Bank Deposit boxes as a method of storage

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kd7nqb

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For a variety of reasons that I wont even start to get into I may wish to store a pistol somewhere other than my residence, part of this is a landlord issue part of it is a convince issue. I was considering the use of a safety deposit box at a bank. I quickly talked with a friend who is a bank teller and he said that it seems economical and he believes that there is no legal issue with this. Does anybody here have experience with this as method of storage? The only downside I see is the lack of accessibility since I would have get to it during business hours. Are their other downsides?
 
I kept some handguns in my safety deposit box when we were moving from our old home to a new home a few years ago. I had 4 handguns that I cleaned, oiled, and put in the original factory boxes. Put them in a locked briefcase. Walked into the bank and asked to use my safe deposit box as I usually do. Signed in. Went into the locked room after my box was retrieved. Put my stuff in and brought my box back to the safe. I put those handguns in my safe deposit box during the duration of the move because it was less for me to think about with all the long guns I had to manage.

Legally, there's nothing wrong. As far as bank policy, it may go against it, but according to law, the bank cannot know what is in your box. I remember reading that the ATF even recommended safe deposit boxes for storing Class III NFA firearms.
 
52 views and only 1 comment, this means a lot of people are interested but we have sumed it all up? Odd figured more than one person would have done this.
 
I would check city & state law. In my state I think it is completely legal, AFAIK unless bank is posted you can CCW in the bank. Some are posted some are not.
 
I looked into this on my own (i.e. didn't consult a lawyer) awhile back. As far as I can tell there is no legal problem with it in my state.
 
ASk for a copy of the banks Account agreement for Deposit Boxes....good source of info.

Do not expect them to be insured. Whatever you had in your box is your risk if the building burns down.

Smoke
 
I've been keeping guns in bank boxes here and there at least two decades, probably longer.

Banks don't tell me how they make financial decisions. I don't tell them what I keep in my deposit boxes. We're square.
 
can't hurt and (Im not a lawyer) far as I know no states have laws agianst it.

Even a bank posted with a no ccw sign I doubt that includes unloaded cased firearms being put into your deposit box.

Not a bad idea to keep one in there just as a spare. Home gets broken into and they get all the guns or something liek that you know you still have a back up ready to go at a safe location.
 
"Class III NFA firearms"

Can somebody please give me a decent definition for this? Or at least update the wikipedia page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_III_NFA_firearm
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Any firearm that is controlled under the very restrictive Title 2/Class III provisions of the National Firearms Act, rather than the Title 1 provisions that govern ordinary civilian firearms. Possession of a Title 2/Class III weapon without Federal authorization (BATFE Form 4) is a 10-year Federal felony, and you have to jump through some hoops to get a Form 4.

Title 2/Class III guns include all automatic weapons, sound-suppressed firearms, firearms over .50 caliber (except shotguns and some over-.50 hunting rifles), rifles with barrels shorter than 16", shotguns with barrels shorter than 18", rifles or shotguns shorter than 26" overall length, smoothbore handguns, shoulder-stocked handguns (some antiques excepted), disguised firearms (cell phone guns, cane guns), explosives, grenades, gun-type grenade launchers, etc. etc. etc.

Title 1 guns are non-automatic firearms under .50 caliber that meet the other requirements of the NFA. Your local gun store carries Title 1 firearms; only specially licensed Class III dealers can sell Title 2 weapons, and only to military/police departments or approved individuals with Form 4's.


(FWIW, I started a Wikipedia article. It's probably a duplicate of some of the other, better articles on the NFA, but it's there, anyway.)
 
Unless prohibited by state or local law, there is no federal prohibition against carrying a firearm, loaded or unloaded, into a bank.
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Show me one bank that doesn't have a "no firearms" sign on the door or window next to the door.
 
Show me one bank that doesn't have a "no firearms" sign on the door or window next to the door.
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None of the banks I use here in Colorado Springs have "no firearms" signs ... in addition, Colorado is one of those states where a "no firearms" sign carries no legal weight so I can feel free to ignore it (unless I'm asked by management to leave, then I have to leave or be charged with tresspass ... but the sign is NOT prior restraint here).

Here in Colorado I can CCW into a bank (and do every time I go to the bank), so there is no federal law, state law or even bank policy that I'm aware of that would prevent me from storing guns in a safety deposit box.

Check your local laws, check your bank's policies, but I think you'd be surprised how many guns there are stored in safety deposit boxes across the country.

HOWEVER, I do believe most banks have policies against storing explosives or other hazardous materials in safety deposit boxes, so storing AMMO in a safety deposit box would likely not fly with the bank.

Again, they don't know what's in it so what they don't know won't hurt them.
 
But that would not be federal.
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I didn't say it would or wouldn't not be Federal....just that it was odd to suggest something inside a bank when all banks I see say no weapons.

None of the banks I use here in Colorado Springs have "no firearms" signs ... in addition, Colorado is one of those states where a "no firearms" sign carries no legal weight so I can feel free to ignore it (unless I'm asked by management to leave, then I have to leave or be charged with tresspass ... but the sign is NOT prior restraint here).
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In AZ a sign is considered a legally valid request/notice from what I recall in my CCW class.
 
ASk for a copy of the banks Account agreement for Deposit Boxes....good source of info.

Do not expect them to be insured. Whatever you had in your box is your risk if the building burns down.
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It seems to me that this would be the first logical step.........
 
My bank, U.S. Bank, which is the sixth largest bank in the U.S, does not post. However, the safe deposit box agreement specifically states that firearms, ammunition, and explosives may not be stored in the safe deposit box.

I'll have to write them and see if I can convince them to remove the prohibition on handguns being stored in their safe deposit boxes.

DJ
 
Show me one bank that doesn't have a "no firearms" sign on the door or window next to the door.
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I've never seen a bank here with a no firearms sign. The only no firearms sign I've seen here is a Cingular store I quit going to. I just go to another Cingular store that doesn't have the sign.
 
Outlaws said:
Show me one bank that doesn't have a "no firearms" sign on the door or window next to the door.
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Come to Oklahoma. In fact I have never seen a posted bank here since we got our CCW law in '95.
 
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