How to Design a Gun Room

Gun cabinets, vaults, and safes are a great way to avoid safety issues and help to keep everything in one place with Mammoth Safes.

Does size matter? Well, the hammer rubbing against the stock, or the barrel rubbing against the barrel, is unavoidable. You must take ten guns out of the cabinet to find the one you need, then try to fit them all back in. There must be a better option available. There is one. However, few people take advantage of the option because they believe they do not have enough space for a handgun vault, let alone a full-blown armory room. But, a dedicated gun room is an answer to the prayers of the serious gun collector.

Selecting the Location

Due to dual-use, a gun room requires frequent access, compromising its safety and security. Our suggestions are as follows:

• Choose a relatively hidden location, such as a closet, basement, or mechanical room. It's okay if the gun room is far away unless you intend to run there in an emergency.
• Make sure that the room's designation as a gun room is practical. For example, avoid choosing a space your family frequently uses for mundane tasks, such as a laundry room.
• If possible, choose a location with natural fire resistance, such as one with a concrete exterior wall or one in the basement.
• Consider your firearm collection and ensure the space you've chosen can accommodate it.
• If you are renovating an existing room to build your gun safe, choose a location with few obstructions and entry points to allow for cost-effective armoring and installation.

The Display

Once you've decided on your vault type, the fun begins: deciding how to display/store your guns. First, consider purchasing a safe to keep inside the vault if you don't want them displayed. The safe doesn't have to be the most expensive kind because it's already fortified. Thin metal lockers will suffice. Aside from propping them up on the walls or leaving them in cases on the floor, you'll have a few basic options for displaying your guns in your vault.

To begin, you can create your storage solutions using your welding and carpentry skills. Second, a local cabinet maker or metal fabricator can create your custom design. Make sure you trust this person or have them build the cabinets while installing them. Third, niche companies sell modular storage solutions, and they provide stylish solutions that can be tailored to your specific vault size and firearm requirements. Finally, you can also look for display solutions in hardware stores and online that you can customize and install yourself.

Security Levels

When determining whether storage arrangements are secure enough, the police will consider each case's circumstances and the overall security arrangements, including the security of the premises where the firearms and ammunition are kept. It may be helpful to consider safety levels that can be applied in any given situation. When it comes to securing firearms, three levels of security are generally accepted.

Level 1: In most cases, this is applicable and can be met using a suitable gun cabinet. When only one firearm is being held, a gun clamp may suffice. Other factors to consider include whether the property is in a low-crime area and whether the exterior doors and windows are fitted with appropriate locking devices.

Level 2: Where additional security is desired. This could be due to a high crime rate, repeated victimization, or the presence of a large number of firearms. Exit doors fitted with BS3621 locks, an audible intruder alarm covering the area where the guns are stored, and possibly splitting the risk by providing more than one cabinet would provide additional security.

Level 3: Where the risk is deemed to be the greatest. Splitting the risk is preferable, especially when there are a large number of guns involved. Additional target hardening of the storage cabinet(s) and an audible intruder alarm protecting the entire premises may be considered.

Final Thoughts

Designing a gun room is mostly about function and form, with some room for embellishment. The beauty of displaying guns is that they become an art. Gun rooms are as distinctive as kitchens. Just as you would consider the layout and make-up of a kitchen based on the skills and needs of whoever does the majority of the cooking, the size, structure, and functionality of the gun room should be designed based on the house shoot.