Hidden gun storage

[Guest jmoe816]

I really don't have room for the safe I want, but have 4 rifles and many handguns as well as ammo and other supplies i want to keep safe. I have decided to take the 'hidden in plain sight' approach...with my own twist.

I have a closet under my stairs with a large void behind it. What I'm thinking about doing is building a hidden area that can only be access from inside the closet. I want to be able to open this hidden door and slide out a rack that will be holding my firearms. Preferably in some kind of case. I want them to be dust/water resistant. What I'm needing help on is

1) What should I make the case out of?

-Wood would be easy and cheap. But not very waterproof.

-I know someone who can make a nice metal box. It could have gaskets in the lid. I'm not sure of the cost. I'm thinking rather expensive.

-Pelican make some that I could make work. They're definitely well built and would serve my purpose. But the one i want is ~$500.

2) How to make the 'door' hidden.

-This is currently a coat closet, so unless you are down on all fours, you don't see the back floor of the closet. I was thinking of just using drywall painted the same color with false baseboard. It would pull out, then the locked case would slide out on rails or wheels.

[I_Like_Pie]

Cinder block walls with rebar and concrete will make a pretty decent makeshift safe.

You might add more value to the house if you turned the area into a makeshift storm shelter in the process.

1) if it is hidden then pick up a metal gun cabinet for $50 and use that as the framework.

2) Mirror may work as a cover too. -or put the entire metal cabinet on a track to pull towards you.

...all and all I don't see why a $300 "real" used safe wouldn't also be a good option.

Edited April 30, 2012 by I_Like_Pie

[EastHipster]

Just secure the door and use plastic storage tubs for the guns.

You don't need the durability of a Pelican case.

Just find some plastic containers with good seals on them

[NRA]

Thanks for giving away my hiding place now all thugs will check under steps behind the coat closet

[hipower]

Thanks for giving away my hiding place now all thugs will check under steps behind the coat closet

I doubt it was a very "secret" place to begin with. Seems like many of us have thought of, and used that idea before. Not to mention all the Hollywood movie and tv examples of that area for hideout/storage.

BTW, I considered it as well, just not enough space for me.

[f3joel]

Fireproofing would be a concern of mine

[Grand Torino]

Unless your an accomplished carpenter/drywaller with plenty of extra time on your hands I'd just go buy a safe......just sayin'

[Parrothead]

agreed!

[gjohnsoniv]

You used to be able to get some inexpensive safes at Wally World. Not great, but they work.

[Jonnin]

You can put the guns in wall mart plastic storage boxes with a little bit of damp-rid or whatever other water pulling chemistry. Spray and wipe the guns with rem oil before storage. The rest of it can be wood, or metal, or whatever you can work with on the cheap.

you do not need to hide it to the point of invisible. Get it hidden enough that it is not easy to see and let it go at that.

It also sounds complicated, with the pull out stuff.

[K191145]

Fireproofing would be a concern of mine

I have "heard" that one of the old type refrigerators makes an excellant fire safe if you want to go all redneck. Maybe hide it in the garage and wrap a chain around it with a lock. Might be a cheapo way to go.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Well not necessarily for purpose of concealment, but a pack-rat never has enough shelves and drawers. When remodeling the old kitchen, the old house had a couple of wasted little nooks in a pantry built over the basement stairs. The pantry floor was about 18" higher than the kitchen floor to accomodate the basement stairwell, and an inconvenient 14" gap between my cabinet/counter run and the higher pantry floor. It would have been neither convenient or attractive to run the cabinet/counters another 14" wide to fill that gap. Was custom building the cabinets and butcher block countertop and could have stuck an odd-width narrow cabinet in there, but the entire run was made of 24" cabinets with 12" doors all the way across, so an extra little 14-something odd sized cabinet tacked on the end would have been ugly as sin, and access to the far end of the counter wouldn't have been ergonomic.

So anyway I raised that little spot between counters and pantry to the pantry floor level, put in a prettier pantry floor over the entire expanse, and built a little recessed oak step to make it easier on the knees climbing into the pantry. That little filled-in spot to the left of the step, seemed like a good idea at the time to install a cute little 22" deep X 9" wide X 4" height drawer on ballbearing sliders under the floor of that filled in nook, with a nice little oak drawer front and brass recessed pull. The long-narrow drawer "pulls out" from the left to the right over the pantry step. Got to thinking about it, and there was another empty space about the same size under the drawer in that nook, so I built-in a little storage space down there as well. You have to pull the drawer out over the step and then remove the drawer to access the underneath storage tray.

