[kayak-man]

I'll be honest, I've never been a really "tidy" person, but I'm trying. When I first started out in the shooting sports, it was easy to keep things neat: I only had one shotgun and one rifle, and my gun-safe was made for six guns... A friend of my dads moved about five years ago, and gave me his old safe, exact same design...

And then I started buying guns, and not just any guns: I bought firearms with detachable magazines, and pistols that needed holsters (TAKtical makes some great ones, btw. I'll write a review for his stuff soon)

Then I got into reloading.... I think y'all can see where this is going.

For the most part, I've got my reloading set up figured out... well, at least I know how I want it stored, and I just need to get it that way.

How do you guys store your holsters? Magazines? Speed loaders? also, gun cases? I really need to figure out where to put my gun cases...

I'm thinking of maybe using a filing cabinet for some of this stuff, but I'm open to suggestions, or just if people wanted to share their thoughts on gun storage... and a little bit of thread drift into how you store your knives, bows, arrows, and the like wouldn't be a bad thing...

Thanks guys,
Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson

[Iramo94]

This is the reason why you get a safe that can hold double what you think you will own. :evil:

[22-rimfire]

If you have an unfinished basement, you can stash you gun cases in the ceiling, or install brackets in your garage and slide them onto that. Same as you might store a kayak.

Since I have moved a few times, I have a gun case for each firearm for transport. Storage of these things can get problematic.

[gunlaw]

I know what you mean. My reloading room is packed and I just made a deal with a guy to buy 800 rounds of 10mm. I think I need help!:D

[OilyPablo]

Much of the bulky stuff does not at all belong in the safe and in fact brings in water vapor.

I pretty much only store guns in my gun safe. Sure, some valuable magazines and some metals and cash and my passport, but that's it. All cases, ammo, slings, bags, unopened magazines (in package), etc are stored in a LARGE secured JOBOX. It's bolted down, locked, cabled and chained in position in an alarmed room, with two layers of back up security. I live in a low crime area so I don't need any thing else for security such as man traps or other dangerous security devices.

All my smaller stuff like springs, 1911 grips, screws, tools, etc is either on my gun tool bench or in a lockable file drawer unit.

[clocker]

Guns obviously need to be securely stored in a safe, but for all the rest it will be up to you on the security levels. I tend to use a lot of large heavy duty zip-top bags to sort spare mags and accessories. The bags are cheap and they do a great job of keeping things organized.

[gbran]

I have two large fireproof safes for guns, jewlery, private papers, small expensive items. I have a substantial very secure metal cabinet for ammo, scopes, chrono's, optics, holsters, stocked range bags, etc.

Nothing is 100%, but this works for me.

[Zeeemu]

Space abhors a vacuum. Available space always leads to more stuff.

[Kybill]

Large safe delivering this week will hold rifles, ammo, magazines, some pistols. Bedside safe to hold 9 mm with extra mags and 2 additional carry guns after ccw arrives.

Gun cases, cleaning stuff, misc parts or literature in closet.

[medalguy]

Iramo98 said buy double what you think you'll need? Nah, go at least triple. :neener:

[sleepyone]

firearms, magazines, holsters in my safe. everything else in shoe boxes. Brass goes in storage bags and then in larger file boxes in the garage. My ammo is in a huge lockable steel storage box in my closet.

[Fishslayer]

Magazines live in a tool box. All my OEM boxes, gun rugs & such live in dustproof/bug proof plastic storage bins.

Bagged polished brass is in bins out in the shed. Bullets under the bench. Powder & primers inside the house.

Stuff's all over the place...

[rondog]

All your gun stuff stored neatly and securely? Yeah, good luck with that.....

[JohnBiltz]

I was not going to store ammo in my safe. Then I noticed what a thousand rounds was worth right now and put what I could in my safe.

[Texan Scott]

Dig an interconnected series of tunnels, like the Viet Cong... :p

[mcdonl]

I have an entire basement dedicated to hunting, fishing and shooting. It is a work in progress but it includes built in cabinets, gun cabinets, built-in work benches and rod holders, a couple of dressers I no longer use that are great for handgun accessories (And my 700 .308) sits on it as it is too big for my gun cabinet....

[bannockburn]

Short answer: In the basement, in gun safes, cabinets, boxes, and ammo cans.

