Responsible gun owners will agree that storing firearms safely in the home should be of the highest priority. Also ranking high on the priority list is being able to access your firearm quickly should a threat situation arise. Keeping your guns in a safe that is not easily accessible will not help you when seconds matter as you might not have the time to access your safe before the threat encounters you, and, if that happens, they aren’t going to wait. On one hand, we need to keep our firearms away from those who shouldn’t access them; on the other, we need to quickly and easily be able to retrieve our gun if need be. So how do we do this? Fortunately, there are ways to accomplish both and safely store your guns in plain sight.
No, this is not going to be a giant steel safe in the middle of your living room, so no worries there. Companies with creative ingenuity have hit the market with products that are not only stylish but also serve as the perfect “hiding in plain sight” solutions. Reminiscent of the scene in the movie “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” where they are pulling out firearms from hidden areas all over their home, these things are now a reality for gun owners. Shelves, end tables, even wall mirrors now offer a double function in that you can use them to store guns that are easily and quickly accessible.
One company that brings such innovation to the table is Tactical Walls, tacticalwalls.com. Browse their website and you will find a plethora of options for your home. One choice is a nightstand or end table staging solution. There is no wall installation required, and the produce is handmade with U.S.-sourced maple wood and a very clean design that would fit almost any décor. These tables include a false bottom that drops and the tray holding your valuables and firearms slides out allowing you to easily access what you need. The table is unlocked by swiping the Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) key in front of the lock. Wall shelves with a drop-down storage solution function similarly. Again, access is obtained through specialized locks and keys.
My absolute favorite, and the one at the top of my wish list, would be the wall mirror (shown above). There are a full-size and mid-size versions. This is a natural-wood-trimmed wall mirror that is recessed between nd does require a hole in your wall. So, this functional mirror sits recessed in the wall and opens by sliding the mirror to the side. This mirror will slide to either side, depending on how you install it. This unit is equipped with magnetic firearm retention, which makes accessing and organizing your hardware even more convenient. With this unit you can choose magnetic locking or the RFID option.
Another item that made my wish list is the Gunbox, thegunbox.com. For those who have a minimal number of guns and who do not have the space for anything larger concerning storage, this is a great solution. It’s portable so you can keep it in whatever room you are in, enabling you to have a loaded firearm that is quickly accessible yet kept from those who shouldn’t have access. The Gunbox 2.0 is engineered with an Audible Motion Alarm that will sound if moved or tampered with. It also comes with pre-drilled mounting holes and a tether-cable connection site for securing it to a heavier or fixed object if you so desire. The Gunbox comes with both a keypad and fingerprint lock. This is a really nice feature for a couple reasons. One, it is quiet. No one will hear you accessing your firearm, which is important. Also, it gives you the peace of mind that you and only you will be able to retrieve your gun from storage. Obviously, these are just two companies of many that have creatively engineered options for safe and efficient firearm storage. Storage solutions that will not take up needed space or become what many view as an eyesore. Whatever your firearm needs may be, the important thing to remember is safe and responsible storage. It is up to each individual firearm owner to ensure a loaded firearm does not end up in the wrong hands.