So anyway, that example was not intended to be hidden, but if I hadn't mitered the drawer face and put a pull on it, dunno if a burglar would just instantly scope out the kitchen and expect a drawer to be there. And if the burglar did find the drawer, dunno if he would instantly think of removing the drawer to see what was in the tray underneath. I would not hide valuables in that nook because of fire hazard. Would rather valuables be down in the basement if stored in the house at all. It was just an example.

The pantry originally had one sloped wall to accomodate the stairwell, completely wasted space, so I squared that up with a "step" at the bottom, then a square built-in "cabinet" to waist height, and oak shelves up to the ceiling. Managed to get a couple of 24" wide X 12" deep X 7" height drawers installed in the square "cabinet" part that was previously wasted stairwell sloped wall, under the shelf run. Those drawers are not hidden but the drawer faces could have been easily built to disguise their presence. Maybe a good way to open a blind drawer face or hidden door (just idle thought, maybe there would be better ways)-- Put a goodly iron plate on the inside of the drawer or door, then use a strong magnet to grab the blind door/drawer face and give it a pull?

The old basement steps are not pretty but not real wobbly yet. If I ever have to replace the basement steps, will install drawers under every step. A ten-drawer chest masquerading as stairs!

Have thought about building a concrete block "safe room" in a quarter of the basement, with the block holes filled with concrete and rebar and a steel security door or possibly even a safe door. Probably won't live long enough to get around to it, but the way my house is situated it would almost be easier to build a safe room toting in one block at a time, than wrangling a big safe down in there. And possibly cheaper to build the big safe room, especially if a four foot steel security door was deemed "secure enough".

Edited May 1, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[peejman]

Is that area part of the "conditioned" space? Is it insulated? I'd be quite concerned with temp changes and moisture.

That said, Dad built a hidden "safe" into a dead space within the walls his house. He made built-in set of shallow shelves with hidden hinges. The whole shelf swings out to access the space. It fits flush with the walls and is effectively invisible unless someone decided to tug on the trim.

[Guest jmoe816]

Thanks for all the replies. I am also worried about fire damage. But I don't have a spot for a fireproof safe, so either way, I'm going to face the fire issue. As far as moisture goes, I like the idea of storing the firearms inside plastic bags (I know ALOCSAK makes bags for rifles). I could even put the rifles in rust resistant bags before putting the the waterproof bags.

I think I would at least like something that I could bolt to the floor (or slide-out), and something with a lock. I like the idea of getting a 'STACK-ON' box and laying it on it's back. This way I could bolt it down and it would have a lock.

[gnmwilliams]

Check out www.hiddenpassageway.com

The little kid in me wants a whole house built by them. You can get the Do-it-yourself bookcase kit for about $300.

[JReedEsq]

The grandfather of a good friend of mine was a retired police officer and I believe department armorer for either the Knox County Sheriff's Department or the KPD. He had a few "hidden" closets similar to what you are considering. When he passed away the family spent a significant amount of time searching the house and actually turned up a few more. From what I understand, his handiwork was good enough that if he hadn't shown one of the "safes" to a few family members, the house probably would have been sold with a few guns hidden in vaults between walls etc...

Edited May 1, 2012 by JReedEsq

[JReedEsq]

Check out www.hiddenpassageway.com

The little kid in me wants a whole house built by them. You can get the Do-it-yourself bookcase kit for about $300.

I think someone posted this link before. I hope I never see it again. I'm pretty satisfied with our current house. This sort of thing makes me really want a custom house with a couple of these things.

[gnmwilliams]

I think someone posted this link before. I hope I never see it again. I'm pretty satisfied with our current house. This sort of thing makes me really want a custom house with a couple of these things.

Might've actually been me. I have the same thoughts whenever I see it!

[gjohnsoniv]

There was a guy in Memphis who did this sort of thing for a living. In fact, my grandfather had him make a safe for him. It was incredibly fancy. You had to turn off the closet light, flip a switch under a shoe rack, and then turn the light back on, then it would open. It was something like that at least, I only saw it when I was a small child.

