When I built my home a number of years ago my buddy and I built a storage unit, with drawers and shelving to hold 20 guns in a staggered pattern. I completed the lower section but life got in the way and I never finished the angled wall supports. I have been just lining the guns along the wall. With the extra time at home for covid, I started some upgrades to the room including some extra trim and wall painting which it did not have before.
Now I need to handle the gun storage and 20 guns slots isn't going to cut it. The base unit is 62" wide and 22" deep does anyone have suggestions on the best way to store guns while still being presentable? I am thinking about laying a sheet of plywood over the existing top to reconfigure. Here are a few pics
So this is how I reconfigured the gun storage. It will now hold 32 long guns. I still need to caulk, putty, prime and paint.
Nice clean work Chad, enjoy.
Yes, I use the Kreg on a few of the upper frame supports for added strength.
Nicely done!
Have you considered magnets on the upper frame? I suppose you don't get enough earthquakes to bother, but a rare earth magnet for the barrel support might prevent inadvertently knocking one out of the front row while fishing in the back row.
I thought about that, but I have decided to skip that step for 3 reasons: 1) The guns that are will be on the back row are guns passed down through the family that aren't getting sold but will probably never be used by us, so access would be very limited and 2) While I staggered the barrel rest slightly, there will be no way to remove from the back without pulling the guns out on the front. The few times we need to make that move, I will just take my time and do it right. 3) There are no earthquakes in South Louisiana
good enough reasons, but #2 is always suspect
A little bit of shuffling around, but quite a bit easier than getting at the first gun that went in a safe. Maybe, make a short term three or four gun rack for pulling guns for the day or keeping things safe while getting at the back row.
No matter how you stack'em, if you overfill your safe one of these days you are going to experience a three gun avalanche when you are in a hurry. Don't overfill, turn some of those prizes loose and put them on the market...Geo
A little bit of shuffling around, but quite a bit easier than getting at the first gun that went in a safe. Maybe, make a short term three or four gun rack for pulling guns for the day or keeping things safe while getting at the back row.
The idea of a 2-4 gun rack kept clear for the day‘s guns Is a hell of a good idea.
My safe is 3 deep and 8 wide and I’m always looking for a good spot to place the guns I’ve pulled out to get at one in the back.
A little bit of shuffling around, but quite a bit easier than getting at the first gun that went in a safe. Maybe, make a short term three or four gun rack for pulling guns for the day or keeping things safe while getting at the back row.
The idea of a 2-4 gun rack kept clear for the day‘s guns Is a hell of a good idea.
My safe is 3 deep and 8 wide and I’m always looking for a good spot to place the guns I’ve pulled out to get at one in the back.
I have the same problem and I solved it with a neat little magnetized and padded rack that I simply slap on the adjacent safe and start stacking until I get to what I want. It holds four guns and another one if needed is only about $20 at Cabelas or Sportsmans (I forgot where I got it!!) It also works well in the field on the fender or bumper, etc of a truck while resting or planning the next drive.
Good looking system! I need to improve on my storage facilities myself. I had an avalanche, as George describes, and now have a broken stock on one gun as a result.
Been working on a new wall gun rack to display guns horizontally instead of vertically. I have a lot of wall space but was going to start out with only 20-24 feet of wall space. Small bookcase underneath with a matching one on top with ten inches above that. Cabinet will only be 12” deep with a cutout designed so the gun rack is almost fully viewable from any angle. Might make uprights only six inches deep.
Working with a Sketckup drawing programs that gives you a 3-D view with the ability to turn the sketch around for different views. From that you can make a detailed cut list. Then I will build one prototype out of popular and see how it works. Once approved I will make them all out of cherry or honey locust lumber I have on hand. Have not decided to use leather as the wall background or colored wool felt. Vertices racks to hold the guns will be walnut. It looks good with both the cherry or honey locust. Walnut goes with every color felt.
