Embarrassingly simple question:

[B!ngoFuelUSN]

So, I have a relatively small gun safe. Tall and narrow that I use for both long guns and handguns. Space is getting very tight in there to store the long guns but I suspect I could fit them better if I stored every other one muzzle down - alternating their orientation since they tend to interfere at the receiver/bolt/stock section.
Emotionally I am having trouble bringing myself to do this as it cuts across the grain of everything I've been taught, know, feel about long guns. But intellectually, the muzzles are pretty tough (and most have brakes or equivalent to protect the barrel muzzle), the safe is lined with some material that is as soft and smooth as a bunny's inner ear and, short of an earthquake (which is not unlikely whereI live) they will not be jostled around in there.
So, do any of you do this? If one of you came to my house, looked in my safe and saw this would you have the moderators throw me off of THR?
Serious question though - even if it sounds goofy.
B

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Mine are staggered up and down.

 

[Ibmikey]

Ya do what ha gotta' do, no matter how weird it looks. In my case before getting that strange I would (and have) buy a second or third safe.

 

[bannockburn]

I put my long guns in silicone sleeves and store them in the gun safe, alternating between muzzle up and muzzle down. Seems to be the most efficient use of the space that I can come up with, short of buying another safe.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Have you thought about "rifle rods"? Not sure if these would help but here's the link
http://www.libertysafe.com/accessory-rifle-rods-ps-15-pg-60.html

I would hesitate storing guns muzzle down, I have had some issues with a rifle being stored horizontally in the rafters of my dad's basement for a decade or two and it is slightly warped... obviously different situation, but shows that firearms are not invinsible.

 

[pcbuckhunter]

I don't store my guns muzzle down. When space became an issue, I bought a second safe. And then a third, and then a fourth.

 

[greyling22]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that storing guns muzzle up was the wrong direction anyway: that it dripped oils and solvents do from the action and barrel in to a wood stock, weakening it over time, and that the same gunk could settle in to the firing pin channel and clog that up as well. I don't know if it's true, and I store my gun s muzzle up, but I don't see a problem going down.

 

[JDGray]

As long as you protect the muzzle, your good

 

[Art Eatman]

At one time my safe had so many rifles--many of them quite old--that I did the muzzle-down thing. Never had any problem with oil-in-wood. But I don't keep guns real oily, either.

 

[BCRider]

As long as your base pad is kept clean of dust and grit your guns will be quite happy being stored muzzle down. The enemy is any sand or other grit that becomes trapped in the padding. For this reason I'd suggest a smooth rubbery like overlay so it both grips the muzzle to avoid skidding around and also is easy to wipe clean occasionally.

An even nicer option would be some sort of loop harness and hooks along the upper corners so the barrel down rifles and shotguns can be hung from the stock instead of having the muzzles in contact with the base padding.

And don't forget about the big middle upper volume that is typical in most gun safes. Some way to hang a few from some center mounted hooks would do much to using the volume more efficiently. When I get caught up with some other projects I want to look at some sort of center slide out rail that comes out then pivots to each side to allow reaching in and getting the arms from the sides out easily,

 

[Captcurt]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that storing guns muzzle up was the wrong direction anyway: that it dripped oils and solvents do from the action and barrel in to a wood stock, weakening it over time, and that the same gunk could settle in to the firing pin channel and clog that up as well. I don't know if it's true, and I store my gun s muzzle up, but I don't see a problem going down.

I see this a lot. The owner oiled the gun, stored it muzzle up, and the oil leaked into the wood. The worst that I have seen was a nice Browning A5 20ga that had the wood behind the received discolored and saturated. I store my muzzle down and I don't poor the oil to them.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I have always alternated the rifles in my safe, it is the only way I can even come close to the advertised capacity. The oil thing sounds like a problem in the cleaning procedure, not the storage procedure. Correcting a symptom without correcting the problem is not wise.

 

[Scooter22]

Store them up/down. Not a problem. I use multiple StackOn 8 gun cabinets and can fit 12-16 in each depending on if scopes are involved.

 

[henschman]

Storing muzzle down is not even remotely a problem. It will take a lot more than resting on some carpet (even with a little dirt in it) to damage the crown on a hardened steel rifle barrel, unless you're grinding the muzzle on it for minutes at a time or something.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

For me, some specifically muzzle down - always.

At a minimun, everything I have with a buttpad goes in the safe muzzle down. After that, if I need more space even more get the tip.

 

[B!ngoFuelUSN]

Excellent folks. Thanks for the response. With the tips offered I'll go ahead and re-sort them every other muzzle up and down.
Regarding the RifleRods, yes I've seen them, and I purchased a starter set. But as I thought about it more, since they require all to be muzzle up, I'm not sure there is much space left to be saved. I may experiment with them though but I suspect I'll get more long-gun-spatial-compression with the muzzle up and down thing. Luckily it was just the starter set.
Again, many thanks folks.
T

 

[Art Eatman]

Decision made.