Edited May 1, 2012 by gjohnsoniv

[Bubba0031]

I don't have an opinion on using the area for hidden firearm storage however another possible use comes to mind. In the event of tornado this might be a safe area and in my view if that's the case personal safety trumps firearm security. If you have a basement, storm shelter etc. then just disregard the suggestion.

[Guest jmoe816]

I don't have an opinion on using the area for hidden firearm storage however another possible use comes to mind. In the event of tornado this might be a safe area and in my view if that's the case personal safety trumps firearm security. If you have a basement, storm shelter etc. then just disregard the suggestion.

This is the closet the I currently use for safety during bad weather. I've never thought about reinforcing it but its not a bad idea.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Thanks for all the replies. I am also worried about fire damage. But I don't have a spot for a fireproof safe, so either way, I'm going to face the fire issue. As far as moisture goes, I like the idea of storing the firearms inside plastic bags (I know ALOCSAK makes bags for rifles). I could even put the rifles in rust resistant bags before putting the the waterproof bags.

I think I would at least like something that I could bolt to the floor (or slide-out), and something with a lock. I like the idea of getting a 'STACK-ON' box and laying it on it's back. This way I could bolt it down and it would have a lock.

My guns are upstairs in a bolted down "Sentinel" gun box with a "Stack On" brand pistol box bolted on top. I work at home and neighbors keep an eye out on houses so a burglar could bust the safe easy but would have to carefully time his visit to do his job without having to deal with me & the dawgs. Not that we are such a dangerous threat but if a burglar deals with me and the dawgs then he would have plenty of time to get into a strong safe just as easy as a weak safe. Just sayin.

So I don't have any fire protection on the guns, except if the house catches fire maybe the fire will do me a favor and spread slow enough allowing time to empty the safe and throw the guns out in the yard. The only "nod" to fire protection is a little fire safe in the basement big enough for a few papers and valuables, bolted to the concrete in a nook where they would have to remove a wall to get good leverage with a crowbar or sledge hammer.

So if my guns were in a genuinely "hard to find" hidden closet, they wouldn't be in any more danger from fire than in sheet metal gunboxes, and possibly more secure because a burglar can't break into what he can't find.

Gnmwilliams expressed it well maybe the "secret compartment" idea appeals to the little kid in us. Dunno why but I like old houses. Probably wouldn't turn down a free new house, but old houses are neat, though its a full time job fixing them up. Have spent enough money to buy a pretty fancy yuppie burb shack for what has been sunk in my falling down hovel over the years but on the other hand it was a little at a time cash on the barrel, no big mortgage.

Odd nooks and crannies seem common in the old houses. Was flooring and insulating/sheetrocking the attic for extra space to store junk that should have been discarded decades ago. Noticed a "blind shaft" about 2 foot square that goes all the way down to the basement slab. It is the space between the chimney, the living room wall, the bedroom wall, and the right-side wall of an old fashioned 6 foot wide 2 foot deep "too shallow" built-in bedroom closet. That closet was so useless as a closet, tore out the whole front wall into the closet opening and installed a flush to the wall built-in oak storage center with drawers on the bottom and shelf-cupboards with doors on the top.

Anyway the kid in me was thinking that 2 foot square "blind shaft" down into the basement would be a very obscure hidey-hole. A james bond or batman would have a motorized dumbwaiter maybe 6 feet tall. Push a button and the box automatically rises from the basement thru a trapdoor into the attic for access. But bubba could get by with a 2 foot square storage box with a rope attached, under a trap door in the attic. Keep a cabinet routinely sitting over the trap door. Roll the cabinet away, open the trap door and pull up the storage box.

Maybe the space between floor joists offer possibilities? Either hidden trap door in the flooring or access from beneath if there is a basement? Floor joists offer deeper storage than old houses with 2X4 walls. Newer houses with 2X6 walls would be a little better for wall storage. If somebody was real hard-core and had a crawlspace house, maybe build the storage between floor joists with access only from under the house? How many neer-do-wells are gonna go crawling under the house making friends with snakes, bugs and spiders, looking for stuff to steal?