Hide a handgun in your closet. - Page 3

Skitter · April 5, 2013, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bt380

If a person can afford a cell phone, or cable tv, or big plasma tv, or several guns, etc, they can afford a decent 60 minute safe that can be bolted to a secure floor (steel plate under floor, concrete floor, etc, etc). Place everything in the safe except for a home defense weapon of choice. When you travel, rely on a security system that can be purchased for 280$ and 100$ more will get you a GSM dialer that uses a cell phone sim card (100$ a year for 1000 minutes that you won't use). The phone will call if an alarm is tripped. You can pay 100$ a year for some one else to monitor it. At night, the alarm will give you plenty of time to wake up and get your weapon if need be. Add a smoke detector and your home insurance cost will be reduced. Any break in gives some one 5-8 minutes before the police arrive at my residence. The biggest deterrent is the placards on all windows and small sign in both the front and back by doors to encourage thieves to go elsewhere for easier pickings.

I whole heartedly agree with this. I actually work as a Systems Design Engineer for one of the largest makers of home security systems, and I know the costs seem a little steep for some people, but what kind of price can you put on safety? Basic system doesn't cost all that much, it's the monitoring companies that rip you off. Get some TRUSTED company to install it, then call up ADT or whoever and ask them how much it costs for basic monitoring if you already have a system, it's cheap!

je9659 · April 5, 2013, 09:22 AM

If a person can afford a cell phone, or cable tv, or big plasma tv, or several guns, etc, they can afford a decent 60 minute safe that can be bolted to a secure floor (steel plate under floor, concrete floor, etc, etc).

Tough to do if you live in apartment and landlords will frown on lag bolts in the floors

TeamTurpin · April 5, 2013, 10:18 AM

I've got a couple of small safes in the house that are bolted down and used for handguns and jewelry. But, I've never had any safe place to store my Mini-30. This week, I installed one of these. It installs in the wall between studs. I think it took me an hour to install and probably could have been done faster. I think I paid $90 for it.

True, it's not a real gun safe and realistically only holds two long guns, but it was perfect for me. I have no room for a "real" gun safe and don't plan to buy more rifles. It may not be as secure as a heavy gun safe, but it would be very difficult for the average burglar to get into this. And, hidden behind coats in the closet, a thief in a hurry might not even realize what it is. I'm pleased.

ClydeFrog · April 5, 2013, 12:49 PM

I'd pump the brakes on "hiding" loaded firearms in a closet or leaving loaded firearms unsecured in a home or apt.

About 2 weeks ago, a off-duty police officer in Orlando Florida had an incident where his girlfriend's young son went into the main bedroom, found a hidden loaded .380acp pistol(Diamondback model) & fired a round.

No one was hurt & the Orlando officer did not face any criminal charges but it shows how/why you can't be too careful with guns-ammunition.

CF

ChasingWhitetail91 · April 5, 2013, 12:52 PM

My two favorite spots i've heard of is in an old cereal box in the pantry, and a hollowed out book.

ClydeFrog · April 5, 2013, 01:00 PM

Yes the Kill Bill method...

CF

AZAK · April 5, 2013, 01:40 PM

I have thought about buying one of the cheaper "gun lockers/cabinets" and then intentionally taking a crowbar to the front door, bending the door and breaking the mechanism.

Take this set up, place in closet leaving the closet door mostly open. Place a couple of old targets, unwanted holsters, etc inside leaving the damaged door slightly open. You know, the old the early bird gets the worm and you aren't that bird!

Just more of an entertaining thought than anything else.

I believe in well concealed/hidden gun safes which are bolted to the floor. Emphasis on well hidden; you can't take what you can't find. And if you find it, it will take you some time to get into it, or to move the entire safe outside of the house.

With enough time and determination, tools and experience any set up it defeatable. I imagine most don't have all of these and will grab the big screen and run long before spending hours looking for what they don't see.

I also agree with not making yourself an easy target. Dogs, alarms, lighting, etc... tends to move unwanted visitors along down the road before they enter your home.

Sharpsdressed Man · April 6, 2013, 01:19 PM

Hide the gun in a quick mount behind the bifold door. No one will know it is there, even if they open the door to search the closet, as the folded door will shield the gun from view.

Edward429451 · April 6, 2013, 03:46 PM

Some good ides here. Doesn't anyone lock their bedroom door? I have an entry lock on the bedroom door and the closet door. The safe's in the closet but not all the guns. Who wants to lose them all at once if it came to that? If I'm up, the pistol in on me, when I sleep, it's on the nightstand and the door locked with the dog roaming the house.

If I have friends over and have their little ones along, or I happen to be drinking with them then I put it up and lock the bedroom door. There's a lot of things you can do to keep a backup handy or one stashed where the thief wont find it. You know the thief will be interested in a locked closet, so a backup pistol could be placed in a dirty pair of underwear on the floor or some such and they'll be working on the closet. A myriad of other good ideas are readily available if you just look around with the eye of a thief, and what he will and will not touch.

