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Old January 6, 2007, 06:56 AM   #126
G-Cym
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The best ideas so far have been the cereal box and the grocery bag next to the refrigerator. These hiding places are supposed to be places a BG won't go. Most of the others would be uncovered during a burglary. When a break in occurs, it's not always a crackhead who only spends a few minutes in your house. Other times, it will be a real burglar who has spen a day or two watching your house to see when you're gone, and these BGs can spend a few hours tearing everything apart. And tearing is exactly what they do. When they see your dresser, they won't root through the drawers. They will rip the drawers out and dump them out. When they see your closet, they won't just look through it. They will rip everything out and onto the floor. And the scanner with the gun in it? That scanner will be one of the first things taken. They will rip your couch cushions off, dump your dressers out, rip things off the wall, smash doors, glass, plastic; anything and everything. They don't care how much of your house they have to utterly destroy to get what they want. Keep that in mind when you're hiding stuff. A clock on the wall? One half-second swipe from a crowbar and it's broken open on the ground.


If you live in apartment and can't make modifications to your place, a cereal box might be a good place to stash some stuff. Bedrooms, dinning rooms, closets, under beds, living rooms; these are all places normal people keep their goodies. And these are the first places the enemy will look. A kitchen on the other hand might be just abnormal enough to give you an edge.


If you own a home and CAN make as many modifications to your home as you want, be creative. Someone mention hiding stuff in a duct. Heat ducts are usually on the ground, so that would be easier for you to access. You could even cut a hole in your wall and add a fake heat vent that only goes back a foot or two. And the basement offers many possibilities. Many basements have exposed duct-work on the basement ceiling. You could add a length of fake ductwork to store things in. And in another thread(I think) someone mentioned a false water heater. Those are some great ideas.
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Old January 6, 2007, 04:44 PM   #127
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I didn't see it mentioned, but another idea is to store them in the insulation if the home. NOBODY wants to go through that stuff, it will get all in everything and will itch and irritate, maby even cause a rash. Some hiding places, like mentioned before are long term. I think all gun owners need to know this in case the wrong politicians get in and decide the UN Small Arms Ban gets applied here in the US, we will need to loose our firearms quick, and bring them back later.
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Old January 6, 2007, 06:39 PM   #128
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Jesus... you may as well stash them in a pressurized tank of pure ammonia wrapped in a plastic bag stuffed full of asbestos and granulated sodium hydroxide.

I will pass on the insulation idea unless we are conquered by Canada and are forced to give up our guns and spicy food products (I will surrender neither).
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Old January 6, 2007, 09:09 PM   #129
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Another one that I have seen but not used is a hollowed out water heater complete with pipes that disapear into the wall. The door is hidden on the back side.

My Grandfather's house had an attic with no visible access. The ladder was hidden in a shallow closet with about three feet of space between the door and the ladder. A shoe caddy was hung in front of the ladder. My Grandfather actually had to show it to me when I was an adult because he needed some electrical work done in the attic. He had lived there my whole life and I never knew it was there.
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Last edited by M14fan; January 8, 2007 at 07:54 PM.
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Old January 6, 2007, 09:44 PM   #130
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Quote: "desirable nonfunctioning/unloaded firearms in plain sight"

I once knew a guy who did similar in one of the aforementioned "standard" hidey-holes - with the firearms tripped-wire to 4 ounces of OC.
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Old January 6, 2007, 10:08 PM   #131
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I have a friend who records all his serial numbers and removes the firing pins from all but his primary firearm. He figures that if they are stolen, sooner or later they will show up in a gunsmith shop and with the SN properly recorded with police, he hopes to improve his odds of recovery.
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Old January 6, 2007, 10:24 PM   #132
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i have a large book titled "americian justice" its hollowed out and i keep my .38. in there.
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Old January 6, 2007, 11:40 PM   #133
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Hot damn, that OC booby-trap is pure genius!

