Turning closet into gun room

[Averageguy]

Thanks everyone. I’m liking all the ideas. At the moment I’m going to treat it as a way to look them up from the kids. Will make upgrades as time allows. Eventually maybe making it a vault style some day.

 

[Amishman44]

Or even better. If you are building, build the room OUTSIDE the footprint of the foundation. Then use something to hide the door.
If the smarter than average thief gets downstairs and looks around and sees 4 walls that match the upstairs perimeter, he's most likely done. "Nothing to see here".

And dont tell your builder what you want that room for. Or tell him its a storm cellar/safe room. Resist his suggestion to add outside access to the room since its for storms. Even better, "Its for storage, and I dont want to give up any floor space in the basement. I already have the rest of basement planned out."

My cousin's son did something like this when he built his house. He recessed his all-concrete safe outside the basement walls by making the top of the safe be his outside porch (patio / step) to the front door of his house, and then framed a front porch on top of it! It's 8' x 12' to the outer edges but no one can tell from the outside.
The steel door is located behind a door to a closet built under the foyer area, next to the stairwell going down.

 

[KittySlayer]

Maybe a false wall at the back of the closet as a second hide for valuables (cash, jewelry, gold). After they hit the jackpot of guns the thieves aren't likely to look for a hidden wall at the back of the closet.

 

[Bstarkey_46947]

My in-laws built a house 20+ years ago with a full basement. Under the 14x14 sun room, we installed a gun room. After the house was completed, they hired a mason to lay up a wall and install a Diebold safe door that was acquired from Johnson Safe. The ceiling is double 3/4" thick drywall and all seams are caulked with fire barrier caulking. On 1 wall is the gun rack. On the opposing wall is a hunting clothes storage closet, a cabinet for miscellaneous, and at the back is a second cabinet for other shooting supplies. Worked out great for me too, I was gifted a JS-660 in the process. I only had to pay to have it moved. Broke the bottom step in the old house getting it out. The JS-660 will stay with our house, unless one of my kids wants the gun safe when I have departed this world.

 

[Remington 90T]

Many years ago before I could afford to buy a safe, I put a deadbolt lock on a closet door and also added hardened pins that helped prevent someone from just removing the hinges and getting into the closet. It was better than nothing.

Right next to your steel door and hardened pins is a 5/8 dry wall. If I see a steel door with a dead bolt lock on an interior wall, I will think there is something valuable inside. One good kick will knock a hole in the dry wall, and you will lose your gun and have to repair the wall. Just remodeled and was amazed at how easy the interior walls can be breached.

 

[BE Mike]

Right next to your steel door and hardened pins is a 5/8 dry wall. If I see a steel door with a dead bolt lock on an interior wall, I will think there is something valuable inside. One good kick will knock a hole in the dry wall, and you will lose your gun and have to repair the wall. Just remodeled and was amazed at how easy the interior walls can be breached.

I didn't have a steel door and yes, if a determined thief with the right tools and time, wants to, they can defeat just about anything. Safes are best, but a closet is better than nothing. It might deter juveniles and dope addicts. Most thieves really hate spending time and effort doing their dirty deeds. As the clock ticks away, the police or nosey neighbors (a good thing) get closer and closer. I had a cousin who went on vacation, out-of-town, for a couple of weeks. It seems like his not being careful who he told of his plans came back to bite him. Thieves broke in to his house, then pried open the door of his quality gun safe just enough to fish out most of his guns with coat hangers. To add insult to injury, they used his tools and coat hangers that they found in the basement.

 

[firecadet613]

I didn't have a steel door and yes, if a determined thief with the right tools and time, wants to, they can defeat just about anything. Safes are best, but a closet is better than nothing. It might deter juveniles and dope addicts. Most thieves really hate spending time and effort doing their dirty deeds. As the clock ticks away, the police or nosey neighbors (a good thing) get closer and closer. I had a cousin who went on vacation, out-of-town, for a couple of weeks. It seems like his not being careful who he told of his plans came back to bite him. Thieves broke in to his house, then pried open the door of his quality gun safe just enough to fish out most of his guns with coat hangers. To add insult to injury, they used his tools and coat hangers that they found in the basement.

It's amazing how many people broadcast info like this on Facebook (not saying he did). Even then, an alarm and camera system is money well spent.