Hiding valuables, including weapons, is an age-old pursuit. Still to this day, treasure hoards from thousands of years ago are found every few months. Most of these are buried underground and have been long since forgotten.
Weapons have an immediate usefulness for defense and are less suitable than treasure for burying on a hillside somewhere in the woods – at least not your primary defense weapons.
Hiding weapons in your home requires a balance of camouflage, security, and accessibility, especially when you have curious children constantly rummaging through everything.
A compact pistol is clearly much easier to hide than a Barret .50cal, but all the same principles still apply. Here are some of the best places to hide your weapons in your home.
Negative Spaces
These are areas within objects around your house with “wasted” space. Inside of walls, furniture, and appliances, there is often enough space to conceal a weapon. Avoid obvious places that are common tropes in popular movies, such as hollowed out books, inside the mattress, and behind paintings on the wall.
To get the most out of these negative spaces, you will need to do some modification to create a compartment that you can easily access but is otherwise unnoticeable.
Coffee tables, desks, and walls can all be outfitted with compartments that blend in and are easily opened if the appropriate steps are taken. If all you have to do is push on a panel to open it, it is probably not secure enough. A hidden slider or release mechanism would be better.
Underneath a false tile, a liftable section of carpet, and inside of doors are more options. Wherever you choose, ensure it blends in with the surroundings and is not easily stumbled upon. For example, if you are hiding a weapon under the carpet, a panel and compartment should be installed to avoid any obvious lumps or soft spots.
Modified Containers
Plenty of containers around the house can be modified to hide weapons. Create hidden spaces in older, less valuable electronics, like a VCR. No one will steal a VCR, so you can remove the innards and create a compartment to store a weapon.
The same could be done with an old water heater that you install next to the one you use daily. Hollow out the water heater and convert the siding so that it swings open, inside you can hide long guns, ammo boxes, and even yourself if things get a little too out of hand.
A water heater is too big to easily steal and anyone searching your home will probably not even think twice about the presence of a second water heater, except maybe that you must really like long showers.
Between the drawers and the outer paneling of a typical nightstand or dresser, inside fake pipes, and inside the foam “root bulb” of a fake plant are more options.
Low Traffic Areas
The less someone travels through an area, the better. This is true for visual traffic as well.
If you have a shallow closet, it will undoubtedly be searched, but will not be searched again and again. Searchers will check the contents and look behind them, but how often do you look at the wall inside the closet above the door? There is enough space to hang up a rifle or two with easy access for you and well outside of visual traffic areas, almost hiding in plain sight.
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Between the window curtains and the wall above the windows, a holster fastened to the top rear of the headboard, and behind HVAC vents are more options.
Around Decoys
Decoys can be extremely effective for hiding your weapons. If you do have a hidden panel at the back of your closet with a weapons stash inside, get a cheap safe and equally cheap thrift store jewelry to fill it with. Put the cheap safe in front of the weapons panel. Anyone searching the closet will find the safe and think they found what you have of value. It will satisfy them and make them more likely to move on to another area or leave.
You can even use realistic airsoft or replica firearms that will not be missed much if they are stolen but can distract intruders from searching for your real weapons. A gun rack full of real weapons can be hidden behind a gun rack full of replicas.
⇒ You Will Not Survive a Looter Attack Without This on Your Property
A false utility panel and mislabeled containers in the garage are more options. A movable bookshelf with an obviously fake section of books filled with mundane items could also work, because the searchers would see the fake section of books and look there, distracting them from thinking anything is behind the entire bookshelf.
Areas with Psychological Deterrence
Anywhere that discourages searchers can be extremely useful for hiding your weapons. Behind heavy furniture, somewhere that requires climbing or crawling, or areas prone to “nastiness” like behind the toilet or under dirty clothes can all be effective. Inside the toilet reservoir is too obvious, but behind one is much better.
Inside an old boot with a bunch of other shoes on the floor, under the bottom step of the basement stairs, underneath insulation in the attic, and inside a sealed bag at the bottom of the freezer drawer or an oil drum are some more options for hiding in areas with psychological deterrence.
