Best way to secure a bedside rifle in a house w/children

Oak City Tactics

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
In my opinion there is an untapped market here. There are very few well made single gun lock boxes for a typically outfitted AR with Optic, standard capacity magazine etc. Most that are out there fall into one of several categories. Only fits stripped rifle with low cap mags, no optics, no lights. Cheap construction (pry open with a screwdriver). Cheap or unreliable locking mechanism. Full on safe that’s unnecessarily large or holds multiple guns. Too expensive ie it holds a single gun but costs as much as a 10 gun safe. Overly complicated design. Slow to access. I looked extensively for a storage solution for a small SBR. All of them were plagued by one of the above faults although I’ve not looked recently. Me personally I don’t need Ft Knox for burglars. I need a decent deterrent. Something cost effective but well built and with a good electronic fast lock. Leave it bare metal inside and I will set it up how I want. Don’t think for me, you will just add features I dont want. You can easily find solid options for pistols but not long guns. I need to look back there was one that I found that came close.
 

Oak City Tactics

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Staff member
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Don’t discount the 81mm and 120mm mortar round cans. The 81mm for up to 11.5 guns with a law folder and the 120mm for standard 16” or non folders. It’s 32” and padlocks can be fitted to either if it’s just child safety you are concerned with. They could also be secured to the floor if so desired to keep them from walking off.
 

shoobe01

Established
Nothing good existed I could find, so made one. Have a not very hard to get to, but hidden little steel rack in the closet, carbine rests vertically in it. Padlock for the blind (pushbutton, can do without looking, but no electricity!) keeps the gun in place and blocks the trigger so it can be left loaded.

Not milliseconds, but can get it in action in say 10 seconds making noise, 20 if quiet.


More options since. For rifles still because why get in a gunfight with a handgun if you don't have to, I like these:
https://www.deansafe.com/products/vli-51653-sa

Designed to be stuck in a hole in the wall, between studs, but no reason you couldn't just mount it TO the wall instead if you didn't care.

Note the Simplex (or knockoff?) lock, so again pushbutton but no batteries. Click around, they make smaller ones if that's too much disruption.


Also consider the second layer, especially if you go with a somewhat cheaper one, a remote alarm. We use Wyze cameras, and their door open alarm is cheap, can make your phone beep when not in the room or even at home, to say the safe is open. Then you can act appropriately instead of being surprised later.
 
I don't have kids so take it for what it's worth and I'm not sure the children's ages but what about those built in "hide a gun" mirrors or furniture that's out there with the magnet locks? They have the flag ones, the installed between stud mirrors, the drop down shelf, etc. "Gun Concealment Furniture" that all the gun magazines rave about. Looks a little bit less annoying than a safe in the bedroom at least.
 

Chriscanbreach

Established
Educate the kids. It’s not security but it’s piece of mind and it’s free.

This goes more to our newer gun owner members.

Obviously it’s better in conjunction with the physical security of a safe, but until you get one the guns can’t be a mystery to children. Explain what they are and how they can be very dangerous allow them to handle them unloaded and show them the ammunition. Anytime they want to see them let them under your supervision and the novelty wears off quickly.
Make it clear the Consequences for even touching them without a parent and that they aren’t toys to show friends.

My philosophy has always been to ask why? Do you live in an environment or are you involved in something where armed intruders are likely to crash though your door while you’re in bed? Or do you have a carbine in every room.
Would a handgun be a better option because they are much easier to secure and allow you to be armed while retrieving your rifle or whatever else.
I like the hidden furniture type safes but the kids know that’s where the gun is and love that it takes special moves to open. It’s like a movie and they want to play with it more than the gun. Educate educate educate.

I do like the 120mm mortar cans with a padlock. Cheep and effective.
 

YetiSam

Amateur
Been using an IC13 Mount Up Vertical mount for a bit over a year now.

  • Puts the rifle up high.
  • Mounts to a stud so it's pretty strong, but not overly obtrusive on the wall.
  • Has a lock and the way the clamp works, the charging handle can't be pulled to the rear, so I feel pretty good at leaving the rifle condition 3 like this.
 
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