alternatives to a gun safe

[Guest oldslowchevy]

more of a leagle question i would guess.

i do not own, nor really want to buy a gun safe. i do how ever own two 13 drawer tool cabnits in my living room that my tv is one with my tools in one the other is empty (buy one get one free for $330... how could i say no?) the question is, can i use the empty one s my safe?

single action revolvers in one drawer duble actions in another while semis in another drawer. ammo in one cleaning kit in one parts in another ect. nice neat and orgainized. and every thing is under lock and key.

but am i leagle?

[Guest pfries]

No law in TN, or Fed that says you need a safe that I am aware of ,if you have any NFA taxable Title II weapons a safe goes a long way toward meeting the prerqusite that you need to maintain controll of the weapon at all times. children would be my next concern, then theft and fire.

[mikegideon]

You sound like me. Keep the good toys in the living room . My girfriend keeps moving mine. The only problem I would have with the tool boxes... it will probably be the first thing a thief will steal.

[Timestepper]

The only problem I would have with the tool boxes... it will probably be the first thing a thief will steal.

Agreed. I won't mention where I keep my guns, but suffice it to say that most thieves wouldn't dream of looking there because of the obvious lack of value on the market for the other items there.

...TS...

[Guest oldslowchevy]

ok, for some reason i thought there was a law or something about guns being locked up if you did not have a hcp. though that was said to me by a "friend" that does not own a gun (can not afford one) or a hcp either.

[mikegideon]

There are laws in some other states.

[daddyo]

No small children in my home, so I have most of mine hidden in strategic locations throughout the house.

[greenego]

I keep my guns in a Stack-On gun cabinet. Only have a few long guns. I think it holds 8.

[Mike.357]

there is no legal obligation to lock up your guns, at all, period. Even if there are kids in the house there is no legal obligation. Though with kids hopefully common sense will prevail. Of course if someone is in your home and they get hurt by your gun there could be civil issues.

As for hiding guns behind other stuff, that one cracks me up, A burglar with any amount of time to look will find them. It is false security. Good gun security begins with good locks on doors and windows.

[Guest oldslowchevy]

no kids at all in the home, one is 18 the other is 19 neither live here

[Timestepper]

As for hiding guns behind other stuff, that one cracks me up, A burglar with any amount of time to look will find them. It is false security. Good gun security begins with good locks on doors and windows.

I assume that's aimed at me. Never said they were "hidden behind other stuff." What I said was that "most thieves wouldn't dream of looking there because of the obvious lack of value on the market for the other items there." And yes, a burglar with time could find them, but he'd need plenty of it. One of them is "hidden" in more or less plain sight within reach of the chair I'm typing this from, but my wife can't even find it and she's lived here for 25 years.

I'm not going to engage in a debate on this. My guns are stored in roughly the same location here that they were when I lived in Kansas. And I was burglarized twice up there and each time didn't discover it until I got in off the road roughly 2 weeks later. I lost power tools, an antique clock and a cheap stereo system along with some other stuff. And I know for a fact that during the 2nd burglary the thief or thieves stayed at least over night and maybe longer - so they had plenty of time to look and I know they did - but even though they cleaned out the fridge and drank all my beer, they never found my guns.

Oh, and the best locks I could buy after the 1st burglary didn't do a damn thing to secure my guns or prevent the second one. IMO, Locks keep out honest people, but don't really do much to deter thieves.

...TS...

[Mike.357]

not aimed at you TS, relax. But I have read on this very board many times where people store their guns in a closet or under a bed or otop of something. All with the intent to hide it.

Of course locks will not keep out a determined burglar but they are a good start.

Someone with time can break into most any gun safe too, a RSC would not be very hard at all with a sawzall.

My guess in your case is the thieves were happy with beer and power tools or they'd a kept looking.

[Guest samcro]

Mine are Here . they just need to siffer out when Me, my neighbors are not we have a notion to shoot first then ask questions later . been that way for 15 years no one comes or goes with out seeing at least one gun on the Business end of it . specialy if they don't belong on the place .

[Guest bkelm18]

Mine are Here . they just need to siffer out when Me, my neighbors are not we have a notion to shoot first then ask questions later . been that way for 15 years no one comes or goes with out seeing at least one gun on the Business end of it . specialy if they don't belong on the place .

