Securing firearms without a safe?

[SecuritySixShooter]

I own a rifle, shotgun and two pistols and i was wondering if there was any reasonable way to secure them without a safe. I live in an apartment and move roughly once a year (or when the lease is up). I keep my hobby hidden fairly well from the neighbors. Is there any thing else i can do or that you all would recommend?

 

[crazed_ss]

I just use the CA mandated cable locks that I was forced to buy and put my guns under the bed.

I plan on picking this up this week though:
http://www.turners.com/engage/displ...bruary&d1=9&d2=15&img=ads/02-09-06/sentry.gif

Only 120 bucks and it's not too heavy so I can move it later. Plus owning a safe means I wont be required to buy another cable lock next time I get a gun.

 

[Car Knocker]

Plus owning a safe means I wont be required to buy another cable lock next time I get a gun.

I notice that this is described as a "cabinet'. Does that qualify as a "safe" in CA?

 

[crazed_ss]

I notice that this is described as a "cabinet'. Does that qualify as a "safe" in CA?

Yea.. that one should be good to go. It says "DOJ Approved" there in the ad.

 

[pete f]

Remember the old water bed bases? building/buying a base for your mattress and box spring that is about 10 inches high will hide a lot of things. look good too IKEA has some that will work too.

 

[El Tejon]

When I lived in Chicago, I hid a Glock 23 in a book (hollowed out book on Nixon). As well, a Smith 640 in the fridge (in tupperware), and my two shoulder weapons (an 870 and a Mini14) in a locked guitar case.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Here it is. The number one best way to secure guns with or without a safe. Keep your mouth shut about your guns.

I don't have statisitics other than personal information. I had a friend who was a combination gun/safe dealer. 100% of the time when someone he knew had guns stolen, it was somebody they knew.

Sometimes they couldn't get the safe open. So they just stole the safe. My friend said that if the safe is not absolutely securely fastened to the wall/floor, a safe is nothing more than an expensive gun case.


In fact, he said that if the thief has enough time, he can break into any of the current production safes. Masonry blades and circular saws are all that are needed to cut through the side of a safe.

Just don't tell anybody you've got guns. You'll probably be alright.

 

[Ares45]

When I was in college (off campus apt) I would anchor eye bolts into the studs in the back of my closet and use a bike lock cable or similar. Kept the closet full of clothes to obscure the weapons from view and told no one. The small arms went into a "wally-world special" fireproof safe bolted to the closet floor. I also installed a dead bolt on the closet door. Of course I had no ententions of receiving my deposit back either. Not once in four years of appartment living did I ever get a deposit back.

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

When I was in California, and before I had my full-size case, I would lock the bolts, trigger groups, or some other vital part in my pistol safe. Not much help from theft, but probably from the liability angle.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've found the best way to secure a hand gun is to put it in a holster.

 

[Zundfolge]

I've found the best way to secure a hand gun is to put it in a holster.

Now I'm picturing Standing Wolf walking around with 35 pistols strapped to different parts of his body
(and he ain't an extra big man).


these guys have some interesting systems. They are pretty pricy, but I bet one could engineer something themselves.

http://www.hiddenpassageway.com/

 

[lawson]

before i had so many guns where i needed a safe, i kept the non-carry guns underneath the bed, with a high quality cable lock threaded through all the triggerguards and locked to the metal bedframe, locked up and out of sight.

my carry gun was either on my person or in the holster bolted to the back of my nightstand.

 

[MrChicken]

how about one of these?

http://www.knoxx.com/store/showitem2_GPs3.php?item_id=12

 

[Taurus 66]

Up inside the box spring mattress is a good place to store one gun. I wouldn't store all your unsafed guns there. A couple stored in cases and put up above in the garage on top of a plywood bed is another good place. How many burglars would check up there for valuables? Use your imagination. You could come up with at very minimum a dozen more good hiding places, but you have to believe in yourself.