Cheap Gun Storage Ideas?

I more or less refuse to buy one of those cabinets after hearing that. Im goin to build this box, itll be just as secure as the sheet metal locker they sell, have tons of extra ammo storage area, hold more guns, and cost half as much.

Granted itll be wooden instead of metal but still $100 for a little steel cabinet seems like a rip off.

Ill post pictures up when the cabinet is done later this week.
 
Jeff,
Just thought of an idea that may help. If your not worried about a burglary or outside criminals, just keeping them safe from kids. Try this. Put them in line against a wall and anchor a heavy eyebolt on one end and run a strong metal cable maybe plastic coated for scratching thru all the trigger guards to another big heavy eyebolt and use a big heavy padlock on it. Does that sound do-a-ble????

EDIT...if that don't suit, then get a Cannon safe like I have....lol
 
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Well, I know Academy sports and Outdoors is running a sale on Stack on's, and I can fit somewhere right around the listed number in a safe with half or so having optics. I could see how with optics on AR's it could be considerably more difficult.
 
The Stack-ons include offsets that can be used to hold the barrels away from the racks to allow for scopes.. The only problem with them is they only include 4-5 and most of my rifles have some form of optic...
 
The Stack-ons include offsets that can be used to hold the barrels away from the racks to allow for scopes.. The only problem with them is they only include 4-5 and most of my rifles have some form of optic...

For Ammo storage, I picked up a big, heavy duty, wood storage box that a lodge used for storing their robes and accessories that is 4'x 5'x 3', turned in up on end and built a couple of shelves in it and it holds all of this:::

AmmoInventory10-09-1.jpg
 
Thanks Old Turtle, My collection is no where near that yet, but hopefully some day. my neighbors grandpa has a big Knack job box full of rifle ammo, Makes me jealous every time I see it.

Also Peterjc, That is a good idea. However part of my problem is I am sick of having them in my closet and I don't really have another area of the house that has a closet that doesn't have shelves in the way.

Plus when I start using this for my camo and hunting gear it will be good to get it out of the garage where it gets stunk up by everything else.
 
I am very interested in solutions myself. Stack-On 10 gun seems best solution right now to hold my 7 to 8 guns. A few have scopes.

Who has kick-[beeep] deals on Stack-On? Cabelas always bleeds ya for MSRP.
 
Ive never seen the 10 gun on sale, the 8 guns yes at Farm and Fleet and Dicks.

My neighbor just got an 8 gun one for free from his grandpa. He took his 3 shotguns, rifle, and pellet gun and put them in there, thing is STUFFED full. and only 1 gun has a scope.

Also the little shelf on the top, completely worthless, you could set one or 2 boxes of ammo up there and thats it, its not full depth, its gapped in the back to let long shotguns stick through. Which means the shotguns (my most used weapons) would have to be in the back and then my rifles would have to be taken out to get the shotguns out.

Its a real pain, Im sticking with the plan to build my wooden cabinet.
 
Unless you're worried about kids getting them, out of sight is more important than security. I've got a couple metal cabinets I've retired, up for grabs for the right $. Someone breaks in and wants guns, they'll try your cabinets (big safes are another story) and there's a good chance they'll make it in. But if the don't even know to look, odds are they'll be safe. So if you make a cabinet, don't make it LOOK like a cabinet My absolute favorite so far was a guy who took a classic coke vending machine and converted it. Absolute drool drool drool. And no-one would ever think of either trying to steal it, or break into it. And it look GOOOOOOOD!

Glass front cases are great for display, but worthless for security. I remember going on a stolen car/burglary call, talking to the RP as we walked the house. Sure 'nuff there's his case with "But the key's in my pocket!" the door broken all to [beeep]. Guess who we found upstairs with stolen and loaded firearms, and on his cell with his GF talking about how he was ready to die?

I don't need that kind of stress
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But since I'm do real estate now, it rarely happens.

Personally, I don't think I have enough to worry about security
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FWIW, the metal cases I have, 8-12 rifle, are marginal for scoped rifles. It fits, but not as comfy as I would like. For large scopes like a couple 50mm I have, they're not going to fit. Make sure whatever you do fits what you want it to fit now, and what it MIGHT need to fit later.

I have a decent collection, when my FIL passes I'm going to have to buy another house to keep his in
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I'm not a huge fan of the stack-on's but it seemed like they were getting an unfair wrap here. Also, we store for hand guns on our top shelf in the safe with little to no problem.

I do really like the drawing plan you have up though. I agree with not making it look like there are guns in it. I've always thought about putting a handgun safe in a truck and paint it ugly like pink and purple or label it a finger nail polish or something.
 
Looking at the post with your drawing, as a quick fix do you have a room in the basement everything is stored in? Put a lock on the door, keep the key with you, and the niece/nephew problem is solved in about 10 minutes and cheap to boot.
 
That coke machine is a great idea.

Im off to pick up the few supplies I still need and progress will begin on the cabinet.

Ill take a bunch of pictures and post them up this afternoon.
 
The coke machine is a sweet sweet idea.
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The only other advice I can offer up is when you do decide to purchase a gun safe always always get one that is 10 times bigger than you need
all other members will agree with me on this one.
Mike
 
The best value for me seems to be this Stack-On 10 gun cabinet. I like the price ($299, maybe less on sale) and like the side storage shelves. I do not expect it to hold 10 guns. I'm hoping it will hold 8 guns. I'll have to leave a couple stepchildren leaning up in the back of a closet!

StackOn_GC924.gif
 
build something that someone cant just bust open,,, my neightbor just had all his guns and knives stole b/c he had them in a gun cabnit with glass doors,some one broke in busted the glass and walked out with them
 
I had a steel 6 or 8 gun cabinet. Problem was it so shallow that the stocks rubbed against the front, bottom edge.

Also, one can stack guns one up then one barrel down then one up the usual way. A friend showed me his upper stack of mausers in his vault. He said there were 326 of them all neatly stacked up, down, up. He had brass rods to slip the downward angled rifle bores over. He didn't say how many had in the lower stack.
 
Just thought I'd share with anybody following this thread that I went to buy this '10 gun' cabinet from Dick's Sporting Goods today, ready to pay their $299 posted price. But it rang up at $199!!!
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It is the one with the side storage shelves:

StackOn_GC924.gif
 
Lucky jerk. Thats basically what I am building but out of wood not metal. I went and looked at the dicks here to see that same cabinet today. Its marked $199 there too. Figures I get this thing 70% done and they mark them down. The little 8 gun ones were $69.99 too. Oh well I will have the satisfaction of building it myself.
 
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