The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old February 27, 2013, 04:11 PM   #1
P5 Guy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2005
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 1,804
Huge Collections?

What would you do with your collection in the case of a forced evacuation of your home?
I live in Florida and during the hurricane season this has caused me some concern, even though I do not live in an evacuation zone if my home was badly damaged I don't know what I could do. And I have a modest accumulation of guns.
Relatives of mine were evacuated after a railroad mishap due to toxic chemicals spilled in their neighborhood. Clumsy workers hitting a gas line and causing a dangerous condition that would cause the area to be evacuated come up in the news from time to time.
I really would hate to leave my stuff behind.
P5 Guy is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 05:06 PM   #2
weblance
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 3, 2012
Posts: 1,229
Thats a tough one...I keep every handgun I own in a nylon hip holster so they dont get beat up inside my safes. I have several large Craftsman tool bags and would throw them in there if I had to leave quickly. A pillow case would also work, in desperation. The tool bags are a better idea because they hold their shape and are rugged. That the best idea I got. I dont know what to answer for long guns
weblance is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 05:07 PM   #3
BarryLee
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 29, 2010
Location: The ATL (OTP)
Posts: 3,944
Why not simply keep a large Rubbermaid type container close by filled with some appropriate packing materials. Then if there is an issue quickly place you guns in this container and take it with you. Obviously where you might take it to becomes the bigger issue as most temporary evacuation shelters prohibit firearms.
__________________
A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.
- Milton Friedman
BarryLee is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 05:14 PM   #4
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
Since a medium size collection can be 200-500 guns and a large one can be over 2000, that had better be a big Rubbermaid container.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 05:21 PM   #5
BarryLee
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 29, 2010
Location: The ATL (OTP)
Posts: 3,944
Quote:
Since a medium size collection can be 200-500 guns and a large one can be over 2000, that had better be a big Rubbermaid container.

Yes, I suppose “modest” collection is a little vague, so get two containers. I guess everyone needs to evaluate their own level of risk and proceed accordingly. I think the greatest risk that most of us face is fire or possibly tornado both of which would offer little time to pack up guns.
__________________
A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.
- Milton Friedman
BarryLee is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 06:10 PM   #6
dajowi
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 2, 2005
Posts: 1,196
Ah yes...I remember an evacuation order. Probably no other feeling like it in the world thinking that everything that you've accumulated may just end up down river.

I grabbed the guns and my brandy snifters...chipping one in the process. I've never forgiven myself for that.
dajowi is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 06:15 PM   #7
Grant D
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 14, 2011
Location: Brazos County, Texas
Posts: 1,038
I put mine in foam lined rifle cases for transport.
Grant D is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 06:29 PM   #8
mrt949
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 16, 2008
Posts: 1,692
Had the same issue in 2005 huricane season.Was without power for 21days. Had to leave the state .Good thing we had a van. Told the wife time to down size .Went from 60 to 10 guns in a 3yr down size .Figured if i canot take them with me quickly I have to manny . Best decision We made .
__________________
No Gun Big Or Small Does It All
mrt949 is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 06:52 PM   #9
Budweiser
Member
 
Join Date: August 1, 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 20
Transport bags for downhill skies and old bath towels work great to bug out long guns. Can usually get 6 or 7 scoped rifles in a bag well packed in just a few minutes. Large hand and shoulder straps assist with handling.
Budweiser is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 06:57 PM   #10
KO3422
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 6, 2011
Posts: 124
I guess a bunch of Pelican cases or those Rubbermaid totes would work. Less is more.
KO3422 is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 07:04 PM   #11
nate45
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 15, 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,746
Mine are fully itemized and insured against all forms of loss and/or damage. My safe is fire and water resistant. My house has a monitored alarm system.

I would only take a few guns with me and leave the rest. However, I don't live in a hurricane area, or on a any type of flood plane. So, its mostly only fires, earthquakes and tornadoes that can get me.
__________________
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."- Thomas Jefferson
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
(>_<)
nate45 is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 07:06 PM   #12
lamarw
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2010
Location: Lake Martin, AL
Posts: 3,311
A very good question and major concern for you good folks down there. I know you probably already pay an arm and a leg for Huricane and flood insurance. The only thing I can think of is additional insurance on the collection, but I can see where some may find it hard on a fixed income like a lot of retires in Florida.

