Hidey Holes for guns

[alanwk]

I am looking for suggestions on hidey holes (hiding places) for guns in the home while saving for a real safe. Now before you get bent out of shape, I don't mean that I want a detailed location and map of your home. Just general ideas for hiding from theives (no kids at home anymore). For instance the clock that has a gun compartment. Thanks.

 

[lobo9er]

step 1- go buy a sawzall
step 2- use your imagination
step 3- show your friends so they can tell everyone else where you hide your guns

 

[Kleanbore]

A safe when you are not carrying them; a pocket holster when you are awake; close proximity to you when you are in bed.

If your idea is to hide them to keep them from being taken, good luck; probably won't work. If the idea is to have it accessible, pocket carry is much more effective.

My humble opinion....

 

[Black Knight]

One thing I have learned over the years is if you can think of hiding it there, someone can think of finding it there eventually.

 

[MagnumDweeb]

All depends what you're hidey hole is intended to do and what are the considerations go in. My biggest are preventing kids from getting to a gun outside my safe. Second is the hidey hole must serve the purpose of availing a gun where an attacker might ordinarily think I'm vulnerable. And also keeping it in a place the average occupant in my house wouldn't find it.

Saying that I have two hidey holes. One in my walk-in closet that locks from the inside(meaning I lock it with a key from the outside). When I had to redo the walk-in(my Dad owns the house, we kicked out the tenants so I now technically 'lease-to-own' for various fiscal reasons) closet I had to redo the walls, ripping most of the drywall out. When I was redoing it I thougt, hey the space from the door jam to the inside would be wider and thicker and I could put some crown molding up in a strange fashion to make it look I'm reinforcing the door frame in an odd fashion. I put on side, an inside hinge that can't be seen by the naked eye and I put a fabricated latch of sorts at the very bottom of the floor. You'd have to know what you are looking to press the release latch cut into the crown molding and then the crown molding turns away from the extra space of the wall width. An there you have a pistol grip shotgun and couple boxes of extra shells. I had the extra time and spare crown molding for free, the hinge didn't really cost anything and making the release latch of sorts only took a couple of hours. I haven't showed it to anybody, and people ask when they see my safes in my walk in closet and never ask about the crown molding.

The idea being that should someone break into the house while I'm just getting home and don't have a gun on me for any reason(coming home from lawshcool where we aren't allowed to even have guns stored in our cars). I can run to my room, knock the door to my room off the frame easily enough(I intentionally put on a light door for said reason, I have renters insurance on my stuff and all my guns and ammo are locked up in my safes in a locked walkin closet). The trouble will be unlocking the closet. Then I'd just shut the closet buying me the necessary second or two to undo the latch, pop out the shotgun with one hot in the pipe and the safety off.


The second one is for a spare Taurus PT 92 I have, mind you I have the master bedroom. I had to redo the lighting in the bathroom(one shower and one toilet) so I put in track lighting because it is easy enough I noticed that if I stood on top of the rim of the toilet and put one foot on the counter where the sink is I could reach up inside what I called the lighting cavity. The track lighting took up far less space than the original flourescents(the long bar ones). So I cut out a piece of the drywall inside the lighting cavity and the roof cavity was right on the other side(mind I'm not technical term astute). I created a cubby out of scrap pieces of would that I nailed together that'd fit inside the space and put back the original cut piece of drywall. So kids can't easily get to the gun unless they are at least 5'9" because I just barely reach it and it's well hidden. You have to look real close to see the lines and have to be looking directly at it. I've had my roomate and several others look at the track lighting and not seen the cuts which I did in a series of cuts.

To get the gun I just push one side of the cut piece and it turns in and I can pull the piece right out to get to the gun. So if I get up in the middle of the night and don't bring a gun with me(which is funny given that I keep the gun in the bathroom because if someone breaks in I'm locking myself inside the bathroom where my cell phone charges during the night), and I hear one of my windows break or my door I can sand up on the rim of the toilet (without the seat) put one foot on the counter and get to the gun. Mind you I shoot the pistol at least once a month and I cycle out the ammo.

So there's my little bits of paranoia for you lol. It's cheaper than a shrink.

 

[kayak-man]

Oh boy am I going to take some flak for suggesting this:
Put a small handgun (preferably light weight) in a plastic ziplock bag and duct tape to the inside of the tank on your toilet. I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS, but I have read about it, so it's worth considering, or using it to get the brainstorming going.

Supposedly, the refridgerator is the most common household hiding place, but what about UNDER the fridge? I'm thinking if you happen to have a minifridge, have it rest on a 2x4 square, and in the empty space in the center of the square, drop a pistol...or two.

An old, gutted boom box or radio?

