Shed gun storage ideas

[Pete236]

Evening all,

I have a nice air rifle and pistol collection. I currently have nowhere to keep them. I also have a shed.

The shed is big! But it is wetter than an otters pocket. Overlap boards thinner than fag papers. A roof thats more bent than a politicians tea party. No time and no money to board it out properly, though I'm raiding the skip at work for ply offcuts from the building site!

I want to create a nice secure and above all dry storage area, in the said soggy shed.

First of all, is it even possible?

Second, how the flip do I do it?!

Im thinking of a frame with a plywood skin, an air gap then another plywood skin. Perhaps a small electric fan sucking out to atmosphere and lots of silica packs, things like that?

I dont currently (no pun intended!) have proper electric in there yet so a chunky dehumidifier isnt viable at the mo.

Any and all ideas very welcome!

 

[crissdee]

Anything is possible if you can throw enough time and/or money at it, but making a wooden shed suitable for storing guns will take a fair amount of both. If the shed is as bad as you say, then by the time you have got it weatherproof, you might as well have just ripped it down and started again. Just my opinion, someone else might think differently, but personally, it's not a project I would want to get into.

 

[Mark E Smith]

Sheds are a place for fettling, fabrication, restoration (physical & mental) and quiet contemplation.
Personally, I wouldn't put my guns, or anything else of value in a leaky or damp Shed.

 

[RJ]

Do you not have room in the loft? a damp shed would be the last place i would want to put my air rifles, damp wet surroundings will rust them, And think about security, if cash available rebuilt your shed alarm it and put your gun in a secure cabinet.

 

[Fixedwheelnut]

I would think anything shed or loft related will have rust issues eventually due to condensation and damp.

Is there nowhere indoors you could sacrifice some space for a cupboard/Cabinet?

 

[Old Lobby]

I believe sheds and outbuildings are not advised as being suitable for sub 12 or any firearms. ( Look at the Government guidelines) I use a small de-humidifier in my locked gun cupboard for my sub 12 rifles.
Shotguns are obviously are in an approved gun safe.

 

[PestWeForget]

I can guarantee you that a shed is not a good place to store your airguns. I have a shed which is only 1 years old and very well built with a damp proof membrane in the concrete floor slab and very well ventilated. Torrential rain does not get in at all. The problem is the dampness of the outside air, it's unavoidable.

The only way I think you could get away with it is if airguns were kept cased or cabinet and use Napier Vp90 anti rust patches in the rifle cases or cabinet, but temperature swings would not be good either and could well cause damage. I keep mine indoors in a cabinate and still use Vp90 patches as you can get rust indoors too on anything ferrous metal particularly that have come into contact with your hands. Keep them indoors.

 

[Pete236]

I currently have the Ripley under the spare bed, but thats on borrowed time as it is. The house is tiny and with 2 growing kids who will need their own rooms in the next couple of years I need to get thinking.
Security isnt an issue thankfully, we are in the middle of nowhere. I just need somewhere to keep the rifles or i will have to sell up

 

[Ratman72]

Hello, What about the loft ??,

 

[Matt@Nearfield]

Behind plinths / kicker boards in the kitchen. Wind a screw into a plinth up tight under a cupboard front to help pull them out. You cant see it unless you lie on the floor....

 

[Alexp]

Anything is possible if you can throw enough time and/or money at it, but making a wooden shed suitable for storing guns will take a fair amount of both. If the shed is as bad as you say, then by the time you have got it weatherproof, you might as well have just ripped it down and started again. Just my opinion, someone else might think differently, but personally, it's not a project I would want to get into.

totally agree start again

 

[OldStock]

Security isnt an issue thankfully, we are in the middle of nowhere.

But the law still applies.
That is the trouble with asking these sorts of question on a public forum, we can't say "don't worry about any rules, just get a car top box and use loads of anti corrosion materials"
Which is a bad idea by the way, rust doesn't need high humidity for weeks or months, half an hour is ample, and UK sheds get lots of the wet stuff, temperature changes will cause condensation.

As above, consider dead space, rifle shaped, that can be secured.
Is there anywhere you can get access to a gap between floor joists, at the top of the stairs for example.
Locked door behind the top step, space for a couple of guns, secure and dry.

 

[Bighit]

Remember the safe storage rules don't only count for family under 18. Its any one under 18 family or not .

You could have an apprentice in the house or a trainee carer under 18 and if they can get easy access for example it was lying in the corner of a room or under a bed then you could be in the poop.
There was a story on here where a carer found an airgun lying in a room and police were called .

It was sorted out but it could have gone the other way if the carer was a trainee under 18 and the police went down the under 18 and unsecured route .

Yes, they should not be snooping but many are found with out snooping as they are just left in the corner of a room or in a display rack unsecured.

Safe handling of air guns

Guidance on safe handling and storage of air guns and air rifles.

www.gov.uk

On 31 July 2023, a Statutory Instrument clarified the ‘reasonable precautions’ air weapons owners must take to safely store air weapons away from children. Whenever under 18s are present, air weapons must be stored securely, out of sight, and separately from ammunition.

Find somewhere you can make secure . A cupboard you can fit a lock to . Buy a locker used or new and fit another lock and and put it in a space out of sight if you can .

A hard case under the bed chained to the bed is another option . But be aware of the issues with the foam and moisture as some can cause issues .

Lofts can be a problem as can outbuildings as pointed out.

 

[RobertBrindley]

Do you have a run of kitchen units the length of your gun?
When the Safe handling of guns law changed I needed a place to safely store my guns.
I locked my air rifle under my kitchen units. I pulled out the kickboard and fitted a simple bolt and eye that locked the kick panel in place. A padlock then made it secure. The first pic shows matching handles on the kickboard. The 2nd pick shows the steel bolt that goes down into a metal bracket on the kick board. My bolt was fitted in the bin cupboard and was out out site unless a bin was removed. You could use a smaller cupboard kick board for a pellet store as you can't keep guns and pellets together.

 

[Papoose]

The place you store them needs to be able to maintain a stable temperature and moisture level. Lofts and sheds change too much.
Wherever you keep them, monitor the temperature and moisture levels.

 

[junglie2022]

Whatever you do don't use fly for the roof, used factory cladding is a much better long lasting solution to the roof finishing.

 

[chouchin66]

Is there room in your garage for a refrigerator? Non working fridges are free, generally; gut the interior , save the light & add a hasp & lock to the door(s).