How Do You Display Your Guns?
- Thread starter DeadCalm
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Thank you for your responses. When I lived in San Francisco a B&E punk broke into my apt. and got my S&W M41, which my father had given to me for my 21st birthday. We moved back to MT about 12 years ago. My wife thinks I'm a bit paranoid about crime in this community. She may be right, but once nailed like that you tend to be more careful. It's not, "that will never happen to me," so much as "that happened to me and it never will again." Our house is occupied virtually 24/7. Security issues in this neighborhood are nominal to non-existent. But I sure understand the concerns that some have expressed here Again, thanks.
joab
Member
This is what my living room looked like until my wife won the argument
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
Paranoid, I Think Not~!
Just being wise of the times, my friend. In 20+ years as a veteran LEO,
I've seen far too many times a burglar leaving home owners "high and
dry".
As they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure".
Thats why I have installed a very elaborate early warning
system; complete with landsharks~!
Just being wise of the times, my friend. In 20+ years as a veteran LEO,
I've seen far too many times a burglar leaving home owners "high and
dry".
As they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound ofcure".
Thats why I have installed a very elaborate early warningsystem; complete with landsharks~!
Mannlicher
Member
I keep all my guns and knives locked in two big safes. No display here.
Now thats NOT to say that I leave them in the safe, oh no. I have a gun or two out every night, to clean, polish, check, ...............
Now thats NOT to say that I leave them in the safe, oh no. I have a gun or two out every night, to clean, polish, check, ...............
joab
Member
Maybe paranoid was a poor choice of words.
In my neighborhood we tend to not lock doors. Very often I leave the side door open at night so the dog can get out without waking me by licking my ear and barking in it..
When I leave for about a half an hour tonight to pick my wife up from work I probably wont lock the door.
If you should open the door you'll be met with an ear piercing alarm and a pit bull that gets very pissed when the alarm pierces his ear.
Neighbors will come out from their houses to see who is robbing the nice gringo man that gives them all the pepper plants. at least one will be armed and another will have one of his chow dogs with him.
The same thing will happen if you set the alarm off in the day when I'm at work.
they have proven that already when a friend that they did not recognize came over to get some stuff from my shed
I forget that not everybody lives in a community like this, just as some of you forget that not everybody lives in a community like yours
In my neighborhood we tend to not lock doors. Very often I leave the side door open at night so the dog can get out without waking me by licking my ear and barking in it..
When I leave for about a half an hour tonight to pick my wife up from work I probably wont lock the door.
If you should open the door you'll be met with an ear piercing alarm and a pit bull that gets very pissed when the alarm pierces his ear.
Neighbors will come out from their houses to see who is robbing the nice gringo man that gives them all the pepper plants. at least one will be armed and another will have one of his chow dogs with him.
The same thing will happen if you set the alarm off in the day when I'm at work.
they have proven that already when a friend that they did not recognize came over to get some stuff from my shed
I forget that not everybody lives in a community like this, just as some of you forget that not everybody lives in a community like yours
bamawrx
Member
I have long being thinking of this topic. For now, my arms remain under lock and key. But, my long term plan is for a master den or study that would include extensive displays of arms. I am designing the room to be secure as a safe, but intend to incorporate safes to store arms while out of town. I think fire is a larger threat to our valuables than theft, but we should pay attention to both. You would be surprised how many "hidden" rooms full of guns I run into in my line of work. Heck, I even came across a vacant house full of guns and ammo that had sat vacant for decades with no theft. It took a hurricane and an oak tree to expose the house of guns!
I plan to place the gun room on a second or third floor to complicate theft, put in fire sprinklers, alarms, and a vault for long term storage. I hope to accomplish a best compromise between security and enjoyment.
You have to admit it sucks to have to pull your guns from the safe to enjoy them.
I plan to place the gun room on a second or third floor to complicate theft, put in fire sprinklers, alarms, and a vault for long term storage. I hope to accomplish a best compromise between security and enjoyment.
You have to admit it sucks to have to pull your guns from the safe to enjoy them.
Stevie-Ray
Member
Perhaps you can do that in MT. If so, I envy you, as I certainly can't in MI. I've always wanted a gun room, though, the type that is a whole room-safe. Picture the one Rutger Hauer has in Wanted, Dead or Alive. If ever I own the house of my dreams, I will have this constructed. Then and only then will I have guns displayed. But alas, only a select few will ever see them.
shooterIII
Member
Display??? I keep them locked in a safe. If someone is over that I know and we talk about guns and they want to see them I will open the safe and show them but to have them in open sight to anyone is a NO, NO.
cbsbyte
Member
In Massachusetts all guns most be secured, when not in our immediate possesion. We have to be very careful on how we display modern firearms, antiques are not required to be 'locked up'. Many people don't display, but those that do, have a lockable gun cabinate with a glass front, or have a windowless room with a secure door, basicaly a large safe. You can also have a wall mount, but the guns then have to have a fugly approved trigger lock on them. I would go with a gun room, with no windows.
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thumbtack
Member
What is the legal definition of "secured"?
I have things far more deadly in my house then my guns and they are not secured? Should they be? And to what extent should we be securing things?
I have things far more deadly in my house then my guns and they are not secured? Should they be? And to what extent should we be securing things?
cbsbyte
Member
thumbtack said:
Basically it means locked up.
thumbtack
Member
"Basically it means locked up."
