??? about optimizing your gun safe layout...

[Sarge45]

I bought a nice Liberty fire safe which definitely gives me added protection over my other setup. I bought a little bigger size, more than I thought I would need because I would "grow into it". Lem'me tell you, get bigger yet. You don't ever have enough room.


This safe has the fireboard on the door and full interior covered with a short-napped, fuzzy carpet. I would like to know what you guys have done to optimize your spaces to accomodate more firearms and such. Do you have door hangers ? If yes, how did you make them ? How did you set your safes up and if you don't mine sharing some "tricks" I will sure "student up for some learnin'."

Below is my current setup in the newer safe.

Thanks.

http://www.procch.com/topshelves.JPG
http://www.procch.com/safe2.JPG

[anyplainjoe]

Switch the long guns to the right side and get some coated pistol racks.

[ecmills]

Looks like somebody needs to mount their pistols on the inside of the door. ;)

[ecmills]

Good ideas over here...
http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=684325

[Sarge45]

Man I mean !

[anyplainjoe]

Nice collection Sarge. I never thought about putting the mags into plastic bins like you do.

[Sarge45]

Thanks Joe. The bins really help keep things from getting so spread out. I think they are a couple of bucks at the hardware store or Wally World.

[arnold ziffle]

mine looked like yours for about a month. then came the jewelry and important pictures and documents. oh well, i can probably squeeze a few more in.

[Sarge45]

LOL Arnold ! You can get some more in there. :banana:

[Smokecloud]

I sure like seeing a clean safe, nice organization! Now you just need to address your waste of space. If you can, purchase some more shelves, most of your shelves are only being occupied on the bottom 5 inches, then you have a foot of wasted space above the products, or use something like the paper, plastic file folder holder thingys you see on desks, if they fit, it will give you 3 shelves in each shelf space you have. the safe company's make a carpet pad that attaches to the inside of the safe door if yours is not the correct type, then you can purchase holsters with velcro on the back, you can hang half a dozen handguns on the door that way. the coated pistol racks work nice too, putting all of your pistols vertical.

Im to the point that I need a vault (I wish it was all guns) but you sure seem to run out of room fast. I noticed that your wife doesnt have a shelf inside your safe. I had to donate 2 shelfs to mine.

[Sarge45]

LOL Smokecloud. She doesn't have one YET. It's coming though. But, I'm sharing with her on a voluntary basis cause I know which side of the bread mines buttered on. :banana: I have a good woman.

[perazzimx14]

Don't store ammo in your safe! Keep it in a seperate but safe place. In the unfortunate event you should have a fire and the temperature of the safe would rise enough to "set off the ammo" you may have the potential for a explosion. There would have to be alot of ammo in the safe for this to happen but in keeping with good practice never store ammo and guns together.

[CCMO]

If my ammo were to explode, I can't think of any place I'd rather have it happen than inside a thick walled steel safe! :headscratch: What am I missing here?

[blboyd]

What is it with keeping ammo in a safe. I NEVER keep ammo in a safe. During a fire the temp would reach high enough to detonate the ammo and then you have a nice steel enclosed bomb in your house.

Think about it people! Only takes a little common sense.

Brandon

[CCMO]

:arg: Okay, call me stupid.:bringiton: :wedgie: Go ahead, I can take it.

I live in a suburban house with drywall construction on a slab. I usually have about 400 to 500 total rounds/shells .45 ACP, .38 Special +P and 12 gauge buck/bird shot on-hand. Hollowpoints and soft shot, with some white box FMJ target ammo.

I sure don't see letting these rounds cook off/fly in random directions/explode in a closet somewhere. Perhaps in the garage? No, the bedroom is directly above. Inside a security container (a safe, not just a metal cabinet) with thick steel walls/doors bolts? Still sounds pretty good to me.

In my situation, in what better location would you recommend I store my ammunition? I'm open to suggestions, help a brother out here...:juggle:

[perazzimx14]

For an explosion to occur you need two things:

Rapidly expanding media and something for the media to push against. This builds pressure and exerts force until a rupture occurs I.E. an explosion. Ammo in a firearm is a controled explosion with the explosion being directed towards the base of the bullet. Since there is and opening at the end of the barrel the expanding gases form the ignited powder charge seek the past of least resistance pushing the ejecta out of the barrel.

Ammo stored in an opened area will not explode ( it cannot build enough pressure)! If the ammo were heated to the point of detonation in an open environment the will only pop and fizzle. There is no place for the gases to build pressure. It will basically flop the bullet out of the case and the remaining powder will burn off very inefficiently.

Ammo and/or powder should ideally be stored in a wooden box made of 1" thick boards with a lockable lid and several 2" diameter ventilation holes. This should be stored in a cool dry place out of the reach of childeren.

[CCMO]

Okay, I stand corrected.

I've had two experiences with ammo explosions: I saw a 7.62mm round cook off in an M60 machine gun with an overheated barrel, and a box of 20 5.56mm detonate in a hole when some idiot thought it would be fun to find out what would happen if he tossed a white smoke grenade in on top. Both of these situations resulted in rounds travelling a fair distance and sensitized me to a potentially dangerous condition.

However it's obvious that neither of these incidents occurred with the ammunition in an open area. I bow to your expertise, and will go find or build an appropriate wooden box! Thanks for the feedback.

Sarge, sorry for hijacking your thread.

[Sarge45]

No prob with hijack. But. Rounds heated, uncontained and in the open to the point of "cook-off" are VERY dangerous. I know. I accidentally got some old .308 rounds in with the household trash and burned it in the pit. Lemme tell you this. There were some very loud EXPLOSIONS and associated shrapnel. They didn't just "fizzle". Every one of them EXPLODED similar to small grenades.

Rounds heated to this temp will EXPLODE with enough force to seriously injure or kill. Don't believe me ? Throw some in a fire.

As a disclaimer, I DO NOT recommend anyone do this !

[anyplainjoe]

this subject would make an awesome mythbusters episode!

[JBlitzen]

I like your safe and collection, Sarge.

I'd offer two tips.

As the others said, remove the ammo, but not because it'll result in a huge explosion. Rather, to prevent damage to your collection from the ammo exploding in a fire. Firearms can usually heat up pretty safely, but if there's little shrapnel flying around them, ugh.

More on point to your question, I look at that top shelf and I can hear it calling out for a little homemade pistol rack. Something like this:

http://image.sportsmansguide.com/dimage/96187_ts.JPG?cell=320,320&cvt=jpeg

ecmills pasted a link in this thread to another thread with examples of such racks. Cool thread, thanks ecmills!

[Sarge45]

I saw those racks but I found something better. Went to Walmart and bought two plate racks for $3.00 apiece. Then sprayed the metal racks with the rubberized coating and it works great as a pitol rack. Racking the handguns made a lot more room.

The ammo I did remove to another area of the room. Made more room for important documents in the safe on the bottom rack. Thanks JBlitzen.

[JBlitzen]

Sure. Let us see some pics of the finished safe!