Building a Gun Room
 

So, my wife has asked me to build a gun room in the basement to keep all the 'stuff' contained.

I can take up all the space I want and am planning a reloading/smithing (term used loosely) room, with a walk-in gun storage room.

I'm not going to use a safe - I have my own philosophy on this.

The gun storage area will be about 4'x6' which should leave plenty of space for future additions. Currently, I take in about 15-20 pieces per year (I'm still fairly new at this so I'm sure it will slow down), and never seem to be able to let one go.

I think I have the construction planned out well but what I'm not sure of is how to actually store the handguns.

I would like to be able to see them on display when I walk in, but don't want them to be damaged from improper long-term storage.

I'm thinking some sort of wall hooks are in order here with long guns storeg vertically along the bottom.

I'm seeking some advice, suggestions, what to avoid, examples, photos...anything ya got.

What I'm not seeking is to start an argument about safes, bad guys, and fire as I'm sure those have been covered.

Thanks in advance!

Regards,

A.

Well, first off congrats. You've got a basement :D

The whole setup is up to your imagination and personal taste.
But what you really have to consider are following things, like;

How is the dampness in your basement? Do you have floods? Are the gutters in good working condition?
You should apply epoxy waterproofing to the walls if not already done. You should also get one or more dehumidifier.

How is the illumination?
You don't wanna work in a dark, dingy corner or enjoy your collection with a candle in your hand ;)

Do you have windows?
Are they safe? You might have to get some metal bars for them.

How is the cooling/heating?
Most basements get cool in the summer- but really cold in the winter time. Make sure it's a proper temperature and the dampness is not too much.

How secure is the entrance door?
Is there one or more doors? Who has access to the room and how (key, electronic, biometric?)

What other work do you plan on doing?
Do you plan on welding in your basement or just maintenance work?

I still would put a safe in, just in case. For handgun storage/display I would get some glass display counters (like in a gun shop), just with access from the front. So you can put them on the wall...

I also would get a surveillance system as well as adequate insurance protection.

Have fun building it and keep us updated :)

Thank you Jorge.

Environmental controls, electrical, lighting, etc is all covered. As I stated in the OP, there will be no safe.

Though I'm not interested in discussing the details of the construction, rest assured the guns will be secure - I've got quite a clever and practical solution to this concern.

No windows, and the house is very well equipped with electronic security.

I'm really just seeking input on a way to display my guns in a manner that is pleasing to the eye, yet wont harm them.

I'd put them on dowels through the trigger guards around the perimeter of the 60" flat screen I would hope you have included in your planning-along with the easy chair, refrigerator and side table ;)

Okay, I thought you start from scratch, sorry about that.

I saw displays like glass cubes or like I mentioned in my prior post the glasstop counters we see in almost every gun store. I personally wouldn't put them on the wall. Keep the wall for hanging up pictures.

Maybe you can google for "gun room" pictures...

Are the guns gonna be in the same place as the work area? The work area would just stay concrete with really good lighting. The gun room would be carpeted with plenty of soft lighting and maybe a couple of comfortable chairs. I'm thinking, a study, only with guns instead of books. I guess that's not real practical, but that's how it looks in my head.







/

Make it bigger than you expect to need
 

Hi Avery11,
I'm sitting here in the Stuhr museum wishing I had more room.
Wall space is all used up. Anything table/cabinet top is long gone.
I like my room, but I am out growing it and seldom add anything to it with out sacrificing some existing lump of treasure.
Mine is just a good size bed room. There are four bookcases, three desks, large tool box, three chairs and a stool, gun safe and all cases and cabinets are full of stuff I feel I need in here.
I spend a lot of time in here. I reload some. I gunsmith some. My computer is in here so I will watch movies/sports some at the computer desk.
The walls are covered with paintings, maps, pocket knife displays, shooting trophies, beer mirrors, humor, photographs, holster rack, hat rack, drag racing and circus posters.
I really like my room but I am out of room to grow.
Good luck and plan ahead.
Mike

Yea, I like Caje's idea, too. Add a flat screen to the vision in my head. I don't drink anymore, but a wetbar sure would look cool.

