I am having a problem fitting my rifles with scopes into my rifle safe. The rear wall of the safe has "notches" for barrels to fit to keep the rifles organized, however, the scopes prevent the barrels from touching these notches. Any ideas?
I've always had to stack mine in sideways - i.e. with the side of the rifles facing the door. It took a little trial and error and years of Tetris experience to find the order for the best fit.
When I thought I had outgrown my safe, I stumbled upon a product called "rifle rods" by Gun Storage Solutions ( http://www.storemoreguns.com/ ). I also use their handgun hangers to free up my shelf space. These products aren't cheap, but they are very, very effective and have allowed me to buy more rifles rather than a new safe.
Oh sure, a new safe will eventually be needed, but for the foreseeable future I can get everything to fit with room to spare.
This product is available on Amazon (what isn't?) at a lower cost than buying direct from the manufacturer. Better still, if you set up your Amazon account correctly, an automatic donation is made to the RWVA. There's a thread somewhere on the forum on how that's accomplished ... I'll have to dig around to find it.
You'll find that the manufacturer's estimates exaggerate the number of guns that will fit in your safe. Yes, there might be 40 notches, but only certain guns will fit into the allotted space. A lever-action rifle will, a scoped gun will not. A deep-bodied gun like an AR with a scoped will take up the physical space reserved for two guns.
One strategy is to put "socks" on your thinner-bodied rifles and shotguns, so that you can store the guns so that they are physically touching.
tk
Quote from: Mango on January 15, 2015, 02:25:26 AM
I am having a problem fitting my rifles with scopes into my rifle safe. The rear wall of the safe has "notches" for barrels to fit to keep the rifles organized, however, the scopes prevent the barrels from touching these notches. Any ideas?
One of my safes came with extenders for the for the notches the rifle barrels lay in. They just screw right in over the top. It works to help with your scope rifles. I think stack on makes them.
Somewhere in here there's a joke about 12 hot dogs in a pack and only 10 buns.
As the others have pointed out there are storage options to better organize the contents of your safe and they work really well. Buying a bigger safe than you think you'll need is always a good idea. I'm a cheapskate so I have a little safe and my stuff has to go in there like Tetris. 10 guns will fit in a 10 gun safe but sometimes they have to have to be upside down, turned on their axis, the stocks folded, the slings pulled tight, etc. It's a challenge.
Most of us were trained as little kids that guns don't get bumped around, we have to be very careful with them, they shouldn't be touching other guns, etc. If you're a collector and want to keep them nice for 150 years that's fine. Buy a big safe with organizing options, a light, a humidifier, etc., and make your investment last. But, if you're a shooter like me, cram those suckers in there and slam the door. They're made of metal. They'll be fine.
Here's how I do it. 10 guns in a 10 gun safe!
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c226/bradleysettle/safe_zps27f9ab99.jpg)
They've all hit on it, but you need a stand off for the scoped ones. My cheapie stack on cabinet has a couple that I use.
I try to be careful with mine, but they do bump into each other at times. Another thing to consider is having more than one
spot for guns. Put the nice ones in the safe, but put the cheapies in just a cabinet. All guns in storage should be under some
sort of locked cabinet for liability and safety reasons. Even if it's a BS lock on a cheap cabinet, if the gun gets stolen, it was "locked up" which absolves you. Please note that whatever you determine you need for home defense should be much more accessible per your preferences and needs.
Quote from: Big John on January 15, 2015, 02:21:52 PMAll guns in storage should be under some
sort of locked cabinet for liability and safety reasons. Even if it's a BS lock on a cheap cabinet, if the gun gets stolen, it was "locked up" which absolves you.
You may want to check into that (or switch insurance companies) because the moment someone breaks the plane of your home uninvited they're "breaking in" to your home. Insurance that requires you to "lock up" your stuff inside your own home isn't very good coverage.
On a semi-related note, it's worth doing a photo shoot every year or so for your firearms. Take a picture of each one (and the serial number - I do a "proof of life" shot in front of a current magazine or news paper) and email it to yourself or keep a thumb drive in an off-site location. Furniture, Jewelry, Electronics, etc. items of high value should also be on there.