As long as you don't forget about it or let any of your buddies check out your firearms without a warning, anyway...
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Old January 7, 2007, 12:27 AM   #134
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MWilson is marveling at the irony of the intense thought and creativity required in selecting said hiding places only to have them divulged in public forum for the general public to read.
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Old January 7, 2007, 12:38 AM   #135
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MWilson might consider that although there are many ideas espoused, any BG would be hard pressed to examine all possibilities unless he had a weekend...and there is no assurance that any one poster has hidden anything where they posted that something could be hidden.
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Old January 7, 2007, 12:48 AM   #136
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I meant more the specific details of where things are hidden in people houses than general ideas of where to hide. Probably not even worth mentioning, but interesting given the level of over-preparedness and caution exhibited by most on this board.

This post for instance:
Quote:
1)Small slit in my mattress there is a kel-tec .380
2)Compartment behind my stereo is a xd-9
3)Shotgun on the door side wall of the closet
4)Knife droor of kitchen

Obviously nothing special, but they work.

Blake.
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Old January 8, 2007, 04:53 PM   #137
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Thread re-opened

Some noted that I closed this thread yesterday, out of concerns that we were shouting to the world things we probably should've been discreetly whispering to a select few.

Protests were immediate, some were harsh, but all made some good points.

After some serious consideration, and after conferring with some of the other staff members, I've decided to re-open this thread. As some pointed out, it was indeed a fun, informative, and civil thread.

Still, I will admonish the members here to think carefully before you post. While it's true that most BG's aren't smart enough to walk & chew gum at the same time, there are a few clever enough to heed what you're saying here.
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Old January 8, 2007, 05:06 PM   #138
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I keep a 1911 in an old boot that is with a bunch of other shoes on the floor of my closet. I keep a USP in a granola bar box that sits on my desk. My shotgun and a replica 1911 are simply in the corner leaning against a wall. Most of the crime in my area is auto break ins, but the home burglaries that do occur are usually grab-and-go, so I figured that I'd leave my cheap stuff out in the open and hope that they wouldnt search so thoroughly to find the other nicer handguns.
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Old January 8, 2007, 05:12 PM   #139
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hiding spots

Since I have an 8 year old, who I trust completely but she's still 8, and I live in a realatively high crime area, my wife keeps two magazines in her night stand and I keep the gun in mine.
During the day when we're away they're locked up tighter than....well you get the picture.
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Old January 8, 2007, 07:22 PM   #140
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I have a ground level wood deck outside my back door. In the corner there are a few short boards needed to finish the section. I unscrewed a couple of boards and dug a hole in the dirt beneath. I buried a .50 cal ammo can there and put a couple of handguns and various fire control parts for other arms inside. When in good shape these are air and watertight. After I covered the can I brushed the dirt to look undisturbed and screwed the boards back on. This obviously only worked for guns I didn't access often and didn't need for emergencies. They actually didn't take long to get to however because of the speed the screws could be removed with a portable battery powered drill/driver. For those thieves out there....I no longer use this technique!

On the issue of kids and guns. I always taught my kids as others have mentioned...that they could handle my guns anytime they wanted (anytime!), all they had to do is ask and I would supervise the handling. This does several things at once.

1. Satisfies their curiosity about firearms
2. Gives me an opportunity to teach and reinforce firearms safety
3. Gives me an opportunity to familiarize them with firearms in general
4. Gives me time with the kids.

