Hidden Gun Storage Ideas for Tactical Readiness

As a responsible gun owner, you want to do your part to keep your weapons from falling into the wrong hands. You know that you need to store guns safely, but you must balance that with equally necessary quick access if you need to use a weapon.

A gun safe is a great place to store guns safely, but it’s also difficult to access when an intruder is bearing down on you or your family. Having a firearm locked in a vault or other hardened safe place makes it secure, but it also renders your weapon unusable in an emergency. That’s where hidden gun storage ideas can help bridge the gap between safety and practicality.

Why Gun Safes Don’t Always Make Sense

There are some critical reasons why gun safes aren’t always ideal for storing weapons. 

They’re Expensive

A typical gun safe can cost a significant amount of money. Even safes with a reasonably small footprint and low capacity can hit your wallet for thousands of dollars. Safe delivery and installation fees can also be notable expenses, adding up to more money than is practical for many gun owners. 

They Can Be Hard to Access in an Emergency

Many gun owners own their weapons for self-defense. The thought of a nightmare scenario where a home intruder enters your living space and threatens your family might drive you to seek protection in the form of a gun. But, you also want to store your firearms in a safe for absolute certainty that no children in your house could get their hands on them. 

However, safe keys can be lost or impossible to find in an emergency. Fingerprint scanners may not work. In the heat of the moment, you may forget the combination to the lock. In many situations, a safe is impractical for storing your self-defense gun. Remember, 30% of burglaries occur when someone is home. 

Attractive to Home Invaders

Gun safes often require you to bolt them to the framing of a room or to mount them inside a wall. Even though they’re sometimes quite heavy, the extra security of a permanently mounted safe is necessary. That’s because once someone knows you have a gun safe, it could become a target for home invaders. 

For criminals determined to obtain guns, a well-stocked gun safe is an attractive target. 

Why Hidden Gun Storage is a Better Option 

Since gun safes aren’t always an ideal safe storage solution, many firearm owners turn to hidden gun storage options. While some hidden gun cabinet ideas aren’t very practical, others are pretty legitimate. When it comes to self-defense, hidden gun storage is sometimes a better option. 

Thieves Won’t Know Where to Look

At home, hidden gun storage ideas appeal to many gun owners because no one will even know you have a gun. A safe is sometimes too difficult to hide adequately, but some gun storage options are completely concealable, making them invisible to thieves. 

A safe can become a target, but completely hidden gun storage solutions offer increased invisibility. 

Quick, Easy Access in an Emergency

Having quick access to a gun is a paramount concern in an emergency. As a gun owner, you need your weapon handy in a crisis. Consider a gun storage solution that uses a hidden compartment to preserve quick access. Then it’s up to you to decide if you want to use a key lock, hidden drawer, or some type of secret compartment to secure your weapon further.

More Compact Than a Safe

A gun safe is often quite large. Comparatively, a hidden compartment for one or two weapons and a couple of magazines is much smaller. Plus, you can convert existing objects like a coffee table, a real book, or picture frames into a gun compartment. This preserves space and also keeps your gun handy if you need it.  

Hidden Gun Storage Ideas for Homes with No Children

Criminologists estimate that guns are used for self-defense in the United States more than 2.5 million times a year. But, there are also many accidents involving improperly stored weapons and children. So, these hidden gun storage solutions are for homes where there aren’t any kids. 

Even in homes with no kids, proper gun storage prevents your weapons from falling into the hands of criminals. Leaving guns out in plain sight is never a good idea. 

Mounted Behind a Curtain

Using a system of curtains to hide a firearm is a relatively simple firearm-concealing solution. Consider that there are simple wall-mounted hidden gun storage solutions that can accommodate long guns or handguns. Then, add a curtain rod and a set of curtains, and your gun is out of sight but never inaccessible.  

Hidden In a Bookshelf

Another way to hide a firearm is to use a bookshelf to conceal it in your living room or home office. You could either utilize a fake book with a cover and no pages to conceal a small firearm, or you could instead hide a long gun behind a row of real books. Just be sure that your level of security matches the level of risk in your home (children for example).

Mounted In or Behind a Piece of Furniture

Some gun owners take hidden gun storage to the next level with custom furniture designed to secure weapons. Make your small gun room idea into reality. A hidden bookshelf or door with a magnetic lock is a secure place to store a large collection of firearms. Alternatively, if you have a smaller collection of pistols, you could consider making a DIY picture frame mount for peace of mind and a tactical advantage.

Hidden Gun Storage Ideas for Homes with Children

With children living in a home with guns, you need to make sure weapons are not just hidden but secure. You can never underestimate a child’s ability to get into things they’re not supposed to. An estimated 4.6 million American kids are living with unsecured, loaded guns.