I have no idea what you just said.

[Mike.357]

yeah, ah good luck with shooting first. Yep doubt anything bad could come from that mindset.

[Guest bkelm18]

yeah, ah good luck with shooting first. Yep doubt anything bad could come from that mindset.

Yeah, that's a pretty good way to get charged with murder.

[Guest oldslowchevy]

wow did this ever get way off topic.

[Guest jackdm3]

Mine are Here . they just need to siffer out when Me, my neighbors are not we have a notion to shoot first then ask questions later . been that way for 15 years no one comes or goes with out seeing at least one gun on the Business end of it . specialy if they don't belong on the place .

"English, muh' fugga! Do. You. Speak. It?!?!"

[Mike.357]

wow did this ever get way off topic.

just keeping it real

[Guest jackdm3]

Word!

[Timestepper]

not aimed at you TS, relax. But I have read on this very board many times where people store their guns in a closet or under a bed or otop of something. All with the intent to hide it.

Of course locks will not keep out a determined burglar but they are a good start.

Someone with time can break into most any gun safe too, a RSC would not be very hard at all with a sawzall.

My guess in your case is the thieves were happy with beer and power tools or they'd a kept looking.

Ok Mike, I'm relaxed.

In the case of burglary number 2, I believe the thieves were looking specifically for guns and one gun in particular that I owned at the time. And although I could never prove it, I still believe I know who at least one of them is. And he's the same *barsteward* who happened to mention in passing to a mutual LEO friend that I MUST be hiding a bunch of guns in my truck and that one of them was a 200 year old flintlock and wasn't there a law against that? The Deputy asked him how he knew and he stammered and said, "Well he doesn't own a gun cabinet, where else could they be?!!"

Back to the original topic with my apologies to the OP: As others have mentioned, there is no law about keeping guns locked up in your home except the law of common sense. Locking toolboxes would probably work, but if they have wheels on them it seems it would just make it that much easier for burglars to wheel 'em right out of the house. Good luck with whatever you decide!

...TS...

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've been real lucky to have no breakins over the years. Thieves sometimes steal weird stuff. Long ago I had left some music gear at a friend's house who got burgled. A big heavy road case I'd built with a multi-track reel-to-reel recorder, a mixer, patchbays, and a cheap 35W per channel Marantz home stereo amp for headphone distribution. Also a couple of expensive keyboards. The idgits stole the Marantz amp, ripped it right out of the road case, and left all the good stuff. It would have been easier to tote off the entire road case, than tear out that one cheap piece.

Some years ago there was a smash'n'grab at a downtown office building where the only thing they stole was numerous cheap monochrome monitors off all the desks. Didn't steal the computers or office equipment. Perhaps they thought they were stealing a bunch of easy-to-resell televisions.

But not all burglars ard idgits, so dunno. My guns are in a stack-on gun locker with a pistol locker bolted on-top. Not real worried about fire. Thats what insurance is for. Burglers could get the guns if they have a little time. Need a real heavy safe to somewhat avoid that. If there was a good full-service safe store in Chatt might get a fancier safe to go in the basement, but getting a heavy safe into my basement would be lots worse than moving a grand piano to an upstairs apartment. Ain't gonna do it myself. Need a one-stop of somebody to sell the safe who also knows how to move a heavy safe into a difficult location.

[NRA]

Be aware, I found out that standard home owners does not fully cover things like firearms and jewelry (if it does it is not much at all)

[Guest HvyMtl]

you dont have to spend a ton for some peace of mind.

1.00 Cubic Foot Capacity and Solid Steel Construction Safe-2072F at The Home Depot 1 cubic foot safe for under $100.

Academy - Sentry®Safe 8-Gun Cabinet $69.99 for a gun cabinet.

Academy - Stack-On Security Plus Steel Pistol/Ammo Cabinet Ammo cabinet $79.99

A "python" lock you can run through the guns:

Shop Master Lock 6'-3/8" Steel Cable Lock at Lowes.com $19.99

Or use steel cable and locks to loop thru the firearms.

Shop Schlage 30' Steel Lock Cable at Lowes.com