Dummy Safe?

You seem to be under the impression that someone is going to break in specifically to steal your guns and stop looking for valuables as soon as they think they've found your guns. I think you'll find that most burglars will toss the place completely and end up with both your hidden guns and your little pistol safe while check all your hiding spots for cash, iPods, jewelry, and laptops.

Don't hide the gun, keep it on you at all times.

You seem to be under the impression that someone is going to break in specifically to steal your guns and stop looking for valuables as soon as they think they've found your guns. I think you'll find that most burglars will toss the place completely and end up with both your hidden guns and your little pistol safe while check all your hiding spots for cash, iPods, jewelry, and laptops.

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Bingo.

Also, what makes you think that when he finds the safe that he thinks has a gun in it he won't toss the place looking for a few others that you might not have locked away? It takes minutes to toss an apartment. (just watch that show It Takes a Theif) If he thinks he's got the time, most will not just snag one item and run.

You could really hide it in plain sight. Just bake it into a loaf of bread every week. Unless the BG is really hungry that will be the last place he will look.
Seriously the best place if possible is a locked box in an area that looks like it is a wall (false wall in a closet etc.). Then do as you suggest and they may not find it. Personally I would hide ammo and firearm along with box to let them think I have none in house anyway.

my humble opinion...
anything you do to "delay" a burgler is good.
but, i do think you should buy a sound safe and mount it or find a hiding spot that will take both time and energy to get to (attic?).

good luck on your endevor

Then hide my pistols elsewhere in the apartment ...

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Where? Anyone with any experience will know where to look anyway.

I'll take the 9th post, to be the first to introduce the notion that you might want to focus on better securing the entry points of the apartment.

I'm not talking about replacing the front door or installing iron bars on the windows, but there are many ways to add reinforcement or alarm products to a window or door. Spend some time, and yep, money, hardening the perimeter of your dwelling.

Otherwise, get a better, stronger, and more securely anchored gun safe.

inside my computer

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Right, because no one will ever steal a computer.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=148194

rc

I was thinking maybe one of those pistol boxes that you can hang from a hanger with a shirt over it

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Which will be noticed as soon as the burglar tosses all your shirts to the floor in search of more stuff in the closet.

or possibly in one of my many suitcases in my closet.

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Theives use suitcases and bags they find in homes they burglarize to carry out all the goodies they steal. "Hiding" a pistol in a suitcase only makes less work for them.

inside my computer

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I think Jorg covered this already.

in the cupboard above the fridge.

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Many, many people hide money and valuables in the kitchen, and in cupboards specifically. Theives know this.

Think about it like this - any place you can think of to hide something, theives can think of too. If you really want to secure your guns, buy a reasonably cheap Stack-On type gun safe, and bolt it to the wall inside a closet. It's not foolproof, but it's better than hiding your valuables and hoping nobody finds them while they ransack your apartment.

i've been burglarized in the past. it was before i owned any guns, which i'm actually thankful for, but here are some observations i'd make from my experience:

1. it will take no time at all for a thief to toss the entire place. about the only thing that will cause them to leave portions of the apartment unchecked would be running out of time. an alarm could help with that. it will shorten the length of time they feel comfortable staying to near zero for many thieves. an intimidating dog could help too, if they are allowed under your lease. without something along those lines, you will come home to the drawers of every piece of furniture pulled all the way out and probably dumped on the ground, your mattress thrown off the bed, every cabinet open and "rearranged", every closet emptied, etc. so any "hiding" would have to involve some pretty involved modifications that you probably can't make in your situation.

2. your computer is gone, dude. no thief will leave the computer. trust me.

3. it is highly likely they will use something in your house to carry goods out, and the suitcases have a decent chance of being chosen. in my case, they used a laundry basket that was sitting out. (actually, one of my shirts that was in it was actually the thing i missed most, though certainly not the most valuable)

4. a safe helps due to the time factor. most "safes" people have are actually fairly easy for an experienced thief to defeat, especially if they bring power tools. but thieves with those skills also tend to choose higher-reward targets than your apartment (no offense). for the average smash-n-grab thief, a safe is something they won't mess with due to time constraints or a lack of knowledge unless they can just cart the whole thing out and work on it elsewhere! the lesson there is to secure it to the floor or walls as well as your situation will allow.

5. one last recommendation...renter's insurance. in my case, the one thing that made the situation more palatable was my homeowner's policy. it allowed me to replace most of what was taken. (in fact, them taking the crappy computer actually helped me meet the deductible with enough left over to make it worthwhile.) this doesn't help with the "some lowlife has my gun" angle, but it will help you replace your possessions. if you feel you have things worth protecting, you should look into it.

good luck!

Get the heaviest gun safe you can. I lived in a second story apparment and had a 700# safe. An unprepared theif was not going to do something with that.

You don't have the cash for one you say? Then check craigslist or local safe dealers for used safes. There will be plenty to choose from that are large enough for pistols and weigh more than enough to keep 1-2 unprepared guys from lugging them off.

I probably would not buy this for an apparment, but I got a 1300# all steel mosler safe for $300. It has about 7CF of storage space and won't get opened by a smash and grabber. All of my real valubles go in there.