They are older now and gun safety has not been an issue. I thought of this not long ago when I was showing some new acquisitions to my youngest (18yo). I'd pick up a gun and check it's load status and hand it to my son. He'd take the gun from me and check it's load status before handling further. After he was done with it he'd hand it to me and I'd check it's load status and put it away. There was a certain comfort in the ritual and I was proud of the boy that he took his lessons over the years seriously. I don't know how most folks do it but I taught him to always know how to see if a gun is loaded or not and never to trust another's word on the subject. If he doesn't know how to check the gun he should ask how or not handle the gun. No exceptions!
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Old January 8, 2007, 07:33 PM   #141
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Thanks Capt'n!
For me, it's not about hiding guns from a thief. The big old safe and a little insurance policy takes care of thieves. For me, it's about having a gun at hand discreetly, ready to be used, without the wife's Garden Club friends having a hissy fit.
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Old January 8, 2007, 08:05 PM   #142
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Thanks

I had no objection to you closing the thread. You made a very valid argument for doing so. I am however glad that you reopened it as I have found it entertaining and informative.
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Old January 10, 2007, 08:45 AM   #143
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When my alarm went off in the past, the average response time for the police to show up was always under 10 minutes. Add a little safety margin and a thief will not have the time for a very thorough search. On top of that I always have about $60 to 100 in small bills somewhere where it can't be overlooked, good enough for the next fix.

I don't think that somebody will find my hiding place in less than an hour, neither open my safe much faster.
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Old January 10, 2007, 11:50 AM   #144
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My kids got to handle barrels, grips, slides, bolts and assembled firearms ANY time they showed any interest whatsoever. They understood the rules for safe firearm handling and got to go shooting ANY time they wanted to join me. They also were raised in a nearly obsolete fashion that assured they would not touch my firearms without permission. I was, in their minds, very serious about this issue... and easygoing on plenty of stuff that really doesn't matter in the long run, so they knew the difference.

Then the neighbor kid began to visit and she was the product of "modern parenting". I didn't have to see her more than twice to change my storage patterns. 1,100-pound gun safe, two push-button pistol boxes for loaded handguns and whatever my wife and I are packing.

Oh, and the AK47 behind the seat of the standard-cab pickup in a canvas case with 5 loaded mags... piled in there with snow scrapers, kleenex, emergency hats, coats .. a pile of uninteresting looking stuff of little obvious value. Of course in this part of the world, there are plenty of guns in back-window rifle racks of unlocked pickups.
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Old January 10, 2007, 05:11 PM   #145
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I don't have to Hide mine per say as my daughters are older 16 and 21 and know better and care less .but I keep one of my one my night stand and one on the computer desk and one under the couch(long gun)

Tom
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Old January 13, 2007, 10:20 PM   #146
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Great thread!
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Old January 15, 2007, 12:48 AM   #147
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Some great ideas for hiding a gun... but I'll be honest. some seem a bit overboard to me. I'm not here to judge though.

I keep a .357 under my bed, positioned so that i can drop my arm off the side of the bed and my hand will be touching it. Rest of my guns are in the closet, should i need them.

I like the idea of keeping a shotgun for home defense. I live in an apartment building, so whatever i use, it needs to be somethign that could take down a BG easily, but not penetrate walls to easily.
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Old January 15, 2007, 10:25 PM   #148
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Honestly I wouldnt worry about a potential burglar reading this thread and finding out all our hiding places--If he is reading these responses, he is more likely to freak out and give up his occupation, hearing how many people are crazy about thier guns and willingness to use them to protect life and property!
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Old January 16, 2007, 12:17 AM   #149
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Bad guy beware!

We've got your number (357) MAG-STOP

What would be another number? (ICU) HAN-DSUP
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Old January 19, 2007, 05:54 PM   #150
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Mount to Hide a handgun

Hello!

I haven't seen anyone post about this product yet, but it seems to be a valid way to mount almost any handgun UNDER a solid surface.

I haven't tried one myself (yet), but plan on getting one in the near future.

It is called (appropriately) Hide-A-Gun, and is available from a website called themagtool.com

I think something like this has been used in many movies, to allow someone at a desk to have their hands on a weapon without anyone seeing thier action.

Anyway, YMMV.

(If this posting is in violation of any rule of this forum (I'm a newbie here), please feel free to delete it (but please let me know). Thanks.
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