Yet another "need a gun safe" thread

[Rittmeister]

It's time for me to be able to lock up my guns properly.

My dilemma is this - most gun safes seem to be geared towards long guns, while my shooting is mostly geared to handguns. There's a simple reason for this; right now (and for the foreseeable future) I only have access to a 25-yard indoor shooting range, and shooting a rifle at that range seems like cheating.

I have two .22 rifles and half a dozen handguns. I would like to lock them ALL up, as opposed to getting a handgun safe and securing the long guns another way.

So, I'm looking for recommendations for a safe that will allow me to store my two long guns (and possibly one or two more in a few years) and my handguns. I am not averse to building some shelves inside a rifle safe to accommodate my pistols.

-I do NOT need fancy combination or biometric electronic etc locks. A simple key lock or hasp for a padlock is great.
-Budget is a major factor. I'm a teacher and as such only indulge my shooting habit sporadically; there just isn't money to do it all the time (another reason too, that I only have a few guns). I'd like to stay under $300 though I know this may be impossible.

I appreciate any and all input.

 

[Lee Roder]

You mean something like this, basically just a thick skinned "box", only smaller?

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/for/1621443812.html

If you can't find such locally or find somebody to make for you exactly what you want, what about learning to use an oxyacetylene torch yourself? It's a life skill. It could even pay for itself.

Just a thought. Maybe a spark.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/prl/documents/html/OAweld.htm

 

[Rittmeister]

I'd love to learn how to weld - I do a lot of automotive work as a hobby. I've pretty much built a few cars from parts at this point. Unfortunately I'm space-limited; there's not room in my garage for some equipment I'd really like to have, i.e. welder, compressor/air tools, etc.

And yes, a lockable box I suppose is really what I'm after. I've looked into some of the Stack-On offerings and may go that way; I need to check some out in person.

 

[gkdir]

Ok, this will give you something to think about. Go to your local utility company, and ask them if they sell their older TRANSFORMER SWITCH BOXS They come in several sizes, are usually of at least 1/8" steel plate with good locks. I have two of them that I modified with extra lock bars coupled with "gorilla" strength pad locks. When bolted to the floor and adjoining wall, these things are way past the sheet metal crap that is being sold as "gun safes". You can modify the insides to fit your personal needs. I made "durarock" panels, covered with surplus "nomex" material, for the interior lining, then attached homemade gun brackets, prior to installation. Cut the panels in such a way that the top and bottom go in first , followed by sides and back(helps support top and bottom. Attached the panels to the inside "bare" metal with the same mastic used on tile (durarock is just fiber impregnated cement) let set for a couple weeks to insure that any caustic fumes (and moisture) were gone. Most of the doors on these thing are of the "extruded lip" design that are about an 1" thick, so that allowed a panel to be attached to the doors also. Now I realize this is not the "apartment dwellers" project, and is probably the efforts of someone that has way to much time on his hands, but ya know what? When done these babies were done they were MINE--to some people that makes a difference. Have fun, think outside the box-- Gawd, just following the crowd is so, so, so mundane.