Project: Safe door handgun storage for $15 (pic heavy)

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hawk45

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So I've been thinking about what to do for a while and finally found a cheap and easy way to make use of the safe door to mount my handguns and free-up more interior room inside the safe. Not to mention it looks cool and makes it easier to find and organize my handguns while keeping them from getting scuffed up.

Most storage systems that places sell are EXPENSIVE for what you get. I wasn't going to drop $100 for a 6 gun rack, so I looked around my shop and found an easy way to do this for about $15.

Here is how I did this the cost effective way..

My materials list:
Box of 1 5/8" HD coated decking screws - $6
Pack of 3/8" rubber tubing - $3
12ft of 1" velcro tape - $7
Cutting blade
Sharpie marker
Sissors

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Steps:

First, I taped off the door where the shelves and divider inside the safe meet the door.

Second, I cut the rubber tubing in pieces about a 1/4 shorter than the screw length. This allows the screw to go in deep enough but also is long enough that the tubing would go over the screw end once fully in.. to keep from the screw end scratching the finishes on the guns.

Third, I held the first gun up to the door and marked where I wanted to put the rubber coated screw mounts (usually behind the grip where the web of your hand goes and tightly against the front of the trigger guard where it meets the barrel.

Fourth, I would put the rubber coated screws in the door and test for fit.

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Fifth, I would wrap a piece of the double sided velcro around the gun, cut it to size and put the gun back up on the screws. I would push the gun tight against the door covering material to set the velcro. I next open the velcro, removed the gun. Then I used pressure with my finger to really set the velcro into the door covering material. You could screw the velco to the door for extra strenth but seemed like overkill to me.

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Sixth, I put the gun back into the mount, secured the velcro, gave it a good tug to make sure it was sturdy and moved on to the next.

End Result:

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Give it a shot and have fun!!
 
I've seen something similar done using thread spools in place of the rubber on the screws.

A few things I will point out to those wanting to do something similar:

Many gun safes use a piece of gypsum board for the door panel. Screws will have very limited holding strength in this case, so you may consider removing the panel and gluing a thin piece of wood to the back to give the screw something to bite into.

You also should watch the length of the screw so that they to not extend too far beyond the door panel on the inside of the door. This could interfere with the locking bolts either preventing the door from opening or closing.
 
what i want to do, is move a nicer safe than what i have to the inside of the office closet. we have a cheap key safe that is just made out of metal that is not very thick at all. not fireproof or anything. we are running out of room because the safe shrunk. (i swear i didn't buy any more guns!) and maybe do that same setup. bolt it to the floor and make it impenetrable.
 
Looks nice man, what kind of a safe do you have? Did it open up a bunch of space? You sure have a few handguns so I bet it did wonders!
 
Congratulations!

Excellent work!

This is exactly the sort of thing we all need to see right now:

1) A way to keep the guns we do have in better order and safety (given the elevated pricing, many aren't adding anything to the collection right now)

2) An ingenious solution to a problem

3) Done in a self-sufficient and highly cost-effective manner.

I mean, your project is, for lack of a better catch-all term, just plain American! Thank you for sharing!
 
That is alot of pistols...I'm sure there are people on here who own more, but to me that seems like alot...Looks good though :)

I wish I could afford that many guns...
 
What does that do to the fire rating of the RSC?

Although most of these safes are "rated" they are not really rated. The rear panel of the door is usually in addition to an air gap of a few inches, then another layer or two of gypsum.

This shouldn't have any effect at all.
 
Thats a fine collection you have there, and a great way to add more room to your safe, but i dont see any revolvers, what gives?
Thanks for the idea's.
 
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Thats a fine collection you have there, and a great way to add more room to your safe, but i dont see any revolvers, what gives?
Thanks for the idea's.
My wife finally got her a S&W 442 the other day after many years of claiming rights to my guns she liked. I now have all mine back. But I snapped the last photo before I hung up her pink gripped air weight. I'm done with my auto collection.. have my wish list of revolvers started. (Vaquaro, Blackhawk, 686, 625, 629)

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. It was a fun project. I'll start on the lazy susan rack for long guns tomorrow when I'm off recovering from the Brickyard 400.. too many beers, wild turkey and sun. Well, not really..

Cheers
 
Good job hangin' them pistols!

I got bored a few Saturdays ago and did a something like that.

My "gun locker'' didn't have any thing in the door, but was thick enough to stuff in a piece of 1/2'' plywood wrapped in camo burlap.

Now I have room for all my mags on the top shelf.
 

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Nice job, guys! I might have to borrow scndactive's idea- I like the thought of adding pistol storage to the door of a Stack-On locker.
 
I may have to get one of those lockers for my ammo only. If I could get all that out of the safe I'd be golden.
 
Good job hangin' them pistols!

I got bored a few Saturdays ago and did a something like that.

My "gun locker'' didn't have any thing in the door, but was thick enough to stuff in a piece of 1/2'' plywood wrapped in camo burlap.

Now I have room for all my mags on the top shelf.
What did you use for the "holsters"? Some kind of nylon strap?
 
Here is what I am going to attempt to make.. something similar to this. Have the pipe and mounts already in the shop (old homeade shop table legs). Lowes has lazy susans for $10. Or you can order heavy duty ones here for about the same. I'll try lowes first.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1061&productid=02Z51&mode=videos#tabs

ilbob, not sure what scandavtive used, but you could use any kind of material like cordura or leather or thick velcro. You can get scrap leather here cheap, I've used the $20 bulk packs of black leather to make holsters and sheaths for my knives. Just cut it to shape. You get a ton of it!!! Mine came in a 24x24x24 box.

http://www.leatherunltd.com/leather/pieces/pieces.html
 
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