under bed gun storage

[butcherboy1985]

i have a question regarding storing guns under a wooden bed frame. let me describe my bed frame in question...its made out of 2x10's. its essentially 2 boxes stacked on eachother. the top box has a bottom and holds the mattress. the lower ( support box ) holds up the mattress and is hollow. from the end it looks kinda like a "T". you cant see under the bed and if i secure the 2 pieces together it appears to be 1 solid piece. so long story short...i have a empty wooden tomb under my bed that i was thinking about using for bulk gun storage.

now that my makeshift safe is described...my question is....if i put guns in this empty wooden crate essentially will they rust or what can i expect? ill put silica in before seal it.

this is all happening because i have a job assignment that will have me temporarily relocating for at least 6 months if not longer. id prefer to have my guns hidden in plane sight rather than an obvious safe.

anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences? or just words of wisdom

 

[rugerguy]

It will work, and has been done but as you say , now that you told the world, I'd delete your post 8) :wink:

 

[longspurr]

It will work just fine as a storage spot. I used to have several long guns in storage under my water bed.

That said, I recommend you do what you can to rust proof the guns. I used simple paste wax all over the metal and sealed the bore with it. Other rust proof substances are available and I just read a VERY good article on THEHIGHROAD of scientific testing of many gun lubes.
Quote;
Corrosion protection:

Lastly I evaluated corrosion protection and inhibiting. It’s a common claim made by the products in this evaluation so I want to evaluate that as well. Some of the products state that they meet or exceed this test and spec or that test and certification (the most common being ASTM B117 and ISO 9227 salt fog chamber corrosion test and a variety of mil specs.
By now you may have noticed some commonality in the remaining samples of board #2 and board #1. Results would indicate that

Hornady's One shot

WD 40 Specialist

And perhaps Frog Lube

Have shown they outperform the others with Rust Prevent also doing a heck of a job.

 

[powder smoke]

http://www.covertfurniture.com/

I store boxes that rifles came in under the bed guns in the safe.
Here is a link of furniture with hidden compartments a wiser choice imo.
All the money invested in guns the next investment should be secure storage, a SAFE. ps

 

[GunnyGene]

I'd also remove the stocks and forearms before rust proofing the metal parts, and keep them separated for long term storage, especially if the house will be unheated during your absence.

 

[blume357]

I'd put them back together after cleaning well with a good gun cleaner lube.... this stuff has a very fine oil mix that actually goes into the steel and should keep it from rusting.... with that said, I would still check them every month or so.

I think the real danger is quick temperature changes can cause condensation on items with mass.... this happens most often inside safes.... doesn't happen inside basic thin metal gun cabinets....

 

[Mobuck]

I used to store my long guns under the bed. When I had to start using a step ladder to get in bed, I had to change strategies.

 

[vito]

You could also carefully cut a slot into the mattress and insert the rifles. This would only work for a small number unless you could tolerate sleeping on hard objects. Another solution: build a shallow false compartment in a closet. I had a friend who did this many years ago, with an interior closet wall that enclosed a space about 6 inches deep. He put several long guns behind this false wall and you would never suspect it even if you looked carefully into the closet.

 

[contender]

Whatever you do, secure it with screws in a semi-permanent way. Make it appear as if the frame is built to stay together.
Why?
When we had our home broken into, the thug went immediately into our bedroom & ransacked it. All my empty gun boxes were under the bed, and he drug them out. He ransacked the closet, everything out in the floor. He was a "pro" as he hit another house close by that day. Same method of searching.

The false wall is also a good idea. Some 2x6 studs, frame a "wall", insert well preserved firearms, attach paneling.

 

[6gun]

I stored my long guns under my water bed for a long time before I bought a safe, no rust problems what so ever but that could depend on the climate your in, most bedrooms are warm and dry so rust may or may not be a problem, I still keep the boxes there.

I didn't have the board covering access screwed on which is a good idea, but you did need a pry bar to get the board loose it was wedged in that tight.

 

[gramps]

My safe's are in my walkin closet. The walkin closet has no handle, only a deadbolt. Anything can be defeated if given enough time, knowledge, and tools.
gramps

 

[vito]

When my home was broken into, almost 20 years ago, the thief cut himself after breaking a glass door to enter the house. This allowed us to trace his path by following the drops of blood. He went directly to the master bedroom and right to the bedside table which contained, at the time, my one and only gun (an old 380 semi auto). From there he moved to my wife's dresser and grabbed the jewelry box, then on to the closet where he took my camera bag from the shelf. Some time after he went to the family room and apparently was disconnecting the TV and VCR when we returned home and he ran out the back door. I remember that the detective who came to the scene stated that the house burglars know where most people keep their valuables and go to those spots accordingly. He also remarked how lucky we were that there was nothing on our bed. I asked him what he meant by that. He said it was common for house burglars to show their disrespect by urinating and/or defecating on the bed, often after they pulled back the covers. So I guess I was lucky in a way, but it still was a nasty experience. The next morning I went to the local sporting goods store, saw a beautiful S&W Model 19, nickel, four inch barrel sitting in the gun display case and I bought it. I still have that gun which is one of my most favorite and valued firearms. If I ever need to use this gun for home defense during a break-in it will be poetic justice (but I wonder what the sound of a 357 Magnum being fired inside my home without hearing protection would be like).

