A neat idea !

[Ben]

Maybe you don't have the BIG BUCKS for a nice gun safe, this might be a good substitute.

Ben

91295

[btroj]

That makes sense. Who would ever look there.

[cbrick]

I couldn't possibly use that, would simply not work.

Rick

[Johnch]

Nice idea

To simple for some folks


I might just try it ....Oh yea
No steps in my house to use ....Darn

John

[cbrick]

^^^^^ Yeah, that's my problem too, no stairs. Is a good idea though.

Rick

[btroj]

My home has lots of stairs. I am happy to store some guns for you Rick.....

[HeavyMetal]

The idea is a good one, implamentation is dependent on ones home but should not be limited to stairs.

My grand parents bought a home in Pollock Pines, CA. in the 60's and it had what you would call an early entertainment center built into one wall / corner of the living room.

Basically book shelves cabinets and a spot for a TV, 26 inch don't ya know.

but against the wall, looking like a support for the book shelf, a portion of the "center support" hinged out and showed spots for 8 long guns and 4 hand guns.

Well camofluged as part of the interior decor I became aware of it's existance one afternoon when a deer entered my Grandmother's small garden with intentions of eating her Rubarb.

My Grandmother got her Remington 722 out and droped that buck so fast I thought she'd lit a firecracker in the house!

Learned several lessons that day:

Guns fired in the house, she shot through an open window, are loud.

Don't mess with Grandma's Garden!

I miss that old place, lot's of good times spent there in my child hood.

The hidden gun cabinet still has possibilites in my future and will always be remembered.

[DRNurse1]

There is someone making a high door for safes and safe rooms, I forget the name, but I have looked around my home for similar opportunities,without that level of expense. I seem to run into a choice between a secure place and a firearm friendly space. My best options are below grade and controlling moisture is an issue there.

[6bg6ga]

I've seen a lot of hiding places in the last 20+ years of working in houses. My favorite was a bookcase that opened up to reveal a hidden room. If not done correctly those hidden places will show wear on the floor or casework that doesn't line up correctly. So, if someone know what to look for your hidden place will show itself unless you hide your treasures and never open up the hiding place.

[MaryB]

I thought about taking a water heater, plumbing to fake lines, after cutting it to make it into a gun safe. Hook water to the inlet and have it go to the pressure relief in case they test it for water. Lead the bottom so it is as heavy as one full of water.

[MT Gianni]

Mary, I believe an old refrigerator would be easier to convert. Put a hasp and padlock on the door and place it in the mechanical room. i am afraid there could be a leak in the line to the relief at some time. Also the sheet metal cut would be hard to hide.

[btroj]

I don't think it needs to stop a determined person, just the average break in, grab, and go.

[Love Life]

Neat idea! I do like the safes and hiding spots hidden as furniture. As it sits now, my safe is just a deterrent to a grab and go. A determined individual would get it open. If that ever happens then USAA will replace all of my guns, scopes, rangefinder, etc. Got to love a valuable goods policy.

[WallyM3]

Hmmmm.

91337

[Epd230]

I had a hidden room in my last house. Basement under an addition. The entrance was concealed by a shelving unit that I built. All I had to do was pick up the shelf and move it aside.

If you knew it was there, it would take you about 2 minutes to break in. It was just in the hopes that a burglar would miss it entirely.

Now, without a hidden room, I too had thought of converting a water heater.

[Bored1]

There are quite a few book by Paladin Press IIRC that are titled things like how to hide in plain sight, secret hiding spots, etc that have plenty of ideas just like that one. Spend any amount of time staring at something you wanna hide and you'll come up with some off the wall ideas. Being the youngest of 6 growing up proved this to me!!

[starmac]

My first fifth wheel had a factory hidden gun rack incorporated into the steps. Iirc it held 3 long guns, out of sight and out of mind. I owned it for a few months before I even discovered it myself. lol Iirc it was a 72 model. Back then it held every gun I owned, except it wasn't long enough for my old single barrel (36 in" barrel) 12 gauge. lol

[WILCO]

Neato!

[CastingFool]

I have thought of using an electrical box as a small safe. Mount it on the wall, run a few wires leading to nowhere, and who's gonna want to look in the "electrical" box?

[MtGun44]

Great idea.

Bill

[6bg6ga]

I'm sure that your going to want to take apart a water heater or electrical panel to get at your guns. The stairs idea had more merit in my opinion but then again a gun safe is the ideal solution.

[Doc_Stihl]

A gun safe isn't an ideal solution in my mind unless it's near impossible to remove. i've read some horror stories over the years of BIG safes that were bolted/mounted/secured being removed in an afternoon. Also read some stories of big safes removed with a bob cat/skid steer through wall.
In my humble opinion, I'd rather have hidden.

[AricTheRed]

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose makes a bunch more sense now!

[Bullshop Junior]

That actually is a good idea...I'm gonna have to convince Amanda that this s better then a book case under the stairs.

[Blacksmith]

A house I lived in as a kid had stairs like that, we kept the boots there. Look around for other ideas.

My parents made a stash in the area over top of the kitchen cabinets, the space between the top of the cabinet and ceiling was enclosed with drywall. Dad made a door on the end and they kept silver there but several long guns would have fit. While in the kitchen look your cabinets over carefully often they have narrow blank spaces between cabinets that are covered by filler strips. The cabinet dimensions didn't come out equal to the room dimensions. some of these spaces are wide enough for a loaded 1911 held in place with a magnet or a bore brush, fast access walk in the kitchen and stick your hand up between the overhead cabinets, in just the right place.

Often a closet will contain a plywood panel that gives access to the plumbing in an adjacent bathroom. do burglars routinely unscrew all access panels to be sure they only hide plumbing and not something else?

Often houses with forced hot air heat have grills leading to duct work for either heat or return air. Who is to say everyone is connected to the furnace? A grill could be held in place with dummy screw heads and magnets to provide fast access.

The space above the header of closet doors is accessible if you go inside the closet, turn around and look up.

Lots of empty space in houses you just need to figure a way to get to it.

Most burglars are in a hurry because they don't want to be caught so they are going for the obvious.

[waynem34]

I have steps outside.I will shoot myway out to get a gun.Bang bang pow bam.

[uscra112]

Refrigerator walls are so thin that you can cut them open with a strong knife.

I love the stairwell idea, so long as it doesn't make an odd noise when you run up and down.

Ain't sayin' where I've got my secret compartments.