Thanks guys. Good advice from all.

At this point, I'm going for practicality that looks nice and clean.

The actual gun room will be separate front he work space and will be for display for me only. I love to just stare at them from time to time and don't like to paw through the safe or place them on the floor to enjoy them.

I like the dowel idea. Are there certain species of wood to avoid which may affect bluing?

The maintenance room will be around 6x10. I have a good sized house so I will not likely hang out in there unless I'm working on guns or reloading. Think "nice office" more than "comfortable den".

I'm far from retirement so my time is limited. 30 years from now, I will go for the man cave thing.

Any photos of display/storage options?

;) There will be a small PC in there for smithing DVDs and internet access. I really don't watch much T.V.

Wife, 3 sons, coach 3 of their 6 sports, back in college, work full time, very active in my own sports and exercise...what's this T.V. thing you're talking about?

Display/storage options appreciated.

If only l had a basement! Sounds like you've thought this project out very well. Best wishes as you carry out your dream....

Blessings,
Hog

As one who has gone through a major house fire, get a good safe. When you fill that one up get another. All the "good ideas" and home engineering can't equal what a good safe can accomplish when things go really bad. You can put a dehumidifier in each safe to combat rust and keep the working guns in one and the keepers sealed up tight in the other. The rest of your room will be based on needs and desires.

I have had good luck displaying handguns on a 1/8 inch pegboard attached to studs with a spacer each place it was secured to the stud. Initially I used plastic nonmarring pegboard hooks but found{the hard way} that over time one fatiqued allowing a revolver to fall. I now use steel hooks that I dip in plastic/rubber tool handle coating. While you still need to be careful when you put a handgun on or off it does not mark or otherwise damage the handgun and they are easily rearranged as more are added or you need to adjust in any way. It also allows you to see and enjoy them. As to security , they are in a walk in vault as well as all the other normal security measures.

I would look hard at some of the slatwall options. Make things as flexible as possible.

If you want to go all out, check out what these guys can do:

http://www.dstopeka.com/linked/gun%20catalog.pdf

Good luck. Enjoy the new playroom.

Re: basements, I think we've got the whole heaven/hell thing backwards. If you are very, very good, when you pass, you go down, not up.

I went through this when we built a condo about 7 years ago. My wife let me design the basement, with the understanding we had to have a bedroom, bathroom, and family lining area. (Her office is inside the family lining area, she is self emp decorator).

We also agreed we wanted a goodly storage area and a hobby/work counter for her.

I wound up with two area's adjacent to each other, one an 8' x 20' workshop with work bench's down each side, and some 36" inexpensive base cabinets covered with 1/2" industrial grade board. The shop includes a 10" sliding compound miter saw, drill press, bench grinder, 1" belt sander, and tool bench with vice. It lets me handle most all projects I have needed to do.

The second "shop" is my loading/gun room. The access is a exterior grade steel door with dead bolt, and cross-bolts out the back edge of the door mating into the door frame. The vault is a 4'X 7' all concrete (poured at time build) in one corner. It has a steel door with dead bolt and cross bolts on the back edge. The interior is wired, with overhead light (a 100W daylight cfl bulb is plenty), and electrical outlets. It is framed up, insulated, and dry-walled. I built up the rifle rack base 12" off the floor for ease of access, and it is full length 7', with the upper rack barrel notch every 3 1/2" (it isn't completely filled yet). In one end I bolted two 15" deep top cabinets stacked to hold handguns and misc such as holsters etc. then I put in two handgun racks on the wall above the rifle rack. The handgun racks are a 4' 2x4 sanded down and clear finish applied, then I drilled holes with 5 degree upward pitch every 3" the full length of each. I used 1/8" brass rod for the 22's and 1/4" for all the 32, 38/357, 9mm size, and 3/8" for the 44, 45 caliber. The brass rod for the .22's I left alone, and the aluminum rod (couldn't find brass at the time) I dipped in the plastic coating you put on tool handles. All the handguns are stored barrel into the holding rods. Looks impressive, with a few dozen handguns lined up side by side. Some of the long barreled handguns and target guns with red dot sights I keep in the wall cabinets.

