Need some ideas on designing a gun display in my gun room.

Hey Guys,

I'd like to use some of the massive brain power on this board to help me design a gun display for my gun room. I want to display my rifles both vertically and horizontally. I also have some pistols I'd like to display. What's giving me trouble is the dimensions I have to work with and how to maximize it. Here's what I have:

Wall number 1 is 13' 5" long. From the floor up at the 50" mark is a 10" wide ledge. This ledge is where I intend to put the gun racks/displays on. From the ledge up to the ceiling is 68 1/2" high.

Wall number 1 connects to wall number 2 perpendicular as you expect, and wall number 2 is 14' 5" long. It also has the same 10" wide ledge. I've attached a pic below of a partial pic of wall number one to give you an idea of what it looks like now. There is some stuff stacked on the ledge in the pic.

I found a gun rack plan online that is 32" long and holds 10 rifles vertically. I have some muskets that are around 55-58" in length that I would like to display horizontally. So, I'm trying to figure out the best combination to get the most rifles in that space. I'm thinking maybe a book shelf on either end might take up the odd length left over. I need to calculate this for both walls. I realize I'll need a stool to reach the upper horizontally mounted rifles and that's ok. For the pistols, I thought I'd split them with a few rifles mounted at the top due to height and the pistols from there down to the bottom of the ledge. Also thought about mounting them below the ledge on the wall itself.

Anyway, I'd appreciate some ideas of how to mount these and what designs to us.

Thanks guys !

That is a very broad question, some definition might be in order.

Is the focus on visual appeal or maximum safe storage?

Do you have favorites or particularly special firearms that you want to single out from the rest?

Are you the type of person who gets something set up right and leaves it for years or do you want to be able to change things around?

Is your collection fairly fixed? Do things come and go? Constantly expanding? Being honed down to the best examples only?

Is your collection static or active? Ie will the rifles stay in situ unless being cleaned or are you constantly taking them down to handle, examine, shoot, photograph or show to friends etc?

Approx how many rifles, muskets, carbines and pistols do you want to display/house?

How do you group them? (Basically do you want to be able arrange them with muskets next to cavalry carbines or all the muskets together, then all the short rifles, then carbines etc?

Do you want the vertical rifles action out, trigger guard out or side on? (Or angled so you can see the action and some of the side?) Vertical or leaning?

Do you want the rack itself to be a feature or to disappear?

Do you have a style preference or a style you need to match?

Will it have lighting on, at or over the racks?

Do you want/need storage space included for books, kit, memorabilia or ammunition/accessories?

Do you want bayonets stored with or on them?

Do you have either legal or self imposed safe storage criteria?

Rumor had it this was Charlton Hestons gun room/collection Pic # 1
Pic # 2 is for ideas.

There is scads of pics on the net just google - Gun rooms

Simple long racks just look like a gun store, as in the 2nd photo in the previous post. They give the impression of hoarding, rather than a though-out collection.
The fan arrangement used in the Lithgow museum might give you some ideas.
Of course, that is a purely Enfield display, but it avoids the monotony of a parallel arrangement, whether horizontal or vertical.

Excellent questions Henry, thanks for posting. This will help me design a better room.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by henry r

That is a very broad question, some definition might be in order.

Is the focus on visual appeal or maximum safe storage?

A combination of both. I have safe's for the really rare stuff. This is for easily replaced items that I want to display. I want to display as many as possible given the area I have to work with.

Do you have favorites or particularly special firearms that you want to single out from the rest?

I have not thought about that. But, there are a couple that I would probably want to highlight.

Are you the type of person who gets something set up right and leaves it for years or do you want to be able to change things around?

Once done, I'll probably leave it a long, long time.

Is your collection fairly fixed? Do things come and go? Constantly expanding? Being honed down to the best examples only?

My collection is expanding as money allows, but I don't typically sell anything. So, fairly fixed. I could rotate items in and out of safe if I wanted to once the display has exceeded capacity.

Is your collection static or active? Ie will the rifles stay in situ unless being cleaned or are you constantly taking them down to handle, examine, shoot, photograph or show to friends etc?

This room is just for me. No one other than immediate family will be allowed in and it's in a very secure location. Most of the collection is static. Guns I shoot will be located in easily accessible areas either on the display or elsewhere in the room.

Approx how many rifles, muskets, carbines and pistols do you want to display/house?

As many as will fit in the given space. The space will hold more than I currently have. I want to allow for expansion.

