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Concealing your HD weapon

3K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  whitewabit 
#1 ·
For a while now, I've been wanting to stow my primary HD weapon (shotty) in my bedroom, in addition to my HD handgun which I keep on the night stand. I've considered all kinds of ways to keep the shotgun concealed -- under the bed, hangers on bed, custom made cabinet, recessed vault in the wall, etc., and recently I started looking at some brackets from Gun-Grabber to hold the gun in my closet. (As I keep a bayonet on the shotgun, it will not fit in most gun cabinets.)

Well, I examined my closet this morning and I have two shelves -- one about halfway up -- that would prevent being able to stow the rifle on the back wall. But to the side, I have this shoe chest (on wheels) that is positioned to the front left side of my closet. It has about a foot of clearance, so that if I moved it to the back wall, I have a nice cozy spot to put the shotgun up front, just to the left of the left hand door. Why put any brackets there? The gun will rest nice and easy in the corner.

As for worrying about anyone seeing it, even if someone opens the closet doors, the gun is still hidden to the side. Now if someone breaks into the house when we are not there (seldom) and rummages through my closets, the gun is of course vulnerable to being stolen. But even if I had it in a locked cabinet, that would only slow up a burglar for all of about 10 seconds. And finally, if the burglars had all day, my big gun safe in my office (with all my other guns) would be at risk too.

DUH -- sometimes I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
 
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#2 ·
While being hidden from sight, your weapon really isn't secure. I'm a firm advocate of keeping a weapon locked up. Even a safe is not secure, a knowledgeable thief can get into a safe in under 15 minutes (no, it doesn't take all day!), there are steps you can take to slow them down.

That being said, I keep my quick access weapons locked in cabinets or lock boxes. I'm a big fan of the V-Line products, I have three of their long gun cabinets and one for handguns. All four are programmed with the same combination so it doesn't matter which one I am accessing. They may not fit a shotgun with a bayonet mounted, but they have room for an AR and a shotgun.

I own one of THESE for a single long gun, a couple of THESE for a couple of long guns each and one of THESE for a couple of handguns. I'm very happy with them and don't have to worry about the wrong hands getting to them accidentally. And they are quick and easy to open, giving me fast access to a defensive weapon. Just my $0.02 on the subject.
 
#3 ·
You make my point. You say a "knowledgeable thief" could get into a safe in under 15 minutes. I was a little bit facetious with my "all day" statement, but it would definitely take them more than 15 mins, just because of the way I have it secured. Once they finally got it out into the middle of the room, then yes, I have seen those videos too -- it is faster than a NY minute.

So all of your V-line products do nothing but keep the honest people honest. Maybe one minute secure against a strong burglar with a pry bar. I have a quality Gun-Vault box for my HD handgun. During the day, the gun is in the vault which is mounted to the inside of my computer desk. But I am under no illusion that a burglar -- once he has spotted the box -- wouldn't have it pryed off the desk and in his hands within seconds to take it to his hidy-hole to work on it to get the gun.

Everyone's situation is different. I respect your "I'm a firm advocate of keeping a weapon locked up -- I'm very happy with them and don't have to worry about the wrong hands getting to them accidentally", because you are describing me not too many years ago. Everything was locked up in my safe whenever they visited. If I still had small kids or small grandkids, I would not be pursuing this approach. My grandkids are entering their teens and have been taught to respect weapons. Besides they live 2 1/2 hours away and won't be popping in unannounced. If my concern shifted to young neighborhood kids gaining access -- my home is not easy to break into. Just to get into the house would take the efforts of actual burglars.
 
#7 ·
One caution I have for everyone. Use a mechanical, Not a Biometric, system for securing your weapons.
I have a "Gun Box" unit in my home, which is a wonderful piece of equipment. It sits in the living room, and looks like a piece of acceptable art. It also has the "Biometric" fingerprint reader.
Small Print. As you get older, your fingerprints are less and less distinct. and as such not readable by the inexpensive units that most manufacturers use. SO the Fingerprint system is useless. I do have several RFID keys which are reliable with the system. But everything else is combination (I have 3 Fortress boxes for the handguns)
 
#15 ·
I am certainly not young (almost 74) and my biometric system on my GunVault works just fine. The secret is in storing many copies of the same finger. I have 10 copies of my right thumb and the vault opens 95% of the time on the first swipe. Like I said, maybe only 5% of the time I have to swipe it twice. Regardless, it is faster than any other method of unlocking.
 
