Storing guns in the attic

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MoreIsLess

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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.
 
Can’t think of anything that would happen in just a few days, guns are fairly tough when it comes to short term storage, (except for maybe a Remington shotgun in my experience) I’d spray a little rem oil on them and let it go.

Afterthought: If you have mice/rats in your attic they may chew up some polymer frames, assuming you’re mouse free I really can’t think of any problems.

Personally, I’d take them with me if at all possible, if not I have a couple good friends I’d trust to keep them. I’m leaving town myself in a couple weeks, I have more guns than I can carry (except for on my boat) my solution is to get my mother in law to stay at my house while I’m gone...
Who ever said mother in laws weren’t good for anything?
 
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.
If you have local pawn shop that you trust, you can pawn them for a token amount, say $20, then pick them up when you get back, just pay the interest and consider it a storage fee.
 
Two or three days, the guns should be fine.

Longer than that? Lube them generously. Check them every 6 months and redistribute the lube or add lube.

Should be good unless you get a roof leak or a water heater leak.

In my first house I kept a small quantity of guns in my attic for several years. I kept them cased and a bit overly lubed. I checked them, and wiped down, every 6 months if I didn't pull them down to shoot them. Of course, I wiped out all the excessive lube before shooting.

It's not the best storage method, but it can do in a pinch.
 
Pre-safe ownership, when I would go out of town I'd simply take them to the pawn shop. Granted, I worked there, but I liked the idea of them 1. not being in my house and 2. being in a really serious safe, one that is actually better than the one I have now due to space restrictions in my home. If you have a large arsenal this might be cost prohibitive, but if you're talking only a few guns, pawning them for the minimum isn't a big deal. If you do, pawn them separately so that they can be gotten back one at a time or all at once. If they're on the same pawn ticket they can only be picked up en mass.
 
If you have local pawn shop that you trust, you can pawn them for a token amount, say $20, then pick them up when you get back, just pay the interest and consider it a storage fee.
Wrong, he would also have to do a background check (and transfer fee) on every one of them.

It would be cheaper to rent a safety deposit box in a bank.
 
Wrong, he would also have to do a background check (and transfer fee) on every one of them.

It would be cheaper to rent a safety deposit box in a bank.
First, background checks vary from state to state. For quite awhile we were allowed, in Florida, to process any gun pawn redemption that was less than 90 days from contract date through NICS, for which there was no fee. There is also no "transfer fee", merely a redemption fee. Our store minimum charge on any pawn is $5.00. Therefore, before they changed the rules, a $25 pawned gun cost $30, for the first 30 day period, to redeem as long as it was less than 90 day duration. Pawns over 90 days had to go through FDLE and they did charge a b/r check fee. And still do.
And, we're open much later than any bank will let you access your safety deposit box.
 
I live in Florida; the going rate for a FFL transfer is $20 + the $5 state background fee. Acquiring about 6 guns also requires an additional form and that MIGHT raise some red flags as to why someone was acquiring 6 handguns at one time. The bank box is still cheaper and more secure.
 
I'm with the "invest in a safe" crowd...I'm overwintering in Florida...brought 3 with me...the others are enjoying their sabbatical locked securely in my gun safe. As an after thought I wish I'd have brought more with me as I miss shooting them.
 
I live in Florida; the going rate for a FFL transfer is $20 + the $5 state background fee. Acquiring about 6 guns also requires an additional form and that MIGHT raise some red flags as to why someone was acquiring 6 handguns at one time. The bank box is still cheaper and more secure.
If some pawnshop is charging a transfer free to return your own gun to you they're doing you wrong. Just like there's no transfer fee if you're buying a gun from them, just the background check fee. Transfer is when it's coming from another ffl somewhere else to you.
 
I live in Florida; the going rate for a FFL transfer is $20 + the $5 state background fee. Acquiring about 6 guns also requires an additional form and that MIGHT raise some red flags as to why someone was acquiring 6 handguns at one time. The bank box is still cheaper and more secure.
God bless you, George, but I dont think you have ever pawned a gun in FL.

