PDA

View Full Version : Hidden Storage Suggestions Wanted



MLG
11-30-2010, 10:35 AM
I'm looking at storage options for securing a handgun in different locations throughout the house and garage. I'm aware that any safe storage will have an inherent immediate access problem but I'm looking for feedback from users on what they feel are the best options.

Ideally, the storage device would have the following criteria:


Fast-Reliable access to a firearm under stress
Single hand gun storage is fine
Be boltable and possably recess mounted between studs in a wall
Relatively bland in appperance, nothing that screams "I'm Hiding Some Good Stuff"I have toyed with an idea for a closet in my foyer that consists of creating a wall cavity in an inconspicuous corner of the closet that would hold a handgun for an emergency.

Looking for thoughts on the idea, good, bad or otherwise.

Thanks MGO!

esq_stu
11-30-2010, 10:56 AM
v-line makes lock boxes that install between studs. They have pushbutton mechanical locks and come in sizes for pistols and long guns.

http://www.vlineind.com/

I've thought about putting a false air vent for a hiding place.

MLG
11-30-2010, 11:26 AM
v-line makes lock boxes that install between studs. They have pushbutton mechanical locks and come in sizes for pistols and long guns.

http://www.vlineind.com/

I've thought about putting a false air vent for a hiding place.

Yes, I have thought about that also and think it might be a pretty good idea. I saw the false vent idea in "HANDYMAN" magazine.

Sometimes hidding in plain sight is a pretty good choice. I also thought about a cavity behind a picture, mirror or clock. I know that these ideas are pretty hokey and have been exploited by movies but I think maybe they might actually be a good option.

I'd be interested in getting feedback from someone that has been involved with crime scene investigation or a burglary victim. I was burglarized once. The burglar went for the drawers, stereos and other electronics but didn't disturb anything on the walls, that I recall.

Thanks for the link Stu, I'll check them out.

chewy
11-30-2010, 12:03 PM
Yes, I have thought about that also and think it might be a pretty good idea. I saw the false vent idea in "HANDYMAN" magazine.

Sometimes hidding in plain sight is a pretty good choice. I also thought about a cavity behind a picture, mirror or clock. I know that these ideas are pretty hokey and have been exploited by movies but I think maybe they might actually be a good option.

I'd be interested in getting feedback from someone that has been involved with crime scene investigation or a burglary victim. I was burglarized once. The burglar went for the drawers, stereos and other electronics but didn't disturb anything on the walls, that I recall.

Thanks for the link Stu, I'll check them out.


We have one of those wall safes for handguns for sale... $110.

esq_stu
11-30-2010, 12:54 PM
I have a lock box attached inside a drawer and it has same type of lock. The lock is very fast, very reliable, and a you don't need to see it - it can be unlocked by feel. And it does not rely on batteries. It is not going to stop a burglar - it is there to stop the curious.

shurhouse
11-30-2010, 05:23 PM
+1 on the V-line. Installs pretty easy. Works great. A bit expense but so are handguns. I put a picture on a hinge over it.

http://www.vlineind.com/html/quick_vault.html

fbuckner
11-30-2010, 07:09 PM
Heres and idea i got from a cop down in the city and its simple and lockable.

An empty electrical panel!

Ruger
11-30-2010, 08:22 PM
Heres and idea i got from a cop down in the city and its simple and lockable.

An empty electrical panel!

It's been working for me for at least 30 years. Put a coat hook over it and hang an old jacket and no one is the wiser.

agentorange
11-30-2010, 09:00 PM
i have a great pdf on this subject, just dont know how to post it. can someone help me out? :welcome:

Ruger
11-30-2010, 09:18 PM
i have a great pdf on this subject, just dont know how to post it. can someone help me out? :welcome:

I'm not sure you have the option but if you scroll down from the box you typed your last post you will find a box that says Manage Attachments.

johnzilla
12-01-2010, 03:31 PM
One other location to consider is inside a door.

For example, take an interior door that has a hollow core and from the top edge hollow out a space. You would have to deal with spacing issues so that the firearm doesn't rattle as the door moves but that isn't hard. Also would need to put in some sort of platform or line and hook to keep it from falling to the bottom.

This can work for some long arms, as well, assuming you have the clearance from the door to the ceiling to allow withdrawal.

Maybe not a solution for quick home defense access, but for hidden storage it would work...who is going to look at the top of a door?

Also, you don't have to use a fake heating vent. You can just use the existing cold air return vents. Mount the vent cover to a hinge. Build a little platform there to make sure you don't lose anything down the duct. Lift vent cover, grab firearm and go.

MLG
12-01-2010, 03:48 PM
I like the electrical box idea, especially in my garage. I am surprised that I never even thought of it, as much as I work with electrical panels!

The other thing that is out of the box thinking is Johnzilla's suggestion for the door panel.

These are all very good ideas and I will be using a combination of them all, depending on the room asethetics.

Thanks for all the responses!

