Securing weapons in an apartment complex

[archigos]

I'm assuming they won't let me bolt safes into the floor, so I need some sort of economical solution that will keep my weapons safe from theft (I don't usually carry). Quick access is a bonus, but not a must. Any suggestions?

I have a carbine and 2 handguns. Not having a way to store the carbine isn't a huge deal - I can keep that at my parents' place easily enough, but I'd like to have secured storage for the handguns in my apartment.

 

[1911jock]

Go to the local sporting goods store and get a locker type safe it will be kind of bulky and less likely to walk off on you. I did that for years in my apartment. I hid it in a closet and changed the door knob to a key entry only. It was easy enough to swap the door knobs back when I left.

 

[CWL]

If your apt has carpets, then go-ahead and bolt a locking cabinet into the floor. Give the carpet a bit of a 'fluff' to cover the holes when you move out.

 

[Treo]

May not be able to do that if the floor is concrete. You could bolt it to a stud in a closet.

 

[Cosmoline]

Knaack boxes are the direction I went. They're just about as tough as a safe and can be bolted or weighted down as needed.

 

[bukijin]

I agree - weighing it down is the answer. Get a strong box or safe and fill the bottom with iron, lead, bricks etc.
Other options are to chain a box to a strong fixture in the apartment or bolt a box to the most solid piece of furniture you own.

 

[Deus Machina]

Get creative!

One thing I've thought of: get a locking case.

Lift up your bed. Run screws through the lid of the case and into the studs of your boxspring.

You can put your guns onto the foam, close the case and lock it, leaving it hanging, hidden, under your bed.

 

[JohnMcD348]

When Ilived in an apartment, I bought one of those locking gun cabinets from Wal-Mart that holds something like 6 rifles and has those circular keys that are listed as not to be duplicated. I bolted it to the inner wall of one of the closets using wing bolts and when I left, I simply did the stucko job over the small bolt holes that remained. I unscrewed the bolts and let the "wing" portion just fall to the floor behind the wall.

Now, in my home, I have it bolted into the studs.

 

[raz-0]

It all depends on your closet space.

If you have a closet big enough, get a 10 gun safe. Something in the 280lb+ area. Then bolt it to a stud in the wall, and the floor.

When leaving, spackle the stud hole, and for the floor, Just wood glue in a dowel and cut it flat with a flush cut saw. Total for materials and tools is under $40 if you use a good oak dowel and have to buy a spackle knife.

If you want to be more annoying, put a keyed dorr knob on the closet to slow down any miscreants that might find their way in.

 

[Jack Halloran]

You're right to want to lock up your guns in an apartment. I came home once to find the maintenance man doing some repairs to my ceiling. As I was packing to move out a couple of days later, I noticed my Ruger .357 was missing from my nightstand. I told the manager and police that the maintenance guy was the only person in my apartment other than me, but never got it back.

 

[vicdotcom]

I say bolt it into a stud in the wall. You can always cover it up with plaster when you leave. I recommend against the "locker" type storage units though. Those are easy to open with a crowbar even if bolted to the wall.

 

[Soybomb]

I've always thought one of the most economical solutions would be cable locks and your bed frame. It may not be pretty and it wouldnt be incredibly secure but if you don't leave bolt cutters laying around I think you'd deter the average burglar, at least on his first visit.

 

[roo_ster]

Replace closet door knob with a single-cylinder dead bolt.

Place guns in closet.

 

[Old Sarge]

I agree with Soybomb, running a locking cable thru the trigger guards, and then thru, and around the bed frame, would probably keep them from being stolen, at least at that time. Maybe next time, the burglar would come better prepared, with bolt cutters. Not the most sanitary, but effective.

 

[wrc]

If you move every year or two, a Zanotti Armor modular safe that can be assembled in a closet with minimal side access works well. You will need to drill into the floor to secure it. You may be able to order it with rear anchoring holes to screw into studs in the closet (haven't asked them).

Without having very permanent anchoring options or impressive floor loads in an apartment, your best friends are noise and time.

The more difficult it is to pry open the safe (and a Zanotti is an RSC at best) quietly is a good deterrent against thieves that will come prepared.