How do you group them? (Basically do you want to be able arrange them with muskets next to cavalry carbines or all the muskets together, then all the short rifles, then carbines etc?

Good question, I need to get them out and start grouping them. AR's and AK's are shorter than M1's and K98's, which are shorter than muskets. Probably will group by partially by sized and then by year or type of rifle. The muskets are long and I thought they would look nice displayed horizontally. The modern shorter stuff probably vertical. The older milsurp stuff probably a combination based on what room I have. In other words, some of the nicer ones, I might display horizontal with bayonet and maybe bandoleer. Rougher versions vertical.

Do you want the vertical rifles action out, trigger guard out or side on? (Or angled so you can see the action and some of the side?) Vertical or leaning?

Wow, another great question. Initially, I was thinking trigger guard out. But, maybe angled would look better and/or side on. Although those would take up more space, right?

Do you want the rack itself to be a feature or to disappear?

Probably disappear. Simple design that showcased the gun.

Do you have a style preference or a style you need to match?

No

Will it have lighting on, at or over the racks?

There are can lights that will highlight the racks.

Do you want/need storage space included for books, kit, memorabilia or ammunition/accessories?

Yes, probably some. Looking at the dimensions, I'll probably have some room left over so I was thinking I could alter things to allow for a shelf to store or display memorabilia. One of the things I need to do is look at all the memorabilia, and determine what to display.

Do you want bayonets stored with or on them?

Another good question. I was thinking in the case of the muskets, probably beside them. The others, probably a combination with the horizontal ones have them and the vertical ones not.


Do you have either legal or self imposed safe storage criteria?

---

No

---------- Post added at 12:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:41 PM ----------

Awesome stuff guys, thanks!! Some great advice and ideas here. My room is very well hidden and protected. If they can get to it and through my security, then the guns are insured. I'm only displaying the easy to replace ones. It's not a room for visitors. Just me.

Some more questions.

Are the firearms you intend to display all military types or are there some sporting arms? An approx ratio? If it was me i would display sporting arms and military arms slightly differently, especially if talking about really high end sporting stuff.

Do you have scoped firearms that will be in the racks?

Will you be displaying any firearms with large protruding magazines in the racks with magazines in or out?

Do you want/need to have a dedicated storage space assocated with each rifle? (For parts, accessories, magazines, ammo etc)

Do you have any groups of large numbers of visually identical rifles that you want to group together in the racks. Aka 5 m1's, 9 SMLE's or 32 91/30 mosin nagants?

Will you be doing all/most of the work yourself?
What can you do and what will need to be paid for?
Are you better at and better equiped for wood or metal work?
If you need to add more wiring or aircon ducting can you do some/all of it?

From your destriptions i'll take a guess that the room you have is fairly stable in temperature, isn't a through corridor and won't get any direct sunlight.
Are you in a high or low humidity region?
Salt air?
What is the ventilation like?
Is it fairly dust proof?


How much time per week do you think you will spend in there?

Will you be smoking or using chemicals in the room?
Will anyone else have to use or access the space?

Pets?

Plants?

As you aren't covering all the wall space with firearms i will take a guess that the room will be used for other things too. Can i ask what else it will be used for and what other furniture/things will be in there?

Not only will the above questions have effects on the details of storage they will effect the basic requirements of the space with regards to your comfort and the preservation of your collection.

I will take a guess that you won't be having young children in there.

Do you have anything big to display that will need floor space or a seperate plinth?

I'm assuming that you don't need space left on these two walls for shadow board's, art, pictures, posters, signs, etc.

Of the memorabilia you want to display are there any uniforms (that need a full height display space) or small / very fragile items (that need to be behind glass)? Anything noteably large or odd shaped?

Now some questions from a totally different angle...

What is it you like about firearms the most?

Why do you collect them?

What does your collection mean to you?

Why do you want to display them?

What is the first thing you look at (apart from if its safe) when you look at one or have one put in your hands?

These may sound arty-farty but if you can identify what bits you like the most you can emphisise these in the display.

More q's and thoughts to come.