Buzzcat
12-01-2010, 04:56 PM
This is an option I like:

http://www.secretstoragebooks.com/index.php

One of these with a few more "real" (but boring looking) books on a bookshelf in a corner and a burglar wouldn't look twice at them.

johnzilla
12-01-2010, 05:12 PM
This is an option I like:

http://www.secretstoragebooks.com/index.php

One of these with a few more "real" (but boring looking) books on a bookshelf in a corner and a burglar wouldn't look twice at them.

Agreed. Good candidates for these books would be thick computer-related books and school textbooks. Less chance anyone would just grab one of those types of books just out of curiosity.

Also other places for hidden storage: computer cases. Computers nowadays have a very small footprint, but it is still common to find mid-tower cases. Even older ones that are no longer used. Most people consider them junk, but if you took a dremel and cut out the hard drive shelves etc there is a lot of room in there. Add a tool-less thumb screw instead of the standard philips or torx and it would be easy to get the cover off. There's a chance they might be stolen, though, but you can minimize that by putting some stickers or badges on the outside. "Pentium inside" or "Windows 98" etc. Even bad guys play games and use computers and they would be less inclined to take something that looked like it was 5-10 years old.

Or even leave the hard drive shelves in there...probably plenty of room for a LCP, P-3AT or J-Frame.

Another idea...use an outlet cover. Tie a piece of wire to the back, hang a LCP or J-Frame or similar down in the space behind the drywall. The weight of the firearm would keep the outlet cover pulled against the drywall. It would be easy to just grab it and pull out the firearm. Nobody would think twice about an outlet in the wall.

MLG
12-01-2010, 05:43 PM
This is an option I like:

http://www.secretstoragebooks.com/index.php

One of these with a few more "real" (but boring looking) books on a bookshelf in a corner and a burglar wouldn't look twice at them.

I already use this!

My daughter made me one for Christmas last year and it works very well!

She was a college student at the time and her money was in short supply. Ironically, her simple cheap gift could end up saving a life, who knows?

MLG
12-01-2010, 05:46 PM
Agreed. Good candidates for these books would be thick computer-related books and school textbooks. Less chance anyone would just grab one of those types of books just out of curiosity.

Also other places for hidden storage: computer cases. Computers nowadays have a very small footprint, but it is still common to find mid-tower cases. Even older ones that are no longer used. Most people consider them junk, but if you took a dremel and cut out the hard drive shelves etc there is a lot of room in there. Add a tool-less thumb screw instead of the standard philips or torx and it would be easy to get the cover off. There's a chance they might be stolen, though, but you can minimize that by putting some stickers or badges on the outside. "Pentium inside" or "Windows 98" etc. Even bad guys play games and use computers and they would be less inclined to take something that looked like it was 5-10 years old.

Or even leave the hard drive shelves in there...probably plenty of room for a LCP, P-3AT or J-Frame.

Another idea...use an outlet cover. Tie a piece of wire to the back, hang a LCP or J-Frame or similar down in the space behind the drywall. The weight of the firearm would keep the outlet cover pulled against the drywall. It would be easy to just grab it and pull out the firearm. Nobody would think twice about an outlet in the wall.

You are the guy I was looking for when I posted my question! I like the way you think, for sure.

Thanks for the creativity that you have offered!

Max

TAC
12-11-2010, 01:45 PM
I knew a guy who used to hang his AR15 on the back of his roll-out refrigerator! Who would think of looking there? Attached to the underside of the kitchen table is another possibility...provided there are no children with access to the home.

Buzzcat
12-11-2010, 01:56 PM
Also think about an empty laundry detergent box, lined up on a shelf with your bottles of fabric softeners and whatnot.

An empty Kraft Mac & Cheese box has enough room for a subcompact, and you could hide a full size 1911 and a couple hundred rounds of ammo in an empty cereal box. Either of them in a kitchen cabinet wouldn't get a first look, let alone a second look.

You get the picture.. the trick is to "hide it in plain sight".

Of course, these options aren't "secure", so assess your risk of kids or friends stumbling into them.

Dongizmo
12-12-2010, 09:34 PM
A hook over the top of the door, on the inside of a closet....... most burglars are not going to stand in the closet and turn around and look up......

wrinkledshirt
12-12-2010, 11:25 PM
DIY booksafe:

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/12/07/how-to-make-a-secret-book-safe/

revho
12-26-2010, 04:33 PM
Some great ideas. My mind went directly to the movie Kill Bill Vol. 1 when Vivica A. Fox went for a gun hiding in the box of Kaboom cereal.

Funk55
01-01-2011, 03:12 PM
The best spot I have found is the wall inside a closet . The same wall that the closet door is mounted on. I cut a hole in the drywall and frame the hole with 2x4's. You have to know it is there, or be in the closet to see it.
I also never leave it loaded! I have a 12 ga pump. For the ammo, I took the same closet door and drilled a series of 1" holes slightly overlapping edges, into the top edge of the door, alternating the depth of a 12ga shell and then about 1" deep...... the shallow holes in between the deep ones allow you to grab the shells easily.
NO ONE has ever found either of these hiding spots and yet the gun and ammo is easily accessable by me. How many times have you ever felt the top edge of any door?
What do you guys think?

CyborgWarrior
01-01-2011, 03:41 PM
I worked in a liquor store that had a 38 revolver under the register, it had a wood dowel and the barrel slid over it. I was up, tight and out of the way.