[bikerdoc]

:evil:
Converted attached garage Has office, laundry room, and half bath, and lots of cabinets, lockers, reloading bench and a safe.
Still have cases in laundry area and just found a bag of holsters.
Dont think you ever get truly organized.

[Rembrandt]

I know what you're talking about.....I ended up buying a second home, now it's nearly full.

[beatledog7]

My experience runs like this:

If I have a hobby in which all the related stuff has a specific place to be stored, and I keep it all neat and tidy all the time, I'm spending too much time organizing my hobby and enough time doing it.

[Arkansas Paul]

I am fortunate. I have a 15x10 ft. man cave for all my hobby stuff, of which 90% is hunting/shooting related.
It's full. Also the closet in the guest bedroom is full of my hunting clothing.

[Akita1]

Guns & mags in the safes. Ammo & holsters in plastic storage bins with lids. Whole house is alarmed. Owners are armed.

[Archie]

Please do not hate me. I have my own home - mine - and I'm not married.

Guns (and currently unused scopes) in large gun safe in my office/den/study/secret hideout.

Magazines, speed loaders, holsters, spare grips and accessories in plastic storage boxes (from the Dollar Store) on shelves. Labels on ends of boxes describe contents. These shelves are mounted on the walls of the aforementioned 'office'.

Range gear; spotting scope, chronograph, rifle rest, brass catcher and such are in the closet of the office (used to be a bed room).

Reloading room is a separate room in basement. Built a bench against one wall for reloading machines, have Rigid Rack shelving for brass and bullets - which are stored in G. I. ammo cans of various sizes as appropriate with labels on ends. Loaded ammo, powder and primers are in a small room in basement. Again, Rigid Rack shelving for storage. Ammo mostly in ammo cans, powder and primers in wooden cabinet designed for task.

Gun cleaning and repair located in work room - which is also my laundry.

Firearms related books are in the dining room, which doubles as the library. I put up book shelves on one wall and they're full. May have to put up more on a second wall.

Currently unused rifle and pistol cases in an attic area.

And - stuff I've just used and haven't put away yet are all over the house.

[Cosmoline]

My solution--a knaack jobsite box aka the Hurt Locker:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/74755_3845347260333_1981633740_n.jpg

At only 200 lbs empty I can move it myself in and out. Then loaded with ammo and lead it's too big to shift. So it functions as a traditional gun safe, only without fireproofing. The locking system is excellent. Thieves could I suppose cut it open with a torch, but that would ruin the contents. There's no powder in there of course but the heat would set stocks on fire and char most of it. Not to mention creating a heck of a lot of smoke.

[bobinoregon]

Couldn't find any black duct tape?

[Queen_of_Thunder]

This is the reason why you get a safe that can hold double what you think you will own. :evil:
The problem with that solution is the tendency to fill empty spaces in a gun safe with more guns.

[hovercat]

On bolt action rifles, you can save safe room by removing the bolt and putting the bolt in the safe. Also a good way to safely see if a child is mature enough to be around guns without touching/messing with them.

[Sheepdog1968]

I am ok with the safe I choose. As for the other stuff (and I really hate clutter), I am a big fan of those large rubbermaid containers as well as the plastic ammo boxes. It helps things look neat and tidy.

My father in laws son has a mantra he follows. If something costs less than $50 and you very rarely if possibly never again plan to use something, he gets rid of it. He has a tidy garage. I suspect many of gun folks could benefit in cleaning out extra holsters, slings, etc. If I was ambitious, I would get a table at the next gun show (not sure how much that costs) and just sell lots of my extra stuff.

[mljdeckard]

I have had to start dividing it into categories. I used to keep everything in one big shooting bag, but that got silly. Now I have seperate bins for parts I have taken off guns I have modded, cleaning tools, a travel cleaning kit I take for duty stuff, a range bag with stuff I expect to need on the range, and for reloading I just have stacks of rubbermaid and/or tupperware bins that are clear, and I use a dry-erase marker to label them.

And yes, I do have a bin marked "stuff I can't ID".

[Speedgoat]

I put a ton of finishing nails up to hang up my soft cases, some holsters / belts, empty range bags, and trap vests. That alone really tidied up things a great deal.

[rondog]

Our house has a quite large "L" shaped concrete patio wrapping aound the back side of it. My biggest pipe dream would be to bust out the patio, dig that area out and make it all an expansion of the basement, with one very large part of it as a vault, with a vault door. Then cap it with a new concrete patio.

