Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Camp Borepatch

I'm house hunting in Georgia, and one house not only has an honest-to-goodness Secure Perimeter (I joked about it here), but a built-in locking rifle closet Arms Room.

I think that this may be a sign from the Almighty that this should be the future home of the Borepatch clan.

A question for folks out there: what are the pros and cons of a locking rifle closet vs. a gun safe?  The fire/water protection on the safe is pretty obvious.  It's harder for a Bad Guy to get into the safe, unless the closet is built from something stronger than drywall.  It seems this closet has a transparent lexan door, which is very cool for viewing the contents, but is a dead giveaway to burglars.

Thoughts on the need for a gun safe, if you had one of these?

10 comments:

libertyman said...

No substitute for a gun safe, I hate to forgo the display of fine firearms, but a safe is better. Better, too, in case of fire. The bigger the better, too. I have a Champion, and it is a beauty. Look for a used one, as the don't wear out.

Alan said...

As a gun owner I'm under no moral obligation to prevent my guns from being stolen. That moral onus is on the thief not to steal.

I have a safe, and in it I keep the irreplaceable firearms: Heirlooms and the machine gun. It's a small safe because it doesn't have to hold much.

The replaceable guns are not in a safe. I have insurance for that.

I'm also in Texas, thank god, which doesn't have those stupid safe storage laws. YMMV.

bluesun said...

Could you replace the door with a heavy wood door? I am not comfortable with clear doors to store things behind.

How big a room are we talking here, too? Like, could you put a control center in there? If so, definitely no glass doors.

Stranger said...

A locking closet with a metal exterior door and a 7 digit "keyboard" style door lock does a good job for me. I was fortunate in that replacing the interior door with a substantial door was a simple weekend project.

Of course, there is no substitute for a good fireproof safe for those guns that cannot be replaced, or whose value makes it unlikely they will see use. But field guns, ammunition, and accessories will do quite well in a well locked closet.

Stranger

Ritchie said...

Gun safe inside secure closet inside inconspicuous room inside secure perimeter. Wait, it's almost 7PM. Is there something I'm supposed to be taking?

B said...

If someone is determined (and skilled), they can break into nearly any safe in about an hour.

Your safe is not impregnable, it just makes stealing the contents less convenient.

If you have an alarm system, then all you need is to keep the thieves at bay until the cops respond.....(then hope that the cops don't steal anything when they arrive and before you get there....

TOTWTYTR said...

Alan has a very good point. Check to see what, if any, safe storage laws there are in GA. The purpose of a safe it to protect your valuables from a would be thief, not to protect the thief from being able to commit a crime.

The MA safe storage laws are meant to discourage possession of loaded firearms in your home and thus your ability to defend yourself.

If I lived in TX (or GA) I'd have a couple of loaded firearms close to hand at all times when I was home. I might lock them up when the house was empty, but that would be MY decision, not the state's.

If you still want to have a gun room, that's fine. You should have to a solid steel to start. You should also have solid walls, not just drywall. It will end up costing you more than a safe, but you'll have a bigger area to store your firearms in.

NotClauswitz said...

I would go with a safe just to stymie those Freelance Socialists who want to make what is mine theirs Regardless of other moral obligations, to piss off a Socialist is to piss ON a Socialist and that's an obligation I hold high.
There were a lot of guns lost in the Burlingame fire, even with fireproof safes.

Windy Wilson said...

Perhaps some (real) Mattel toy guns from the 60's to display on the inside of the door, but a real gunsafe inside a real fireproof safe is the ticket.

Six said...

Good points by all. I suppose it comes down to what you're comfortable with.
I prefer the protection of steel and concrete, both for theft and fire. It is my responsibility to try as best I can to keep my guns, even the replaceable ones, out of the hands of a thief. Not always possible, even with a very good safe given enough time and motivation, but a good safe will increase a thief's potential exposure and may tip the risk/reward balance in your favor.
I'd love to have a gun room but I'd probably line the inside with concrete or plate steel and install double doors. One for security when I'm away and the other for easy access and a nice view.