Store your stuff at home or in a storage unit?

[Yoda]

I currently reside in a rented apartment in the Tampa area. Since I'm away on business about half the time, and since there are too many neighbors/strangers who might visit my apartment while I'm gone, I keep most of my hardware in a climate-controlled storage unit up in the Panhandle.

I considered putting my gun safes in my wife's house in the Panhandle, but it's located in an isolated, rural region, and there's hardly ever anyone there. If someone broke in, and they saw the safes, they could come back with heavy tools and it might be weeks before anyone ever knew. (Someone raided a niece's house up there and loaded everything she had up on her OWN trailer, then drove off with it all.)

Anyway, I'm getting ready to buy a house in the Tampa area, and the question is whether I should leave the safes in the storage unit, or bring them down to the house?

Considerations:

The storage unit has 24-hour video survillence, but if someone broke into the unit and took the guns, all we'd have would be neat video footage of them driving off. There aren't very many people coming and going at the storage unit, so if someone wanted to take the time to cut my lock and put my safes on a dolly, they probably wouldn't be disturbed.

If I bring them down here, the house would be alarmed, so if someone broke in, then supposedly they would be stopped... but if some young thugs saw the safes, I'm sure they would tell their friends, even if they were arrested, and the house would get targeted over and over. What if someone broke in while I'm out of town and my wife is home alone? They might torture her in order to get the combination.

But what's the point of having guns, if you don't "have" them?

Oh, yeah, and I can just see the scene, if I got pulled over for speeding while carrying 100 guns down from the Panhandle in the van, trying to explain to the officer that they're all legal and I'm not some sort of "gun runner."

Decisions, decisions, decisions... Live would be so much simpler if I weren't paranoid.

- - - Yoda

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[MinnMooney]

I can see your point about not storing them in your present apartment due to the likelyhood of a burglary but once you get a house, I wouldn't hesitate to bring evrerything there. Guns are meant to be used and enjoyed which would be difficult if they are many miles away. If you're that paranoid about a burglary then hide the safe behind a fake wall or somehow disguise it.

 

[glassman]

i agree with mooney

Participation in the shooting sports is to be enjoyed and not fretted about. Having to make a stop to pick up a gun before going to the range/hunting/plinking would be intolerable to me. The same kind of survailance equipment at the storage facility could be installed in your home or as Mooney said, you could disguise the fact that you have any guns in the house at all. There are companies that specialize in creating false panels, etc. in walls and counters or with a little imagination, it could make a good DIY project.

 

[larry_minn]

I would agree get the safe at your new home and bolt the thing down solid. Cover it in some manner. (so maint, inspectors don't see it)
Regards driving with many guns.. If you are legal drive speed limit and have them covered/legal.

 

[TAB]

Go with ever one you can get insurance for.

 

[TIMC]

I think you're worring too much about what if's. What if you get hit by a truck crossing the road tomorrow would you stay inside and never leave your house again thinking about that?

I say split your collection to each home up and buy a couple of good safes. Then you will have some toys where ever your at.

 

[SilentStalker]

I recommend you store them at home, at least most of them, but I do know quite a few people storing them elsewhere, storage facility or not.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Is the storage unit climate controled?

The problem with storing guns in these things is that they rust. What happens is that when there is a cold night, the metal gets cold. If the day warms up too fast the cold metal will sweat like an iced tea glass. This phenominon is easily observed after a sudden change in temprature when your garage floor sweats. Unless you live in a very dry and arid part of the country, storing anything metal in one of these units will cause rusting problems.