 

[bottom shelf]

It sounds like you're just trying to keep them from being stolen until you can get a proper safe, yes? And you're not real concerned with getting to them quickly in the case of a home invasion? And no children are around? That makes it a little easier perhaps.

If it were me, I'd bag them and put them in the attic under the insulation, near the scuttle hole. That still keeps them available for range trips and casual use, but offers some protection from theft.

One place that seems good, but prolly is not would be under the bottom drawer of a dresser, on the floor or bottom piece. If the place gets ransacked, the drawers will most likely be removed and dumped, exposing the treasures.

 

[oneounceload]

I have a small lockbox made for other things, but could easily hold a small gun plus spare ammo - looks like a dictionary on the outside, has a lockbox on the inside - put it on a bookshelf with other books and it disappears in plain sight.....works great, not too many uneducated criminals are going to check out a dictionary

 

[tequillaeagle]

IN the CEILING TILE , of a suspended Ceiling

 

[billybobjoe]

You can make a gun locker out of PVC for storing a 22 in your barn. Just get large diameter PVC, cut long enough for your gun, lag screw it behind a pole, glue the top cap, and drill though the bottom cap to secure it with a pin and padlock.

 

[c919]

If you are not talking about SD guns, but simply guns you want to secure without any intent of SD use, disassembly is always an option. Put the slides in one hiding place and lock the frames to something hidden and strong through the trigger guards with a beefy cable. Well hell, I guess it's not all that necessary to disassemble them as long as they are locked and hidden, but if just the frames were found they would appear useless.

I personally have taken up the mount-a-holster-to-bedframe-or-back-of-nightstand approach. I just have an Uncle Mikes mounted on some leather straps which are bolted to the back of my nightstand. It's out of reach from my little girl and should stay that way for at least another year or so, then I'll have to make the leap to a Gunvault or something of the like.

However, Ive really been considering building something of this nature.

 

[Tim the student]

I think I read here on THR about guys using old water heaters to hide guns, as well as old fridges. I bet if you do a search here you can find that thread.

 

[jbkebert]

If it were me, I'd bag them and put them in the attic under the insulation, near the scuttle hole. That still keeps them available for range trips and casual use, but offers some protection from theft

A good friend of mine found a 1873 trapdoor springfield in a old farm house he was remodeling in this area. When he showed the homeowner the new homeowner told him to put it in his truck he didn't want it. I have found a couple .22's and shotguns in homes that I have remodeled. If you hide them remember where or your friendly remodeling contractor may find them.

 

[InkEd]

I don't do it but air vents and with the pots and pans.

An empty pizza box in the fridge like in the movie Cobra.

Buy a safe as soon as you get a chance. You can padlock a closet very easily in the meantime.

 

[John Wayne]

Underneath your 170 lb. Rottweiler's dog bed.

 

[walker944]

I haven't ever actually done this, but I've had in my mind a concept of suspending a large piece of plywood from the master bedrrom box springs. To minimize detection, it would need to be suspended as close to the box springs as possible. Seems to me that a lot of handguns/long guns could fit on it. It could be inset a foot or so from the bedsides and end of the bed; thereby making it even less detectable by an intruder. Just a thought...

 

[MinnMooney]

One thing I have learned over the years is if you can think of hiding it there, someone can think of finding it there eventually.

Not necessarily.

I now have a safe in my present home but 25 years ago in my last home (& when I had kids around) I designed a "hidey-hole" while I was building the house - I built it all myself so there were no carpenters, electricians or plumbers who knew of it.

We lived there for 16 years. My family all knew that I had my rifles & handguns hidden but in those 16 years they never found where. I showed them on the day that we were moving.

P.S. I had the location & serial numbers written down and placed in my safe deposit box so I wouldn't die with the secret and have all of those guns go to waste.

Where - you ask?
​

Everyone looked in my paneled den thinking that one of the panels should hinge open or rotate around a center pivot. No one ever thought that one of the panels could slide UP into an upper level wall. I built the wall as a double wide wall so I had a cavity that was about 9" deep x 48" wide.

 

[CypherNinja]

I haven't ever actually done this, but I've had in my mind a concept of suspending a large piece of plywood from the master bedrrom box springs. To minimize detection, it would need to be suspended as close to the box springs as possible. Seems to me that a lot of handguns/long guns could fit on it. It could be inset a foot or so from the bedsides and end of the bed; thereby making it even less detectable by an intruder. Just a thought...

Ever watch that "It takes a thief" show? One of the first things they'll do is flip your mattress and box springs.

 

[PT1911]

i have always wanted to build a hidden room... put up a false wall with a large mirror (or other item...picture...etc) hung say 6 inches from the floor hiding the entrance to the the room...little kid dreams I guess..

