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6/6/2026 10:26:10 PM EDT
Setting - my house has gun safe, and I put the guns in it, and keep locked.  But, i also run dedicated hard cases with foam carved out for each gun, which gets bulky.  I might relocate, to a 3-car garage system where I may just take over the unused car bay as the gun-stuff bay, and put all the guns in their dedicate cases, therein.  But how does one pragmatically keep such a system secured?  I'm not going to defeat a dedicated thief with tools, but what would be a basic approach to keep something like 20+ bulky pelican cases with guns in them, secured, in such a setting?

Ideas?
6/6/2026 11:11:27 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Greenspan][Edited] [#1]
Don't, they will rust in down long term.
6/6/2026 11:40:33 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Greenspan:
Don't, they will rust in down long term.
View Quote

That was my first thought.  Though OP is using Pelicans so a dessicant might work.

OP I think a locking cage is fine.  Just, uh, keep the grinders inside it too.
6/7/2026 8:04:08 PM EDT
[#3]
I have a dedicated climate controlled room with a residential steel keyed door. Inside are locked open air steel cages with racks for long arms and handguns. I keep all my power tools in a locked gang box in my garage. I wouldn't feel comfortable just casing my collection in padded polymer cases even if they were locked.
Gary
6/8/2026 9:50:23 AM EDT
[#4]
I use a thin bike cable looped through the action to secure a rifle when it's in my vehicle. You could do something similar at home.
I know I'll never go home.
So set fire to your ships, and past regrets, and be free.
6/15/2026 5:52:47 PM EDT
[#5]
The separate single bay garage is my gun room.  I had a mini-split AC unit installed when we moved in.  The metal overhead door is the only exterior door, and I keep it locked out so it can’t be opened from outside.  I do use a safe, but I thought it would be cool to replace the interior door with one of those discreet Browning security doors.  Wife still probably wouldn’t like it.
6/15/2026 8:32:00 PM EDT
[#6]
What about placing them in a jobbox or something like that.  I imagine you could get more than a few in each box.

Cable the guns to the box, or drill a a hole in the bottom of the box and cable them to an eye bolt in the floor, then anchor the jobbox the floor as well.
6/16/2026 1:09:09 PM EDT
[Last Edit: lazyengineer][Edited] [#7]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Greenspan:
Don't, they will rust in down long term.
View Quote


Everyone says that, so obviously there must be something to that.  

But I've gotten into the habit of making gun specific hard case pairings, and just leaving them in there as grab/go kit for the next session.  It's nice.  I leave the gun in there and have been doing so with some, measurable in years, with no detrimental.  No dessicant, no nothing.  


Donno, I guess there is a difference between a gun blued model 12 shotgun, vs a modern aluminum, plastic, and malonite'd steel, today.  Because I'm not seeing any rust or issues doing it this way. Then again, this is typically inside. And a garage will be different, so that's one item.


Also, it's bulky. And doesn't cater so well to fitting into and working with a traditional gunsafe.  Hence my question for a larger bulk storage option.  How can one best do this with say 10 hardcases, secured?
6/29/2026 6:13:32 PM EDT
[Last Edit: tac556][Edited] [#8]
I had to deal with an agency rifle (Colt AR) that was trashed from someone going to training (flying commercially) and then leaving it in a Pelican case for a few weeks after coming back, so I tend to think that the issue is how different the humidity, temp, and pressure is.  Some combinations just lead to bad results.  Similar conditions in storage as to when it was placed in the case, likely OK.  Different conditions- don’t keep it in too long…

Personally I would not leave them in the cases, not worth the risk.  But a job box could contain them fairly well.  

I have a lot more guns than Pelican cases, so I don’t bother customizing them.  In fact my favorite way to use a Pelican case is to put multiple lowers and uppers inside a larger volume case that is just long enough to store uppers up to 16” long.
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
7/3/2026 10:14:59 PM EDT
[Last Edit: EnablerNo1][Edited] [#9]
Don’t do it. First, it’s far less secure than storing in a safe. Second, the open cell foam will absolutely result in rust at some point. That you’ve gotten away with storing in closed cell foam does not lend credence to doing it, you’ve just gotten lucky.

Store your guns separate from the cases.

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