I'd LOVE to have a huge underground vault for a gun room, except for the part about schlepping stuff up and down the stairs when I want to go use it. If I go shooting I may take 10 or more guns, then the ammo for all of them, and all the other accessories/targets/ and on and on. It's always a truckload and an exhausting event.

[clocker]

rondog: Yes :) An old friend just moved into a new house and the basement is now much further away (large house). It takes him 30+ minutes just to load up for a range trip. My suggestion has been to install a dumb waiter or light duty elevator :) Problem solved.

[Captaingyro]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/517018/cable.jpg

[Lex Luthier]

Squared away is the rule of the day.

Holsters in one case. Assorted tactical gear in its own case, including mags, cuffs, knives, batons, compasses, etc. Large packs stacked on the ammo cases. Small packs and pouches in a case. One case of straps and snap connectors. All of the above locked in a dehumidified closet with a variety of other emergency supplies. Most firearms locked up in a safe in another locked closet with semi prepped utility harnesses/ belts.

If you are not organized, you are screwed. Try drilling an emergency situation when you have to get locked. loaded and geared up in ten minutes. You won't be able to do it unless you spend some quality time getting squared away. Good luck.

[TennJed]

Squared away is the rule of the day.

Holsters in one case. Assorted tactical gear in its own case, including mags, cuffs, knives, batons, compasses, etc. Large packs stacked on the ammo cases. Small packs and pouches in a case. One case of straps and snap connectors. All of the above locked in a dehumidified closet with a variety of other emergency supplies. Most firearms locked up in a safe in another locked closet with semi prepped utility harnesses/ belts.

If you are not organized, you are screwed. Try drilling an emergency situation when you have to get locked. loaded and geared up in ten minutes. You won't be able to do it unless you spend some quality time getting squared away. Good luck.
I have way too much stuff to ever consider taking it all with me in an emergency situation. I see no reason to bug out with a bunch of stuff I won't need. I think it is prudent to prepare, but I think this thread is about more than a bugout bag

[Iramo94]

The problem with that solution is the tendency to fill empty spaces in a gun safe with more guns.
I see no problems here.

[Lincoln4]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/517018/cable.jpg
Thanks for the weekend project!

[Chuck R.]

I'd LOVE to have a huge underground vault for a gun room, except for the part about schlepping stuff up and down the stairs when I want to go use it. If I go shooting I may take 10 or more guns, then the ammo for all of them, and all the other accessories/targets/ and on and on. It's always a truckload and an exhausting event.

This is the approach we took, under our 3 car garage with a vault door. The best part is the range, at least out to 500 yards is out the back door, or off the deck, so there’s not too much schlepping. I put in two additional berms at 400 and 500 for shots off the deck. It’s also a walkout, so when I’m older I can cruise up to the back door in my “rascal” and transport my stuff down to the range.

Gun/safe room 650 square':

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/CFRHunter/New%20House%20Construction/DSC00523_zpsfd9de04e.jpg

The view during building from the deck:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/CFRHunter/New%20House%20Construction/DeckFraming4.jpg

Chuck

[HankR]

This is the reason why you get a safe that can hold double what you think you will own.
The problem with that solution is the tendency to fill empty spaces in a gun safe with more guns.

If you newbies think sneaking a new gun into the house is a problem, try sneaking in another safe.

[Dmath]

Allow me to make a suggestion:

Do not tell anybody, and I mean anybody, your hiding place. People always talk. they don't mean to spill your secret, but sooner or later they will tell somebody else.

It won't be just anybody they tell about it. Just their best friend (the other best friend than you) and they will swear that best friend to absolute secrecy. And then that third person doesn't feel quite the same need to keep the secret. So they will tell somebody else. It's a geometric progression.

The Russians have a saying: "Two people can keep a secret, if one of them is dead." They don't mean that one has to be killed, just that being dead is the only way he'll keep his mouth shut.

(By the way: I keep all of my guns -- revolvers, auotmatics, rifles, shotguns -- in a smallish cigar box in a safety deposit box in a bank in somebody else's name. Let this be our little secret,eh?)

[browningguy]

I have 3 safes in the house, but I need another one as I've had to lean a few against a corner in the closet:o. I have a four car garage (2 wide x 2 deep), in the back corner I have built a room 10x15, installed a window a/c unit, and built a work bench with storage under along two walls. I use that for gun cleaning and reloading. But it stays piled up with "stuff", got to figure out some more storage.