Storing Guns in a Self Storage Locker

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Arcli9ht

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Has anyone here stored any number of guns in a self storage locker? Finding myself about to go into the Coast Guard, I would like a secure legal place to keep my rifle as well as any future guns I might pick up (Bringing it and leaving it at home would be illegal, and I don't want to continue leaving it at my friends house). Just wondering if most self storage places allowed this and if it is secure enough with something I wouldn't trust 99% of humanity with :p ... namely, anything *I* own.

If this is a good idea, then I would be moving basically everything I own in there making a rifle or two like finding a needle in a haystack.

/Arcli9ht
 
You might consider taking your gun to friendly Pawn Shop. Do a small loan $5.00 or so on the gun. To let you know for instance in arizona it would cost you approx. $11.00 every 90 days. In our state all loans are renewable. Check with your local PD Pawn Detail for a suggestion of a reputable shop. Good luck.
 
I thought of doing this as well while I was away. But I put my gear at friends houses.

And I also hid a few in a mother in laws attic. (she was a complete liberal anti gun person) I loved it knowing that my guns were safe in her attic.

Now I spread them out over four different locations all in safes and vaults, along with keeping a few close ones here with me in my safe.

They seem to keep moving untill I get a big enough place
 
Since I inexplicably still haven't bought a safe, all my expensive guns are in bank boxes. Those are all pistols, not long guns, but I've got four in a bank box that costs me $65 a year.
 
You might consider taking your gun to friendly Pawn Shop. Do a small loan $5.00 or so on the gun. To let you know for instance in arizona it would cost you approx. $11.00 every 90 days. In our state all loans are renewable. Check with your local PD Pawn Detail for a suggestion of a reputable shop.
Click to expand...

Beware of pawn shops...

Before taking your guns to one, read this column by local consumer advocate Tom Martino (emphasis added):

This time of year with the pressures of Christmas shopping, many people get desperate for some extra cash. One way to get quick money is with a pawn shop loan. If you or anyone you know are thinking about pawning prized possessions, I have two words of advice: WATCH OUT!

Did you know that even if you pay off your loan on time there is no guarantee you'll get your stuff back? Why? Because that's the way some pawn shops operate. They actually have an incentive for keeping your stuff.

When you take out a pawn shop loan and leave your property as collateral, you will most likely sign a loan agreement which includes a clause that reads something like this:

"In the event your property is destroyed, lost or stolen you agree to accept the amount of the loan as full settlement."

Pawn shop loans are often much lower than the value of the collateral. So you can see why they might "lose" your stuff. I investigated one case now where a couple pawned a diamond ring. They claim the ring was worth $6000. They got a $600 loan. After paying off the loan they asked to get their ring back.

"I'm sorry, that ring is missing. I believe it was stolen." They were told.

"Then we expect to be reimbursed." They said.

"I'll gladly give you back the $600 you borrowed. You can keep that money."

"But that won't cover replacement."

By the way this is the second complaint I've gotten on rings lost at pawn shops. In each case, the loan was small and the rings were valuable. I can't say the pawn shop clerks stole the rings but it sure looks suspicious.

The more important issue is the loan agreement. Why would anyone put themselves at such a disadvantage when asking for a loan? Why would anyone agree to settle for the amount of the loan? You are making it profitable for someone to steal or lose your stuff if your loan amount is a tiny fraction of the collateral.

Here are some tips:

-If you must pawn property, make it stuff that can be etched with identification marks. That makes it difficult for people to buy and sell it on the "hot" market.

-Get your valuable property appraised before pawning it as proof of what it's worth.

-When pawning valuable property, accept no less than 65% loan to value.

-Negotiate terms. You don't have to accept conditions that are unfair.

-The best advice of all ... plan ahead so your not caught short of cash and in a hurry.
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Isnt' it true that to get your own guns back from a pawn shop, you must go through a background check? What if you "fail" the check?
 