Hidden Safes Mounted in an Air Vent

If you want to secure a gun in an accessible but secure hidden gun storage solution, consider that you might mount a rifle or mount a handgun inside of an air vent. It doesn’t even have to be a real vent. You could make one yourself between two wall joists and put a dummy vent cover over it, concealing your weapon within. It’s easy to mount a rifle or handgun behind this secret door with the right hardware. 

Make a Concealed Lockbox

If you have some DIY skills, you can make yourself a concealed lock box that accommodates and secures your self-defense weapon. For example, you could use a secure lock box and hide it inside of a medicine cabinet, high up in a closet, or behind a piece of art on the wall. There are many custom locks you can add to your own project for a variety of security levels, and they are the perfect way to modify your storage space to include a hidden door that locks.

Retrofit a Piece of Furniture with a Lockbox

One easy way to conceal a lockbox is to install it into a piece of furniture that you have quick access to. For example, you could tuck a small lockbox containing a pistol inside of a nightstand or an end table. You could conceal a larger lockbox containing a rifle inside a bench or a table. Just use your imagination, and make sure you always comply with gun storage laws in your area. 

Mounted Out of Reach

Sometimes, the best way to secure a weapon is to make sure it’s well out of reach. For instance, if you stand inside of a closet, there may be a place above the door that is not only concealed but out of reach of any small hands. Tactical walls are a great safe option, especially if you decide to build a dedicated gun room. If you decide to go this route, consider using a Spartan Mounts gun rack for the best gun holder on the market. This may not be practical for all situations, but it’s a great option to consider.

Other Hidden Gun Storage Solutions

Here are another seven other ways to use hidden gun cabinet ideas to store your firearms safely. 

• Turn a toolbox into a gun storage safe by adding a concealed hidden drawer or tray under your tools
• Make a hidden compartment under your fireplace mantle where your gun is invisible but easily accessible
• Use a mirror, picture frames, or a painting to conceal a firearm within the wall. These are often called a Murphy door, or gun concealment furniture.
• Purchase a handgun safe that fits inside of an existing piece of furniture like a coffee table and create a hidden compartment behind an American flag.
• Hide a gun behind a clock or inside of a real book with a cavity cut out
• Use an RFID system with a concealment shelf for easy access in an emergency, unlike a key lock system. Electronic locks are a great way to achieve quick access in a home invasion.

Spartan Blog: Storing Guns and Firearms: Everything You Need to Know

Hidden Gun Storage FAQs

Some questions about hidden gun closet ideas are common.  

How do I hide a gun safe in plain sight?

The best way to hide a gun in plain sight depends on whether you have kids in the home or not. If you don’t have kids, you can hide a gun behind ornamental curtains, under or behind furniture, or elsewhere. The best option for this would be a custom firearm wall mount.  With kids in the home, you need to be more secure and conceal your weapons out of reach. Remember to also consider visitors to your home that should not have access to your firearm storage.

Where do you hide a pistol safe?

A pistol safe is small enough to conceal in a drawer, under a nightstand, or within a cavity in the wall.

How do I hide a gun on myself?

Carrying a concealed weapon is the right of every eligible American citizen. But, you need to keep safety and security in mind, so consider that the best way to hide a gun on your person is in a dedicated bag or holster. Carrying a gun in your waistband is inherently dangerous, and some high-profile incidents serve as proof.  Clinger Holsters are my personal favorite for concealed carry. Be sure you have the required license to carry in your state.

What are the laws surrounding gun storage?

The laws surrounding gun storage vary tremendously depending on your location. Some states may require trigger locks, whereas others do not. You should always check your state and local laws and follow them. 

Should you keep one in the chamber for home defense?

Keeping a round in the chamber is ideal for the defense of your person and property. But, doing so also increases the risk of an accident occurring. You need to determine the level of risk you’re willing to live with. Crime rose by more than 50% in more than a dozen cities this year, and the FBI states that there were nearly seven million property crimes in 2019 alone.

Most people choose to lock their home-defense gun in a quick-access safe, and keep a round in the chamber for the best of both worlds.

How Can I Hide a Gun Today?

Now you know several ways to conceal a firearm. You also understand that a gun safe isn’t always the best option. There are many options for secret gun storage ideas or other gun storage solutions. 

Usually, the best way to hide a gun is to buy a gun mount online. It’s the easiest, simplest, and most practical way to secure a firearm. Then, use your imagination and figure out where you can conceal the mount and your weapon, balancing your need for self-defense with the safety and security of your home. 

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