Storing guns in the attic

joed said:

Problem with this idea is to get them back you have to go through a background check.

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Yes, this is a bummer, but the same one we all go through regularly these days.

joed said:

Very interesting, FL was a great place to live, very gun friendly.

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? I still consider it gun friendly, especially as compared to the other most populous states. It probably helps that we dont have one massive urban
tumor city to concentrate all our voting power.

red rick said:

You must not have a gun given to you by your dad or granddad .

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My dad and grandad never saw a real gun in their entire lives.

Attic this time of year, for only a couple days is probably ok.

I'd probably grab a big cooler with a good lid to sow them in--for temperature control as much as for camouflage. Mind, an old, beater cooler might be even better camo.

It is my understanding via a friend in the alarm business most breakins happen via front door. They knock. No answer?. Cut your phone line. Kick front door. Close it behind them. Then go straight to master bedroom and bathroom because that is where the guns, pills, and jewlry are. Contary to popular belief theifs don't want your VCR (prolly a collectable now!)or TV. In and out before police arrive. Alarm can sirein away. They will be gone in under two minutes (More time == police.). Your neighbors are at work. Or don't hear it. If they did hear something the street looks fine because door is closed. They prolly don't care because they take pills to cope with grocery shopping.
He suspects there are "professional" or "regulars" who do this for a living. CCTV seldom result in a prosecution.
If you have an alarm, do get/pay for the cellular version not dependent on landline.

I share this because: Keep your guns out of those two rooms helps I suppose.

Anywhere else if found, I would suspect a "friend."

Under the sink is an option too. Under cabinets aswell. In air vents. In dirty laundry.

I like the bank idea. Cheap. private. Makes me think of Bourne movies.

I have guns that have been in an attic for years. They are fine. Lots of motor oil and a cheap plastic case work wonders. It doesn't even need to be a gun case- the cheap food containers from dollar gentral work just fine for handguns.

A few days in an attic or crawl space won't hurt your guns.

Environmental conditions inside these spaces can be hard on guns over the long haul, though, depending on how your house is configured.

The worst issues in attics aren't with hot temperatures in the summer or cold temps in the winter. Depending on climate, the biggest issues can be with moisture. Relative humidity up there can vary wildly from season to season. Also, moisture escaping from the living space can sometimes condense in inadequately vented attics.

Anybody who stores guns in an attic, especially in colder climates, needs to be aware of this and be especially careful to protect guns from water.

Also, swings in temperature and humidity can make wood swell and shrink...rust isn't the only enemy here.

ColtPythonElite said:

Buy a cat litter box. Put guns in bottom. Cover with litter. Toss a few half chewed Tootsie rolls in the litter.....Your guns will be safe.

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Now THAT is thinking outside the box. (Or inside the box) . The litter would definitely keep moisture out and I can't imagine someone thinking to dig through a litter box.

couple days is OK. One friend has stored his wrapped in towels for 20 years. Just checked this week and they are rusting. Not bad, but I don't like rust.

Mn Fats said:

Now THAT is thinking outside the box. (Or inside the box) . The litter would definitely keep moisture out and I can't imagine someone thinking to dig through a litter box.

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Unless they are Bill Murray (Carl the Groundskeeper in Caddyshack during the pool cleaning scene). I could never think of eating a baby ruth candy bar without remembering that scene.

ColtPythonElite said:

Buy a cat litter box. Put guns in bottom. Cover with litter. Toss a few half chewed Tootsie rolls in the litter.....Your guns will be safe.

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Reminds me of A guy at work that keeps a container of Nutella in his locker.
He’ll toss a bit on the toilet seat when he gets up, and keeps a little glob on the stall wall. He pretty much has his own stall.

DeepSouth said:

Reminds me of A guy at work that keeps a container of Nutella in his locker.
He’ll toss a bit on the toilet seat when he gets up, and keeps a little glob on the stall wall. He pretty much has his own stall.

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Smear your gun safe with Nutella? Never thought of that one.

If you put the guns in the attic, do two things:

1. Put them in a moisture sealed container with silica gel desiccant.
2. Cover them with insulation or such to conceal them.

In 1992, I stored my Firearms in my attic during the summer (West central Georgia). VERY HUMID!!!!
Most fared well, but one, the bore rusted unnoticed till I fired it the following fall. Instant pitting due to bore “sweating” due to temperature swings.

