# Gun Cabinet Doors



## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

superjuice10's post brings up a question I have for all gun owners.
The plan I suggested to superjuice10 calls out a glass door and no locking mechanism. While the glass door is certainly more attractive and allows for the long guns to be viewed, I'm concerned with security. 
If a lock were installed, it would almost be worthless in a glass door. But, it would deter children and, that's a good thing. But, it offers no protection from thieves.

What do you guys do about security when you keep your pieces in a cabinet? I've been tasked to build this cabinet for my son. He has a couple younguns and, he'd likely want to deter the bad guys, too.


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## timmybgood (Jan 11, 2011)

Perhaps plexi or tempered glass would be strong enough. However, in the end, it is a wood cabinet that someone could just knock over, smash, and get guns.

Plus, if you use strong glass, how are you gonna smash your elbow through it to grab a weapon in an emergency like in a movie?


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Not exactly an answer to your question, just to give a little perspective on the issue. In my country the law says I have to keep my guns in an approved safe. The safe also has to be bolted to the floor or the wall. The cost of that safe is often more than for a decent gun :blink:


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## TysonWD (Dec 26, 2010)

Just a few thoughts,

I've been around guns for practically my whole life, and own a fair number of guns. In my opinion, a gun cabinet is more for display purposes instead of security. With that in mind, if you want to keep kids from playing with them a simple locking mechanism would suffice. I would also suggest storing ammunition in a place far removed from the cabinet. An adult intent on stealing weapons from a gun cabinet will likely succeed irregardless of the security measures put in place.

If you want a secure, theft-proof, fire-safe way to store guns, then your best option is a heavy steel safe that is bolted to something.


JMO,

Tyson


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## RLFX (Feb 2, 2010)

If you live in Canada you have to have trigger locks and you can display them in a glass cabinet ..


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

timmybgood said:


> Perhaps plexi or tempered glass would be strong enough. However, in the end, it is a wood cabinet that someone could just knock over, smash, and get guns.
> 
> Plus, if you use strong glass, how are you gonna smash your elbow through it to grab a weapon in an emergency like in a movie?


You can only do so much. You could also say...what if someone broke in with a cordless sawzall and just cut up the cabinet. Well, go with an all steel cabinet, like a safe.

A well made cabinet screwed to the wall with polycarbonate inserts in the doors provides good protection. The guns don't have to be loaded. Locks should be on guns that could be accessible by children. Maybe a better question would be is how to make an emergency (readily accessible) weapon safe with resident children.












 









.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I agree with cabinetman and some of the others. You can only do so much. keep them safe from kids and get a big dog to keep the bad guys out.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

rrbrown said:


> I agree with cabinetman and some of the others. You can only do so much. keep them safe from kids and get a big dog to keep the bad guys out.



Big dogs for sure work good. If you don't show the dogs how to use the guns, you don't have to worry about them messing with them. But, they may have picked up tips from watchin' TV.:laughing:












 









.


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## jacobsk (Jan 19, 2010)

When I built my gun cabinet I went with two locking doors with tempered glass.

if someone wanted to get the rifles out, the could simply break the glass, pull hard enough on the door to break the small lock, or punch through the 1/4 oak plywood back of the cabinet and walk away with everything.

My intent on building the cabinet was to display the finer firearms I own, and to keep anyone from just grabbing one - nothing more.

If you want security, your best bet would be to have them out of sight. Either lock them in a hidden safe, or have hidden compartments in ordinary furnature that will keep someone from finding them.

In my opinion a glass front gun cabinet is enough to keep a child from making a mistake if the doors are properly locked - Nothing more.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

cabinetman said:


> Big dogs for sure work good. If you don't show the dogs how to use the guns, you don't have to worry about them messing with them. But, they may have picked up tips from watchin' TV.:laughing:
> 
> .


No Worries. I restrict his TV to pre approved programs. Although, I often find the remote has been moved after I've been gone a while.
He denies everything.:shifty:


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## Devon7234 (Jan 6, 2011)

If your weapons are secured in a gun safe and they are stolen in a robbery and utilized in a crime you will find yourself in a court room. This is regardless of whether they were in a glass-front cabinet or .75 inch steel safe. This is true in MANY states. The question is would you feel comfortable explaining to a judge why you thought a panel of glass constitutes properly securing a weapon?


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## Burnt_Blade (Dec 26, 2009)

Guess the best way to store firearms then would be to dig a deep hole in the back 40, minimum of 4 feet down and then cover it over and save the position as a way point on your GPS. 

And just hang a framed photo on the wall of your guns. :laughing:


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## Devon7234 (Jan 6, 2011)

Burnt_Blade said:


> Guess the best way to store firearms then would be to dig a deep hole in the back 40, minimum of 4 feet down and then cover it over and save the position as a way point on your GPS. :laughing:


In some states.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*gun locks*

If you must have a display cabinet (glass doors) then run a HD cable lock thru the trigger guards and around a secure object like a pipe or eyebolt screwed into the wall. Something like this:
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/products/ProductDetail.aspx?cid=1000&scid=1001&pid=1182 

Most people don't realize that a simple padlock behind the trigger thru the trigger guard will make a firearm inoperable. The "trigger guards" that are sold as that specifically are cumbersome at best. A big honkin' padlock will work much better and a cable hooked into it and wrapped around a pipe, screw eye, bed frame, sissy bar, etc. will prevent a loss. :thumbsup: bill


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Everyone is gonna have to make the security call for themselves.....what goes on in a big city may have zero to do with rural areas,yadayadayada.

Reason for response is,you may want to look at a secure room moreso than "just" a cabmet.Best of luck,BW


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Well, the gun owner, my son, wants glass doors. If I can talk him into it, we'll use Lexan. We'll definitely put locks on the doors and drawers for the sake of the kids. He can do what he wants to further secure them individually. He and his wife each have their own pistols for home defense. 
He doesn't know where he will be living when he gets back to the states.
I guess where he lives will determine his gun security needs.
Wife and I live in a very rural area. House is 1.25 mile from our front gate. My long guns are on a rack. Pistols are in a safe in the closet, except for one, in the nightstand next to the bed.


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