OIFvet2ID
01-03-2011, 12:26 AM
Stealth Vault (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJiOjSLXfGY&NR=1&feature=fvwp)

GLXD45
01-03-2011, 07:58 AM
You can do this just about anywhere to want to hide a gun. Cut off a piece of belt or some other type of strap and use a screw to secure each end of the belt/strap. You now have a place to hide your holstered weapons.

cammobrown
01-24-2011, 10:25 PM
Secure Logic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnwl0jofcYs&feature=related

AFMarco
01-25-2011, 12:09 AM
I've thought of hollowing out a vhs tape. You could fit a sub-compact in it. And NO ONE will touch a vhs tape.

ColonelKurtz
01-25-2011, 02:31 AM
Lots of good ideas here.

VHS tape, I love it :bow:

HVYMTLMEC
01-25-2011, 02:57 AM
inside of a stuffed animal. :hide:

MLG
01-25-2011, 08:34 AM
inside of a stuffed animal. :hide:
First, I need to say, I loved it in the movie RED when John Malkovich was carrying the Magnum in the stuffed pig.

We don't have any kids at home anymore but I would hate to have the grandson drop in and grab a stuffed animal.... For me, it wouldn't be a consideration.

Dansjeep2000
01-25-2011, 08:38 AM
Order one of the wall clocks from sportsmans guide. then cut out the drywall from behind it so it mounts flush.

2571
01-26-2011, 05:41 PM
Responded to B&E in Detroit years ago as a cop. Citizen used to hide a pistol behind a broom in a closet on the premise that a B&E man would never be interested in brooms, shovels, paint bruses and any implement that was associated with manual labor or cleanliness.

Crook had overlooked a nice WWII bringback Luger hidden there.

Adb1228
03-19-2011, 10:14 AM
I use the same method for the garage and basement. I removed a section of drywall on the walls where I was going to hang peg board, added some 2x4's to set small arms on, I then took a few small finishing nails an drove them in to the studs. Hang the peg board on the nails and add the storage hook to complete peg board look.

In my bedroom I mounted a small otter box to the underside of night stand in the top drawer. I keep a sub-comp and spare mag in there.

Just thought I'd toss this up, more food for thought.

Adb1228
03-19-2011, 10:23 AM
I use the same method for the garage and basement. I removed a section of drywall on the walls where I was going to hang peg board, added some 2x4's to set small arms on, I then took a few small finishing nails an drove them in to the studs. Hang the peg board on the nails and add the storage hook to complete peg board look.

In my bedroom I mounted a small otter box to the underside of night stand in the top drawer. I keep a sub-comp and spare mag in there.

Just thought I'd toss this up, more food for thought.

Dabears!
03-26-2011, 04:58 PM
The CIA liked to use suppositories

just sayin'

Caribou
03-28-2011, 09:55 AM
Search in You Tube - there's TONS of ideas for secret compartments and hiding places.

cumminatcha
04-02-2011, 09:14 AM
Thank you MLG for this posting! I was about to ask the same question and found this one this morning. I'm liking the idea of putting self defense right in the open where no one sees it. Thanks, also, to the rest of you that posted your ideas.

Now I'm off to find hiding places.

BWHaas
04-02-2011, 04:56 PM
+1 for the good post. Always looking for new spots.

Groo
04-07-2011, 02:50 PM
it has some limitations but this is pretty cheap;
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SKUSearch.asp?px=MP&scriteria=BA47561

SMUDGE
04-07-2011, 06:59 PM
Saw somebody say sportsmans guide clock they also have various picture frame types. The other option is to get a vent or cold air return cut out the drywall with a utility knife and you can even put cabinet latches on it. Works pretty well. Nobody is going to think twice about an air vent.

RayMich
04-07-2011, 08:09 PM
As far as I am concerned, "hiding" guns throughout the house is not a good idea. The chances of being within reach of the gun if someone breaks in are very remote, unless you line every inch of the walls around the house with guns. And even then, what do you do if you are standing in the middle of the room? Even some type of stealth vault will take much longer to retrieve the gun and this is time you may not have during a surprise break-in.

In my opinion, the best solution is to keep a handgun on your body at all times. This way it is always within reach regardless of where one is standing or sitting. All other guns should be put away in a safe place when not being carried (preferably in a gun safe). That way, even if you are overwhelmed, the BGs will, at worst case, be able to get their hands on only one gun.

Are you going to round up all those guns and lock them in a safe whenever you leave the house? :scratch: - Didn't think so. - Hiding guns around the house is a good recipe for then falling in the wrong hands at the worst possible time. :ar15:

gltucker
04-11-2011, 09:01 PM
My grandparents hid their money in freezer in the kitchen. I never figured out why grandma had envelopes and stuff in freezer bags underneath stuff in there.

For me I thought about adding duct work in a closet with a register. Line the inside of it, put a can of zorbal up there. I have a older house so I could sell it by putting that metal duct tape on the sides. The right on it like "Furnace" with a arrow.

OR I have a dishwasher I don't use but is still in the room. Just unplug it and leave the water off.