Some may think this is a horrible idea, but I think in some situations it might be a reasonable idea to turn-in a description and serial number listing of your firearms to the local police juridiction if they are willing to keep it on file. In a lot of disaster senarios they are going to be the only ones on the ground. Their first priority is the citizens, but later they very well will want to secure fireams found in the disaster area.

Tornados are a major concern for us, but our property insurance in no way resembles the huge cost of those in hurricane areas.
lamarw is offline  
Old February 27, 2013, 08:29 PM   #13
SVO
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 20, 2009
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Posts: 728
Gun collections usually isn't covered by your home owners, windstorm or rising water/flood insurance. You have to get a separate insurance rider for them to be covered. Same thing with jewelery and other type of collections. As far as hurricanes, you usually have enough warning ahead of time to prepare to move personal property. I keep the original boxes for most of my pistols and use those to move my guns. Pistols I don't have cases for get wrapped up in clothes being taken out. Rifles that I don't have cases for, I wrap in blankets for the evacuation. For things like a natural gas line explosion in the back yard in the middle of the night, I figure I have more important things to worry about.
I understand that some of the bad storms that hit Florida, scattered guns and gun safes everywhere as houses were destroyed. Not something I have seen here on the Texas coast.
SVO is offline  
Old February 28, 2013, 03:00 PM   #14
P5 Guy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2005
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 1,804
My collection is quite modest and so is the trunk of my car.
Storms and wild fires occur in Florida along with the occasional problems of the man made sort. I only have a couple dozen firearms about a third are long guns. Removing them from my house in front of the other evacuees concerns me too.

The posts of photos showing large numbers of 1911s, and such got me to thinking how I'd get out of here. I do not have the riders for insurance and also wonder about the possible stay behind and looting.
There was a water spout/tornado on the other side of the Tampa Bay yesterday. Even if a tornado ran thru the neighborhood doing no damage to my house, given enough damage to the others limited access to the area would present a problem?
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=517547

Last edited by P5 Guy; February 28, 2013 at 03:02 PM. Reason: the posts that got me wondering
P5 Guy is offline  
Old February 28, 2013, 08:33 PM   #15
Winchester_73
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 20, 2008
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 2,863
I would definitely die with my guns if I had to...

Meine Ehre heißt Treue
__________________
Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west
Winchester_73 is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 01:07 AM   #16
PzGren
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 14, 2001
Posts: 1,249
Quote:
I would definitely die with my guns if I had to...

Meine Ehre heißt Treue
Or risk a hernia trying to move them. I should start my preparations by getting a fork lift and skids.
PzGren is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 05:49 AM   #17
LockedBreech
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 6, 2009
Location: Rocky Mountain West
Posts: 3,395
First, obviously get an insurance policy. That much money, time, and love into a collection is certainly worth the coverage.

I also wonder if having a sweet hidden underground room would be helpful for situations like this. Like a buried cargo container for a safe that's easy to conceal. Then you could simply evacuate and come back later, taking just your bug-out bag.

Of course, with the kind of pie-in-the-sky strategy I'm advocating where money isn't an issue, why not just hire a private mercenary army?
__________________
16 Pistols, 5 Rifles, 1 Shotgun, no time to shoot them
LockedBreech is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 06:00 AM   #18
JimmyR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 4, 2012
Posts: 1,273
My collection is only around 12 guns, between pistols and rifles. In the event of an evacuation, I would try to pack as many as possible in my range bag and try to carry as many as possible on my person. Some would be higher priority than others, such as pieces that have familial significance, EDCs, etc. Push comes to shove, moving my whole collection wouldn't be too tough...
JimmyR is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 06:08 AM   #19
Sport45
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 25, 1999
Location: Too close to Houston
Posts: 4,196
Quote:
What would you do with your collection in the case of a forced evacuation of your home?
I'd probably leave it in the safe and take care of the more important stuff.
__________________
Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.
Sport45 is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 06:32 AM   #20
PzGren
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 14, 2001
Posts: 1,249
Quote:
I also wonder if having a sweet hidden underground room would be helpful for situations like this. Like a buried cargo container for a safe that's easy to conceal. Then you could simply evacuate and come back later, taking just your bug-out bag.
With the ground water levels in Florida, you no longer need to wonder. That would be a safer way to drown the guns than having a boating accident.
PzGren is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 07:02 AM   #21
LockedBreech
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 6, 2009
Location: Rocky Mountain West
Posts: 3,395
Huge Collections?

