Storing guns in a wooden chest?

[TrailRambler]

Hi all,

My wife and I are moving into an apartment where space is limited. I need a solution as far as storing my firearms. A safe would likely be impossible, and even a stack-on metal cabinet (which I have been using in our current dwelling) would be impractical.

I have been considering a wooden chest, such as a cedar-lined footlocker type of chest. They are much more aesthetically pleasing and nondescript than a metal gun locker (remember I have a wife to keep happy). I know it's not very secure at all, but we have no children yet to worry about, and im certain a padlocked chest is better than just having loose guns under the bed. I would of course upgrade to a more secure solution down the road, but I need a solution for the meantime.

My main concern is...will the wood on the inside of the chest retain moisture, possibly affecting the guns? I don't want to have to worry about corrosion issues.

Does anyone else have any other ideas??? Thank you guys!

 

[Bruno2]

A wooden chest wood perform better than a metal cabinet for moisture issues.

 

[silicosys4]

I wouldn't. A metal gun cabinet could at least be bolted down so it would be harder to steal. I also think it would be better for storage, although in a dry area a wooden cabinet would be fine, I'd guess.

but explain to me how porous wood performs better than non porous metal for moisture retention in a humid climate? I just can't see that. Give me a gun cabinet any day with a gunsafe heater/dehumidifier.

 

[TrailRambler]

I've considered the foam lined gun cases for storage but from what I've read, they use open cell foam which retains moisture. The general consensus seems to be against this type of case for storage purposes.

 

[MErl]

We all make do with the situation we're in. If that's the best storage you have available at the moment, use it. As you say it is better than just setting them under the bed.

Personally I wouldn't be too concerned about wood & moisture but I live in a dry area. Could always put a coat of polyurethane or similar on the inside. I would suggest a large bag of desiccant though.

 

[Doc7]

I have a little Sentry brand safe that holds 5 rifles that I got from Amazon. My fiancée likes it. Check it out.

 

[J-Bar]

Depending on the number of guns, size of the chest, etc, etc...

You may be able to fashion a false bottom in the chest to hide them from view. You can do the same in a closet, chest of drawers, and so on. Handguns can be suspended behind some book cases, undersides of sofas. Use your imagination.

A light coat of gun grease on the outer metal surfaces and a coat of oil down the bore and chamber, refreshed a couple of times a year, is a good barrier to moisture in any climate. If nothing more, it gives you a reason to fondle them.

 

[45_auto]

I've got several guns that have been living in wooden transit cases, outdoors in an uninsulated shed, since the mid 90's down here in New Orleans, one of the most humid areas in the US.

A couple are parkerized and a couple are blued, they all still look like the day I put them in there.

If you have to use a wooden chest, I don't believe that moisture will be a problem. If you're still worried about it, stick a Golden Rod gun safe dehumidifier in it.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1138614184/goldenrod-gunsaver-dehumidifier-rod-110v?cm_vc=U112

 

[paintballdude902]

45 please explain why?

 

[TrailRambler]

Thank you guys, I think the wood chest with some dessicant packs as a precautionary measure is sounding like the best option.

 

[silicosys4]

I've got several guns that have been living in wooden transit cases, outdoors in an uninsulated shed, since the mid 90's down here in New Orleans, one of the most humid areas in the US.

A couple are parkerized and a couple are blued, they all still look like the day I put them in there.

If you have to use a wooden chest, I don't believe that moisture will be a problem. If you're still worried about it, stick a Golden Rod gun safe dehumidifier in it.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1138614184/goldenrod-gunsaver-dehumidifier-rod-110v?cm_vc=U112

Hmm, must be the different climate, I have left guns overnight in my glove box and had to wipe a fine surface dusting of rust off of them in the morning. I have had stainless guns develop pinpricks of rust simply from being left in my glovebox for a few weeks.

Strange.

I take my guns inside every night now.

The only time I haven't had at least a minor problem with rust on stored guns, even inside, is when they are stored in the gunsafe with the safe rod dehumidifier.