Talking to your homeowners or renters insurance company specifically about firearms, ammo, etc. is a good idea if you haven't done so already. A buddy of mine just told me a few days ago his company makes him take out a rider for firearms since they're not covered under his policy and must be special. Make sure you have enough coverage. When my insurance lady asked me about "items of value" in my home I completely forgot about the value of my guns. I told her I had a computer and TV and that was about it. She said, "What about all your guns?" We had to bump the coverage up a wee bit after that! :slap:
Slim I think you and I have the same safe.
TJ mentioned this- here is how you help RWVA with every Amazon purchase. Go to http://smile.amazon.com/ sign in to your Amazon account like you always do, go to Your Account, go to Change Your Charity search for Revolutionary War Veterans Association.
BTW, I just got one of these for inside my safe and it is the bomb: Ivation 8 LED Automatic Motion-sensing Directional Night Light https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DY7KP2E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 As soon as I reach into my safe the lights come on. They stay on for 30 seconds and go off. I aim one at the pistol shelf and one down below at the rifles.
UL
Thank you for all of the suggestions!
I installed lighting in my rifle safe. I got a strip of LED lights and installed it on the inside door frame, so the light strip faces the back fo the safe; light shows into the safe and the LED's are not visible from outside. My safe has a pre-drilled hold for a de-humidifier, I ran the electrical line through that hole. Lights up the whole safe.
I used a light strip like this (came from Costco though):
http://smile.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-Waterproof-Flexible-300leds-Changing/dp/B00ASHP1CM/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1421360651&sr=1-6&keywords=led+strip (http://smile.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-Waterproof-Flexible-300leds-Changing/dp/B00ASHP1CM/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1421360651&sr=1-6&keywords=led+strip)
Quote from: Unbridled Liberty on January 15, 2015, 06:22:04 PMSlim I think you and I have the same safe.
Stack-On el cheapo? It's kind of like a real safe but you could fool people into thinking it's a cabinet? The door takes up about 1/4 of the floor space? If you put anything on the shelves or in the bins it'll likely fall down and hit your long guns?
If so, that's the one!
I actually got a pretty good deal on this one. During the Hysteria I traded a dude 1,000rds of Wolf 55gr. .223 that I'd bought the summer before for around $0.19/rd. A decent safe for under $200? Sure, I'll take it! O0
I've explored a few options for lighting it but haven't done anything permanent yet since I'm constantly reorganizing it every time I open it.
I wasn't a real fan of safes and got into a nice debate with a feller named George from Illinois over them. Since I live in a rental apartment I felt it was silly to have all my guns in a safe that would get stolen too. "They'll simply take my safe with all my guns in it since I can't bolt it to the floor." He convinced me a safe's worth isn't so much in anti-theft as it is fire protection and just generally keeping guns safe from the elements and stuff. A better storage option, if you will. Since then, I've cut way back on the number of gun cases I needed. I no longer have one for every gun. I simply put the one(s) I'm using that day into a case (any case!) and go to the range. Way less stuff to store! Plus, a safe just looks cool. You know there's serious stuff in a safe.
Slim I am moving out of my apartment soon. My stak on cabinet is screwed to the wall studs, and you could do that, too.
I do like keeping them in a cabinet or safe as opposed to cases. Less room, more secure, and better air circulation. For lighting, the el cheapo magnetic led battery light that is push on push off is cheap and effective. What I meant by my earlier comment is more about stolen guns being used than not being covered for insurance. "Yes sir, that is my pistol, it was stolen in 2012, my house was broken into, and my gun cabinet pried open." That sort of liability; it's proof you did not loan the pistol out.
I run NRA endorsed insurance, as they don't ask me for serial numbers. I pay a total value's premium each year.
Quote from: Mango on January 15, 2015, 02:25:26 AM
I am having a problem fitting my rifles with scopes into my rifle safe. The rear wall of the safe has "notches" for barrels to fit to keep the rifles organized, however, the scopes prevent the barrels from touching these notches. Any ideas?
