Storing Your Arms, Home Made Fireproof Safe

[painter777]

Over the years I guess I became the catch all for Arms being passed along from Family.
Becoming the caretaker before I get to old and having to figure out who in the family could carry the 'Torch' in to the future. Back about 2001 I seen my situation would get worse as family passed on. I have a few heavy safes and a few (I call) overnighter safes.... Light duty like your gym locker. At work after watching some trades spraying the foam fireproof on a Industrial building we were doing I hatched and carried out my storage plan.


How to Store:
To be completely honest about it, I'm over run with 'arms collected' I guess I became the family drop them off to member. To better understand my brother and I at age 5 started getting our first arms and every Christmas after up until my Father was in his 80's. Some we were told we could shoot, others never to shoot. On the lever action Commemorative Winchesters that were 'Never to be shot' still have the twine he tied around them to keep you from accidently racking it, to keep from any type of wear. They are still in the original boxes with another box over them so the original box doesn't get damaged. These are limited editions, some consecutive serial no's, some matched rifle and carbine etc. On top of these I became the owner of my Fathers arms who was in to early Winchesters, Sharps, Springfields, different makers of Rolling/Falling blocks, Pocket pistols, watches and knives, Grandfathers moonshining carry revolver, old trapdoors and SxS shotguns, Brothers are mainly bolt action hunting rifles, FIL had a few early Colt and S&W revolvers, and 2 Uncles who had mostly what I call 'Farmers guns'.

How to store them without going broke on safes:
While raising 2 kids I knew my biggest problem was never being able to have, move around or afford enough Gun Safe space. I got the idea after watching contractors spraying fire proof foam on a Industrial building.
This was about the same time I was having a pad poured for the back boat garage and having a coarse of block set on it.
I had my block mason buddy lay a build out from a basement wall that gives me a 22' wide x 6' deep x ~8' tall locker. I purchased enough of the spray fireproof foam from the outfit that was doing the work on the local GM Assembly plant when we were painting the new addition to give me a 4hr rating @ 1000F. I sprayed between the upper floor joists before the corrugated steel ceiling was installed, after I built the storage racks the entire interior was sprayed again. My Humidity control system was installed with the help of a local 'grow your own' supply company which was much cheaper than the systems quoted by big gun safe systems they carried. Our home already had a sprinkler systems, I just had to relocate 1 line. Finally after wiring. I had a 3/8" steel door fabricated for it (also sprayed) with a special high temp gasket/weather strip like on a wood stove made up for it. Great place for arms I couldn't be happier but also a good place to store extra powder and primers. Since our basement has a block foundation you really don't notice this being there. Our basement is cut in half length wise with 1 side having a rec room, full bathroom and extra bedroom. The other side is the utility side making the stand out not noticeable. I covered the outside of the steel door with cork board that has pictures and notes pinned on it. The lock is inside a recessed fuse box panel (flush mount panel door) about 1/2 way up the sliding track door. I'm proud of it and Thanks to swapping/bartering some work it cost less than a couple high end gun safes. That's about 1000 cubic feet of storage... minus shelving area.

Happy Thanksgiving All

Information

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[rcathey]

Really cool idea! I’ll have to file that one away in the memory bank.

[DaveHH]

Charlie: Where do you live and when won't you be home?

[painter777]

Hi Dave,
One downside is those rare occasions when we have a Tornado warning, when I get the EYE from the Wife. Meaning our storm shelter is too full to fit in. There's enough room to shelter if need be, you can walk thru without having to side step. Maybe it's the smell of the #9 and the stale Christmas tree air fresheners ? Or because she lost a circuit when I linked the generator thru the transfer box so the lockers hot during power outages ?
Really it's the fact that she didn't get another walk in closet. I've never revealed the number of arms I have and never will. I have a log that has everything listed, though some are just descriptions and numbered because they didn't have serial numbers. Log and Tags have the name of the former family member or friend that left it to me, I tried to organize the storage so their grouped by the family members- Dad, Grampa H, Brother... etc.
They use much less floor space now compared to how I stored them before.
Once located each arm is easy to get in and out without having to move a dozen things to get to it. Imagine the stir if the neighbors had seen a dozen gun safes being delivered.


Figuring out how to build the racks and shelving seemed the hardest to take advantage of the space. Then a couple weeks to build them. Built all this while finishing the basement, so inside work on rain days and framing the boat house/garage on good days. So drawing no extra attention from neighbors. We're in a little older neighborhood on a side street about 1/2 mile long. Most of the houses were built in the mid 60's to early 70's and are pretty close to each other, about 2 driveway widths apart. But being on the River side of the street we all have backyards that run back at least 75 yards and deeper to the river bank. Across the river is heavily wooded land in the floodplain and will never been built on, with the nearest road about 5 miles north. I've had the hunting lease on 60 acres for nearly 20 years, signed and notified. My fee is $1000 for each ten years. A token fee but gives the owner some piece of mind knowing in our agreement that I'll keep it posted and ask others to leave.

