Gun Safe Placement?

[Roadrunner]

My wife disagrees with me on where I would like to place my gun safe (approx. 5'x3'x1.5'). I would like it put in our ground-floor level storage closet. She wants it in the garage. If it goes into the closet, we would have to spend time rearranging it and looking for other storage areas for items that are displaced by the safe.

With my wife of 8 years, I'm still learning what battles I can win and I don't think I'm going to win this one. We live in a townhouse in Northern Virginia and the garage dosen't get too cold in the winter and stays cool during the summer. Given that, do you think placing the gun safe in the garage is a good idea? Whatever temperature changes that may occur, would they affect my firearms? My main concern is seasonal temperature changes (though minimal I believe) on my firearms.

If it goes in the garage, I plan on building a wooden/plywood shell around it with a door so it looks like a large storage container from the outside.

Thanks.

 

[USP45]

If your guns are in the garage:
- they are useless to you when you need them
- they are suseptable to excess humidity
- they are easier to steal

If your guns are in the house:
- You can get them when you need them (i.e. 0'dark-thirty)
- they are more likely climate controlled
- they are harder to steal as the theif would need to enter
the main section of the household

 

[LTC K]

I would be very worried about guns rusting if the safe goes in the garage. If you are forced into this, buy the best quality dehumidifier you can find to put inside the safe, and check all of your guns real often.

 

[4V50 Gary]

Keep her happy and put it in the garage. The garage eventually becomes a male sanctuary anyway and you can congregate there with your buddies and chew the fat. Putting in the garage also has the advantage of her not seeing every new gun you bring into the house. Remember, the greatest enforcer of gun ownership is neither the Federal nor State government but the woman of the house (sorry ladies, but it's generally true and until we get more women interested in this sport, it will remain that way).

 

[PreserveFreedom]

Put it in the closet. Having the safe hidden is another anti-theft advantage. You can put the stuff that was in the closet on shelves in the garage.

 

[SnakeLover]

I had a similar experience last April when I moved to VA. I actually have a "big" safe and a two mini vaults. After I checked with my lawyer and insurance guy, I decided to keep the mini vaults in the house and I put the big safe in the garage and added the dehumidifier. I also keep some of the guns in those gun socks inside the safe. I usually check them every time I'm in the safe, and to this point have not had any rust issues.

If you bring it in the house, make sure the area you put it is strong, like on a joist. My safe weighs over 650 lbs w/o guns, and I'd hate for your floor to start sagging/fall through. You said ground level, so if you have concrete underneath, shouldn't matter.

Covering it so that it appears to be a big cabinet might be a good idea for me to consider. I'll have to check it out.

I also concur with Gary, my wife doesn't see the new additions when I come home with them!!

Snake

 

[FJ4ZROX]

Place a shelf in the safe and tell your wife it's not a GUN safe....but a SECURITY/FIRE safe for jewelery, important documnets, and also your guns. That way the safe has to be in the house - I know my wife would NEVER allow her jewelery to be stored inthe garage. That's how I justified my "jumbo" Remington gun..err...security safe getting anchor bolted to my home office floor.