Personally, if you have a good thief in your house they are going to notice tell tale signs of a gun owners. I am a give away with a my deer mount and magazines laying around. To me it's the mentality of locking your doors on your car. You either lock the doors as a deterrent or you leave the doors so you don't have a mess to deal with because they'll get in either way. I'd much rather have the 870 stolen then my Garand or something with sentimental value. Or smash my house up because they saw gun case under the couch and no gun to fill it.

Blackjackbender
04-18-2011, 12:27 AM
like the looks of this if locking it is a non-issuie.

http://www.ballerhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/air-vent-safe.jpg

Billetproof
04-18-2011, 01:59 AM
A friend of mine had cut the drywall out and framed halfway up the wall with 1x3's in a square pattern, then had wood panels installed with spring detents in his hallway. He would hide pistols and small carbines in the space and all you had to do was hit the panel in the right spot to pull it out. Gave the home a country look.

Almostnoddedoff
04-18-2011, 07:23 AM
Hiding guns around the house is a good recipe for then falling in the wrong hands at the worst possible time.

So in other words, if there are guns all around the house, it would be a reasonable assumption that any/all intruders are armed and, the necessary steps would be taken to protect life and limb.

RifleGuy
04-18-2011, 07:40 AM
I have a cheap holster screwed to the wall inside a kitchen cabinet; we use the cabinet as a spice rack. Nestled out of sight behind the paprika, oregano, etc., is a S&W 908.

BWHaas
04-18-2011, 06:00 PM
I have a cheap holster screwed to the wall inside a kitchen cabinet; we use the cabinet as a spice rack. Nestled out of sight behind the paprika, oregano, etc., is a S&W 908.
That is great. Someone walking in unwanted sounds like a "recipe" for self-defense. (I had to do it)

il Padrino
04-19-2011, 05:01 PM
I hide all my newly aquired firearms that I don't want my wife to know about in the oven. :)

SMUDGE
04-19-2011, 11:26 PM
I hide all my newly aquired firearms that I don't want my wife to know about in the oven. :)
Or next to the cleaning supplies

Farmer Dan
11-27-2011, 11:47 AM
My Grand Mother kept her 1911 in a flour canister on the kitchen counter and a .38 revolver in her sewing box.

Farmer Dan
11-27-2011, 11:47 AM
My Grand Mother kept her 1911 in a flour canister on the kitchen counter and a .38 revolver in her sewing box.

camaro1776
11-27-2011, 02:02 PM
Here are some ideas and with a little work could be inspiration for furniture you already own http://tedwaggoner.hubpages.com/hub/hidden-gun-cabinet
There is also mantel clocks that hold a pistol. Hidding in walls are great. You could even manage a simple pull down piece of dry wall or what about attach a magnet behind the dry wall or panel so all you need to do is leave a magnet near by and that will be a detachable handle. Also if its a gun that is going to be left there without use for some time cut you hole put the gun and ammo in, probably best with revolvers, and patch the hole up with the thinnest drywall available. Paint it and all. You know.its there and I hate say but I know from experience that punching through drywall is very easy and I never heard of anyone breaking into a occupied house and ripping out the walls. Easy to redo when needed too.

costanza
11-28-2011, 12:47 PM
As far as I am concerned, "hiding" guns throughout the house is not a good idea. The chances of being within reach of the gun if someone breaks in are very remote, unless you line every inch of the walls around the house with guns. And even then, what do you do if you are standing in the middle of the room? Even some type of stealth vault will take much longer to retrieve the gun and this is time you may not have during a surprise break-in.

In my opinion, the best solution is to keep a handgun on your body at all times. This way it is always within reach regardless of where one is standing or sitting. All other guns should be put away in a safe place when not being carried (preferably in a gun safe). That way, even if you are overwhelmed, the BGs will, at worst case, be able to get their hands on only one gun.

Are you going to round up all those guns and lock them in a safe whenever you leave the house? :scratch: - Didn't think so. - Hiding guns around the house is a good recipe for then falling in the wrong hands at the worst possible time. :ar15:
Well, as a break-in victim, I have to agree with RayMich here. As many of you know, I have been whining about my break-in and my mis-treatment by my insurance company(see my thread "my home was broken into last weekend" in this section-interesting background reading). Here, again, is my experience and observations, for what it is worth:
The guys who got me tossed the entire house quickly(my guess is 20 to 30 minutes, although I could be WAY off), yet they found all five of my firearms not in my vault. The vault was not touched, nor was my unlocked ammo cabinet. The pistol stashed in a storage bin was taken, as was a rifle left on the basement floor. A shotgun and two handguns were taken from my bedroom, but they were not very well hidden. A fake book in my in my bookcase was tossed on the floor. It must have looked out of place. Luckily, it was empty. all drawers and closets and drawers were disturbed in all rooms. Clothes were pulled out and taken, or shoved to the side in an effort to see behind them in the closets. Basement workrooms and a bedroom were also tossed, as was the hall closet. Curiously, only two items were taken from the kitchen, and they were in plain sight. Kitchen cabinets(maybe in a Bisquick box?) might be a spot to hide a gun. Also, the linen closet was not touched, nor was the laundry room and stored clothes in the basement. A hanging gun under a pair of jeans or in an old coat pocket might not be bad. Under/behind appliances seems like a good spot too. The lock-box gun safe bolted to your dresser seems like a good idea, but if broken into, the dresser top would be gone too. I did not always practice this before, but a gun on the hip is now my way to go. Everything else(EVERYTHING) is locked in the vault, including spare keys, watches, spare garage door remote, blank checks and important papers. A hidden gun or two might seem like a good idea, but be prepared to lose them if you become a victim. AND PLEASE, take it from someone who should have known better-get a good vault and a good alarm system. Take hundreds of pictures with a digital camera, then put them on a flash drive kept in a SAFE place. Oh, and get a GOOD insurance carrier-NOT ALLSTATE!