The loading room work shop is 36" counters in a "U" shape around the rest of the space, (total overall 11X 21"), with work counters over about 30' with base cabinets under for support and 1/2" board topped with 1/4" tempered masonite and give three coats of a clear epoxy finish. I have three loading stations set up and gunsmithing area. I put in a drop ceiling with 3 4' florescent lights. I have a TV mounted up in the one corner, and a nice comfortable chair as well as a counter height rolling work chair.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMG_1739.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMG_1740.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMG_1741.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...6/IMG_1742.jpg

On the back short wall outside the vault I built in shelving to hold hard gun cases, rifle rests, etc. on the wall opposite I build a rack to hold all my fly rods/ fishing rods.

If I can be of any other assistance, PM me.

I used a lawyer's stacking book case for my handgun storage. I liked it because it matched my roll top desk. To protect the guns, I placed cakes of camphor with a corner torn on their covering. At that time I could buy cakes of camphor at the drug store. I don't know if you still can. I noticed that the toolmakers at work used camphor cakes in their drawers with steel gages to keep them from rusting. As an alternative, you could buy (or build) display cases and install damp chasers like they sell for safes or pianos. If you use dowels, I would put a finish on them. Maybe boiled linseed oil or Tung oil. I wouldn't mount a display case directly on an exterior wall. If you want to do that I would put in spacers to stand out from the wall and allow some air movement behind.

Wall mounts
 

I had a trusted local fabricator set me up with 1/8 and 3/16 steel bar stock welded to 1/4 by 2" flat steel 48" long at a good display angle. I chose canted up at 60 degrees and to the side a 65 degrees. The fabrication was then covered with a rubber coating.
It turned out pretty sweet.

So, Avery, let me make sure I understand you corrrectly.

Your wife asks you to build a gun room.

You can take up all the space you want, including space to expand it.

You increase your gun collection at the rate of 15-20 pieces per year and she's okay with it.

I only have one question.

Does she have a sister??? ;)

The slatwall is a good idea. A friend made his own gun room and used it. He attached red felt to the surface and used peg hooks with surgical tubing to protect the guns.

He also used an Amsec safe door. Looks good.

H Richard, handguns, rifles, reloading stuff, and fly fishing gear, and your own place to keep all your toys. You Da Man!! Nice set up you’ve built:D.

I know, I know - I'm the luckiest guy on the planet. She also happens to earn twice as much as I do and is drop-dead gorgeous.

Life is good and I appreciate every minute of it.

If it's possible that we both have the same wife? :D

I was Googling "gunroom" images and came across this thread in another forum that has literally hundreds of photos and ideas.

Be prepared to drool:

Google Image Result for http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg123/adam21avenger/guns-l.jpg

They are rare and beautiful, but having a collection of old guns is cheaper than having a collection of old (read, "ex") wives...or so I'm told.:D

Seriously; I don't think you have enough room. You have no idea how space decreases and 'stuff' increases as time goes on I thought I had plenty of room when I added this to the house; now look at it!!

Try to find the really nice post by I think Swissman or one of his friends over in Europe somewhere with a photos of the gun "museum" they set up.

