Concealment of gun safe

[wytonpjs]

Guys, please read the OP's post - he has been quite clear: he has an acceptable gun safe - he's looking to put that gun safe into another cabinet - that cabinet is what's shown in the OP's pictures.

"Considering how i can conceal it currently, and the loose plan is to get hold of or some sort of narrow single wardrobe in the corner of the room and mounting the safe inside bolted into the wall behind. However these are often much deeper than required so was thinking maybe some sort of second hand metal cabinet would work. Basically ive found one thats the perfect size, the only issue is it basically looks exactly like a gun safe!"​

 

[enfieldspares]

At my parent's house the gunroom was downstairs and had an outside window. This before it became the law for shotguns to be kept in a gunsafe. We put bars inside the window. The rifles and pistols were kept upstairs in steel cabinets in the loft. But the shotguns remained in the gunroom.

Any wardrobe or chest will invite attention if it can be seen from the outside. My advice might be to use a wooden carcass to "clad" the existing cabinet and then paint or paper it to match the rest of the decor in the room so that it looks like a structural feature as would a flue or chimney breast?

 

[Scotty99]

Your cabinet does not need to be secured to an outside wall. Suitable internal walls are also completely acceptable.

Depends on the type and age of the property. Old properties with brick or stone internal walls I would agree with you, but modern properties with stud walls would probably not be acceptable to an FEO, especially if it were in a position when someone could get a crowbar behind it.

 

[Jagged77]

how about some solar film on the window too - acts like a one way mirror in the daytime
something like this - link

Second this, they really work. I fitted some to a bedroom window and they give complete daytime privacy.

https://amzn.eu/d/0iPt65f

 

[co’den]

Depends on the FEO. Mine is fixed to an internal stud wall and concrete floor. Prior to fitting I removed the plasterboard, reinforced the studs and re plastered. The FEO was more than happy.

 

[enfieldspares]

Of course you could think outside the box, as did a late friend, and lay the cabinet on its back and then "disguise" with suitable wood cladding and some cushions on top as a window seat?

 

[Gloucestershire.2021]

Depends on the type and age of the property. Old properties with brick or stone internal walls I would agree with you, but modern properties with stud walls would probably not be acceptable to an FEO, especially if it were in a position when someone could get a crowbar behind it.

Like I said “suitable internal walls”.

 

[63]

Guys, please read the OP's post - he has been quite clear: he has an acceptable gun safe - he's looking to put that gun safe into another cabinet - that cabinet is what's shown in the OP's pictures.

"Considering how i can conceal it currently, and the loose plan is to get hold of or some sort of narrow single wardrobe in the corner of the room and mounting the safe inside bolted into the wall behind. However these are often much deeper than required so was thinking maybe some sort of second hand metal cabinet would work. Basically ive found one thats the perfect size, the only issue is it basically looks exactly like a gun safe!"​

But if we all started reading posts and responding to what people actually said, not what we think they said, half the fun of SD would disappear.

 

[Greenmist]

Whats the access to the back garden like? As long as its out of sight of casual visitors you should be fine

Of course you could think outside the box, as did a late friend, and lay the cabinet on its back and then "disguise" with suitable wood cladding and some cushions on top as a window seat?

Genius

 

[Heym SR20]

Just paint it pink. Then add lots of flowers and happy animals. Kiddies toy storage of course.

 

[Bowland blades]

Well im wanting to stick my gunsafe in my office which is a downstairs room. It really seems like the only sensible option in my house and theres the addition of the room being locked when im not in it.

However theres a window into the back garden and where im thinking of putting the gun safe it'll be partially visible from certain angles if some was peering in from the back of the house. I take it this wont fly with the FEO?

Considering how i can conceal it currently, and the loose plan is to get hold of or some sort of narrow single wardrobe in the corner of the room and mounting the safe inside bolted into the wall behind. However these are often much deeper than required so was thinking maybe some sort of second hand metal cabinet would work. Basically ive found one thats the perfect size, the only issue is it basically looks exactly like a gun safe!

View attachment 402368View attachment 402369

Do you think the FEO would get a sad on about a gun safe being concealed inside something that could in itself be mistaken for a gun safe?

find an old wardrobe or similar , they are very cheap in the charity shops . Use it as a wrapper . Similar could be done with sliding wardrobe doors ( with the added bonus of some extra storage for your kit . Its hard to advise not knowing the property . I used to make gun safes many moons ago when we had little to no gun safes , i saw some real clever ideas that folks did DIY for safes

 

[Scotty99]

Like I said “suitable internal walls”.

Which is why I play safe and advise people to use an outside wall, as who decides what is “suitable”, answer the FEO and most will only accept the cabinet attached to an outside wall.

 

[VSS]

Which is why I play safe and advise people to use an outside wall, as who decides what is “suitable”, answer the FEO and most will only accept the cabinet attached to an outside wall.

"Securely attached to the fabric of the building" is generally what's accepted as being the guidance, I think. Certainly no distinction between internal and external walls. If your internal walls a studwork then fair enough, an internal wall may not be so suitable (but can be used if strengthened appropriately), but if your house is 3ft thick stone walls throughout (as mine is, as are many others) for example, then it makes not a jot of difference and any FEO would be able to see that.

