You are standing watching your new gun safe in the living room. You realize you have not thought about the best way to disguise and hide it. You are wondering where to place it for the best security.
The safe must not be hard to access, but not easy for children or a burglar to find. You need to think out of the box and consider a hiding spot that no thief will think of looking.
Here we have compiled some creative hiding places for you to keep your gun safe hidden and secure. However, first, look as to why you need to protect your gun safe.
Why would you not want your safe to be visible?
The gun safe is not one of the artistic pleasing furniture pieces that fit in with most décor. The chance is that you do not want the big metal beast occupying prime space. Furthermore, it is better to hide it to prevent intruders from knowing you have guns in the house.
When a burglar sees a safe, they want to break into it and steal the valuables. You can own the best gun safe, but with time on hand, a thief will eventually break into it. Another important reason is if attacked, the person will not know you have firearms in the home.
Conversely, maybe you need to have something repaired and with a safe standing in open view may lead to theft. The important thing is only you and your family needs to know you have a firearm or jewelry safe. So where do you hide it?
Do You Live Alone—Places to Hide Your Gun
When living alone, you do not have the same problem as a person who has kids. The chance is good that you do not need a gun safe but will have to be creative to find the best hiding spot. Here are some places where to hide a safe:
- Place it behind a fake electrical outlet – when thieves want to control you they will make you lay on the floor. If you are lucky, you will be close enough to get hold of your gun.
- Stash it at the front door – the likeliness is that an intruder will try to gain access through the front door. With your weapon stashed near to the door, you have full control over the situation.
- Keep it in the pantry – sometimes this is the best place to keep a weapon or your gun safe. When burglars break in, they look for money, electronic equipment, and jewelry. The pantry is not high on their list to look for a hidden gun cabinet, unless they have the time to grab something to eat.
Closets
The truth is there are loads of places you can disguise your gun collection at home. You can hide it under your bed, inside the drawer of the nightstand, or in a closet. So what do these hiding places have in common they are all in the bedroom? The hidden gun room is the best place and makes perfect sense, as your gun is close by if ever attacked at night.
The most convenient place is the wardrobe, as the nightstand will most likely only hold a small pistol safe. Further, accessing the handgun under the bed is awkward. The cupboard has decent size to fit a safe, and with the doors closed, no one knows that you have a gun safe.
So how do you hide the safe in the closet? Must you leave it sitting in the closet with the clothes or do you build a disguise making it hard to find? Here you need to think which option works best for you for effective closet gun storage. You may consider leaving it standing behind close provides easy access, but in an emergency, you do not want to go exploring through loads of clothes.
Depending on the size of the safe and the type of build, this determines if the closet is the best spot. As you are restricted, you need to look at essential features such as easy access. Imagine fumbling around for the safe with an intruder inside. We recommend you look at using a biometric keypad as the best option.
They do cost more but provide you quick entry when needed the most. Another important thing is the closet is dark and fitting a safe with interior lighting is another option. If you pick a keypad always, make sure it illuminates well. For the best lighting, you can consider using a movement activated light in the cupboard.
Further, you need to consider how durable the furniture is as your gun safe has added weight and requires a robust, secure base to stand on. For instance, if you have a wooden floor closet, you can remove a section at the bottom to fit it directly on the floor.
Fitting the gun safe
Depending on the metal beast, you own there are different ways you can hide and disguise the safe:
- Fit the safe to the wall and floor – this is the best option to prevent someone from carrying the safe away. The majorities of safes provide you with pre-drilled holes and anchor point to fasten the safe to the wall or bolt it to the floor
- Do you have a walk-in closet? Then you need to think about the best place to hide the safe without it getting in the way. The best place is in the corner as you can bolt it to the floor and secure it to the wall. Another option is to make your gun safe by pouring concrete walls and adding a secure door. Instead, you can make a hole in the wall to fit the safe securely with a mirror in front of it.
- Make a fake closet – if your wardrobe is not the best option this alternative piece of furniture is perfect. The cupboard looks like a regular wardrobe the only difference you have your gun collection in it.
You might also be interested in my post on the best small handgun safes – read more here.
Other ideas
While the closet remains the best hiding place for a gun safe, there are loads of other options available as well, also ways to hide a large gun safe.
Under the Staircase
If you are lucky to live in a double-story home and depending on the staircase, you find a perfect spot to hide the gun safe. Further, it depends if there is an opening available as this determines the cost and time to make it a suitable hiding place. It is also one of the best ways to hide a large gun safe.
Behind a Bookshelf or Piece of Furniture
Hiding the safe behind a massive bookshelf is a great option when you plan going on vacation. As you, will not need immediate access and will help conceal it from anyone. The important thing is the furniture piece needs to be heavy to move.
Inside an Extra Refrigerator
With the extra fridge, you usually place it in the garage or basement. Using a refrigerator no longer used is a simple solution to keep your valuables safe. You need to cut out the back of the broken fridge and place the safe inside it.