It was awesome. It may not be Swissman but someone here will remember the thread. All the guns were on display and they showed how it was set up and then toasting drinks when finished,

H Richard:
It's nice to see that I am not the only OCD anal-retentive person here! Very NEAT Gun room! People accuse me of never using my gun/reloading room 'cause it's so neat & clean and it is the most used room in my house! :)

Avery11:

The most important suggestion I could make is to install Central A/C and heat in the basement. You will never regret it! When I built my house I had Central Air and baseboard put in and my gun room is never too hot, too cold or too humid. My wife also appreciates it when she is downstairs doing laundry, ironing or exercising. Because the basement is below ground level the utility bills won't be outrageous either. Dehumidifiers do extract moisture from the air, but they make a racket and heat the basement up to where it is too hot to work in.

The second feature to consider is LOTS of lighting. Nothing worse than a dimly lit space that always has you wanting more light. I am not a big fan of fluorescent lighting but I did use it in my basement. I also have incandescent fixtures over my reloading bench and work bench in addition - just to give the cool florescent light a bit more warmth.

Might as well run a computer line, a phone line and an intercom down there as well as you are sure to be spending some serious time in your new space. Lots of outlets for equipment, tools, radio, etc is a good idea too.

Chief38

:eek: Wow

You can send guns over to me, and free some space :rolleyes:

Start with the revolvers :D

I'll take the Broomhandles

Please:);)

Thank You;)

Chief38, my gun room is organized and kept pretty neat, as I am retired and have time to keep it this way, and I have CRS, and if I don't put things back where they belong, I can't find them. :)

Can you post pics of this setup? It sounds very nice!

If you look here ->http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloadi...g-benches.html you will notice they all have one thing in common. They may start out well-organized and clean but they get messy. Keep the reloading area as remote from the rest of the room as possible - perhaps a through door or curtain is feasible?

As far as displaying your gear maybe look at how the high end retailers do it.

Cabela's Gun Library with the built in lit bookcases and green carpet.
Cabela's: Gun Library

Visit your local range and see what works for them.
http://nasr.com/

Or simply Google "Gun Room Ideas Images"
gun room ideas - Google Search

And if for no other reason than the "coolness factor" I'd top it off with a vault door!
http://www.libertysafe.com/safe-vaul...fes-ps-13.html

A couple years ago, a forum member posted photos of his gun room ... It was the most impressive firearms-specific area I have ever seen. The number of S&Ws he had was huge, and they were perfectly arranged in wooden shelving trays according to model ... dozens of them everywhere. The room looked like a bank vault. I wish I could remember who it was. Perhaps someone else will recall ... the pics were amazing.

It's possible it was the late Wayne Betz. He once showed me the photo album of his gun room, and it was the most impressive room I had ever seen. Bank vault door, all walls covered with displays of S&W's, pretty well at least one of every model and change ever produced. The room was carpeted in grey with a red S&W logo incorporated in the middle. The room was large enough for several sofa's and lounge chairs in the middle. One wall moved aside to reveal his work shop. I'd guess the room occupied at least 1,000 sq ft.

A real shame when he was taken from us so early in life.

I addition to all the good suggestions, especially those by Cajun Lawyer, you probably should budget for a billiard table and Kegerator. Maybe some dart boards and poker tables also.:D

I forgot to mention, not inside my gunroom, but just outside in my workshop and across the storage area I have a 10 meter airgun range. Nice for those cold winter days.

My post divorce gun room is much smaller than the pre divorce one was. The pre room was like yours, built in the basement. The access door was to the left of my work shop work bench and was covered by a framed sheet of pegboard complete with hanging tools. You pulled open the hinged peg board to reveal the actual gun room door. Inside was a window less area with horizontal wooden glass front rifle cabinets on the wall with wooden bookcases below for short gun display.

Now my post divorce room is a tiny little thing about 3 times the size of a walk in shower. Someday I will have the larger room again. At least I got to keep all of the contents.:D

I have slatwall in my room. Very versatile. I have it over the reloading bench with hooks and shelves for tools, and then I have my firearms displayed on a seperate wall. I used 4" slatwall hooks with aquarium tubing over them for the firearms. I dont have any pics handy, I'll see if I can get some this weekend.