$$ Again, NO WAY I could have afforded to buy enough quality safes for storage. And they were a lot cheaper back when we built this. Time I was done compared to gun safe prices back then I figure I saved nearly 75%. The timing helped as my mason buddy was here finishing up a pad and single coarse of block for the boat house/garage (I used to race the small 10' hydro boats max 60 HP and collected pre-1930 outboards). Cheaper since he was here anyway and could work on rain days. Plus our house had a walk in basement sliding door, but the grade was off and shouldn't have been there so his final job was to block it in. Worked out well because we hauled in the basement remodel supplies like lumber, drywall, the Fabricated metal door etc and he could bring material in that way for the locker and set his mortar mixer right outside it. To neighbors this all appeared as part of the renovations, so no raised eyebrows. After he was done and the block cured I waterproofed it, using his Bobcat to back fill and grade the back shop. His own home had partially burned and I had climbed thru the attic and sprayed it and wall cavities to kill the smoke smell (a nasty job), later finish painting it. So like with many other trades (the ones you could trust) we often swapped labor.

The Build Your Own locker thought came after working around the guys spraying the foam fireproof on the General Motors Plant job. Then getting home seeing the progress on the cement and block work out back.
A few years later we built another in the basement of my Orthopedic Doctors farm house. He'd purchased it to make a hunting camp for himself and friends. Same mason was hired to lay a block wall foundation after we lifted the house to put in a full size basement. Soooo since they were there and Doc loves his guns we built him a smaller version.
Made for safe storage because no one lived there. His farmhouse was broken in to twice in a ~6 year period the guns weren't taken but other things were and much of it vandalized the 2nd time. A game camera caught pictures the 2nd time and revealed it was his stepson from a previous marriage.

I remember putting up nearly 6 miles in running feet of that pattern 116 knotty pine-tongue and groove. This was his idea of Rehab for me after 1 or 2 of multiple surgeries he performed. Luckily he had a huge un-used barn I was able to set up multiple 40' long saw horse racks to lay stacks out on. By saving all the cut offs I was able to pre cut them in to kits for his young son's Cub Scout group to build a few hundred Blue Bird houses. Sorta funny driving there as you'd start seeing Blue Bird houses from a mile away.

***Sorry so long*** Few memories popped up and got off topic***

PS: I've always kept my cutting torch chained up out back. Neighbor was over one day, seen it and started laughing. When I asked what was so funny, he fired it up and cut a single chain loop off, then looked at me with a grin.
I'd honestly never thought about someone using my torch to cut the chain off to steal it.
Sometimes you just don't think things thru !

[DaveHH]

I've never had a house broken into, but I have stopped a few guys at the portal. It is the worst type of crime as it violates a person's privacy and sanctuary. I'd easily get very serious if I found someone in my houses. We have so little freedom as it is, they at least can give us that. Nice thanksgiving fire, no, a few people have trouble breathing so 500,000 can't have a fire anymore. Well, put in a gas fire, no, the board of supervisors made it illegal to build a house with natural gas because they drank the cool aid on climate change. They plan on making all of us comply at about $100K each to convert to all electric. Now they are telling us what to do with our lives and getting away with it. We should be doing the rioting like France and Spain do. This is not going to stop. The virus is an excuse to see how far they can push us and they found out that they can do whatever they want and we comply. We have turned into a nation of sorry wimps. The Army is like a gym class. They have time out cards like kindergarten. If the drill sergeant drives you to tears, you pull out your card and start crying. We ran hours every day for 10 weeks just for giggles. In Vietnam we got water you wouldn't give your dog. 10 man squad tents full of rats. Stupid food fit for a person in Northern Europe. Look at what the Viets ate, rice, fish, and vegetables. We were on the equator. We preferred C rations. People went crazy over there and shot themselves. And then after a year if you were still in one piece they tossed us out like a dirty T shirt. Back in the world and out of the Army in about 10 hours. Today they have air conditioned huts with wi-fi and bottled water. Our country is now run by a bunch of 30 year old fools who don't have a sense of reality. It has been exposed that our government is as corrupt as any third world dump. California idiots have exported their stupidity to Oregon and Washington wrecking them as well. I'm glad that I'm 76 and don't have to watch the end of this sick movie we are in. It is going to have a bad ending Charlie.

[rcathey]

I don’t mean this as commentary on your opinions and it’s 100% a compliment so please receive it as such...

Your writing style in this post sounds like the narration from a hard boiled detective in some film noir movie. It’s just missing shots of a seedy city in the rain and the sound of a match striking and cigarette lighting.

[tenOC]

I used to watch govdeals for a few months and a vault door popped up once. Can't remember the exact price but it was about $380.
And instead of a gun safe I'd use an old store safe from the 50s thru the 70s in the $600 range. The Chinese imported "safe" I bought from Dicks Sporting Goods in the $550 range did not even compare. Think I started with a Stack On cabinet which is just tamper proof.

Your vault room method is much better if a person has the space.

The problem with a standard vault door is that it opens outward and you can get trapped inside by stuff on the outside. I guess you can keep a porta-power inside to push the door, but still very risky.