When I was a police officer, I once worked a burglary that involved the theft of a gun collection. It had been stored in an attic, but they were just stacked near the folding, ceiling mounted stairs. Burglar(s) evidently knew what they were looking for as resident found the stairs left down.

Epilogue; investigatiors determined later it was the boyfriend of his “ex”, who was getting the ugly end of the divorce. Ex got her divorce, boyfriend got 2-10yrs for a residential burglary. Complainant got the guns back, mostly. Ex and bf got greedy and sold several of the guns. Led to getting caught. Not all guns were recovered, however.

ColtPythonElite said:

Buy a cat litter box. Put guns in bottom. Cover with litter. Toss a few half chewed Tootsie rolls in the litter.....Your guns will be safe.

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Bottom of laundry hopper with a couple of skid stained drawers on top!
Or in a red bio bag lined trash can with a bloody rag and a few used syringes on top! Maybe even a piece of latex tubing for good looks!
- note: San Francisco can supply plenty of these items if you don’t have any!
Good luck

Why not let a bear house sit for the weekend? That should keep the bad guys away.
Sorry, I just had too.

Are you sure someone might not look in the attic? Do you have a good friend or a family member you can leave them with?

+1 for being in the rafters, maybe in a length of 6" dia ducting and way way back from the trap door so it's a pita to access

JohnKSa said:

My bank won't allow firearms to be stored in safe deposit boxes. However, as far as I know, it's not against the law, just against their policy.

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Isn’t there a federal law against carrying a firearm into a bank regardless of the intent?

Catpop said:

Isn’t there a federal law against carrying a firearm into a bank regardless of the intent?

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I'm still trying to figure out not being able to bring a gun on to post office property but they ship guns.

JohnKSa said:

Not as far as I know. The bank doesn't actually prohibit carrying firearms--it just states that it's against their policy to store firearms in safe deposit boxes.

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Not my bank. many years ago when I got a safe deposit box I asked if they had a policy against storing handguns in it. Gal looked at me like I was nuts and told me "Nope, you rented it so put what you want in it". I have four antiques in it and I carried them in in a Walmart plastic sack, doubled of course. Anytime I'm in the box I take them out and fondle them a bit and check for rust. No one there cares. Of course it's a small town bank.

Moreisless wrote:
...if someone were to break in my house, they wouldn't think of looking there....

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Depending on how much time they think they have - presence of an alarm that alerts remotely? - the criminals will search within a few (say 6, 9 or 12) feet of your attic access for your guns buried in your insulation.

Moving your guns to your attic every-time you go out of town is a bad idea since you will habitually place them in the same place and those depressions in the insulation will become the first place a criminal that has the wherewithal to look in the attic at all, will look.

Catpop said:

Isn’t there a federal law against carrying a firearm into a bank regardless of the intent?

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Not here in Florida; I carry in my BoA branch all the time. Now, my mom's bank in SC forbids it and has a double lock entry/exit system with metal detectors to prevent anyone from gaining access inside with a gun

MoreIsLess said:

I am going to be out of town for a few days and I want to hide my semi automatic pistols (about 5 or 6 of them) somewhere where if someone were to break in my house, they wouldn't think of looking there. I thought of keeping them in the attic until I return in 2 or 3 days. Of course they would be UNLOADED. Do you think this would pose any harm to the guns for just a few days.

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No. I had a few up in the attic for over 20 years. They were dry. Don't let them get wet, that will ruin them.

George P said:

Not here in Florida; I carry in my BoA branch all the time. Now, my mom's bank in SC forbids it and has a double lock entry/exit system with metal detectors to prevent anyone from gaining access inside with a gun

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Info only: BoA closed its doors in Washington NC - not sure why as I never banked with them. But then First South Bank sold out to Cres-something or ruther. And Wachovia sold out to Wells Fargo and went straight downhill from there!
It’s a very changing world we bank in!
I get my western union at Food Lion no less! And on and on!

MoreIsLess said:

I am going to be out of town for a few days and I want to hide my semi automatic pistols (about 5 or 6 of them) somewhere where if someone were to break in my house, they wouldn't think of looking there. I thought of keeping them in the attic until I return in 2 or 3 days. Of course they would be UNLOADED. Do you think this would pose any harm to the guns for just a few days.

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Even better, field strip them and scatter the pieces and/or take the barrels and slides with you