Emerging Threats

As a gun owner, two big concerns I have are having my guns stolen (and not having them when I need them), and having a gun of mine hurt someone accidentally. As every gun owner should know, lethal force carries with it responsibility. We want to keep our guns protected from theft. But we also want them to be ready fast — when we need them.

Just like when a St. Louis, Missouri dad needed to put down two bad guys who were using his 17-year-old-daughter as a human shield during a home invasion. When the Fox Reporter interviewed this hero father, he asked:

“How did you have the confidence to pull the trigger when they were holding your daughter? To which the man calmly responded: “I had no choice. He had my daughter. I did what I had to do.” Amen.

We need our guns to be kept safely, but ready at a moment’s notice. If we can’t get to them when we need them, then they’re nothing more than a beautiful paperweight.

Hiding Our Guns Safely

Gun safes keep our guns’ safe, but aren’t exactly built for quick and easy access. Sticking our 1911 in our nightstand drawer gives us fast access for when SHTF. Although my kids know to NEVER touch my guns without their dad (they’re little), they have friends over sometimes when I’m at work. You see where I’m going with this.

How can we keep our guns safe, but ready? I’ve learned a LOT about modifying everyday household items for hiding guns, but I wanted to learn more about keeping these gun hides secure from young, prying eyes, and curious family and friends (and smart thieves who have an internet connection and can see all the new tricks).

My good buddy Jack Bradford of Liberty Woodworking has been a mill work fabricator for over 20 years. He’s also an avid gun owner. Loves to hunt. Loves to shoot. Loves to keep his guns safe from thieves, but ready to respond to bad guys. So Jack and I had a talk. Here are 3 tips to keep your gun hides safe, secure, AND ready.

Tip #1 – Magnetic Lock Gun Safe

One of the more popular mechanisms to keep our guns’ safe is with a magnetic lock. Put the special magnet in a special place, and open-says-me. However, without it, your gun safe stays locked and secure. Pretty ingenious, as long as you don’t lose your magnet.

Here is a great example of a mirror hide using a magnetic lock and an entire room constructed with gun safes secured with magnetic locks. This fabricator has built the magnets into items already in the room. No way to lose them. Nice! Not sure about his use of the Bible, but I guess I can let that go. Now let’s take it up a notch.

Tip #2 – Biometric Gun Safe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjxOHOrFdeO/

The NRA has a similar mirror style gun safe, but with a pretty neat (and secure) twist. The NRA Home Defense Cabinet by Jotto Gear. This fingerprint gun safe uses a biometric finger scanner connected to a sturdy gun lock. Place your finger in the slot and your lock pops open. From their site:

“Go From Obvious to Truly Discreet. No longer hide your home defense firearms underneath the bed, behind a door or in a closet. The Proprietary Biometric Securing System means only you or who you authorize can access your home defense firearms(s) stored in this gun cabinet. Slide the mirror and the biometric reader auto-illuminates with a red glow showing you where to place your finger. Once activated, the Smart Gun Lock Head unlocks and the cabinet’s discreet red lighting guides you to your firearm(s) while protecting your night vision.”

Pretty neat features, which combine speed of access with security from thieves (and anyone else not pre-programmed into the lock).

The Fingerprint BioLock is another fingerprint gun safe, which much smaller in size and a little easier on the pocket book. This is a great way store a gun close by on the shelf or bedside table, while keeping it away from the kids and intruders.

Find out more about the BioLock Safe here!

Tip #3 – Infrared / RF Activated Gun Safe

I have to admit, these are my favorite kinds of gun safes. They’re expensive to make, and there is no getting around that. When they’re done right, there is just no way to find them. Even the most educated thief who’s looking for your guns is never going to find them.

And as long as you keep the remote controller secure, there’s no way for a child, family member, or friend to get at these. Best of all — they are quiet. If a home invader happens to hear this thing opening (unlikely), he’ll think it’s some machine at work in the home (like your fridge kicking on), and not the sounds of you grabbing your loaded shotgun. At least, until you rack it.

My personal favorite of this style of hide is within a cabinet or counter top. Here’s one using the same type of mechanism secured into the back of a bed headboard. Not sure about the blue lights, but it is pretty darn cool!

Secret Passages

Although this is way beyond my budget, they are still cool enough that this wouldn’t be complete without them. Creative Home Engineering builds James Bond style passages, safe rooms, and more into your home. My daughter sure would love an under-the-stairs playroom!

How will you keep your gun hides secure and ready?

Check out these related articles:

The Basic Rules of Gun Safety

Badass Hidden Gun Safe List

Home Gun Safety Taught in New SurvivalLife.com Special Report

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