 

[dbb1776]

Had mine in a cedar brides chest for years. No issues in east Texas. I prefer my safe but the chest kept kids out, camouflaged em a bit, and was way better than under the bed.

 

[splattergun]

Wooden gun cabinets, with or without a glass face, have been a furniture staple in country homes for generations. Guns have been stored and shipped in wooden crates for a long, long time. Valuables have been stored in cedar chests since before Moses was twinkle in his daddy's eye. Storing in a wood chest is not likely to be a problem in itself. Wood does not 'sweat' as metal does. Neglect is the big enemy here. Just make sure you keep them cleaned and oiled regularly.

My biggest concern is the security aspect. Is there any way to bolt your chest down?

 

[oneounceload]

Unless you are talking about all handguns or take down long guns, you'll be hard-pressed to find a nice cedar chest long enough for rifles- most are only 36" long or so, so look around

Do NOT use foam cases, you would be better with a plastic case with no foam

 

[rondog]

I hate to say it, but are you absolutely committed to an apartment? Any reason to not rent a house instead? I just hate to see a gunowner suffer with the BS of an apartment.

 

[hso]

http://www.safedimensions.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_12&products_id=27

Both problems solved.

 

[Ed Ames]

Climate is a huge factor. So is how you prep them.

True story: In the 1960s the father of a friend of mine moved from Wyoming to California. He brought with him a .22 rifle made in 1937, a .22 pistol made in 1949, and two bolt action rifles from the 1950s. He met a girl, and she didn't like guns. He was no longer on the farm and didn't start hunting in California. He put the guns in vinyl k-mart gun cases. He married the girl, had a couple of kids who didn't know he even had guns, and in the late 90s he died. About 5 years after that, his wife (widow) hired someone to upgrade the family home's air conditioner. The contractor goes into the attic, and comes back down asking if the family knows they have a stack of guns up there.

The vinyl cases were literally falling apart...you couldn't bend them without the vinyl breaking. The guns were in NRA very good condition if not better. The family said that, due to the man's congestive heart failure, there was no way he could have reached them in the last 5 years of his life, meaning nobody had touched them in at least 10 years, and that likely stretched back to whenever they moved into the house.

I have seen other variations on the theme. My personal j-frame spent from about 1973 to 1998 in a suitcase, tucked in among old clothes, and it looks sharp enough that I feel bad carrying it.

On the other hand, no way I could get away with that where I am now. Here, blued steel rusts if you blink.

 

[JohnBT]

"most are only 36" long or so"

That's the size made to fit at the end of a twin bed. It's easy to find cedar chests up to 72".

When I was packing stuff to move my folks to The Home in '07, my mother pulled her father's I.Johnson .32 out of the cedar chest and gave it to me so I could take it along with my dad's guns. My father and I didn't know she'd had in there since 1981. It was okay. It was wrapped in 2 Kleenex.

 

[45_auto]

45 please explain why?

Not sure if I can explain why. Maybe the wood absorbs the moisture out of the air, and then acts as an insulator to keep the air at a more constant temperature. I need to check on them, been a while since I dug the junk off the top and checked them out. I'll post pics tonight of how they look. They were sprayed with Birchwood Casey "Barricade" (good stuff) when they were moved from the garage to the shed after hurricane Katrina in 2005, then again maybe 2 or 3 times (every 3 or 4 years) since then.

There's a couple of blued semi-auto kit builds and one parkerized, they used to get shot when .308 was less than $150/1000 and 7.62x54R was $29/440, so it's been a while!

 

[rondog]

There's this option - or a variation on the theme.....

 

[ColtPythonElite]

What splattergun said...

 

[Bruno2]

Ron that is crazy! I don't know who came up with it , but that might not be a good idea.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

What's crazy about it?...I like it.

 

[Bruno2]

Well it lays flat for one thing. How do you put multiple rifles in it? Its already in the position that people who know how to pry gun safes open prefer it. Thieves almost always look in between mattresses and under beds for guns. I don't know, I just don't like it.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I would guess long guns lay in a row in racks....I think it is a great solution for those short on floor space. I am sure it is more secure than a wooden box.