Gun Storage When...

[XxWINxX94]

Hello everyone,
An interesting thing came up the other day that inspired me to make this post. (And Mods, if this is too irrelevant, please delete it).

Recently, my family had carpet installed in the entire upstairs of our house.
I store all my guns/ammunition/etc. downstairs in the basement, either in a safe, on gun racks, or just laying around (I have alot of stuff ).

So the guys from Lowe's came over and installed the new carpet for around 4 hours. I knew a family member would be home, so I didn't bother to put anything away or hide anything, because the carpet installers would not be going downstairs for ANY reason. ALSO, The "gun room" where all the stuff is 'laying around' is in sort of a room that is locked by me whenever I am not at the house.

Now, this is just me.
If YOU were having something done at your house, say a serviceman coming to fix an appliance, or work on something inside the house, would you hide/put away everything? Or would you take more/less drastic measures?

Just wondering what fellow high-roaders would do when something like this comes up.

 

[G27RR]

Yes, I would put it all away. Cuts down on the chances a worker or someone they told would decide to target your house.

Not really an issue for me though, because everything stays put away anyway since I have small children.

 

[kingpin008]

One of the classic ways for houses to end up broken into is when service people come to do work. You're essentially letting completely unknown individuals scope out all your goodies - many will end up coming back later, or telling their friends about the rich pickins.

When we have workers in or around the house, I put all my gun stuff away, and I make sure to keep as much of our electronics either hidden or low-key. Seems common sense to me - why advertise?

 

[Flash!]

but how do you handle the situation when your safe is in the room where the carpet is being replaced? My safe would have to be moved to replace the carpet..... and it is bolted to the concrete foundation.....

 

[Rembrandt]

Leaving guns out in the open while carpet installers are in the house?.....would be like letting your wife run around the basement naked while they're installing the carpet.

 

[XxWINxX94]

but how do you handle the situation when your safe is in the room where the carpet is being replaced? My safe would have to be moved to replace the carpet..... and it is bolted to the concrete foundation.....

That would be quite the project then......

Leaving guns out in the open while carpet installers are in the house?.....would be like letting your wife run around the basement naked while they're installing the carpet.

Very true....

I guess I should elaborate a little so I don't get hounded for leaving my guns out!
My gun racks, and gun stuff, it is laying around, but is in a room that is much like a closet. It has a door, and that door is locked whenever I am not there. There is also no other way to get in, or even see the guns/stuff, without opening the locked door.

Sorry if what I said in the OP was vague or scared anybody.

 

[PT92]

I would definitely hide my stash.

-Happy Holidays

 

[Walkalong]

We had windows put in. Everything was moved to the middle of the room, covered, and taped up. They could guess, but they couldn't know what was there. The wife was there the whole time as well.

 

[Hatterasguy]

I only let people in to work who I personally know and use in my business.

 

[Tim the student]

I try to hide everything gun related when workers (or anyone I don't fully trust) come over. Stocks I may be working on, the safe, reloading presses, cleaning stuff etc, all gets covered up somehow. It probably isn't 100% effective (I think I could ID a press shape bolted to a workbench or a powder thrower) but it keeps it from being out in the open.

If it is ID'd, at least it will be by a gun guy - who hopefully won't be low enough to steal another gunner's stuff. The dirtbags who don't know the difference between a 9 and a 40 probably wont be able to ID anything.

 

[Coolbreeze8804]

I don't put anything away. I leave it all out. AND... I invite multiple friends over, LOTS of them, and request that they ALL wear thier BBQ guns, AND park around the corner so there aren't a lot of cars in the drive, AND have them wear thier Harley shirts, AND I introduce them ALL as my roommates.

Seems to be working so far....

 

[kimbershot]

i used to store my fishing gear in my basement during the offseason. one day, i noticed that 2 abu garcia reels were missing. i had several service folks doing work prior to my noticing anything afoul so i couldn't point any fingers. i took that as a cheap lesson. :banghead:

what people don't know, won't hurt you. hand guns, suppressors, bolts for my rifles are locked away in my safe. long guns stored in the attic (sans bolts), reloading stuff is in the basement stored out of sight and with only 2 machine bolts holding my press on the bench, i would box it up before i would allow any strangers around.

 

[brboyer]

but how do you handle the situation when your safe is in the room where the carpet is being replaced? My safe would have to be moved to replace the carpet..... and it is bolted to the concrete foundation.....

There's these real cool new devices - they're called carpet knives! they're are used to cut carpet to fit around things.

 

[Iam2taz]

Just keeping the door locked and everything that is gun related in that room is a good idea. No one is going to go in there for the most part unless they are really being nosey. There are ways to tell if some one has been in your stuff.
Most crooks want an easy score when you aren't around. They can't do it while they are working because it would be too easy figure it out.

No one goes in my gun room / man cave unless I am there to go in. One thing my Dad taught me was not to leave something lying around that would make an otherwise honest person, dishonest. Such as CDs on the car seat in plain sight.

 

[Lonestar49]

+1.5

Leaving guns out in the open while carpet installers are in the house?.....would be like letting your wife run around the basement naked while they're installing the carpet.

Well put and so, picturest, clear.. LMAO


Ls

 

[Geneseo1911]

Being a trusting rural farmer type, I wouldn't have thought twice about this, until last year when my Dad had new carpet put on his staircase. One week later, the guy who installed it (contracted through Lowe's) was arrested for murdering his girlfriend. You never know who you are letting into your house when you hire someone.

That is why, being a rural farmer type, I do all the work on my house myself. Cheaper that way too.

I like the biker gang approach, though.

 

[berettaprofessor]

is in a room that is much like a closet. It has a door, and that door is locked whenever I am not there. There is also no other way to get in, or even see the guns/stuff, without opening the locked door.

Now I don't understand the OP's original question; sounds like you DID hide them from the carpet installers to me....the same as if you "moved" them all into another locked closet or stuffed them into the attic.

 

[atlctyslkr]

What about removing them to a trusted friend of relative's house?

 

[Tiomoid]

I would probably ensure that all of my firearms and paraphernalia were well hidden, including the one on my hip! I don't trust strangers at all...

 

[ZCORR Jay]

You probably were fine leaving them out in the gun room which you mentioned is part of another room that is usually locked. If they got through one locked door they might not stop at another one.

 

[wep45]

i like to bring every thing out doors on a large table. stuff can be in the warm sun shine and enjoy the fresh air.

 

[CoRoMo]

I have a sign that says, "No stealing allowed". It works. All of the visitors to my property have obeyed it.

 

[brandon_mcg]

i usually try to leave all of my stuff in the gun cabinet and locked.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I have 2 "little" friends that tend to negate any thought that a contractor may have for coming back and breaking into my home. Very big heads, Very large teeth, and VERY bad attitudes towards someone that does not belong in THEIR house. Rotties are VERY good at that job.

 

[otisrush]

As far as having someone see the safe: The owner of the LGS where I bought my safe said he has heard (and he said the police have verified this) that the presence of the safe alone scares of burglars. He said the police have stories of people entering a house and just turning around when they see the safe (via dirty footprints, etc.). They figure 1) anything valuable is in there and 2) going next door is A LOT easier than messing with that damn safe. I'm not saying advertise the fact one has a safe. I've gone through a lot of effort to conceal mine. If I was faced with the choice of having some carpet installers see it there or moving it so they didn't see it - I don't know for sure what I'd do - but I'd probably let them see it. Maybe I'm just lazy.

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