Hope this helps a little...
Costanza

Farmer Dan
11-28-2011, 01:12 PM
Well, as a break-in victim, I have to agree with RayMich here. As many of you know, I have been whining about my break-in and my mis-treatment by my insurance company(see my thread "my home was broken into last weekend" in this section-interesting background reading). Here, again, is my experience and observations, for what it is worth:
The guys who got me tossed the entire house quickly(my guess is 20 to 30 minutes, although I could be WAY off), yet they found all five of my firearms not in my vault. The vault was not touched, nor was my unlocked ammo cabinet. The pistol stashed in a storage bin was taken, as was a rifle left on the basement floor. A shotgun and two handguns were taken from my bedroom, but they were not very well hidden. A fake book in my in my bookcase was tossed on the floor. It must have looked out of place. Luckily, it was empty. all drawers and closets and drawers were disturbed in all rooms. Clothes were pulled out and taken, or shoved to the side in an effort to see behind them in the closets. Basement workrooms and a bedroom were also tossed, as was the hall closet. Curiously, only two items were taken from the kitchen, and they were in plain sight. Kitchen cabinets(maybe in a Bisquick box?) might be a spot to hide a gun. Also, the linen closet was not touched, nor was the laundry room and stored clothes in the basement. A hanging gun under a pair of jeans or in an old coat pocket might not be bad. Under/behind appliances seems like a good spot too. The lock-box gun safe bolted to your dresser seems like a good idea, but if broken into, the dresser top would be gone too. I did not always practice this before, but a gun on the hip is now my way to go. Everything else(EVERYTHING) is locked in the vault, including spare keys, watches, spare garage door remote, blank checks and important papers. A hidden gun or two might seem like a good idea, but be prepared to lose them if you become a victim. AND PLEASE, take it from someone who should have known better-get a good vault and a good alarm system. Take hundreds of pictures with a digital camera, then put them on a flash drive kept in a SAFE place. Oh, and get a GOOD insurance carrier-NOT ALLSTATE!

Hope this helps a little...
Costanza

I used my camera to take a video of each room in my house then put them on a DVD and mailed it to my folks out of state for safe keeping. Hard for insurance companies to argue about a live video.

frank castle
11-28-2011, 06:36 PM
Other than having a real sturdy safe, the next best thing is probably good hiding spaces along with sacrifice guns. I.E. guns that you can buy for under 200$ in the same caliber as your more expensive guns. If I was a thief & found hunters orange,ammo,gun books etc. it would send me off looking for guns! especially if I find various ammo calibers=various guns. Hiding large amounts of ammo is hard because of the weight or you might reload & have spent cases around. If they find 9mm,.22,12ga. etc.accessories & come across a $75 Jennings, a$50 RG Idustries, & a $75 single barrel shotgun they'll think they hit paydirt!

DV8r
11-28-2011, 08:24 PM
I'm looking at storage options for securing a handgun in different locations throughout the house and garage. I'm aware that any safe storage will have an inherent immediate access problem but I'm looking for feedback from users on what they feel are the best options.

Ideally, the storage device would have the following criteria:


Fast-Reliable access to a firearm under stress
Single hand gun storage is fine
Be boltable and possably recess mounted between studs in a wall
Relatively bland in appperance, nothing that screams "I'm Hiding Some Good Stuff"I have toyed with an idea for a closet in my foyer that consists of creating a wall cavity in an inconspicuous corner of the closet that would hold a handgun for an emergency.

Looking for thoughts on the idea, good, bad or otherwise.

Thanks MGO!
The best storage place is a holster on your belt or shoulder.

rambro
11-29-2011, 01:09 AM
I haven't finished or ironed out all the details, but i have thought of this in the past. I lived in so so areas in college but only had one gun. Now i live in a very nice area and have about 20 guns.

Some of these ideas listed by you guys are great for deterring crooks, but also kids could find it if you have guests. Unless you hide guns on second or third floor, or always lock your bedroom door, how can you know a curious 8 year old wont find it? Think no one will grab a VHS tape, well i would have grabbed an 8 track tape and said what the hell is this! OMG i think i heard of this, i saw this in a chevelle at the car show, hey joe, look, uncle carl is gay, he has 8 tracks lolz. I almost surely would fiddle with anything old tech.

my ideas:

-I have thought of putting up fake vents, high up like 7 feet up. Some homes have these, and i don't care if it is ugly in a few rooms. You simply make a real vent, back it with galvanized duct work for a few feet behind so it looks real, have it held on by powerful rare earth magnets with false screws on the front. Then the gun is held by a wire and it dangles down. I am confident no kid under 13 could get it and his arm down the vent.