Then why is it not considered secure being in a locked home?
Then why is it not considered secure being in a locked home?
Manedwolf
member
Winnisimmet said:
Aw. What a waste of an M1, sorry.
Unless it's a really rare early gas-trap model or something, or too fractured/worn to shoot, that's as sad as a warbird in a museum instead of thundering through the sky. Take them to the range and let them have their voice again. Besides, they're fun.
Manedwolf
member
If you want to "display" guns...
If you really want to display historical firearms on the wall as decor, I would suggest the Denix replicas.
They're pretty nice, and they make everything from rare Winchesters and Springfields to WWI and WWII battle rifles, Broomhandle Mausers, flintlocks from the 16th through 18th century, you name it. All wood and cast metal that looks like the real thing unless your eye is literally on top of it, and heavy, too. (The Mauser even has a working, openable slide, and popup ranging sight with slider!) They've even got fullscale replica AKs and Vietnam-era stuff now, too. Most can even be cocked and "fired" with the trigger.
The only difference is that they aren't guns, period, and you won't get in trouble if someone steals them.
If you really want to display historical firearms on the wall as decor, I would suggest the Denix replicas.
They're pretty nice, and they make everything from rare Winchesters and Springfields to WWI and WWII battle rifles, Broomhandle Mausers, flintlocks from the 16th through 18th century, you name it. All wood and cast metal that looks like the real thing unless your eye is literally on top of it, and heavy, too. (The Mauser even has a working, openable slide, and popup ranging sight with slider!) They've even got fullscale replica AKs and Vietnam-era stuff now, too. Most can even be cocked and "fired" with the trigger.
The only difference is that they aren't guns, period, and you won't get in trouble if someone steals them.
Hobie
Member
I go along with the idea that you should be able to do so without worry but I don't think that's the case anywhere today.DeadCalm said:
It seems to me that the common criminal element that doesn't know you or your interests probably would not target your house for those displayed guns BUT friends and family who come into your home and are familiar with the lay of the land might. I can't tell you how many thefts of firearms I know of where the thief was somebody who'd been allowed into the house as family or friend of family. In several instances this was a daughter's boyfriend.
I don't know you and don't mean to disparage your friends, family, etc. but I have seen this pattern and not one of the victims ever thought that those people would have been involved.
JeepDriver
Member
I don't.
If someone walked into my house right now they would have no idea I owned any guns. They are all locked up in the safe. I keep everything gun related in the 'gun room'. Some people just don't need to know.
If someone walked into my house right now they would have no idea I owned any guns. They are all locked up in the safe. I keep everything gun related in the 'gun room'. Some people just don't need to know.
TallPine
Member
Basically every house (and many cars) in MT has guns in it, so I'm not sure why a criminal would target one house over another unless you were known to have a really large collection or to own one of the 50 or 100 rifles that Custer was supposed to have used at the LBH.
PressCheck
Member
I Don't.
USSR
Member
TallPine,
I'd say you nailed it. Some people just don't realize the HUGE cultural divide there is in this country. Granted, if you live in a city where owning firearms makes you the odd man out, lock 'em up. But isn't it refreshing to know that there are still places in this country where a man can live in peace and not be subject to the criminal elements of society and the ever changing whims of political correctness?
Don
Nicky Santoro
Member
How Do You Display Your Guns?
I display the politically correct, pretty rifles in a lighted case. The good, useful stuff is in the safe.
I display the politically correct, pretty rifles in a lighted case. The good, useful stuff is in the safe.
USSR
Member
In the corners of my rooms.
Don
field70
Member
JeepDriver said:
Ditto..
I know this post is pretty old, but I had something like this custom made.
The firearms in there are just a few that I threw in when I first lit it up, wanted to see how different lengths of guns and rifles would look.
Now, its mostly handguns on top, 4 rifles/shotgun on the bottom.
Double locks top and bottom, same for some accessory or ammo storage cabinet doors on the bottom, both lockable.
Its lit from above by three led lights.
The whole build took a little over a week.
I kinda cheated though, the bottom and top portions are separate, and the both were premade, probably meant for "fancy china" or some other kind of display.
I basically scrapped most of the inside, removed the two double wooden doors on the front. Made a large frame door and hung heavy duty adjustable door hinges. (The door plus glass are pretty heavy).
I inserted heavy duty pegboard, painted it to match the wood grain (sorta, at least it wasent white like before), framed the pegboard to give it a better finish.
I now wish I would have used a router on that inner frame, but oh well. I still think it looks alright.
The firearms in there are just a few that I threw in when I first lit it up, wanted to see how different lengths of guns and rifles would look.
Now, its mostly handguns on top, 4 rifles/shotgun on the bottom.
Double locks top and bottom, same for some accessory or ammo storage cabinet doors on the bottom, both lockable.
Its lit from above by three led lights.
The whole build took a little over a week.
I kinda cheated though, the bottom and top portions are separate, and the both were premade, probably meant for "fancy china" or some other kind of display.
I basically scrapped most of the inside, removed the two double wooden doors on the front. Made a large frame door and hung heavy duty adjustable door hinges. (The door plus glass are pretty heavy).
I inserted heavy duty pegboard, painted it to match the wood grain (sorta, at least it wasent white like before), framed the pegboard to give it a better finish.
I now wish I would have used a router on that inner frame, but oh well. I still think it looks alright.
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