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Gun cabinets (keeping kids away)


redkow97

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Fully mobile daughter and desire to expand my firearms collection has me considering ways to keep my guns locked up.

 

Currently I just keep everything in range bags and tool boxes in my bedroom closet.  Nothing is stored loaded, but I also do not store the gun with my bolt locked open.

 

What I'm debating is building a sturdy wooden cabinet, or purchasing a metal cabinet.  Both would lock.  The wooden cabinet could be custom built to match my bedroom furniture, or built tough & ugly if I hide it in a closet.

 

I know this will not stop determined thieves, but a bulky gun safe is not in my budget, nor does it fit the décor of my bedroom - and that is where I want to store my firearms, so I have access to them in the (admittedly unlikely) event of a home invasion.

 

From a security standpoint, this would only be designed to stop kids (mine and her friends) or truly inept thieves (working in the criminal justice system, this covers a significant portion of the gun-stealing population...).

 

At that point the debate comes down to whether I want something tough & ugly built into the corner of my closet (screwed into the wall studs so the whole cabinet can't easily be removed), or if I want something closer to my bed, also screwed into the wall studs, but more decorative looking to match the bedroom set.   The main drawback with that is that it's out in the open, and warrants attention.   I would plan to put faux drawers on the cabinet door, but I can't think of any way to cleanly hide the lock(s).

 

So a few basic questions for the group:

 

1) is a cheap metal cabinet better?

2) do you think it's dumb to have the cabinet out in the open when 'hiding' it in the closet is a viable option?

 

 

This isn't intended to be a monstrosity of a piece - I would just want a couple of shelves for handguns (no more than 4) and ammo, and then room for 2-4 rifles.  I'd use pretty thick wood - at least 3/4" just so that it's solid and substantial enough to take some abuse from an amateur.  Corners would be reinforced with angled metal, and I might even consider plating the interior with cheap sheet-metal and short wood-screws to hold the wood together better if someone starts beating on it, and maybe make the whole thing more resistant to fire.  I'd want room for a fire-box to store ammo as well.  I'd probably throw personal items like social security cards and birth certificates in there too.

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If you have Menards up there, they have the cheap metal Stack On/Sentenial brand "safes" for like 79-99 on sale.  I think Vances down here runs them for 79 bux year round at all their stores.  Stop in there on the way to Circleville.

 

I have that bolted to the floor and wall, then added a top cabinet that was like 59 that is mounted to the wall and the top of the unit both.  Actually thanks for reminding me, I need to add more lag bolts into the floor tonight, just because I want to and got some with my garage heater.

 

It's going to be WAY cheaper to just buy one, than build one, plus take less time, and probably be more secure, especially for the price. 

 

Oh and also mine is in the closet next to our bed.  The wife had to give up a few feet of rail space but I gave her 2 closets so she had to agree to this regardless.  I am not having the majority of my guns more than 5 feet from my bed.  Granted I have multiple others around the house, but still. 

Edited by madcat6183
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I have one of the cheapo stack on cabinets.  I put a metal latch on it in addition to the built in lock.  I put a combo lock so that if my kid grabbed my keys he wouldn't able to get in.  It won't stop a determined thief but it might stop a smash and grab.

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Yes.  That is very similar to what I have.  It reminds me of a gym locker.  It's not very thick steel but it does the trick unless your kid routinely uses a pry bar and hammer.

 

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Another option would be something like this......

 

http://www.gunsafes.com/Modular-Safes.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA37CnBRChp7e-pM2Mzp0BEiQAlSxQCFcL6Lbvry-kQzmdjJBZrUW64B4PSwdzAAg8jEkZqyUaAj_18P8HAQ

 

I have seen a number of different options like these in the American Rifleman Magazine.

Edited by myhondas
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Yeah thats kinda what I have but its a 10=12 gun one, forget.  I know they are cheap though, like uber cheap.  heck I think Ebay sells them actually.

 

But seriously, Vances on the south side of Cbus right off 270, when you come down to Circleville you'll pass it, they are the cheapest for those unless Menards is on sale. 

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  • 4 months later...

Time to make a purchase.  I'm between the stack-on 8 rifle metal cabinet that's been linked multiple times above, and an in-wall model that holds 2 rifles and a little else.

 

The only advantage to the in-wall model is that it doesn't take up space in the closet. 

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i'm going with the 8 or 10 gun cabinet.  I almost ordered online, but the one that is $89 online is "ready to assemble," which, while I trust myself to assemble it well, means it's subject to deconstruction by someone motivated...

 

The next step up is $130 online or $90 at Fin Feather & Fur...  may as well drive down and pay the tax on that.

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I bought this one at the beginning of the year:

 

http://www.menards.com/main/home-decor/furniture/safes/long-gun-safes/sentinel-trade-18-gun-black-convertible-steel-security-cabinet-with-key-lock-12-cu-ft/p-1720308-c-19101.htm

 

I got it for a little less than that because it was on sale. I like it a lot. You can either set it up to hold 18 long guns, or add a divider in the center with shelves on one side. This worked best for me because I could store my long guns on one side, and my handgun and ammo stash on the other. Plus I've got a little room to expand.

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  • 3 months later...

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