 

[Don Lovel]

a buddy of mine built gun lockers into the walls below the window sills of his bedroom. You pull out a strategically placed finish nail and you can pull the board out and there is a padded channel a long gun can slide into and one of them has a removeable holder that fits 6 handguns into the space. Put the board and the finish nail back, you would never know.

 

[6gun]

wow that's a cool bed and storage to hide girls friends in or stuff the old lady in if she snores. :lol:

 

[6gun]

wow that's a cool bed and storage to hide girls friends in or stuff the old lady in if she snores. :lol:

LOL

There was a news story a year or more back about a guy, who actually kept a women in a box under his bed. I'll see if I can find a link.

It wasn't a inflated woman was it? :lol:

 

[mohavesam]

Whatever you do, secure it with screws in a semi-permanent way. Make it appear as if the frame is built to stay together.
Why?
When we had our home broken into, the thug went immediately into our bedroom & ransacked it. All my empty gun boxes were under the bed, and he drug them out. He ransacked the closet, everything out in the floor. He was a "pro" as he hit another house close by that day. Same method of searching...

Well, think like a thief. If you had 60 seconds to find guns in the house, where would you look?
Bedroom of course! Also the best place in the house to find cash, checks, and cards!
- Nightstands, headboard, under the bed, closets, dresser drawers (including under the bottom drawer), etc. Now, set a timer, and run through all those locations quickly! What didja get?
:?

Gone 6 months? I'd rent a secure mini-storage myself, and pay in advance.

 

[Colonialgirl]

I would NOT pick "under the bed" no matter how the end panel might be fastened, ESPECIALLY if I was going to be gone for SIX months.

 

[butcherboy1985]

i am so glad i posted this. i like and appreciate all the helpfull suggestions and recommendations.

so i dont think under the bed storage is the way to go. rust and moisture and a obvious place for a robber to look have changed my mind.

thank you all for the tips

 

[butcherboy1985]

id like to thank "mohavesam" for his post it was the most helpful. i found a great spot after doing a run through of my house.

my new spot will solve or minimize the rust issue and is certainly not convenient for a common thief.

 

[Colonialgirl]

id like to thank "mohavesam" for his post it was the most helpful. i found a great spot after doing a run through of my house.

my new spot will solve or minimize the rust issue and is certainly not convenient for a common thief.

Another Consideration is "FIRE PROOF"; keep in mind that Whatever could NOT possibly happen has a way of OCCURRING !!

 

[ilikerams]

When my home was broken into, almost 20 years ago, the thief cut himself after breaking a glass door to enter the house. This allowed us to trace his path by following the drops of blood. He went directly to the master bedroom and right to the bedside table which contained, at the time, my one and only gun (an old 380 semi auto). From there he moved to my wife's dresser and grabbed the jewelry box, then on to the closet where he took my camera bag from the shelf. Some time after he went to the family room and apparently was disconnecting the TV and VCR when we returned home and he ran out the back door. I remember that the detective who came to the scene stated that the house burglars know where most people keep their valuables and go to those spots accordingly. He also remarked how lucky we were that there was nothing on our bed. I asked him what he meant by that. He said it was common for house burglars to show their disrespect by urinating and/or defecating on the bed, often after they pulled back the covers. So I guess I was lucky in a way, but it still was a nasty experience. The next morning I went to the local sporting goods store, saw a beautiful S&W Model 19, nickel, four inch barrel sitting in the gun display case and I bought it. I still have that gun which is one of my most favorite and valued firearms. If I ever need to use this gun for home defense during a break-in it will be poetic justice (but I wonder what the sound of a 357 Magnum being fired inside my home without hearing protection would be like).

Don't know about shooting burglers, but when deer hunting I never even heard the sound of the shots (rifle or handgun) , maybe because of the adrenalin.

 

[butcherboy1985]

ok just a followup question to all of you who have built " false walls/floors" for storage.

im thinking about building a false floor out of 2x6 or 2x8 ( have to measure my guns) with a hinged plywood lid. can i use air vents like my cooling/heating system has for air flow? cut slots in the door and fasten the vents? im thinking this will alleviate any humidity issues. ( the area im storing them is inside with heating/ac )