Quote:
Originally Posted by PzGren View Post
With the ground water levels in Florida, you no longer need to wonder. That would be a safer way to drown the guns than having a boating accident.
I always forget not everyone lives 7200 feet above sea level in an arid climate

Wyoming is very kind to gun storage
LockedBreech is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 08:28 AM   #22
nixfix
Member
 
Join Date: January 22, 2013
Posts: 18
Quote:
Meine Ehre heißt Treue
What's up with this quote? Do you know where that is from? A bit distasteful...
nixfix is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 08:54 AM   #23
Winchester_73
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 20, 2008
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 2,863
Quote:
What's up with this quote? Do you know where that is from? A bit distasteful...
I'm sure I actually know more about the subject than you do. I was not saying it in context of the SS or the Nazis, I was saying that my honor (with my collection) is my loyalty (to my collection). Remember, before you ever heard the phrase, it was just that, a phrase, in German. Perhaps you should think before you speak.

Its just like the swastika, or the death's head aka totenkopf, they were symbols that the Nazis BORROWED from other groups of people which were around BEFORE the Nazi's came to be. The symbols, and PHRASES that they used were around first. You have to be a little simple minded to be offended by such things, esp when the Nazi's of WWII are not around, and its pretty unanimous how villainous they were. I know I don't support what they did, but at the same time, being easily offended, due to your own ignorance, doesn't help the situation.
__________________
Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west

Last edited by Winchester_73; March 1, 2013 at 09:58 PM.
Winchester_73 is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 09:14 AM   #24
kraigwy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
I live in an area plagued by forest fires and we go through this (evacuations) about ever other year.

I have a large horse/camper trailer combo and several vehicles. The county fair grounds are set up for us evacuees. There is camper hook ups, pens for our horses and showers if needed (though my trailer is self contained).

We load all the guns and other important items in the back of my wifes Explorer. The horses in the trailer of course.

You normally have enough time to start loading up and staging the un-needed vehicles in town. Then, when the word comes, we're left with loading up the horses and dogs, and head toward the fair grounds.

The fairgrounds custodian is there to great up, points out a place to park the trailer, and pen for the horses. He already has their water tank filled and one of my granddaughters friends (who is big in the HS rodeo has hay lined up for our horses.

We have a little village set up for evacuees and pretty much have a ball while we wait it out.

The Explorer is parked and locked up right by our trailer and there's fireman in and out all night so there's never been any problems with people messing other peoples stuff.

It's really not that big of a deal, (except for the smoke damage when we get home.

A little bit of prior planning takes all the worry out of the problem.
__________________
Kraig Stuart
CPT USAR Ret
USAMU Sniper School
Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071
kraigwy is offline  
Old March 1, 2013, 09:44 AM   #25
nixfix
Member
 
Join Date: January 22, 2013
Posts: 18
Quote:
I'm sure I actually know more about the subject than you do. I was not saying it in context of the SS or the Nazis, I was saying that my honor (with my collection) is my loyalty (to my collection). Remeber, before you ever heard the phrase, it was just that, a phrase, in German. Perhaps you should think before you speak.

Its just like the swastika, or the death's head aka totenkopf, they were symbols that the Nazis BORROWED from other groups of people which were around BEFORE the Nazi's came to be. The symbols, and PHRASES that they used were around first. You have to be a little simpled minded to be offended by such things, esp when the Nazi's of WWII are not around, and its pretty unamnimous how villianous they were. I know I don't support what they did, but at the same time, being easily offended, due to your own ignorance, doesn't help the situation.
I thought before I spoke (or wrote). The phrase you quote has no prior origin to being uttered by Adolf Hitler as a campaign slogan and then being adopted by the Waffen SS. Yes, yes, know all about the swastika being an Indian religious symbol that predated the Nazis by centuries.

Instead of jumping all over me and getting nasty, how about you think about the impact the use of a phrase that originated with Nazi Germany might have on people living today? Symbolism is strong and your opinion does not diminish the potential impact your utterances have on others.

It appears you have a bit of a temper and like to be controversial, given your heated response to my post, but I would urge you to think before you use phrases that have dark, evil historical connotations.

Incidentally, my knowledge of Nazi Germany stems from taking many history classes in Germany during high-school (Gymnasium in German), which dealt with that era of Germany in depth. I find it hard to believe that you have a better understanding of what this phrase evokes in others than those whose relatives were directly affected by that dark period in Germany's history.

This great country of which I am now a citizen unequivocally protects the right to free speech. It is a powerful right and before using it, I personally think we should think of what our utterances may evoke in others.

Have a nice day.
nixfix is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:19 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.11618 seconds with 10 queries