You forgot to consider the ceiling. I've faced the same problem for years until I came up with the most efficient storage/display solution for my needs. We have a ton of things to display and a massive number of books so wall space is a premium. My firearms were kept in specific cases/racks for the most part and then about a year ago I decided to hang them from the ceiling. They are easy to see, easy to get up and down, take up no wall space and look surprisingly good up there. Very simple to do also. 1x4's running the width of the room spaced appropriately for two rubber covered bicycle hooks, one directly behind the trigger guard, the other under the forearm. I have a small room with one row and it easily holds 18 in about 7' of space. I have them spaced so I can get them in and out without banging into the bolt handle of the one beside, straight bolts, not bent. I've since got a second safe and packed the majority of them into it so the ceiling racks are the only thing I'm still using. I'm slowly converting the cases and racks to shelving to display other items.

Be pretty cool Aragorn to have like a pull down rack on a sort of gas strut system for something a bit different.

Some more questions.

Are the firearms you intend to display all military types or are there some sporting arms? An approx ratio? If it was me i would display sporting arms and military arms slightly differently, especially if talking about really high end sporting stuff.

Very few sporting arms. Mostly military. No high-end sporting stuff.

Do you have scoped firearms that will be in the racks?

A few

Will you be displaying any firearms with large protruding magazines in the racks with magazines in or out?

Probably without Magazines.

Do you want/need to have a dedicated storage space assocated with each rifle? (For parts, accessories, magazines, ammo etc)

Probably.

Do you have any groups of large numbers of visually identical rifles that you want to group together in the racks. Aka 5 m1's, 9 SMLE's or 32 91/30 mosin nagants?

Hadn't thought about that. Maybe, but I don't have more than 3 of any one type.

Will you be doing all/most of the work yourself?

Depends on the complexity, not sure yet

What can you do and what will need to be paid for?

I can install as long as the pieces are there. Not good at make the pieces.

Are you better at and better equiped for wood or metal work?

Neither.

If you need to add more wiring or aircon ducting can you do some/all of it?

None of that is needed, and no.

From your destriptions i'll take a guess that the room you have is fairly stable in temperature, isn't a through corridor and won't get any direct sunlight.

No windows and is hvac controlled

Are you in a high or low humidity region?

Moderate humidity

Salt air?

No

What is the ventilation like?

has hvac

Is it fairly dust proof?

Pretty well


How much time per week do you think you will spend in there?

I work a lot now, but hope to spend a lot of time later. For now, not a lot.

Will you be smoking or using chemicals in the room?

No smoking, just chemicals to clean weapons.

Will anyone else have to use or access the space?

No

Pets?

No

Plants?

No

As you aren't covering all the wall space with firearms i will take a guess that the room will be used for other things too. Can i ask what else it will be used for and what other furniture/things will be in there?

This is only a gun room. The other walls will have memorabilia, TV and other stuff on them.

Not only will the above questions have effects on the details of storage they will effect the basic requirements of the space with regards to your comfort and the preservation of your collection.

I will take a guess that you won't be having young children in there.

right

Do you have anything big to display that will need floor space or a seperate plinth?

no

I'm assuming that you don't need space left on these two walls for shadow board's, art, pictures, posters, signs, etc.

correct

Of the memorabilia you want to display are there any uniforms (that need a full height display space) or small / very fragile items (that need to be behind glass)? Anything noteably large or odd shaped?

not yet. maybe in the future

Now some questions from a totally different angle...

What is it you like about firearms the most?

the history behind them

Why do you collect them?

I like owning a tangible piece of history. have always been attracted to guns

What does your collection mean to you?

Other than a few sentimental family pieces, it can all be replaced.

Why do you want to display them?

I want to enjoy them by looking at them when I'm in the room.

What is the first thing you look at (apart from if its safe) when you look at one or have one put in your hands?

Receiver area

These may sound arty-farty but if you can identify what bits you like the most you can emphisise these in the display.

More q's and thoughts to come.

:thup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by A34

Hey Guys,

I'd like to use some of the massive brain power on this board to help me design a gun display for my gun room. I want to display my rifles both vertically and horizontally. I also have some pistols I'd like to display. What's giving me trouble is the dimensions I have to work with and how to maximize it. Here's what I have:

Wall number 1 is 13' 5" long. From the floor up at the 50" mark is a 10" wide ledge. This ledge is where I intend to put the gun racks/displays on. From the ledge up to the ceiling is 68 1/2" high.

Wall number 1 connects to wall number 2 perpendicular as you expect, and wall number 2 is 14' 5" long. It also has the same 10" wide ledge. I've attached a pic below of a partial pic of wall number one to give you an idea of what it looks like now. There is some stuff stacked on the ledge in the pic.