Before I had a safe, I had guns stashed all over the house and got broke into and they didn't find any of them. I had two rifles in the basement in the lowest of the stack of old rifle boxes, they opened the first couple on top and stopped when they realized it was a pile of empty boxes. Ha! They didn't find the Glock in the freezer wrapped in meat paper either. Huh. Praise the Lord for foresight.

Don't keep all your eggs in in one basket.

FAS1 · April 9, 2013, 07:52 AM

As mentioned earlier in the thread, a little creativity could make a big difference. Secure and hidden with reasonable quick access is hard to beat.

Skitter · April 9, 2013, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAS1

As mentioned earlier in the thread, a little creativity could make a big difference. Secure and hidden with reasonable quick access is hard to beat.

Wouldn't this be an issue when your heater was on? Not sure about the sudden Hot/Cold changes all the time with it being in a vent

FAS1 · April 9, 2013, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Skitter
Wouldn't this be an issue when your heater was on? Not sure about the sudden Hot/Cold changes all the time with it being in a vent

I guess it would if the vent was functional

Skitter · April 9, 2013, 11:01 AM

Ahh ok, fake vent

Sounds plausible if you keep the position along the same line as the other vents

FoghornLeghorn · April 11, 2013, 01:36 PM

Quote:

I guess it would if the vent was functional

You actually cut a hole in your floor for a fake vent?

southjk · April 11, 2013, 01:42 PM

Quote:

You actually cut a hole in your floor for a fake vent?

I think it's a great idea and if your house has a crawl space underneath then there is tons of room. You can make the space as big as you want.

Sharpsdressed Man · April 11, 2013, 01:48 PM

I like the vent thing. Imagine a trip release that springs the vent out of the floor, and a handgun is ejected upward, about 3-4 feet, like the Bond ejection seat. Bad guys have you at gun point, you step over to the vent and trigger release (hidden so you can step on a button to release it), the gun springs up, you grab it and take out the bad guys. I gotta work on this!

TeamTurpin · April 11, 2013, 01:56 PM

Wouldn't it be better to just step on a button and make the bad guys fall through a trap door?

No, wait. Then, they'd be under the house where your gun is. Nevermind.

FAS1 · April 11, 2013, 05:24 PM

Quote:

You actually cut a hole in your floor for a fake vent?

It's not my install. Here's what he said when he sent me the photos:

"Thought you might be interested in the install in the master bedroom. I have floor diffusers around the perimeter of the room of the same style and color. My bedroom is over the garage. No one would ever know."

FireForged · April 12, 2013, 12:54 PM

The fake floor vent is the best idea in this thread (IMO). I had one in my old apartment back in the 80's but it was built into the kicker panel right in front of the kitchen sink. Nobody ever knew and I bet its still there.

22-rimfire · April 14, 2013, 09:09 AM

The floor vent idea is very good for small to moderate sized handguns. I wouldn't do the vent by the kitchen sink personally as sometimes pipes can develop leaks and go un-noticed for quite a while. Water and guns don't mix very well in a storage location.

April 5, 2013, 10:18 AM	#53
TeamTurpin Member Join Date: November 28, 2012 Location: Guthrie, OK Posts: 31	I've got a couple of small safes in the house that are bolted down and used for handguns and jewelry. But, I've never had any safe place to store my Mini-30. This week, I installed one of these. It installs in the wall between studs. I think it took me an hour to install and probably could have been done faster. I think I paid $90 for it. True, it's not a real gun safe and realistically only holds two long guns, but it was perfect for me. I have no room for a "real" gun safe and don't plan to buy more rifles. It may not be as secure as a heavy gun safe, but it would be very difficult for the average burglar to get into this. And, hidden behind coats in the closet, a thief in a hurry might not even realize what it is. I'm pleased. __________________ umop apisdn wI

April 5, 2013, 12:49 PM	#54
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	Slow your roll.... I'd pump the brakes on "hiding" loaded firearms in a closet or leaving loaded firearms unsecured in a home or apt. About 2 weeks ago, a off-duty police officer in Orlando Florida had an incident where his girlfriend's young son went into the main bedroom, found a hidden loaded .380acp pistol(Diamondback model) & fired a round. No one was hurt & the Orlando officer did not face any criminal charges but it shows how/why you can't be too careful with guns-ammunition. CF

April 5, 2013, 12:52 PM	#55
ChasingWhitetail91 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 336	My two favorite spots i've heard of is in an old cereal box in the pantry, and a hollowed out book. __________________ Abraham Lincoln made all men free, Samuel Colt made them equal.