Since I've been living on the road in a motorhome for the past eight years, I have most of my guns, as well as all of my household goods, in storage in Georgia. I inspect them from time to time, but have never found anything wrong with them, other than they seem lonely. :D

For the sake of your guns, as well as the rest of your stuff, get a climate-controlled storage room. Otherwise, temperature & humidity variations may ruin furniture and your firearms as well.

In the Atlanta area, we're renting a 10'X20'X8' locker in a climate controlled building for $165/mo.
 
The problem with pawn or SS is that if you miss a payment(s) you will loose your property.
The SS places that have external access to the door of your locker are great because you can come get or leave stuff easily. They are also easier to rob. Which sure does happen. But you can also ensure the contents and it's cheap. If you go SS and insurance make sure guns are specifically allowed and covered and do a photo record of your stuff before you leave it there.

Without knowing how many or what you have its a hard question to answer. I have and still use ss for my lawn equipment and a few items of furniture from time to time. So far no problem. But I don't leave things there I could not afford to loose.

if they are handguns the bank deal makes sense. Make a note where they are in your will. Pay the total fee in advance and make sure the bank has your current address at all times. Banks are bought and sold and close you know.

S-
 
Since I inexplicably still haven't bought a safe, all my expensive guns are in bank boxes. Those are all pistols, not long guns, but I've got four in a bank box that costs me $65 a year.
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that's cheap! in storage i paid like $65 / mo, that's for a parking space. if you want the smallest space, that's about $200 / mo! :eek:

i'd rather keep it in a bank box safe.

my dad keep his guns at his friends before he left the country. he didn't want to give it to me, his reason was that I'm in school.
he's got a sig p226, colt 357 phyton and a .40 as well as a ruger .22 rifle. now he wants to give it to me, but his friend won't give it back. what a jerk. :rolleyes:
 
It would be just some long guns and assorted fun items not allowed in the city. SS seems to be much more expensive than I thought it was so my friends house is looking better by the minute. The advantage to SS is that I can get my stuff whenever I please, where at my friends house, he has to be home and his mother cannot be there (very very anti). I'm sure some combo of his house (where the rifle is now) and eventually my house (once the permit FINALLY comes through :fire: ) will work out best for me in the long run. Thanks for all your input on this.

/Arcli9ht
 
Storing Firearms

Arcli9ht:

I am presently a manager for a storage facility. You can store anything as long as it doesn't contain food or explosives/corrosives.

The idea of a climate control unit is good. Usually the temperature variations are less than 20 degrees from low to high and the humidity is kept in check also. Here in SoCal, temperature is the main villian.

Also look for a facility that has good gate access times, that the unit have individual alarms on them and you might want to have a smaller doorway access to your unit to deter illegal entry.

If you are going to store your home furnishings along with everything else, consider an inside unit, down a hall, but don't be the only one in the middle!! This deters theft (too far to walk) and it will keep down on the dust. It will also be cooler/warmer during summer/winter.

Also, get insurance! Almost no storage facility will insure your belongings for you!

Hope this helps in your quest.:cool:
 
For a while I stored all my long guns and most pistols in a storage unit and I still store many of my long guns as well as most cleaning stuff and my extra ammo (a few hundred rounds for the guns at home are at home the rest is at the unit).

Climate controlled is a must. Even with it the unit I use is still cold in the winter and hot in the summer (heat set to 50, AC to 80 or 85) so there is still a rather large temperature swing which isn't too good for the guns. The unit is concrete and cinder blocks- that stuff just wicks in moisture and coupled with the temperature swings (which lead to condensation) you have to be very careful about rust (I found that out the hard way with the barrel of my Remington 581).

The one I have tends to be more secure than many since it is controlled access and one needs a code to get in (you have to have a unit to have a code) and your code is also specific to your floor and so when you plug the code into the elevator you can only go to your floor (so the code first gets you in the building, then once in the building you can only go to your own floor). That is helpful, but as a result hours of access are very limited.