For some of the guns, I use a vertical rack with wheels
For some of the guns, I use a vertical rack with wheels
In California, that rack in your home would make you a criminal, even if kept in a locked room. I know a lot of criminals.
I go by the belief that my guns are safer against burglary if they are not all in the same place. Multiple break-ins would be required. I have a monitored alarm system, but live in fly-over country where the response time to a break-in would be long enough that the perps could be long gone with all my guns, if they were housed in one room, safe, etc.
I could design a secure gun room, but I'd rather carry really good insurance than spend a fortune on that. And, it definitely would cost me a small fortune to start from scratch and build a totally secure, fireproof gunroom in my 145 yr. old home. I enjoy seeing others' efforts, though.
I am 74 years old, have been storing guns for about 62 years. I prefer the secure room plan over insurance. Most of that secure room money comes back when you sell the house. This is just my insight.
In California, that rack in your home would make you a criminal, even if kept in a locked room. I know a lot of criminals.
Not according to my long time Californian shooting partner.
http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1553_ORD_186311_09-13-2019.pdfAn ordinance amending Section 55.21 of Chapter V of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to require that all firearms located in a residence be kept in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock
b) Prohibition. No person shall keep a firearm within a residence unless the firearm is:
1. Stored in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock that has been approved by the California Department of Justice;
I have a secure gun room. Took a third of my basement and built a reinforced wall with a safe door. Wish I had used half the basement. Took a lot of advise from John Mann about building it. Put up a chain link fence over head before putting in a drop ceiling. Outside air venting for fresh air. Dehumidifiers for moister control.
Built wall racks that hold guns upright. They work great, but you can not see most of the guns at all. So I am thinking about building one wall with horizontal racks for displaying guns so I can see them better. If I like it, I will do two more walls, even if it means I need to thin the herd. Like many here I am almost too old to keep buying more and might as we’ll reduce the total number of guns and at the same time upgrade in a few areas.
For some of the guns, I use a vertical rack with wheels
In California, that rack in your home would make you a criminal, even if kept in a locked room. I know a lot of criminals.
In Canada they keep the regs vague so they can screw you if they want to. Would a secure, locked room not count as a "container"?
Would a secure, locked room not count as a "container"?
You could argue the point, but I suspect you’d lose. There is another reg that says you have to case a gun when transporting in a vehicle, even if locked in the trunk. Is the trunk not a container? Another reg says you have to use a locked case when removing the gun from the vehicle. There are multiple layers of multiple regulations from multiple jurisdictions, all designed to screw with us and to give them an excuse to fine you, arrest you, or confiscate your gun. I have not heard that the container reg has been challenged in court.
It is completed. I after painting, I added some leather strips where the barrels rest.
Chad,
Stunning and functional as well, very nicely done!
Karl
Nice looking rack. Hope it suits you for many years.
Looks great, Chad. One thing I wonder, though. With that slick painted surface for the butt of the gun to rest on, how well do you think it's going to work with guns that have the original hard rubber buttplate? Any type of recoil pad should sit in place well, but I wonder about hard buttplates and checkered butts sliding.
If that turns out to be a problem a continuous wide strip of good, thick leather would look nice, and help prevent movement.
Good job! SRH
I think maybe put the leather down anyway? If it's regular paint, and this project is basically real time, the paint will probably stick for a while. Nice work Chad, neat and clean.
Stan, the rack is loaded up and the raised piece of edge trim along the front edge of the rack is just high enough to catch the toe and support it on the guns you describled. They all appear to be sitting sold.
I have/did considered adding a wide strip of felt or leather to lay in the buttstock area, but I don't think it is needed.
You can certainly determine that much better than I. Reason I mentioned it is that my Grandad had a similar, but smaller, version built in his office when he built his house in 1947, but he had little strips put between each position to prevent that.
You did a very nice job. Congrats.
SRH
Hunter green or a deep red felt might be the ticket for the bottom rather than leather. You could laminate thin cabinet makers luan plywood and fit it to be removable if you should decide to change your mind later.
Really nice job!