There is one backround check that covers all the pawn redemptions and there is no transfer fee. If he pawns his guns for $20 and redeems them within 30 days, it would cost $30 to pick them up, a $5 backround check plus $5 in interest- in effect a $10 storage fee.

He would have up to 60 days to redeem the merchandise before default for another $5.

Safes are great- but whats to stop them from stealing the whole safe. Small handgun safes are not all that heavy and the OP considers a break-in likely enough that he started a thread about it, right?

In addition to more secure storage, his property would also be covered under the shop's insurance if it were damaged or stolen.
 
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I live in Florida; the going rate for a FFL transfer is $20 + the $5 state background fee. Acquiring about 6 guns also requires an additional form and that MIGHT raise some red flags as to why someone was acquiring 6 handguns at one time. The bank box is still cheaper and more secure.

Buying two handguns in five business days from one location requires the use of the form 3310. Federal Law.

1. Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) must use thisform to report all transactionsin which an unlicensed person acquired any combination of two or more pistols or revolvers totaling two or more at one time or during five consecutive business days. This form is not required when the pistols or revolvers are returned to the same person from whom they are received.
 
If you have local pawn shop that you trust, you can pawn them for a token amount, say $20, then pick them up when you get back, just pay the interest and consider it a storage fee.
Problem with this idea is to get them back you have to go through a background check.
 
God bless you, George, but I dont think you have ever pawned a gun in FL.

There is one backround check that covers all the pawn redemptions and there is no transfer fee. If he pawns his guns for $20 and redeems them within 30 days, it would cost $30 to pick them up, a $5 backround check plus $5 in interest- in effect a $10 storage fee.

He would have up to 60 days to redeem the merchandise before default for another $5.

Safes are great- but whats to stop them from stealing the whole safe. Small handgun safes are not all that heavy and the OP considers a break-in likely enough that he started a thread about it, right?

In addition to more secure storage, his property would also be covered under the shop's insurance if it were damaged or stolen.
Very interesting, FL was a great place to live, very gun friendly.
 
If you go the store in attic route, put the hanguns in zip-lock style bags just to keep dust and bugs off. You might also consider placing them in clothes dryer or washer, maybe even a dishwasher. Not many crooks would look in those places.
 
A lady went to her bank and asked for a loan of $20,000. She offered her Bentley as security,,, Of course it was worth way more than the loan,,,So the Bentley was parked securely in the banks undrground parking,,,Two weeks later the lady came back, paid the loan off, with only a interest charge of $200.....Banker was curious,,she said she went on vacation and $200 was cheap compared to airport parking and her car was a lot safer at the bank.
 
I thought of keeping them in the attic until I return in 2 or 3 days.
I don't see 2 or 3 days, or even a week, being a problem. Long term = problem, even in low-humidity Idaho...much more of a problem in Georgia, I'd bet.
Many years ago before I had a gun safe, I hid 3 or 4 rifles and a couple of shotguns in the attic for a few months. I thought I'd protected them well with a light coat of oil, but when I checked a few months later, the rust was just starting to form. No real damage, but I was danged glad I checked, and got them out of the attic in time.
If you go the store in attic route, put the hanguns in zip-lock style bags just to keep dust and bugs off.
I think MislMan has a real good idea too...zip-lock bags. Still, 2 or 3 days...not long term.
I myself already have a gun safe, but in addition to that, I'm thinking of getting one of those security cabinets that are built into a wall, between the studs. Then I'll hang a large picture or poster over it. It won't provide as much security as my safe, but I figure it will be good enough for short term storage for some of our handguns. Besides, being retired, we're usually home 7 days a week, and I can transfer the guns to the safe when we're going to be away for a while.
 
"Hiding stuff" is called security by obscurity and... doesn't work.

Our clever ideas for hiding things are amateur. People who break into houses are often enough professionals at that (they share info with each other etc), so know where people hide things.

There is no clever secret place to hide a gun. Lock them up. Lock the house. Lock the room they are in. Have alarms. Have neighbors you trust know you are gone, to keep an eye out for people skulking. Etc.


This article has a brief discussion of custom-designed stuff to hide guns, then a long discussion of why ad hoc hiding doesn't work:
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/hiding-guns-in-your-home/
 
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