-False cabinets or bottoms or ends. So say you have a master bath, with a sink and cabinet underneath. As a single man with no child guests, make one end a false cabinet-wall, made with real semi custom paneling, just bump it out 2 inches to fit a few guns on the wall. Hold it with velcro straps.

In the master bedroom, make a night stand where you take out the drawer, the original factory drawer, and underneath the drawer is a fake panel. Under the fake panel is your hand gun. Make sure its not loose, use a secret button to get it open. I will look in my bookmarks i had some from a guy that was on DIY network that markets hidden passeges in fancy mansions. He sells NICE hinges, releases, tiny buttons that activate doors or panels. You need something like that.

-Make a very heavy duty bed. On the head board you make large diameter posts. The posts have some adornment or not, but they either pop off or are threaded and come off. Inside is your shotty. Stored vertically.

Other idea is to mimick the proportions of a bed and box spring, but do away with the box spring. This is my worst idea, since i fear the crooks would OBVIOUSLY look under a mattress. I am unsure if a missing boxspring would clue them in. Anyways if you lay guns side to side on a queen or kingsize bed you can hide a substantial gun collection under your bed. Easily 7 rifles or shotguns. Foam on the bottom and top of the guns, maybe each framed out in its own three sided wood channel, with a single piece of finished 4x8 wood that hides all of them.

I figure with 1 inch of foam on top of each gun and one inch below, and 1/4 or 1/2 wood, and a rifle on its side is 2 inches, you can essentially make a 7 gun safe long and wide, just not tall. It will be 4.5 inches you have to ad to the frame some where. You could put vinear on the sides and if they flip a bed and it doesn't rattle, lift a matteress and don't see anything, lift the box spring and don't see anything. I am no crook but i assume they would leave.

-Also i assume but do not know, that crooks do not rip up carpet or move furniture. If you hear a noise, how cares about your night stand. You turn the night stand over in 1 second, pull up carpet and in the floor is a finger print safe.

I am very much about 2 levels of effort to get in. For instance in my above idea about the false bottom of a dresser, i would want to have TWO actions to get the panel up, like press a bottom to move a door catch, then press in a hole recess with my pinky to remove the second catch. Something that virtually no kid would do or be able to do on accident.

I really don't care if my stuff is stolen, compared to me being held up in my own house, or a kid finding my gun. If me niece hurt her self with my gun that's it for me. I cant handle that. It would be to much, i would have to kill myself.:hang:

rambro
11-29-2011, 01:21 AM
The best storage place is a holster on your belt or shoulder.

True if you are not asleep, and you are defending yourself with 1 gun. What if you have 19 other guns you do not want stolen while you are away?

rambro
12-03-2011, 05:05 PM
just got back from lowes. The check out lane has magazines, there is a magazine called handyman, on the cover " bookcase of secrets" with ten hidden compartments.

This can be applied to hide guns and ammo.

also the above mentioned hidden passageway and compartment show i saw on DIY network, it was in my bookmarks from 2009.

here is the link.http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/
I especially like the built in with eh vase, and the built in moves up,go to gallery 5, its the first picture. Sorry cant link to it.

gallery link number two, the mirror mounted on a wall, framed up, the mirror is the door to a secret room, or in a small house a secret closet.



this oen i found on google http://hiddenpassages.com/

Legislave
01-01-2012, 01:23 PM
http://www.bedgunsafe.com/CMS/?page_id=185

dpgperftest
01-01-2012, 01:39 PM
just got back from lowes. The check out lane has magazines, there is a magazine called handyman, on the cover " bookcase of secrets" with ten hidden compartments.

This can be applied to hide guns and ammo.

also the above mentioned hidden passageway and compartment show i saw on DIY network, it was in my bookmarks from 2009.

here is the link.http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/
I especially like the built in with eh vase, and the built in moves up,go to gallery 5, its the first picture. Sorry cant link to it.

gallery link number two, the mirror mounted on a wall, framed up, the mirror is the door to a secret room, or in a small house a secret closet.



this oen i found on google http://hiddenpassages.com/
this is cool stuff

Revdrshad
01-06-2012, 03:45 AM
Here are some ideas and with a little work could be inspiration for furniture you already own http://tedwaggoner.hubpages.com/hub/hidden-gun-cabinet
There is also mantel clocks that hold a pistol. Hidding in walls are great. You could even manage a simple pull down piece of dry wall or what about attach a magnet behind the dry wall or panel so all you need to do is leave a magnet near by and that will be a detachable handle. Also if its a gun that is going to be left there without use for some time cut you hole put the gun and ammo in, probably best with revolvers, and patch the hole up with the thinnest drywall available. Paint it and all. You know.its there and I hate say but I know from experience that punching through drywall is very easy and I never heard of anyone breaking into a occupied house and ripping out the walls. Easy to redo when needed too.