Use a Table
The table is a typical piece of furniture found in any home. The fantastic thing is you can make use of the bottom part, as it is not visible to all to see and is a great safe cover disguise. All you must to do is stick your pistol on the underside to provide quick access when you need it. Gun safes that look like furniture can be a good way to foil a would be thief.
Using a Cabinet
The filing cabinets found in the majority of homes these days. The cupboard has a durable metal construction, and the added stuff on the inside conceals your safe. Of course, this all depends on the size of the gun safe. To prevent attracting the interest from an intruder you can place some cartoon stickers to make it look like a storage cabinet.
In Wall Gun Safe
First, you need to find the perfect spot to hang a full body mirror or big painting to conceal the safe. The place you use needs to look natural and must not have any plumbing or wiring that comes in the way.
You can do the DIY project yourself or get a professional to help. With the hole cut out to size in the wall, you need to build a box to place the safe. You will need a secure door and will also be the place to mount the mirror or painting.
Moreover, most importantly do not forget the lock to keep the door securely locked. Also if hiding in a wall, remember you will need to keep your gun safe dry by using a dehumidifier.
Dedicated Storage Furniture
Compared to all the above-mentioned hidden spots you can look at some furniture storage space to keep your collection safe.
The Gun Storage Bench
Imagine keeping your firearms stashed secretly in a soft-sided bench at the end of your bed. You can buy different seating furniture from American Furniture Classics at an affordable price to keep your weapons hidden. The furniture has a solid wood structure and fits in with décor in the home.
Use a Curio Cabinet
With a slider cabinet, it makes the best hiding spot to keep your guns without anyone knowing. The furniture piece has a secret sliding storage compartment placed behind your curio display. You can find many different designs online and ideas for furniture to hide guns
The Mirror Safe
If you keep your firearms in the bedroom, the mirror gun safe is another excellent option to use as a safe place for storage. Instead of placing it in the bedroom, you can put it in your ensuite instead to fit in with the bathroom. You can find small to full-length mirror gun safes. The mirror looks natural in the bedroom, bathroom, and hallway.
In a Bookcase
Do you have a wall-to-wall bookcase then start using the space to keep your handgun and ammo safe? All you need is a wooden box, old books, and glue to make a bookshelf gun safe. The container needs to be tall to place the book spines, and your gun needs to fit into the box. The box needs to fit in the shelf and display as a book. Now you glue the book spine on the one side of the box and place it on the rack.
A Shelf Placed on the Wall
You can buy these shelves online and looks like a regular display shelf. The only dissimilarity is that it has a secret compartment to store up to two guns. The rack has a magnetic locking system, and you can use it with a magnetic-key lock. The shelves hinges made with a dampener gas spring to prevent the firearms from falling to the floor when opened.
Conceal Your Weapons in a Tall Clock
The tall clock is a beautiful piece of furniture and will become part of your home. Further, it is a hidden gun safe and perfect to hide weapons from kids. The clock locks with a magnet and only you know which side to press to open it. You can place the clock on a shelf in the home.
The Underbed Safe
When an intruder strikes, it is likely that you will be in bed. The Defense Under-Bed Safe is another excellent solution to keep your firearms secure and on hand. The gun safe has 14-gauge steel construction and works with a combo lock. The under the bed safe fits beneath the bed depending on the type of bed you have.
Tactical Weapon Concealment Coffee Table
The Tactical Walls Concealment Coffee Table looks like any other table in the living room. The space for storing weapons is large and makes using it simple. You can comfortably fit an AK 15 or short-barreled shotgun inside it. You can keep magazines and a couple of handguns secure as well. No one will even know the difference when visiting and drinking coffee. The compartment drops down and works with an RFID key.
The Vent Safe
The Quick Vent installs without difficulty and offers you concealment for your gun to place anywhere in the home. The vent looks harmless, and no one will suspect that you have valuables in it. You can place ammunition and multiple caliber handguns inside. The price is affordable, and you can use them around the home.
Final Thoughts
Owning a gun safe is the best option to keep your weapons safe, the only problem is its size making it evident for intruders. The majority of safes you can break into with enough time and the correct tools. With the hidden gun storage, be it is a safe, gun shelf, furniture, or hiding spot, these storage options make it harder to find.
By placing the gun safe in the correct place, it allows you easy access in an emergency and keeps them hidden from the thieves. Whether you use disguised gun safe or concealed gun storage always, make sure, only you have access to it. Keeping your firearms safe is a priority as the owner.
There are many places where you can keep your valuables concealed. We hope that the article provides you with different types of options to disguise and hide your gun safe. The ones mentioned are great ways to keep you and your family safe when intruders make their way into your home.
Always think of the safety of your family and think tactical when finding a safe location for your gun safe.