April 5, 2013, 01:00 PM	#56
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	Awww... Yes the Kill Bill method... CF

April 5, 2013, 01:40 PM	#57
AZAK Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2008 Location: the object towards which the action of the sea is directed Posts: 2,123	I have thought about buying one of the cheaper "gun lockers/cabinets" and then intentionally taking a crowbar to the front door, bending the door and breaking the mechanism. Take this set up, place in closet leaving the closet door mostly open. Place a couple of old targets, unwanted holsters, etc inside leaving the damaged door slightly open. You know, the old the early bird gets the worm and you aren't that bird! Just more of an entertaining thought than anything else. I believe in well concealed/hidden gun safes which are bolted to the floor. Emphasis on well hidden; you can't take what you can't find. And if you find it, it will take you some time to get into it, or to move the entire safe outside of the house. With enough time and determination, tools and experience any set up it defeatable. I imagine most don't have all of these and will grab the big screen and run long before spending hours looking for what they don't see. I also agree with not making yourself an easy target. Dogs, alarms, lighting, etc... tends to move unwanted visitors along down the road before they enter your home. __________________ The lowest paid college major/degree in this country after graduation... Elementary Education. Now, go figure...

April 5, 2013, 09:22 AM	#52
je9659 Junior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Posts: 2	If a person can afford a cell phone, or cable tv, or big plasma tv, or several guns, etc, they can afford a decent 60 minute safe that can be bolted to a secure floor (steel plate under floor, concrete floor, etc, etc). Tough to do if you live in apartment and landlords will frown on lag bolts in the floors

April 6, 2013, 01:19 PM	#58
Sharpsdressed Man Junior member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 1,176	Hide the gun in a quick mount behind the bifold door. No one will know it is there, even if they open the door to search the closet, as the folded door will shield the gun from view.

April 6, 2013, 03:46 PM	#59
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Some good ides here. Doesn't anyone lock their bedroom door? I have an entry lock on the bedroom door and the closet door. The safe's in the closet but not all the guns. Who wants to lose them all at once if it came to that? If I'm up, the pistol in on me, when I sleep, it's on the nightstand and the door locked with the dog roaming the house. If I have friends over and have their little ones along, or I happen to be drinking with them then I put it up and lock the bedroom door. There's a lot of things you can do to keep a backup handy or one stashed where the thief wont find it. You know the thief will be interested in a locked closet, so a backup pistol could be placed in a dirty pair of underwear on the floor or some such and they'll be working on the closet. A myriad of other good ideas are readily available if you just look around with the eye of a thief, and what he will and will not touch. Before I had a safe, I had guns stashed all over the house and got broke into and they didn't find any of them. I had two rifles in the basement in the lowest of the stack of old rifle boxes, they opened the first couple on top and stopped when they realized it was a pile of empty boxes. Ha! They didn't find the Glock in the freezer wrapped in meat paper either. Huh. Praise the Lord for foresight. Don't keep all your eggs in in one basket.

April 9, 2013, 07:52 AM	#60
FAS1 Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2010 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 541	As mentioned earlier in the thread, a little creativity could make a big difference. Secure and hidden with reasonable quick access is hard to beat. __________________ *Glenn* *FAS1 SAFE*

April 9, 2013, 11:01 AM	#63
Skitter Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2013 Location: NW Houston TX Posts: 156	Ahh ok, fake vent Sounds plausible if you keep the position along the same line as the other vents __________________ Raised with guns only to realize how much I DIDN'T know. Newly acquired personal inventory is increasing, feed my obsession for knowledge!

April 11, 2013, 01:48 PM	#66
Sharpsdressed Man Junior member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 1,176	I like the vent thing. Imagine a trip release that springs the vent out of the floor, and a handgun is ejected upward, about 3-4 feet, like the Bond ejection seat. Bad guys have you at gun point, you step over to the vent and trigger release (hidden so you can step on a button to release it), the gun springs up, you grab it and take out the bad guys. I gotta work on this!

April 11, 2013, 01:56 PM	#67
TeamTurpin Member Join Date: November 28, 2012 Location: Guthrie, OK Posts: 31	Wouldn't it be better to just step on a button and make the bad guys fall through a trap door? No, wait. Then, they'd be under the house where your gun is. Nevermind. __________________ umop apisdn wI

April 12, 2013, 12:54 PM	#69
FireForged Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 1999 Location: Rebel South USA Posts: 2,074	The fake floor vent is the best idea in this thread (IMO). I had one in my old apartment back in the 80's but it was built into the kicker panel right in front of the kitchen sink. Nobody ever knew and I bet its still there. __________________ Life is a web woven by necessity and chance...

April 14, 2013, 09:09 AM	#70
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	The floor vent idea is very good for small to moderate sized handguns. I wouldn't do the vent by the kitchen sink personally as sometimes pipes can develop leaks and go un-noticed for quite a while. Water and guns don't mix very well in a storage location.