+1
I've seen this done in very bad urban areas. Drywall is cheap, and patching it and re-painting it is easy and cheap. Yes, you'll have to punch through the drywall, but it actually is the only way to "Permanently" hide stuff.
You just have to make sure you remember where the "Punch-through" spot is. Say, 1 foot under a light switch..
Another good spot I've seen is holstering your gun and hanging it from a nail (upside down) in areas that most people wouldn't look. Like the top inside of a closet, or top inside of under a sink area.
You can get incredibly inventive with magnets (Try gaussboys.com) One of there smallest magnets would hold my loaded 9mm by just the muzzle on my fridge. (More as a joke, than to be serious.)
My main area of concern is my bathroom. Think about it, you're naked, showering, so it's noisy already and you hear something in the hallway... Not many people would look in a toilet tank or false air vent...

TAC
01-06-2012, 09:43 AM
Learn how to convert an existing door into a bookcase; includes step-by-step instructions along with tips.
http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_convert_a_door_into_a_bookcase

This could double as a place for family to hide during a home invasion.

RifleGuy
01-06-2012, 10:20 AM
.....My main area of concern is my bathroom. Think about it, you're naked, showering, so it's noisy already and you hear something in the hallway... Not many people would look in a toilet tank or false air vent...
Toilet tanks are a very common hiding place, according to a couple of FBI friends.
When I'm in the shower, my G26 is sitting on the top of the toilet tank, right next to the cell phone.

But an air vent which is held in place w/ magnets or Velcro, THAT is an excellent idea!

Legislave
01-06-2012, 11:41 AM
Find a pothead and ask them, especially one with mechanical or carpentry experience.

Happytriggertime
01-06-2012, 12:42 PM
I wear my gun holstered part time at home. my HD choice is a 12G with turkey shot#4. For discussion sake, where to store the Mossy? I live in a 2 story house with a basement. I have small children. It's 38.5x5". Do they make a holster for a 12G?

dpgperftest
01-06-2012, 01:27 PM
Learn how to convert an existing door into a bookcase; includes step-by-step instructions along with tips.
http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_convert_a_door_into_a_bookcase

This could double as a place for family to hide during a home invasion.
Cool but the hinges give it away badly

TAC
01-06-2012, 05:30 PM
Cool but the hinges give it away badly

If you mount the hinges properly (behind the bookcase), then they won't show.

Revdrshad
01-07-2012, 03:49 AM
On a side note, I had a cousin living with me a few years ago. I took her on a tour of my apartment and explained how I always kept shoes propped up in front of the closest doors so I'd know if someone was hiding in there. She didn't quite get it at first until I demonstrated that you couldn't prop the shoes back up from inside. :thup:

dpgperftest
01-07-2012, 11:38 AM
If you mount the hinges properly (behind the bookcase), then they won't show.
its imposable the standard hinges ????

JohnJak
01-07-2012, 01:51 PM
its imposable the standard hinges ????
There are heavy duty hinges available plus you can add bottom rollers to assist. I know because I have 2 hidden gun safes.

dpgperftest
01-07-2012, 02:28 PM
There are heavy doty hinges available plus you can add bottom rollers to assist. I know because I have 2 hidden gun safes.
what are doty hinges ? now your getting me thinking

millb15
01-09-2012, 09:39 PM
I am thinking of going inside the wall, inside of my closet. Keep 2 shotguns, 2 rifles, 1 pistol in there. Safe from kids or easy detection from intruders. I am not sure how to seal the door. I guess it could be locked because I will always keep my carry pistol out and around me.

I don't get why people hide guns in separate places or places where they would be a distance from in the event of an emergency. In the garage?

Legislave
01-10-2012, 01:37 AM
Depends if the garage is heated, you can get condensation issues in there. Bring in a car from the rain, you have lots of humidity. There's the early AM summer air, then the freeze thaw times in spring and fall, those are hard on metal parts.

millb15
01-10-2012, 10:45 PM
That's what I was saying. The garage seems like an odd place. It may be bad on the firearm and far from accesible.

rambro
01-11-2012, 11:39 PM
what are doty hinges ? now your getting me thinking
he meant heavy duty. Look up a piano hinge. Look for a commerical one, or in that ron hazelton vid simply make a wood panel over the hinges that you pull off with velcro or rare earth magnets etc.

rambro
01-11-2012, 11:41 PM
That's what I was saying. The garage seems like an odd place. It may be bad on the firearm and far from accesible.
it would be less than ideal, but i would like to have a used $300 glock 17 or 19 in there, and a marine mossy 500 or remmy 870.