I found a gun rack plan online that is 32" long and holds 10 rifles vertically. I have some muskets that are around 55-58" in length that I would like to display horizontally. So, I'm trying to figure out the best combination to get the most rifles in that space. I'm thinking maybe a book shelf on either end might take up the odd length left over. I need to calculate this for both walls. I realize I'll need a stool to reach the upper horizontally mounted rifles and that's ok. For the pistols, I thought I'd split them with a few rifles mounted at the top due to height and the pistols from there down to the bottom of the ledge. Also thought about mounting them below the ledge on the wall itself.

Anyway, I'd appreciate some ideas of how to mount these and what designs to us.

Thanks guys !

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Being lazy, simple minded and cheap I went as simply as I could. Same as you, lots of well-safetied wall space, secure from prying eyes. Basically, I used 1x2 strips screwed vertically to the wall, on line with the studs, so 16 inches apart. I drilled 5/16th inch holes at a slight angle, 5 1/2 inches apart and glued in 1/16 dowels, about 5 inches long. This allows full exposure, with the bolt handle side facing out. Also leaves room for a matching bayonet, clip, etc. to be hung underneath. Also used refrigerator-magnet stock glued to the wall, to allow a matching magnet with the pertinent info on it, to be attached and readily removed when rearranging stuff.
These are my principal display items, like the primary battle rifles for each major country. Secondary weapons and countries are kept in A-frame vertical racks.
I would post a few pics to show all, but I don’t seem to be able to find a button to push, so I’ll post this as -is and send the pics separately. Hopefully.

More questions.

Will the TV be wall mounted?
Next to the door or adjacent?

Will the TV be a focus or just to provide background noise/entertainment while enjoying your collection?

Do you need allowances made in the racks for surround sound rear speakers?

Will you be watching things/listening to music with the bass right up? aka potentially making stuff vibrate out of the racks or off the shelves.

Are you planning on having a couch, armchair/s, stools?
Which way or ways do you think you will face them?
A desk?
A workbench?

The above q's are to try to work out id the 12 1/2' or the 14 1/2' wall will be viewed more.

A fridge/bar fridge?

A kettle or coffee machine?

Kitchenette?

Is there anything style wise that really annoys you?

What if things are asymmetrical?
Lines aren't parrallel or square?

Do you prefer bright bold colours or muted colours? (Or something else?)

High contrast or variations of similar tones?

What is your favorite colour? Least liked?

Super simple clean design, buisy design or somewhere inbetween? (The more specific the better)

What style and vintage of house do you like most? Why?

What style and vintage house is this room in?

Any particular era of car that really appeals to you? Why?

Any particular era or style of furniture or other object design or art that appeals to you?

Is cleaning and dusting closer to being enjoyable/satisfying or a total timewasting chore?

Any special needs that need to be considered? Ie mobility, bending, reading dissorder (lighting needs), terminal clumsiness?

These is madness to the method with all of the questions. They are trying to hone in on what you like/want. What you need. How the room and racking need to be to fit with the way you intend to use it.
With the ultimate goal of aiming for something that really makes you happy (and avoids as many of the "i wish i had/n't done that as humanly possible)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bob4wd

Being lazy, simple minded and cheap I went as simply as I could. Same as you, lots of well-safetied wall space, secure from prying eyes. Basically, I used 1x2 strips screwed vertically to the wall, on line with the studs, so 16 inches apart. I drilled 5/16th inch holes at a slight angle, 5 1/2 inches apart and glued in 1/16 dowels, about 5 inches long. This allows full exposure, with the bolt handle side facing out. Also leaves room for a matching bayonet, clip, etc. to be hung underneath. Also used refrigerator-magnet stock glued to the wall, to allow a matching magnet with the pertinent info on it, to be attached and readily removed when rearranging stuff.
These are my principal display items, like the primary battle rifles for each major country. Secondary weapons and countries are kept in A-frame vertical racks.
I would post a few pics to show all, but I don’t seem to be able to find a button to push, so I’ll post this as -is and send the pics separately. Hopefully.

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Since my iPad and my Windows 10 don't seem to agree on how to do this, this is via Windows only. Should work.
BTW, the dowels are 5/16", not 1/16".

picture of overall wall rack Attachment 90223
picture of name tags detail Attachment 90224
picture of bayonets mounting detail Attachment 90225
picture of A-frame rack, secondary rifles Attachment 90226
picture of name tags detail on A-frame Attachment 90227
pictures are low-detail, for disc space reasons, but bigger pics are available if desired.