Building my own gun safe/cabinet

[hillbillyshooter]

There has been a talk about gun safes here on the GDF recently. I am one of the guilty that keep mine under my bed, in my closet, and basement. Here's the thing, I don't want to shell out the $1500+ to get one to hold all of my guns. I want any suggestions on the best way to build a BG resistant safe, does not have to be fire resistant. Be it freestanding, wall mounted, or turning a closet into its own gun safe. Any suggestions would be appreciated (stop short of the underground bunker, I am drawing up the plans for that myself). Looking to spend <$350.

 

[AZAK]

Let me toss something into the mix.

If you are concerned about ADs or NDs (someone just getting ahold and pulling a trigger, or loading them and then pulling the trigger in your home) trigger locks, and cables can help.

If you are concerned about someone walking away with them, a simple vinyl coated cable running through them and secured to something non-movable will help.

A relatively cheap lockable storage cabinet bolted to the wall/floor can help.

Building a "hidden" closet with in your home, that is lockable can help.

Or a mixture of the above. I have used some of these methods in the past, and know others who have used them all.

All should run under your budget, and it just depends on exactly what you are looking for and are comfortable with.

For me, out of sight (well out of sight) is out of mind for most. BGs can't defeat what they don't know exists.

Good Luck!

 

[Falcon5NZ]

Why not find a big cupboard in your house and install a false wall at the back.
Like AZAK said "If you can't see it you can defeat it."
I know my grandfathers safe is in an outbuilding between the studs (uprights in a wall, dunno if you guys call 'em that. I know we Southlanders use words that no-one else uses anymore) with coats hanging over them. It is INVISIBLE!

 

[Keltyke]

Even a cheap locking cabinet hidden in a closet will work. Anything that makes noise opening, takes time to open/find, or takes too much effort will be bypassed.

A loud dog helps, so does a loud-speakered, monitored alarm. "This is XXX Security, please give your name and password." The wrong answer gets the cops rolling in an instant. The burglar knows that and he's outta there.

 

[ilbob]

It all depends on how secure you want to make it, and how much money you have to spend.

You can do a lot with a relatively cheap safe and a few bags of cement, and some camoflage.

many people have made a small concrete closet type structure in the corner of a basement. put a serious metal door and lock on it and you have a pretty secure storage facility. even better if you can hide the nature of the thing. maybe some empty cardboard boxes piled in front of it to make it like a storage area.

 

[carguychris]

The house I grew up in had formerly been owned by a gun collector, and he had constructed a built-in bookshelf mounted on hinges with a rifle rack behind it. It was easy to open, but if you didn't know what you were looking for, you would never know it was there because it matched the rest of the built-ins. (The rack was recessed into the wall behind it to help conceal its depth.)

Another clever idea I've heard is to buy a cheap safe and put it in a somewhat hidden yet fairly obvious location (like, say, the front coat closet). Fill it with a few of your cheap, common, and easily-replaceable "shooters". Then put the good stuff in a deeply concealed location. Not-so-intelligent burglars will haul off the cheap safe thinking "yee haw, we got the guns, let's go!", and never think to keep looking.