but with friends over I don't need any peer pressure problems.
 
#27 ·
I was wondering do you guys have gun safes and is it worth my while in case my house gets broken into when we are not there ?

I don't think having a gunsafe would actually stop a person from getting the guns inless the safe is huge and heavy and can't take it with you.
To my way of thinking, there's the answer.

Yes, I've got a safe and, yes, I think it's worth the protection. About the only way to avoid criminals taking the guns away is to either have them not be found, or to have them in a safe that they can't take away, or break into. And that means one thing, more or less: a stout, high-quality safe that's bolted to your foundation in an inaccessible spot of the home, protected by the home's monitored alarm system in an area where the response times are quick enough to stop them. Less gets less peace of mind.

As well, keep in mind that a safe can help beyond merely keeping them from being stolen. A safe can help preserve the quality of the firearms by maintaining a consistent environment. If you store them in the attic, garage or shed, they'll be subject to swings in temperature and humidity. Even just laying about in a home, the humidity and dust can do a number on them over years. I'm sure you're treating them well by keeping them well-cleaned, -oiled and free of fingerprints, but a safe can help with the task.

Finally, a safe can be the place at home where you put the most-valuable documents you store at home. If of a high-quality fire grade, it might even keep them from burning, should a fire damage your home.
 
#28 ·
No kids, no safe. Great hiding place for guns not taken with me when I am going out of town. Won't say more about that. I will also dismantle and hide key parts in different locations so if a gun is stolen, it is useless.

Yes, someone could break in and get them while I am on a short errand, but it would be extremely unlikely and just as likely there'd be a home invasion when we are here as a break in when we are briefly out.

Lots of course depends on your particular community, neighborhood, block. What works for me won't work for you. I have nosy neighbors who watch everything. I have dogs who watch the neighbors watching everything.
 
#29 ·
First consider the threat you are trying to protect yourself and your guns from. Personally, I consider two scenarios:

(1) home invasion or burglary at night while I am home. My dog will likely alert me first. My goal is that I can get to my guns quicker then the bad guy. If I am awake, my handgun is usually with me. If I am in bed, it is typically on the nightstand. Given the warning from the dog, I figure that would work. I do have a little gun safe for my backup gun. It would probably take a couple minutes for a bad guy to get into after they found it.

(2) burlgary while I am not home. I do have an alarm system. From past experience (luckily only a couple false alarms so far), it takes the cops about 10 minutes to arrive. So the guns have to remain "safe" for that time. The hand guns should survive that long in the hidden gun safe. The shutgun is locked to a bolt in the closet pending me getting a big enough safe for it.

But overall: Think about what you try to achieve. Will a couple of high tech burglars with welding torches be your problem, or do you expect a couple kids high on drugs looking for cash? How long until you expect help from neighbors/cops/alarm company?

BTW: Remembering me at 16-18... I wouldn't trust your kids a second with guns sitting around.
 
#30 ·
But overall: Think about what you try to achieve. Will a couple of high tech burglars with welding torches be your problem, or do you expect a couple kids high on drugs looking for cash?
Within 20mi of most homes, I'd think there are numerous druggies looking for cash, safecrackers with a background, and everyone in between. Who's to say? On a given day, it's unknown which of them is going to decide your own place is the one to be hit. Torches, drugs, brass ... none of these is exactly rare.
 
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