Gun room...
Heh. You guys have been a swarm in my server logs, I came over in self-defense to see what lies and calumny were being spread about me.
There are actually two rooms in the basment. One is essentially the museum, , and the other is a library. The library hasthe Russian, Swede, French and "polyglot" rifles on two walls, and bookshelves and recliner elsewhere. That was also the most problematic room, as it has a large picture window, which required bars and *ahem* other measures be taken to provide adequate security.
The museum room sits unobtrusively behind two locked doors, so casual visitors won't stumble in - and for those of you who worry about burglars - there are *measures* which shall remain unlisted here, to account for someone who, recognizing that cutting through concrete and steel to get in horizontally is noisy and time-consuming might try the simpler approach of going through the floor of the room above...
I couldn't build a bunker - so I built it such that your average smash and grab artist would have to take too much time and effort to get in. A true professional could bypass most of the measures - but is also smart enough to know that the collection, while impressive looking, actually doesn't have near enough quickly realizeable value (being mostly used milsurp of varying rarity, which is my preferred niche) to be worth the effort for the risk. I also post copies of my FFL (so that the occasional tradesman (like my plumber and cable guy) will feel like I'm not necessarily a crank with guns -though, in truth, I am - as well as the ATFE-provided "Stealing Guns Is A Federal Offense" poster.
So, all that effort - and what am I doing now? Building an office upstairs, where I will display some guns, and move the core of the Library of Argghhh! to be closer to the computer. So, it's painted Hunter Green and Cream, has hardwood floors (badly in need of refinishing) and will have, in addition to the bookshelves, my poster set from the Brit "Instructions for Armorers" manuals and some WWI and WWII propaganda posters on the wall.
It's being built in a former bedroom, so I'm going to convert the closet into a gun cleaning/servicing station, and I'll install a safe in there to secure things when we travel, if I don't put them down in the basement area.
I can't overemphasize the comment above about humidity control - that is something I watch like a hawk. I have a dehumidifier and meter. I use Rennaissance Wax on the weapons I don't shoot regularly, but the wood on some of my older pieces is particularly susceptible to changes in humidity.
Thanks for dropping by, guys and gals.
If I get some decent pics of the room, I'll post 'em.
... LOL