 

[castbullets.co.uk]

"Securely attached to the fabric of the building" is generally what's accepted as being the guidance, I think. Certainly no distinction between internal and external walls. If your internal walls a studwork then fair enough, an internal wall may not be so suitable (but can be used if strengthened appropriately), but if your house is 3ft thick stone walls throughout (as mine is, as are many others) for example, then it makes not a jot of difference and any FEO would be able to see that.

Yes, internal vs external makes little to no difference really, all about construction material, appropriate fixings and factors like location and visibility.

All three of mine are attached flush to internal masonry walls using chemically bonded M12 wall anchors. I think if you pulled hard enough to get the cabinet off the wall you'd probably tear the steel of the cabinet or pull the wall down before the fixings came loose. In this regard it simply does not matter that the wall isn't external. I suppose if you live in a newbuild econobox with paper walls then it stands to reason that the only walls of solid construction available to you may well be external. That said, floor anchoring is still acceptable in the guidance (even into wood, as long as the fixings are into joists) and a lot of these types of newbuilds have concrete floors downstairs which should enable a passably secure anchoring. Any arguments should be referred to the HO guidance as part of a calm and rational discussion on the subject...

 

[Scotty99]

"Securely attached to the fabric of the building" is generally what's accepted as being the guidance, I think. Certainly no distinction between internal and external walls. If your internal walls a studwork then fair enough, an internal wall may not be so suitable (but can be used if strengthened appropriately), but if your house is 3ft thick stone walls throughout (as mine is, as are many others) for example, then it makes not a jot of difference and any FEO would be able to see that.

See my earlier post where I said brick or stone internal walls would be acceptable but stud walls wouldn’t. Some forces still insist it’s attached to an external wall.

 

[J9Ned]

I live in an older property and the external wall stone/mortar isn't as strong as some of the internal walls which are much harder/denser brick. My FEO pointed that out to me. Mine's inside a wardrobe attached to one of those internal walls. I have discussed moving it to my downstairs office, again internal wall, and cloaked with the shell of a slim wooden "tallboy". FEO's happy.

 

[Druid]

I have an off the wall idea. Stick some wooden panels (modified from an old wardrobe or summat) around the sides and door.
Fix a wooden carriage clock on top of the cabinet.
Hey presto. A grandfather clock gun safe!


Personally I’d just put some coat hooks above the cabinet and hang some long coats on it.

 

[BlueJuice]

Well in pursuit of a neat and tidy solution, i had a go on sketchup today and designed a cabinet to fit the safe i've ordered. Due to the skirting board the safe cant be at floor level without packing it out behind it to fill the void, so ive stuck a drawer underneath allowing the bottom 15cm to be scribed in so the cabinet will be tight against the wall for secure fitment.

Had a look at buying something used but theres nothing remotely close to what i need for sale. If I wanted/had space for a full size wardrobe id have loads of options however.

Might potentially make it a little taller and have an extra storage cubby above for odds and sods, will calculate the material i need and if i have enough to do it without eating into another sheet, then it would be worth it. Could either go painted MDF or maybe even birch ply if im feeling it, have made some bits and bobs in the past but designs have always been on the back of a fag packet - Nice to actually enter the 21st century and use some CAD!

 

[VSS]

Well in pursuit of a neat and tidy solution, i had a go on sketchup today and designed a cabinet to fit the safe i've ordered. Due to the skirting board the safe cant be at floor level without packing it out behind it to fill the void, so ive stuck a drawer underneath allowing the bottom 15cm to be scribed in so the cabinet will be tight against the wall for secure fitment.

Had a look at buying something used but theres nothing remotely close to what i need for sale. If I wanted/had space for a full size wardrobe id have loads of options however.

Might potentially make it a little taller and have an extra storage cubby above for odds and sods, will calculate the material i need and if i have enough to do it without eating into another sheet, then it would be worth it. Could either go painted MDF or maybe even birch ply if im feeling it, have made some bits and bobs in the past but designs have always been on the back of a fag packet - Nice to actually enter the 21st century and use some CAD!

View attachment 403418

Twice I've had to accommodate skirting boards when fitting a gun cabinet. On one occasion I built up underneath the cabinet, so it actually attached flush to the wall above the height of the skirting, and on another occasion I carefully cut and removed a short piece of skirting to allow the cabinet to sit on the floor and be flush with the wall. In the 2nd instance I kept the bit of skirting safe, ready for use in the event of me ever relocating the cabinet.

What you're proposing will be more than adequate.

 

[BlueJuice]

Twice I've had to accommodate skirting boards when fitting a gun cabinet. On one occasion I built up underneath the cabinet, so it actually attached flush to the wall above the height of the skirting, and on another occasion I carefully cut and removed a short piece of skirting to allow the cabinet to sit on the floor and be flush with the wall. In the 2nd instance I kept the bit of skirting safe, ready for use in the event of me ever relocating the cabinet.

What you're proposing will be more than adequate.

Yep easiest option is to cut a section of skirting out, but Ive had a faff in the past trying to match a length to what was already in the room - Every supplier seems to do their own slight variation and basically no hope of matching anything thats 20 years or so old (and im not keeping a skirting offcut indefinitely)