#8 ·
I'd be looking at putting a false back on one of your shelves or cubbies.

I've been to more than a thousand (probably two) burglary crime scenes during the years I was an evidence tech. There are two places bad guys seldom search - for small stuff, money or diamonds, pull off the cap of an ironing board leg. No protection from fire, but bad guys never steal or search ironing boards - don't ask my why, they just don't :)

Bad guys will sometime yank out drawers and throw them to dump and search contents, but they don't look *under* chest of drawers - so if those have false bottoms (i.e. remove drawer and there's a partition between the drawer opening and the floor, under there is pretty safe (though maybe not too convenient.

There is a cabinet shop I read about sometime back, that specializes in building in gun access enclosures into bed headboards for both concealment and quick access. This is probably a pricey solution unless you can do that kind of work yourself.

I just haul whatever gun I'm using for HD down from my "house safe" and then put it away in the morning. I never leave the house without locking away all guns - house has an extensive hardwired alarm system too (it's what my company does, so I got a good deal).
 
#12 ·
Just a quick observation. Threads like this are questionable in their common sense. They do generally start out using generalities but have often gotten to specifics that IMO are unwise to disclose on an internet forum.

Comments posted that imply a need for a more direct and/or details answer - similar to the comment made by ray1970 - can encourage someone to detail some information that the wrong person could "store in memory" on how we try to protect our firearms in our homes or vehicles.

Questions/comments like that are better served using PM's or email if you have it.

Again, not positive or negative in my observation. Securing my firearms is not a question I answer openly to the world. Just think it unwise. ;)
 
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#20 ·
In this multi-media world we live in, that comment can be said for just about anything. Examples: all the thriller movies made about unique ways for assassination. Or excessive news coverage of ISIS using vehicles to mow down innocents. Or just Google "how to break into a gun safe".

I think it is safe to say that there are hundreds of forums on the internet that discuss home security. It's not all bad. Had it not been for such forums, I would have never thought to triple the length of bolts on door dead-bolts to strengthen that lock by a factor of 17.

Devices such as V-Line, Gun-Grabber, GunVault, are advertised extensively, and discussed openly. Just the world we live in.
 
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#13 ·
Its been a while since I have had to worry about little ones in the house so basically I have stuff all over (table drawers, wall racks etc). I have an expected grandchild on the way now so Im starting to lock things up. This is more for child proofing than theft. So far I got a combo / biometric safe that sits on my bedroom end table that holds 4 handguns.

More often then not though I wind up just sleeping on the living room couch/recliner. I was trying to figure out what to do there that was secured but quickly accessible. I winded up mounting a speed vault safe to the side of my recliner. I chuckle at thinking how much my late wife would be cursing me out for doing this to the furniture.

Currently I still have my EDC in a shoulder holster that sort of follows me around the house if Im not directly wearing it. Gotta come up w something for that. Im thinking for the rest, instead of individual safes and such to instead just secure some personal rooms such as my bedroom, office and a closet with combo/bio door locks.



 
#14 ·
I gotta quick question that I dont really want to create a entire thread about if you dont mind (Ill delete if anyone does). Is there something I can purchase that say I can set it to beep in my bedroom when someone opens the downstairs door?

Im not looking to set off the whole alarm system, just something that tells me someone came in. Im sure the dogs would bark if its a stranger. More looking for something to indicate my daughter walked in the house etc
 
#17 ·
#16 ·
Id also agree with this. Im have done the same as far as scanning my finger print at different angles etc. I have had zero bad scans so far on my bedroom safe. It does however still have a combo lock if needed
 
#22 ·
Major Tom, I have been looking for a solution for a long gun for some time, while I have a few of the smaller V-Line (and really like them), I didn't know the bigger ones existed. Thanks for your post, really helpful. While acknowledging the previous point about not giving away all of our personal security details, in this case a real world example/detail was extremely useful, and I appreciate you sharing.
 
#24 ·
Is there something I can purchase that say I can set it to beep in my bedroom when someone opens the downstairs door?

Im not looking to set off the whole alarm system, just something that tells me someone came in.
Short answer: yes. The wording of your question implies that you already have a security system. If so, many security systems have a "chime" or "on watch" feature which sounds a tone or makes a verbal announcement when a door is opened (and the system is disarmed). Check your security system manual for details. Of course, if the system is armed, you will generate a genuine alarm if a door is opened.

If you dont have a security system, there is quite a wide range of products that can be adapted to do what you are trying to do. Amazon has an endless assortment of such stuff.
 
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