In-Safe Storage for Handguns
Folks have asked about recommended handgun storage in gunsafes. There are many options, including hanging your handguns on the inside door panel with straps or hooks. The problem with placing handguns on the safe door is that it’s just too easy for Velcro to work loose, or a peg to come out. End result is a dropped pistol. Also, placing your handguns on a door makes them highly visible. That’s a bad idea if your safe is placed in an open area such as a garage or game room.
Our first choice is to place handguns in lockable, sliding drawers inside the safe. Tucked inside silicon-treated Bore-Store bags, and then laid flat inside a drawer, handguns are safe, secure and out of sight. Unfortunately, few safe-makers offer sliding drawer options. If you have a large-enough safe, you can fit your own lockable drawer unit or small file cabinet with locks. These can be purchased at office supply stores or Home Depot type outlets.
If you have limited space in your safe, we recommended the vinyl-covered metal handgun racks from Versatile Rack Company. The 4-Gun rack has approximately the same footprint as a single handgun laying flat. These racks have a strong, welded-steel frame, vinyl-coated to protect the finish of your pistols. We’ve found these work for virtually all size handguns, both semi-autos and revolvers, even when the guns are placed in Bore-Store bags. In fact the fit is just about perfect if you first place a handgun in a Bore-Store bag, which provides about 1/4″ of padding all around the gun.
Versatile offers two models, for either 4 guns or 6 guns. These can be purchased directly from Versatile starting at $29.99. But other vendors such as Midway USA, sell them for less. MidwayUSA currently charges $19.99 for the 4-gun version (item 953075), and $24.99 for the 6-gun rack (item 275638). Click HERE for a 360-degree view of the 4-gun unit. There is also an optional stacking unit, shown below.
One other interesting design is the rotary handgun rack. Cabela’s sells a 9-Gun Rotary Pistol Rack (item IJ-229069) that looks well-built, and is fairly compact. Priced at $49.99, it spins to allow easy access to your handguns. It features foam-padded cradles, and an oak-verneer finish. Unfortunately, with a compact 11.5″-diameter base, there is not enough clearance for scoped revolvers or pistols with red-dot sights. And, from a safety standpoint, we’d rather see the pistols stored muzzle-down than muzzle-up. Still it looks like a clever, compact design that will work with most handguns.
If you like the look of wood, Sportman’s Guide offers a two-tier 12-gun rack for just $39.99. This will hold a large collection of pistols in a relatively compact space, 15.5″ wide x 13″ x 11″ high. There is green felt lining the slots for the barrel/slide and grip base. However, you can see from the photo that the barrel slots are cut pretty low and pretty narrow. This unit gives you a very compact footprint, but the trade-off is a tight fit on larger handguns.
If you have large hunting handguns with top-mounted scopes, or bullseye pistols with fat target grips, consider the Hyskore Modular Rack which holds guns with the barrel on top and level, so there is plenty of clearance for scopes. Hyskore racks are made of soft, closed-cell foam that won’t scratch metal and won’t absorb moisture. Guns are stored in individual foam bins that can be connected together horizontally.The width of each individual bin can be adjusted to fit even very wide target grips. Hyskore racks come in sets of three foam bins. Using 3/16″ threaded crosspins, you can combine the bins into one, long secure unit running the full width of a shelf.
CLICK HERE for Hyskore Rack DEMO VIDEO
I have seen all of these advertised and have come to the conclusion that it is a matter of what the inside of your safe looks like. I have fixed shelving on one half and a stand up are on the other half for long guns.
I am going to visit the vendor sites and get dimensions of each rack… as well, for me anyway, it is important to have a trigger lock on each of my guns. Some will permit room for this and others not.
Not keen on the plastic jobs. The wooden rack does not appear to have room for trigger or any other kind of locks. The one ones that look remotely suitable are the heavy wire jobs with vinyl covering.
One must keep in mind, of course, what are you going to do with all those gun boxes and cases when your guns are locked up tight and safe? We have purchased a plastic tote (several) that will sit atop the safe to do that as well as hold our leather and accessories.
Have not seen those silicone impregnated socks yet for pistols although I do have zippered handgun totes. I prefer that hard plastic gun cases and there is a triangular one out there that is just perfect for mine and permits room for a trigger lock.