No blued guns, no sigs. No parked guns. Only tennifer or nickle plated.

rambro
01-11-2012, 11:46 PM
I don't get why people hide guns in separate places or places where they would be a distance from in the event of an emergency. In the garage?
depends, you want your main side arm and battle rifle and or shotty near by. But if you have, 2 or 3 safes full of guns, you may be wise to not line them up in the same room to make it easy pickin's for a thief. Putting 5 behind a false wall, 5 strapped to the inside of the furnace, a couple velcroed to the bottom of the dresser etc. would help hedge the bet that ALL your guns get picked off in one night by one guy. You might even leave a cheap 22 as a sacrificial lamb to make them think, well i found his gun spot, this is all thats there, this must be all. Leave a $100 marlin 22 as a lamb.

nitetime
01-12-2012, 08:04 PM
Retired cop I know had fancy shelves above this doorways with nick nacks on them there was a lip around the top for a gun to be hidden up there. He said bad guy's go into a room and look for the good stuff in usaul places and don't think to look up there when walking out.
Just another idea

dpgperftest
01-13-2012, 12:14 AM
he meant heavy duty. Look up a piano hinge. Look for a commerical one, or in that ron hazelton vid simply make a wood panel over the hinges that you pull off with velcro or rare earth magnets etc.
thanks

jm0502
01-13-2012, 01:02 AM
http://i42.tinypic.com/2dgj95k.jpg

2ndAmendmentLove
01-22-2012, 02:14 PM
Have you thought about a false bottom to a drawer. you could have a hinge at the end of the drawer that is farthest from the handle and then put a pressure lach at the front of the flat board. The trickiest part will be making the fit tight enough to not show a gap between the board and the vertical board with the handle. Happy Building!

Revdrshad
01-24-2012, 03:57 AM
I am thinking of going inside the wall, inside of my closet. Keep 2 shotguns, 2 rifles, 1 pistol in there. Safe from kids or easy detection from intruders. I am not sure how to seal the door. I guess it could be locked because I will always keep my carry pistol out and around me.

I don't get why people hide guns in separate places or places where they would be a distance from in the event of an emergency. In the garage?

As for locks, a quick google search will turn up all kinds of combination locks. From mechanical dead-bolts to combination dial door knobs.
And some cheap and easy plate steel or hard wood will make a closet door a relatively decent "Armory."
Remember though, you can never over-engineer or over reinforce. If you think it's good, double it!:biggrin:

beyern
01-27-2012, 10:05 PM
I dont think it's been mentioned yet but a shotgun lock similar to what is used in a police car works pretty good. You can usually find used ones on ebay and they come in a few different styles of locks. I have one near my bed hooked up to a 12v power supply and a hidden switch. If you dont want to mess around with the power supply it can also be opened with a key.

hendo
01-29-2012, 03:11 PM
Agreed. Good candidates for these books would be thick computer-related books and school textbooks. Less chance anyone would just grab one of those types of books just out of curiosity.

Also other places for hidden storage: computer cases. Computers nowadays have a very small footprint, but it is still common to find mid-tower cases. Even older ones that are no longer used. Most people consider them junk, but if you took a dremel and cut out the hard drive shelves etc there is a lot of room in there. Add a tool-less thumb screw instead of the standard philips or torx and it would be easy to get the cover off. There's a chance they might be stolen, though, but you can minimize that by putting some stickers or badges on the outside. "Pentium inside" or "Windows 98" etc. Even bad guys play games and use computers and they would be less inclined to take something that looked like it was 5-10 years old.

Or even leave the hard drive shelves in there...probably plenty of room for a LCP, P-3AT or J-Frame.

Another idea...use an outlet cover. Tie a piece of wire to the back, hang a LCP or J-Frame or similar down in the space behind the drywall. The weight of the firearm would keep the outlet cover pulled against the drywall. It would be easy to just grab it and pull out the firearm. Nobody would think twice about an outlet in the wall.

As an extra measure to make it look legit, maybe plug an old device that doesn't work into the outlet. JMO

unclejoe
01-29-2012, 05:29 PM
You can hang your rifle/shotgun from a heavy-duty clothes hanger and put it in your closet.

Secure a pistol case to a hanger, drop in the handgun . . . just a thought . . .

johnzilla
01-29-2012, 05:38 PM
Toilet tanks are a very common hiding place, according to a couple of FBI friends.
When I'm in the shower, my G26 is sitting on the top of the toilet tank, right next to the cell phone.

But an air vent which is held in place w/ magnets or Velcro, THAT is an excellent idea!

Medicine cabinets are a great location, too. If you have the kind that are set into the wall, set it up so that just one or two screws are holding it in...pull out the screws, pop the whole cabinet off and you have the space between two or three studs below the cabinet to hide stuff.

If you have the kind of cabinet that isn't inset, then just rig a strong magnet or hidden switch so that you can swing the cabinet out. Lots of room back there. Maybe even a phantom light switch...only you know that if you flip it on its really turning off the current to the electro-switch holding the cabinet shut. Lots of rooms and houses these days have switches that don't do anything (broken, lousy contractor doing the install, etc)...people are pretty used to it. So if a stranger goes in your bathroom and flips it up and down and nothing happens, they won't think it is too weird. And if they ask just say "that damn builder screwed up" or "one of my DIY projects gone wrong that I have to fix".

Revdrshad
01-29-2012, 07:50 PM
Just remember most burglars are going to look for fancy expensive prescription medicines. So your medicine cabinet will probably get looked through...

dpgperftest
01-29-2012, 08:00 PM
Some place on the forum is a thread on a good place to hide a 38spl :hide:
found it http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=163381:hide:

How about camouflaging a closet

Meanie
01-30-2012, 10:20 AM
Some place on the forum is a thread on a good place to hide a 38spl :hide:
found it http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=163381:hide:

How about camouflaging a closet

:shock::facepalm::hurl: