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Posted: 10/23/2010 11:18:29 AM EDT
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Hi,
I’m building a new display case for my collection because I've out grown the one I have. Does anyone have any tips on making it more secure? I'm posting the design via paint lol I know high class.  I know I need something fireproof and I will get something when I have the money. So for now I already have most of the stuff for this one and I like to see all the pretty things I've done and upset my very anti-gun landlords and sister in law.
so like I said any ideas for modifications or add-ons or anything to make it more secure or even just nicer. http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/4162/guncab.th.png |
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DON'T display your collection!
Pretty much sums up the first rule of security. Don't display it. Don't discuss it. At least no more than absolutely necessary with close and trusted friends. You do NOT want your anti-gun landlords to know about your firearms. You do NOT want even your girlfriend to know specific details about your collection; not the total size, ESPECIALLY NOT THE VALUE!!!!!!! I know, this advice sucks. 
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Quoted:
DON'T display your collection! Pretty much sums up the first rule of security. Don't display it. Don't discuss it. At least no more than absolutely necessary with close and trusted friends. You do NOT want your anti-gun landlords to know about your firearms. You do NOT want even your girlfriend to know specific details about your collection; not the total size, ESPECIALLY NOT THE VALUE!!!!!!! I know, this advice sucks. While security through obscurity does have its uses, there are times when displaying a couple pieces of particular interest would be nice. I agree displaying an entire safe's worth of firearms is a bit excessive. I seem to recall winchester or someone out there actually made a RSC with a clear front. This link is an RSC with a window in the door. I have never heard of this company before I worked some google-fu but it may be worth looking at if your wanting something that will slow someone down a bit. |
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I agree with you, Noaccount, that it WOULD be nice. It's just that it isn't wise.
What items would one choose to display? Probably a couple of the nicer items from the collection? Why would anyone want to display any of the lesser items in the collection? Unfortunately, it's exactatickly the nice items that will attract the most attention........The WRONG kind of attention. Valuables of any kind are a magnet for dysfunctional types. It's too bad, but IMO, we are now entering a new era where more and more people are going to end up being economically distressed. We are already seeing more and more crime. It is indeed getting worse and worse. I don't think this is going to turn out to be short term. I think this is a change for the long haul. We now are developing into a society where trust between people, an understanding of a "social contract", etc. are all breaking down. I'm an "old guy" now, almost sixty and I'm seeing a disintegration that is truly disturbing. I think we all need to become much, MUCH more security conscious and much less trusting, even of close family members. My brother-in-law is a good example. He's a really "good guy". But he has ADD. He talks too much. If you tell him anything, EVERYBODY in the whole world will know all about it within no longer than a week at the most. This is NOT good. I can't tell this guy anything related to my security. This means that I also cannot tell my own SISTER anything related to my security. Everyone needs to think very seriously and soberly about these issues. |
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Thank you for the replies.
I do agree 100% with everyone’s opinions but my budget is 0 right now and I currently have the supplies for this so this will be almost free and more secure than my current set up. the best I could do to conceal the weapons is a solid wood door but that would be less secure than the Lexan door I think. so as far as securing my weapons at this point the best I can muster is being anal about the houses overall security and this case. my current case is horribly insecure to the point that if you look closely enough you could get in without tools. I don’t even think it will survive the move I’m about to make. so this would be a huge step up and temporary, ill have a decent safe by next spring. currently I take most of my collection with me in the trunk when we leave for any amount of time. none of this is ideal but its all my current situation allots right now. I will probably be keeping it in my room and to be honest I don’t have any non family company. although I do still enjoy the landlords reaction to seeing them and all of my family live 5hrs away minimum. so given the designs are there any suggestions to make it more secure. I’ve also decided to reinforce the back with 1/4in steel flat bar to lock the weapons to the case with cable locks. I have seen the safe posted and its pretty cool but also out of my price range lol |
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I'd try to atleast make it crack-head resistant. It seems like that is the level of security you are going for. On a rating of 0 to 10 for security, this gets maybe a 1. Why is that? Guns left lying around the house where a kid might get it is a 0, and a professional vault is a 10 in my mind. This is atleast kid resistant(whether you have kids or not is irrevelant - it's a part of my ratings). To make it to level 2 (crack head resistant), simple tools cannot defeat it. That means that it needs to be a little sturdier than a high-school locker (like a stack-on cabinet, which interestingly enough usually doesn't cost much more than all those materials if you had to purchase them). To me this design needs some heavy duty piano hinges, 1/8" steel insert for the interior walls, and the thickest acrylic you can get as a blemished piece from a plastics manufacturer (places that make aerospace windows cull alot of decent glass). Incorporate that into this wood cabinet and it might withstand a screwdriver attack from a druggie. Otherwise it is no more secure than one of those winchester displays that go on sale at walmart near christmas. I'm not one to talk here either. I doubt I've broken out of the level 2 security (remember that these levels are my own weird way to guage things). Having said that, I've got a 1/4" steel box that is bolted down. The locks are keyed, but recessed and inverted so there really is no way to drill them, and it has tight gaps and large radiused edges to hamper prying. Got it on craigslist for $200 out of town and immediately took it to a locksmith to be rekeyed. Ultimately my advice is to watch the classifides and sales boards. You will get more security for your money. If the idea is to just build a nice display cabinet, then I say that looks great. I'd probably add some soft perimeter lighting to the inner edge of the opening. I don't like mirrors. I'm thinking nicely stained hardwood with some felt accents. An adjustable - built in - rack system (go to lowes and figure out how to make gun mounts out of the junk in the organizational shelving section). Find some hinges that allow more than 90 deg of swing. You might also consider framing the glass. It is alot easier to get a frame to be aligned and have really nice edges than raw plastic. It would be easier to mount a lock also. It looks like you want that really open front look, so I guess you'll just have to be careful and use factory edges on the glass for a nice look. It might not be a bad idea to build this with the future in mind. Maybe once you graduate to a nice safe, this thing could be refitted to be a nice TV stand. |
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Quoted:
I'd try to atleast make it crack-head resistant. It seems like that is the level of security you are going for. On a rating of 0 to 10 for security, this gets maybe a 1. Why is that? Guns left lying around the house where a kid might get it is a 0, and a professional vault is a 10 in my mind. This is atleast kid resistant(whether you have kids or not is irrevelant - it's a part of my ratings). To make it to level 2 (crack head resistant), simple tools cannot defeat it. That means that it needs to be a little sturdier than a high-school locker (like a stack-on cabinet, which interestingly enough usually doesn't cost much more than all those materials if you had to purchase them). To me this design needs some heavy duty piano hinges, 1/8" steel insert for the interior walls, and the thickest acrylic you can get as a blemished piece from a plastics manufacturer (places that make aerospace windows cull alot of decent glass). Incorporate that into this wood cabinet and it might withstand a screwdriver attack from a druggie. Otherwise it is no more secure than one of those winchester displays that go on sale at walmart near christmas. I'm not one to talk here either. I doubt I've broken out of the level 2 security (remember that these levels are my own weird way to guage things). Having said that, I've got a 1/4" steel box that is bolted down. The locks are keyed, but recessed and inverted so there really is no way to drill them, and it has tight gaps and large radiused edges to hamper prying. Got it on craigslist for $200 out of town and immediately took it to a locksmith to be rekeyed. Ultimately my advice is to watch the classifides and sales boards. You will get more security for your money. If the idea is to just build a nice display cabinet, then I say that looks great. I'd probably add some soft perimeter lighting to the inner edge of the opening. I don't like mirrors. I'm thinking nicely stained hardwood with some felt accents. An adjustable - built in - rack system (go to lowes and figure out how to make gun mounts out of the junk in the organizational shelving section). Find some hinges that allow more than 90 deg of swing. You might also consider framing the glass. It is alot easier to get a frame to be aligned and have really nice edges than raw plastic. It would be easier to mount a lock also. It looks like you want that really open front look, so I guess you'll just have to be careful and use factory edges on the glass for a nice look. It might not be a bad idea to build this with the future in mind. Maybe once you graduate to a nice safe, this thing could be refitted to be a nice TV stand. thanks for the reply. You pretty much got my intentions, I plan on making it crack-head resistant. that’s my main goal right now and id like it to be nicely displayed in process. Down the road when I get my nice safe Ill be using it to display other stuff I have that’s been sitting in boxes in lieu of something to put them in. so I’ve got that covered. Also I am going to be framing the doors in wood and steel. I was planning on leaving the cut down the middle raw if I could get the cut nice enough. I have 1/4in Lexan left over from my car windows but thicker would be nice, do you know of anywhere in particular that has left over or blemished glass? Because that would be great and I cant shell out the money for new stuff. Also where could I get heavy duty piano hinges? All I’ve found are cheap ones at home depot. I think that’s the one main weak spot as far as prying is concerned. Any suggestions there? Also the case is going to be bolted to the floor and each corner is going to be reinforced with steel 2” square tubing. And like I said before the back will have strips of ¼” flat bar so that the weapons can be locked to the case with cable locks. All of this will be welded together to make kind of like one solid frame and the wood will be added around it and the inside will be covered in felt so you can see any of the steel. If I could find thicker piano hinges then I could maybe weld them on ad that might help make it more crowbar resistant. |
No offense, your life, your collection but this has all the makings of a serious fail situation.
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different car lol. the plexi glass is on a race car. I keep them in my truck when we leave the house for long periods of time. Its the only option i have till i get something better.
And its impact resistant, I keep calling it Lexan out of habit but its poly carbonate, it can actually take shots from a .22 or bird shot and its fine against hammers(they mae ballistic goggles out of it and bank windows out of the thicker stuff). just for fun i also tested it with .223 and .45, it went through but stayed solid, i ended up using that piece to make a cool PC case lol. I’ve also tested it with a 16lb hammer and no problem. So its good, its not glass and its not plastic. |
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Quoted:
different car lol. the plexi glass is on a race car. I keep them in my truck when we leave the house for long periods of time. Its the only option i have till i get something better. And its impact resistant, I keep calling it Lexan out of habit but its poly carbonate, it can actually take shots from a .22 or bird shot and its fine against hammers(they mae ballistic goggles out of it and bank windows out of the thicker stuff). just for fun i also tested it with .223 and .45, it went through but stayed solid, i ended up using that piece to make a cool PC case lol. I’ve also tested it with a 16lb hammer and no problem. So its good, its not glass and its not plastic. A .223 and his friend the .45 are not going to break into your display case. But the "nice Fella" with the skill saw will be in the case in under a min or so. Do you own a skill saw? Drill with 3-4 inck hole saw? All you are doing is displaying your goods in one place for the thief. |
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