If they have to rip away drywall to get a good angle for a saw or crowbar, the more chance a neighbor will notice and either call the cops or complain. Neither situation is ideal for the class of thief who plans ahead.

I've found Zanotti safes fairly easy to move with two people without any one part looking like a "safe" and alerting the wrong element. I bet other modular safes are similarly discreet.

 

[big_bang]

I've got a little safe (approx 14"Wx10"Hx10"D) that I bolted to both the wall and shelf in the bedroom closet. Some spackle on move-out day and it's as good as new.

 

[Old Guy]

Concrete bolts

Most apartments have concrete floors, bolt small safe to floor of closet, fix any damage if you leave.

NY State issues carry permits, just not New York City.

 

[Regolith]

Replace closet door knob with a single-cylinder dead bolt.

Place guns in closet.

My uncle did that. He came home one day to find a hole kicked into his door, and his guns gone. A deadbolt is worthless if the door it's installed in isn't strong enough for the task.

The sad thing is, my uncle had the money and ability to store his guns in a safer manner (he's a lawyer and owned his house at the time). He just didn't think it could happen to him, so he didn't prepare sufficiently.

 

[ilbob]

You would be surprised how often burglars are people the victim knew somehow. Hanging out with scum is a good way to invite trouble. So is bragging about your neat stuff and having that passed on to scum.

 

[packnrat]

24hr access storage place down the rd.

 

[SCMtns]

My stack-on safe (cabinet, technically, I guess) only weighs about 185 on its own, maybe 210-220 w/ guns and ammo. In looking for cheap ways to add weight, I was amazed at how expensive things like lead shot had become-- a buck a pound, in that case.

A buddy of mine came up with the idea of using bags of sacrete or mortar. 60 lbs each, and under 3 bucks a bag, so I was able to add 300 lbs for 14 bucks or so. Given my location, I feel I just have to make it heavy enough that a couple of the local smash-and-grab amateurs on drugs couldn't get it out the door and all the way up the steep hill through the woods. If you feel the same is likely true of your apartment complex, then you might be able to get away with a cheap gun safe (like those Stack-on makes) and some sacrete. Best of luck to you.

 

[Zwetschgen]

Consider a locking gun rack... I've never used one, but I'm sure if you get one with thick steel, and bolt it in the closet it will work, it's more of a temperary solution until you can move to buy a fat gunsafe...

 

[ilbob]

an acquantaince of mine once built a gun cabinet. he always left a couple cheap 22 rifles and an old bolt action shotgun displayed for the miscreants to take (sans some minor part like a firing pin). The good stuff was well hidden. Some of it was inside the box springs of the bed in his guest room. Some other stuff was inside fake ductwork.

 

[Rokyudai]

I have lived in several apartments myself and I believe that you can mount a small, locked box either on the floor or perhaps on a shelf (to the stud) without violating reasonable wear and tear regulations. The mounting process does not leave much of a mess. Screw holes are easily covered. Assuming the criminal is looking for what is immediately available and likely to take what he can the fastest/easiest....consider obstructing his view/access by stacking something in front of the safe like clothes or brown cardboard boxes marked "christmas decorations" or some other item not likely to peak interest. Be smart and don't stack things in places likely not to make sense.

This is not intended to be a quick access/home defense plan but merely a storage option. I love how companies decorate the safe or people make their safe a visual component of the home rather than taking the extra step(s) to conceal it. Why bait?

Long guns: Up and out of the way, inside the closet just above the interior of the entrance. Home Depot has coated hangers that you can mount that will not damage the finish of the long gun. If you want security, then, I would agree with lockers with the recommendation of camouflage.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Rok

 

[Byron Quick]

and has those circular keys that are listed as not to be duplicated.

Bad idea, chilluns! Don't depend on it! It's very easy to come up with a reason good enough that people will duplicate such a key.

I've seen master keys so marked that were then duplicated several times.

Basically, all it takes is someone knowing and having trust in the person who presents the key to them to duplicate. And that's if the duplicator is honest and not all of them are. With the dishonest ones, all it takes is the presentation of an original. Believe me, it's not difficult to have a key marked 'do not duplicate'...duplicated.