 

[offroaddiver]

there was a guy on here not long ago that disassembled the rifle and then made a waterproof case and buried it. I have stashes for access in a shtf scenario. Mostly a locked closet is good enough to keep little ones away.

I have seen people make holes in walls, floors, ceilings etc.

Time and opportunity is all a thief needs. Could you if you absolutely had to empty half of your house in less than a day? If it's disorganization you'll be lucky if they don't come across the cache. If they have been stalking you then you'll be hit and hit pretty hard.

 

[KAK]

Pelican case buried in the yard but thats almost as expensive as a safe. Secret hiding places in a home are probably better than a safe. The thiefs know valuables are stored in safes unless you just use it to deter the thiefs from the real hiding place.

If you have an apartment just get a safe. you cant go cuttin holes in the wall.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

Hiding anything in your bedroom is a bad idea. Your bedroom will be ransacked during a break-in. One interesting ideam, if you have a crawlspace, is to carefully cut out the carpet under your couch with a razor blade, cut a hole in the floor just big enough to slide a rifle through, and then secure plywood to the underside of the joists. Afterwards, glue the carpet back on to the piece you removed, replace the piece with the carpet attached, then cover it with your couch. Not the best idea ever, but also probably not the worst.

Another idea is a small bicycle lock that can be threaded through the chamber and secured to a solid object. I realize that a thief can cut through if he has bolt cutters or a hacksaw, but it will at least the thief will have to work at it.

 

[evan price]

One of the best places is to cut out the drywall inside and above the lintel of a closet door, preferably NOT a walk-in closet. It's awkward to stick your body in the closet and turn and look above the door. It's a great place to hide something.

Also, those plastic-coated hooks that screw into studs (used for hanging bikes and stuff) are great to screw into the wall above the closet door and place a home-defense shotgun. It's high enough to be out of reach of kids, in a location that won't be seen, and is easy to get to in a pinch.

The sink cabinets in your bathroom or kitchen usually have a panel that is where a drawer would go, if there was no sink. Those panels are usually attached to the cabinet frames. You can buy a kit at the home improvement store to make those panels a tip-out storage tray. If you don't put a handle on the panel, it's a great hidey-hole and nobody will suspect that panel opens. Screw a couple hooks to the backside and you can put a handgun there ready for instant use.

From working at a car parts store I saw guys who took home the battery displays when we changed over to a new battery company. These are car batteries but with no acid or plates, just a hollow case with the terminal lugs installed and the battery brand stickers. When you carefully cut it open and remove the dividers inside you have a nice big box. Put some hidden stuff in the battery case, set it on the floor in the laundry room, and take an old battery charger and leave it attached to the posts. Looks like you are charging a battery, and who would steal an old battery?

Saw a guy who took an old electrical service panel and put it on the wall in a storage room. Put a few old breakers in it, ran some conduit up into the attic from this box. No wires in it though. Makes a great hidey hole.

Worked for a guy who had the bottom step on his stairs on a hinge. Under the step tread was a hidey hole with a floor safe and a few pistols. Carpet runner on the stairs hid the hinge. He also had a medicine cabinet in his bathroom that was held in with 4 phillips screws. Pull it out of the wall and viola a big place to put rifles and other things.

 

[Mr.510]

I don't have any suggestions for the OPs situation that haven't already been mentioned.

I do have a good one for deep cover: 1/4" sheetrock. Cut a hole in a sheetrock wall between the joists large enough for whatever you want to hide (an AK in condition zero comes to mind). Remove the sheetrock to mid-joist on each side. Screw some firing strip to the existing sheetrock at the top and bottom of the opening on the inside to support the new 1/4" material. Cut a piece of 1/4" sheetrock to fit the opening. Prep for storage and stash your whatever-it-is in the opening. Lay your piece of 1/4" sheetrock flat on the floor and put several slices through the paper layer on each side to weaken it. Be sure none or your cuts are directly opposite each other. Use shims to space the 1/4" sheetrock flush with the existing wall and screw it in. Tape, mud, and sand like any other joint. After paint it will be completely invisible. As long as you know where your new "weak spot" in the wall is you can easily smash your fist through and grab whatever you stashed in a hurry. You can do this in any room but I suggest the one(s) you think you might be herded into in a home invasion. If you're extra paranoid about discovery stash a weapon in a wall that has lots of plumbing in it to throw off metal detectors.

 

[SSN Vet]

Long ago, I spent a long weekend with a good friend at his family's cabin in the U.P.

They routinely had the cabin broken into by local teens who would party in the place and steal things.

They had all their hunting rifles in a "hidey hole" somewhere... and never had their hiding place found out.

So we decide to do some shooting and to my surprise.... I'm told to wait outside the cabin while my friend breaks out the guns...

Point being...

Loose lips render hidey holes ineffective.

If you can't keep a secret, don't bother.