If it's adjustable for height, you could try moving it up a few notches and playing with the angle. Some safes have extenders available as well, if you're handy you could probably come up with something. Depending upon how many scoped rifles you have, you could tuck 'em in the corners, and just use the junction to keep it centered.
If you want a custom fit, you'll have to customize.
I've got a "14 gun" safe, that barely holds 10 comfortably. Charging handles, tall sights, stock angles, etc, all play a role. I'm not sure how they calculate their capacities but I've devised a simple equation that may help some folks in deciding what to get.
Where as;
C = advertised capacity
B = Bolt/pump/break/lever action
X = Capacity(true)
S = Semi-autos/full-autos/straight-pull bolt action
X ≤ .75CB + .5CS
Just fill in the variables and multiply by two for future expansion. I didn't even think of scopes when I came up with it, I'm gonna have to find a way to factor them in...
::)
The ones that don't fit in the safe, I just keep nearby. It's about fire protection for me... I've got a rack full of ammo and the safe. In the event of a fire, my plan is simple. Grab the loose guns and kit and throw 'em through the window. That should weaken the wall sufficiently that I can push the safe/ammo rack through and egress through the new doorway.
I love ^ those posts!
To account for scopes you simply do the celsius to fahrenheit conversion.
I was not happy with the standard cutouts. So, I bought a piece of (thick) plywood and used a jig saw to cut out my own custom pattern, sized specifically for fitting specific items. I also visited the fabric shop and bought felt and then upholstered the custom plywood cutouts. Using rifle, shotgun, and pistol socks, with custom plywood cutouts, I have nearly 150% of the claimed capacity. (19 long guns in a 14-gun safe.) The key was thinking 3- dimensionally and spacing the scoped items out and filling in between with non-scoped items! The most used items are located at the front. Extra Contender barrels with scopes go on the top shelf, in their own socks, stored and stacked separately from receivers. Using standard cutouts was simply too wasteful of volume. They fit nothing well, but are compromises. Extra long barrels also require special considerations, too. As do bayonets. I remove them where possible. Doing my own custom felted plywood cutouts fitting the interior was a one afternoon project. A non-electric dehumidifier is also contained. It gets "recharged" monthly. (Plugs into 120 vac, overnight.) That way, when power is out for hurricanes, there is no problem with rust. Have had power outages upto 11 days and 14 days in the two worst hurricanes over the last 30 years. Also have a humidity gauge to know when to recharge dehumidifier.
-gb
Little side note the Liberty dealer in my area that sells the high end Libertys told me the fire rating was for hardware not paper documents or photos little nugget to keep in mind
S2S has one of the coolest homemade gun safes I've ever seen. It totally works.
You can alternate placement and get more room by putting some of the scoped guns (and semi's) upside down. The same with shotguns with collapsible stocks (pistol grips). Try it, it works.
Quote from: Slow2Speak on January 15, 2015, 11:47:14 PM
Little side note the Liberty dealer in my area that sells the high end Libertys told me the fire rating was for hardware not paper documents or photos little nugget to keep in mind
most all safes are like this unless they have a specifically state protect cd's, electornics, paper at this temp for this time. You can get some decent stuff from amazon that is fireproof folders that you can store you documents in and keep that in the safe you should be good to go.
Only slightly off topic: zanottiarmor.com makes modular gun safes that can be moved by two ordinary humans, are fireproof, and offer the security of a full featured heavy safe. Next time I buy a safe (if ever I do) it will be one of these as moving a safe sucks.
Quote from: Unbridled Liberty on January 15, 2015, 06:22:04 PM
Slim I think you and I have the same safe.
Please don't call that a safe. you guys know that a crowbar opens those cans in about 12 seconds, right? You'd be better off hiding those rifles under the bed.
Youtube videos abound - this looks like a good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LgKThatkjM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LgKThatkjM)
Those look really interesting, but I can't find any prices on their web site. That's not a good sign
tk
Quote from: 9mm4545 on January 16, 2015, 07:04:01 PM
Only slightly off topic: zanottiarmor.com makes modular gun safes that can be moved by two ordinary humans, are fireproof, and offer the security of a full featured heavy safe. Next time I buy a safe (if ever I do) it will be one of these as moving a safe sucks.