Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Dec 2008
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    Default storing your pistols

    So how do you all store your pistols when there not being used. Do you guys put them back in there original cases?

  2. #2
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    Jan 2008
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    Dickson City, Pennsylvania
    (Lackawanna County)
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    They hang on the door of my safe in my basement, with a dehumidifier running constantly.
    "Guess what?! I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"

  3. #3
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    Marion Heights, Pennsylvania
    (Northumberland County)
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    One of them is always loaded on my nightstand, the others after cleaning go back in my range bag and in my small safe in the closet.

  4. #4
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    Pittsburgh (Allison Park), Pennsylvania
    (Allegheny County)
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    I don't have enough for a safe (yet) so mine sit in there cases with silicone cloths wrapped around them.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    Quote Originally Posted by QuackXP View Post
    I don't have enough for a safe (yet) so mine sit in there cases with silicone cloths wrapped around them.
    Even a simple home improvement store document safe, bolted to the floor, is better than nothing. These things cost less than a .22 handgun. It's not for keeping them shiny, but for keeping them from being stolen.

    If you had the money to buy more handguns than you usually carry at once, but still have no safe, you have one too many guns.

    No if's or butt's. Sell one and buy a safe.


    Jan
    So long and thanks for all the fish.

  6. #6
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    West Shore!, Pennsylvania
    (Cumberland County)
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    Quote Originally Posted by MostlyHarmless View Post
    Even a simple home improvement store document safe, bolted to the floor, is better than nothing. These things cost less than a .22 handgun. It's not for keeping them shiny, but for keeping them from being stolen.

    If you had the money to buy more handguns than you usually carry at once, but still have no safe, you have one too many guns.

    No if's or butt's. Sell one and buy a safe.


    Jan
    Agreed. You gotta lock em up if they're not constantly with you. You can get a small Winchester pistol lockbox at Wal Mart for like $25. It comes with the hardware to bolt it to the floor as well. Go get one. I keep one at the girlfriends house and in the trunk of the car.
    Selling off a a sizeable Spyderco collection here

  7. #7
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    Bolting on the floor might be difficult as I rent. Although they might not notice in the back of a closet. If not, having a small safe would not be much of a deterrent as a thief could just take the whole thing then work on opening it somewhere else. Anything entry level like what was suggested will not hold up to a sustained attack. But I do think I will cable lock all the boxes to something already ridged to make it harder. I'll defiantly be looking into something better though thanks for the advice.

  8. #8
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    Horsham, Pennsylvania
    (Montgomery County)
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    I gave this a lot of thought over time. Initially, when I had one pistol, I bought a nice (but small) electronic locking safe that could be mounted to a wall. Later, after getting two additional pistols, it occurred to me that such a safe is basically an advertisement saying, "Hey bad guys: valuable stuff is in here". If you broke into a home, and saw such a safe, I think you'd focus your efforts, crowbar, whatever, on getting that off the wall.

    So, now, I do keep one pistol in the safe, and the others in locations where they're very unlikely to be found. As one poster said to me (paraphrasing): thieves aren't likely to spend time going on an Easter egg hunt.

    Of course what works for you will also be determined by whether or not you have others in the house (particularly children). I don't have anyone living with me or visiting, that would go on the "Easter egg hunt" (children will).

    I'm beginning to think that unless your safe is very well hidden, or so large and heavy (and anchored to the floor), it's likely to be more of a target for thieves.

    You need to give a lot of thought as to what's ideal for you, but I'm starting to think that well hidden, out of reach of little ones, might be safer than a safe (again, unless it's huge, heavy and anchored to the floor). When home, at night, I do keep one pistol on my nightstand with a full magazine in it. I still feel more comfortable with the 1 or 2 second delay it might take me to rack the slide, than to keep one in the chamber, but that's just me.
    "I don't care what went wrong. I beat the snot out of it until it works" - Clint Smith

  9. #9
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    Dec 2008
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    reading, Pennsylvania
    (Berks County)
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    I have to agree that any entry level safe bought from walmart, lowes etc. can be opened in minutes or less with a pry bar and sledge. Even more expensive safes can be breached very easily if you know what your doing. I think the main purpose of a safe is to keep the guns out of small hands, if you know what I mean. I was more interested in how you store the guns in the safe or where ever you keep them. Do you keep them out loose? Do you put them in oiled socks? Do you put them in there original case? Do you keep them in military sealed ammo cans? etc...

  10. #10
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    Default Re: storing your pistols

    Quote Originally Posted by QuackXP View Post
    Bolting on the floor might be difficult as I rent. Although they might not notice in the back of a closet. If not, having a small safe would not be much of a deterrent as a thief could just take the whole thing then work on opening it somewhere else. Anything entry level like what was suggested will not hold up to a sustained attack. But I do think I will cable lock all the boxes to something already ridged to make it harder. I'll defiantly be looking into something better though thanks for the advice.
    Making it harder is all you can do. There is no way to "prevent" burglary.

    Here is a good read from No Nonsense Self-Defense about types of burglars and how they tend to act. The one aspect they all have in common is that they don't want to attract attention and once their cover may be blown, they want to leave quickly.

    Even a cheap $200 safe like this one

    weighs 99 lbs empty. You are right that the burglar could carry it away and work on it somewhere else, but have you ever tried to lift one of those? Then walk around with it, looking casual? Try running!

    If I was still renting, I would actually talk to my landlord and simply ask if he/she would allow bolting it down. At $200 for the safe, even leaving it with all the keys for the future tenant to enjoy would be an option. $200 is nothing compared to the time and money, a stolen gun will cost you. And it's also nothing compared to at least my moving costs. Every time I moved in the past, it usually ran up in the thousands.


    Jan
    So long and thanks for all the fish.

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