Suggestions for storing weapons other than house or family?

Does anyone have any suggestions for successful worry free storage of weapons and ammo other than home or family/friends?

I worry no matter where my weapons are stored, but; that is a very interesting question.

Storage facility? Dig a hole out in the woods, drop in your crate, cover?

Well, I figured that was probably the case but thought I'd ask in case someone had a great idea.

Safe Deposit Box at your bank

rbmcmjr said:

Safe Deposit Box at your bank

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+1 on the safe deposit box.

It might help if there was a little more information.

We talking about one or two pistols and four or five boxes of ammo? Yeah, bank lock box.

300-gun collection? Bank - probably not such a good idea.

Going out of town for a week and are worried about your house being burgled?

Being transferred to an unfriendly state (or country) and can't take 'em with you, so need to store them for a year or more?

rbmcmjr said:

Safe Deposit Box at your bank

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Excellent choice. I used a safe deposit box at the local bank to store my handguns while I was in Vietnam. Another time I had to be out of the country for several months, so I arranged with my bank to keep a couple of long guns in a vault space in addition to the safe deposit box for the handguns, important papers, etc.

If you have developed a good relationship with your bank you may find that they will help you work out solutions for such needs.

I like the idea of putting them in airtight cases such as Pelican cases and burying them. I really don't trust banks.

If there is a rental storage place with on site security there is the possibility of renting a locker. just a thought.

I have a good relationship with the owner of a local gun shop. He has a large walk in vault. I would bet he would store my guns for me if I asked.
Just a thought.

Wingmaster

On your boat, which is in a climate controlled boatel, lifted high up off the ground, out of the weather; mine is always on the top level, so I don't get the fouling from fluids coming out of careless owner's boats. Oh, and the marina has 24/7 armed security, both off duty LEO's, and well trained guns for hire.

Lets say you are going on a trip, cant take your guns and dont want to leave them home. How about takeing them to a pawn shop? Get some money and they should be safe. Just cost you a fee when you get back.
Then there is safe deposit boxs at banks.

feralmerril said:

Lets say you are going on a trip, cant take your guns and dont want to leave them home. How about takeing them to a pawn shop? Get some money and they should be safe. Just cost you a fee when you get back.
Then there is safe deposit boxs at banks.

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Yes, safe deposit boxes are great, especially if one doesn't have a safe that weighs several hundred pounds.

The safe deposit box at the bank sounds like a good idea, but I know my luck. I can see myself walking into the bank, tripping, & the guns flying out of the case & sliding across the marble floor, followed by me as I'm tackled by three or four security guards! Pessimistic? No. Realistic? Yes.

I don't think they would allow ammo to be stored in a bank if they knew about. You didn't say for how long or for what reason. There would be a different solution for different reasons, a little more detail would help.

One time when I was gong overseas I took my guns down to my Mother's house. My Brother shot them all and just about all of my Ammo. He shot my new model 60 which I have never fired. So I have a first issue 60 which is almost unfired- only by my brother!
I also would like an off site safe storage for guns and some other valuables.

Years ago my dad was in a convelesant hospital with alzheimers. We had already sold his house and I was flying back and forth from california to wisconsin more times than I could count. Dad had a 1917 s&w he kept under his mattress but that wouldnt fly at the hospital. I had to take it from him but we had a big safe deposit at the bank and that worked out for us. I also gave a uncle a nice model 61 winchester to keep for dad but he died and my cousin also lives out west. He gave it to a buddy of his to keep in his safe.
I took my GF with me home after dad died. We got engaged on the trip. I went to the local jewlers and bought a set of rings. We got talking and found out her husband was my cousins best friend and that HE was holding dads winchester in his home safe until my cousin could get it to me! Worked out for us all. At the time I also had a storage locker for the rest of dads stuff and also had some other guns of pa`s in it. They were okay.
The other half of the story and the worst. I had drove my truck home to see dad several weeks before he died. I gathered all the guns out of storage (except for that winchester) and took them to california. I had a snub hammer s&w 60 that I always carried back then hidden in my truck. Soon as I got home I carried all the family guns in the house but forgot I had the smith in that drawer behind the front seats.
My gun safe at home already was full. The family guns were loose in the house. About the secound day I was home I came out in the morning and my truck was gone! About 4 days later when I had left the house to go truck shopping my house got hit! All the loose family guns were gone along with some other stuff. I figure they found my customised snub in the truck and it tipped them off I was a gun person. I am sure I was watched and when I left that next day they hit the house!
EPILOG: I also had a jc penneys card I had just got in the mail and had left it in the truck. I drove over to penneys to alert them. It already was run up over $4,000s. I worked with the store security woman and we went through the receipts. Someone had forged my name on many receipts but in HER buying spree signed HER name (Kiane neimuth) several times and they went through! She said I see we have a internal probley here! I took copys of all to the dick that was handeling the case. At first he said, "How did you get all of this? I even couldnt! Of course my job was similar to hers. We were looking at the name and he said how would you pronunce that? I said kiane neimuth. Another detective was walking behind us and said I know that name! We had a case like this with her a year or two ago! They brought her up on the computer and she had just got out a few days prior. Not for the crime, but for breaking probation that she was given for it.
Right after that I still was still shopping for another truck and stopped and saw a salesman I had bought one from years ago. Told him my story and her name and it stopped him dead. He was the victim of what she got arrested for the first time! His step daughter had brought her and her girlfriend to the house. A day or two later he came home to find his house hit and guns gone. He asked some construction workers nearby had they seen anything. They didnt think anything of it at the time but had seen a girl matching her discription standing by a vehicle while some other guys were carrying stuff out of the house. That netted her on the theft but she only got probation which she broke and went to jail on. They went and got her. She denied haveing anything to do with theft at my house but said she was hitch hikeing and did steal my CC in the truck and went shopping. I went to watch her hearing on that. The judge started to give her what only ammounted to a couple months. I got up and tried to say more that she hit my house. He stopped me dead, more or less told me to shut up and sent her off for probley a realistic couple months! I hate the system and politics in california. Its a beautiful state in certain areas but I wont live there in retirement.
I have posted this list of stolen family guns before here but every chance I get I list them again. I did recover the HDM and the JC Higgins shotgun. The shotgun came back with the barrel sawed back and the stock sawed at the pistol grip with a doc holiday sling. They at first wasnt going to give it back to me as the barrel was too short. I reached over, unscrewed the barrel and said how about I take the action home?
I have found in california along with case and a few others the law enforcement there doesnt follow things through unless murder is involved. In their defense they are so swamped that smaller stuff doesnt get the justice. These guns arent near as exspendsive as others I aquired in later years but I grew up with them, they were mine and dads, and that hurts!

feralmerril said:

How about takeing them to a pawn shop? Get some money and they should be safe. Just cost you a fee when you get back.

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That's actually a pretty good idea. Just make sure that someone knows where they are and where the pawn ticket is just in case. The lower the amount of your loan, the lower the "fee". Of course, if you bring in 35 firearms and want to borrow $100, they might get suspicious.

Oh, and if you use the safe deposit box, do it discreetly. Don't walk in with a gun in each hand and two in your waistband shouting "Which way to the vault?!?"

Do you have any Old former banks in your town? We have a few around here, and some are commercial business's that do not normally use the vaults. The owners have been agreeable to semi-long term storage, (up to a year) for a minimal fee provided you maintain insurance on them.