Now that is very important since all I have is a very thin sheet metal wall and door between those who get in and my stuff. For a long while I relied on the fact that no one knew I kept guns in there and those who saw me walk out w/ rifle cases at least didn't know which unit I came from (I tend to try to take them out at times that people aren't as likely to be around). Of course the people that work there know so I am still relying on their honesty. So, in such a situation, even with such good controlled access I'd strongly recommend a safe (even a cheap one) put inside the unit.


Oh, re the person who said he used bank lock boxes, as a former banker all I can say is DON'T DO THAT. If you are caught you can go to jail. It is ILLEGAL (if I remember correctly it is a federal felony) to store either cash or weapons in bank lock boxes. Yes, it is supposed to be kept confidential, no the bank personnel can't get in without your key (without drilling the box) however, I wouldn't risk that someone may happen to see what you put in or take out. It isn't worth putting something illegal in there just in case.
 
Which part is confusing?

It is illegal to store certain items (the ones that come to mind are guns and cash) in a bank's safe deposit boxes (to use the correct term). For cash it is illegal to store any amount in the safe boxes. Heck, it is illegal to have more than a certain dollar amount stored anywhere (even in your mattress), I don't know the dollar amount. The reason being, that the government wants to protect the system (too many people store cash away in the form of currency and take it out of circulation and it can have major economic ramafactions) and keep the currency in circulation. They want you to store it in a bank account (it is better for you that way because you'll at least earn some interest) where a portion of it can be bundled with other people's cash and lent out, multiplying the effect on the economy of the cash (now it is out there being used by the person with the loan, used by the person he/she pays, banked again where it can be used for more loans, yet you can still access your money in your account- there is actually much more money out there in our system then there is currency). Anyway, I digress, for cash it is because the government wants to keep the money circulating, and also because people who want to work in cash (assuming they work in large amounts of cash) are sometimes hiding things. As far as not allowing guns to be stored, I'm not sure the reason (though I can imagine what some of the reasoning may be).
 
It is illegal to store certain items (the ones that come to mind are guns and cash) in a bank's safe deposit boxes (to use the correct term). For cash it is illegal to store any amount in the safe boxes. Heck, it is illegal to have more than a certain dollar amount stored anywhere (even in your mattress), I don't know the dollar amount.
Click to expand...

This is a fairly widespread belief, but it is not true. The bank's safe deposit box lease agreement might restrict cash or guns, but there are no federal or state laws that prohibit any specific items from being stored in a safe deposit box. The only regulation that even comes close is from the IRS. The IRS has a regulation that states; “Consumer will not conceal cash from the United States government to avoid paying income tax on it.” Many safe deposit managers have interpreted this federal regulation to mean that consumers cannot store cash in their box. This is not what the regulation says.

Legally, you can hoard as much cash as you want, whether in a safe deposit box or your mattress, although with all the asset forfeiture laws out there you'd better have a clear record of where the cash came from. If not, you will probably lose it if the authorities find it.
 
I see nothing wrong with the idea as long as the storage facility's rules don't prohibit storing guns or ammo. If the buildings are not climate controlled, you will need to rustproof the guns somehow. Also check their security arrangements. At a facility I used, there was a locked gate for both entry and exit and you had to log in with your own access code and only open your space, then log back out when you left. If a space whose renter had not logged in was detected being opened, the police would be called.
 
Storage lockers in general are not air conditioned or humidity controlled.
I'd try to find someone with a house to store them.

There are climate controlled storage lockers. They are expensive and not so secure since the free flow of air makes them vulnerable. I had one for a while, It was chain link, and so expensive I could replace everything I was storing for the cost of the rent.
 
Which part is confusing?
Click to expand...

The part where you claim that something is against federal law without citing the law and think the proper response is anything but laughter.

It may have been against your bank's policy. It is not against federal law.
 
Yikes. What's with the massively necro necros recently? I almost responded to another that was also from '03 the other day... and obviously missed that this was a zombie last night.
 
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