There are so many places to hide weapons within your home. Whether you are hiding them there, in your vehicle, or somewhere else, all these principles can prove effective, especially when combined. Misdirect searchers with decoys. Integrate hiding places with the surrounding environment by using common objects to conceal them. Employ psychological tactics to prevent searchers from even wanting to look somewhere. Reduce the chances of searchers accidentally stumbling upon your weapons by hiding them in low traffic areas and be sure to take advantage of negative spaces.
When it comes to protecting your firearms and valuables, hiding them in obvious places won’t cut it. Criminals are getting smarter, and you need to be one step ahead.
But security goes beyond just safeguarding your home—it’s about being ready for the bigger emergencies. This guide covers everything, from home security to stockpiling food and supplies, to making sure you’re ready when things go south.
Learn here how to keep your home from becoming a target during a crisis, whether from looters or government officials.
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Invest in a top of the line safe.Sure they are expensive
but what are your valuable’s worth?
You can monkey around with secret hiding places all
you want however if you have a house fire what then.
I’ve seen two instances where the house burned to
the ground and the safe and it’s contents were intact.
Just my humble opinion.
No no….. you have not….
besides law enforcment will just get into your safe
Yeah, Clemenza taped the gun Michael used to shoot Solozzo and McCluskey behind the men’s room toilet tank.
ivymike, that just goes to show HOW OLD some of these suggestions are. Only criminals too young to have seen that movie might not look there, so I doubt any intelligent LEGAL gun owner would hide theirs there.
MOST of the ideas here are pretty obvious and old OR impractical.
This only applies if you’re assuming you survive any attack or natural disaster.
What weapons, I don’t need no stinking weapons…. sold all mine at the gun show… and if I did, I sure wouldn’t be talking about them on here…lol
UNFORTUNATELY POPPY YOU’LL BE THE FIRST TO DIE WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF WEAPON.
Richard, I never met Poppy, nor do I recall seeing any previous posts by this person, but to me it’s pretty clear that they are speaking sarcastically or tongue in cheek. I’m pretty sure that if Poppy ever had any weapons, they still have at least some of them.
Remember folks, cops have tech now that can see through walls and such plus dogs and metal detectors.
If they even think you might have guns, they will come in and tear the place apart literally, looking for them.
This will be done if Harris gets elected – you have been warned.
Consider long term storage off site of your property.
A National Forrest, street level sewer drain, on top of an old abandoned building. Take any ladders such as fire escape ladders that might be present.
A public building – government building restroom above the acoustic ceiling tiles in the rest room. If you are hiding things from the government once it’s been labeled as Contraband, DO NOT be found with it in your possession!
If hiding things from a common theif, become as creative as your imagination will allow.
If you have an in ground septic tank, you’ve a great hiding place inside it as long as your item is packaged correctly for such a location.
A handgun or a few can be hidden inside the connection area of a breaker panel. Slow to get to, but fairly secure.
Once went on vacation many years ago, and secured some firearms at the bottom of my child’s toy box.,Back then, I didn’t yet own a proper firearm safe..
if you have to hide your guns like a coward … you will never use them anyway…. Might as well give them away
you dont mention anything about hiding from the Feds. they have scanners and other equipment that can scan through walls etc. What are the recomnedations for that? Ive considered burying a weapons and ammo, cash etc, but nee to make sure things are sealed and protected properly.
Get it off your property!
On the other hand, if we’ve crossed the point of needing to hide firearms, perhaps it’s time we consider employing them instead?
Speedbump You’ve hit the nail on the head. Be ready to USE them. I don’t need to hide my guns. I have a huge gun safe in a bedroom. It would take several buff fellows, and a good hour or two to get it out of the house, short of using a bulldozer.
If it’s come down to that……..I’ll have them loaded and ready, sipping bourbon by the front door!
Hey, Coaster, I would like to know if you have cushions on the front blade of your bulldozer, and do you use yours as a couch? (I’m guessing you used it to get that safe into the house, LOL).
–
Just joshing with you, I agree with both you and Speedbump on this topic. I just felt your comment was wise-ass enough to warrant a response.
LETS GO BRANDON!
or 5 mins with a cut off wheel
What makes you think that anyone that comes to take your guns hasn’t read articles similar to this one?
Plan A, then plan B. Let them take all your stuff and after they leave dig up the waterproof container(s) and restock.
Lock and load boys, don’t let them take your guns!
Harris already said if she gets elected that they WILL be coming to your house to check your guns.