My loser neighbor converted a metal 1980s Sears lawnmower shed into a bedroom for himself and concubine. He furnished it with a with all the trimmings. One day their car rolled out of gear down the drive and hit the wooden stairs beside the house knocking the back deck off the house BLOCKING the shed tenant's escape until his brother could demo enough deck to free them. Luckily I arrived after so I didn't have to help.

[DaveHH]

I've never had a house broken into, but I have stopped a few guys at the portal. It is the worst type of crime as it violates a person's privacy and sanctuary. I'd easily get very serious if I found someone in my houses. We have so little freedom as it is, they at least can give us that. Nice thanksgiving fire, no, a few people have trouble breathing so 500,000 can't have a fire anymore. Well, put in a gas fire, no, the board of supervisors made it illegal to build a house with natural gas because they drank the cool aid on climate change. They plan on making all of us comply at about $100K each to convert to all electric. Now they are telling us what to do with our lives and getting away with it. We should be doing the rioting like France and Spain do. This is not going to stop. The virus is an excuse to see how far they can push us and they found out that they can do whatever they want and we comply. We have turned into a nation of sorry wimps. The Army is like a gym class. They have time out cards like kindergarten. If the drill sergeant drives you to tears, you pull out your card and start crying. We ran hours every day for 10 weeks just for giggles. In Vietnam we got water you wouldn't give your dog. 10 man squad tents full of rats. Stupid food fit for a person in Northern Europe. Look at what the Viets ate, rice, fish, and vegetables. We were on the equator. We preferred C rations. People went crazy over there and shot themselves. And then after a year if you were still in one piece they tossed us out like a dirty T shirt. Back in the world and out of the Army in about 10 hours. Today they have air conditioned huts with wi-fi and bottled water. Our country is now run by a bunch of 30 year old fools who don't have a sense of reality. It has been exposed that our government is as corrupt as any third world dump. California idiots have exported their stupidity to Oregon and Washington wrecking them as well. I'm glad that I'm 76 and don't have to watch the end of this sick movie we are in. It is going to have a bad ending Charlie.

I don’t mean this as commentary on your opinions and it’s 100% a compliment so please receive it as such...

Your writing style in this post sounds like the narration from a hard boiled detective in some film noir movie. It’s just missing shots of a seedy city in the rain and the sound of a match striking and cigarette lighting.

Thanks, I wrote the screenplay for "The Big Sleep" when I was 2. Lauren really was as good looking as her photo. In those days I would be held and cuddled, not just introduced. Those were the days.
D

[painter777]

The problem with a standard vault door is that it opens outward and you can get trapped inside by stuff on the outside. I guess you can keep a porta-power inside to push the door, but still very risky.

Ten,

I had the steel door made so it works like a sliding barn door. Shimmed out the ceiling and crown molding so it clears it and hides the upper track. Most of the exterior side of the 'block wall' has painted ceiling to floor storage shelves on it that she packed with misc, Xmas decorations, luggage etc . Where the door slides to open (to the right) I built the shelving out about a inch or two, so the door slides behind it. Worked out the best because I don't have visible hinges. And doesn't burn up floor space for a swinging door to open. Right now there are 2 western saddles on their stands in front of the door. So much stored stuff in front of it, you'd have to be looking for Waldo to see the wall. The basement being cut in half is the key. You wouldn't notice the vault side is 'Shorter'.

My little crippled buddy outside of town has had a broken old heavy *** full size stand up freezer in his basement for years. Too heavy for our broke down bodies to haul out. We ended up stripping out some of the interior and he now uses it for a locker. Uses the factory lock which is pretty solid. Just an attempt at hiding in the open.

---------- Post added at 04:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:58 PM ----------

California idiots have exported their stupidity to Oregon and Washington wrecking them as well.

Heard today Cali is banning contact sports ?
Maybe because of Covid ?

IDK

[DaveHH]

Charlie, The people who run Calif are exploring every avenue to see how far they can go without causing trouble. The Governor Gavin Newsom is Nancy Pelosi's nephew, so he's well schooled in being a despot. He told everyone that they have to pull up their masks when they chew their food. He should be tarred and feathered for that little statement.

In my last house I built in an extension up in the attic that just carried a corner of sheetrock and 2X4s two more sections down. If you were standing next to it looking right at it you wouldn't know it was there. put in a light and security. The attic was almost tall enough to walk the whole length of the attic. It had a tall 35 Square roof, I guess you'd call it a Dutch eve. Rafters were 24' 2X8 it had three load bearing walls in a 65' house. Big strongbacks and such. Today those rafters would be $50 apiece. 1 1/2" T&G on 4' centers. These oriented strand board houses built today burn like kindling. I have a little Sturdy Safe that can't be broken without a torch. Armored steel plate around the lock so it can't be drilled, Sargent & Greenleaf lock, no batteries. Sturdy safes are a bit pricey but they are safe. For fire I have a one half ton Navy document safe. It has a foot of concrete around the box. It would live through a fire. Twice I had to load up the firearms and prepare to evacuate. Both times I made it OK.