DIY Wooden Gun Safe - Cat A/B

[TheNateOutdoors]

Hey guys!

Just curious if anyone uses a wooden gun safe for storage of Cat A/B here in Queensland?
If so, I would love to see/hear about your setup! I want to see what methods you use to lock it up securely!

Back story:
My misses and I bought a little unit a couple years ago.

As much as she loves hearing me go into fine detail about all the things I love about hunting and fishing - for what ever reason, she doesn't seem overly excited about me keeping firerms in the house (could be that we are about to start trying for our first born, idk women are weird like that haha)

As with most of my hobbies - As long as i don't wave it around in her face, I generally have free rain to do what i want to do haha - Me being the nice guy that i am, i will do as she asks and not keep guns IN the house. Out the back patio is a different story

On the patio, we have a few cabinets buit in, that are permantly fixed to the framing of the house. The patio can only be accesed by walking through the house and out the back door. It's fully enclosed.

I have two options it seems:

Option 1: I could purchase a small 3 gun safe, mount the safe inside one of the cabinets. The cabinet is locked, the gun safe is locked inside and bolted to the ground. This is the most expensive option and gives me the least amount of storage - but it seems to be the most secure option.

Option 2: Convert one of the cabinets into a gun safe.

I am thinking to purchase 18mm marine ply, reinforce the inside of one of the cabinets (400mm x 450mm x 1800mm) and chuck on a few locks. That way i can fit out the inside of the cabinet to have seperate lockable storage for both my fire arms (room for 3-5) and also seperate storage for ammunitions.

You cant access my patio without going through the house. And the cabinetry out the back has no indication that it is used for anything other than storing our LPG bottles and BBQ. The cabinet would be reinforced inernally, and would be locked up tight to prevent unathorised access (Mrs and the future kids mainly)

It seems to be sufficient enough for secure storage, will be out of plain site, away from tools or prying eyes, etc etc....

What are your thoughts?

Is a wooden firearm safe something you would even consider?

I am torn between purchasing a pre built small metal 3 gun safe for $500 and mount it, or should i build myself a custom wooden gun safe inside my current cabinetry for 1/4 the price?

Thankyou in advance and sorry for such a novel!

[bladeracer]

I wouldn't bother trying to use a wooden safe, it's only a matter of time until they insist on steel (they changed here last year to rule out wooden storage). I also wouldn't pay $500 for a 3-rifle safe, grab one off Ebay, you should be able to find a safe that holds more than three and delivered for way less than $500.
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=rifle+safe&_sacat=0&_sop=16

Somebody told me yesterday that they just bought a 5-rifle safe from Bunnings for $350. You could also try Gumtree, secondhand furniture places, even the websites like Usedguns, SSAA Sales and others might have secondhand safes listed near you.

[TheNateOutdoors]

Agreed. Thanks for your reply mate, didn’t factor in the potential for change in requirements in the near future.

I think I’ll just buy a rifle safe and mount it inside the cabinet just to be safe.

[bladeracer]

Agreed. Thanks for your reply mate, didn’t factor in the potential for change in requirements in the near future.

I think I’ll just buy a rifle safe and mount it inside the cabinet just to be safe.

I have a dream to make a queen-size bed base out of 5mm steel plate that I can lay all my firearms in - one day perhaps

[alexjones]

If you want a wood safe make one. I would not factor in the "what if they ban it" to my decisions. Only someone who lives in fear of tyranny thinks like this.

Just enjoy and do what is legal for you to do whilst you can. I don't even need a manchette but since Victoria announced their ban I have bought several of them. Just because I can.

Also under QLD law Cat C firearms can be stored in wooden safes. Only A,B and C firearms can be.

[Wapiti]

Tell you what, if I ever because a criminal and visited someone's house when they're out and discovered a wooden marine ply locked cabinet, my quiet, trusty 600mm prybar would see me getting a nice cache of guns.

Screw the laws, society is full of scum taking peoples stuff, and only getting worse. Being able to legally get away with a wooden safe doesn't factor into it for me. F**k that.
I don't want to give that trash any advantage in taking my hard-earned stuff.

[fussy]

Your upcoming kid is more likely to be harmed by a hot cuppa than a gun locked in a safe, legally preventing its access by burglars, etc. Unless his name is Houdini...

Statistically:
Horses more dangerous than
Motorobikes more dangerous than
Swimming more dangerous than
shooting.

Approx numbers form the ABS a couple of years back. Sorry, don't have a link:
Horse; 1 accident per 350 hours
M'bike 750 hours
Swimming 22,000 hours
Shooting 33,000 hours.
So swimming is 1.5 times as dangerous as shooting.
Horse, about 100x as dangerous as shooting. Hope wife doesn't like horses or swimming.

Sadly, facts stand no chance against estrogen.

[Wapiti]

All well and good, but the fact remains the law says guns need to be locked up.
The OP asked for people's opinions on a timber safe.

My opinion is that, given the scum we as a society seem to tolerate nowadays and never seem to punish,
If you can afford some firearms that best suit your needs, you need to give the same priority to stopping the above scum from relieving you of them, in fact, the highest priority.
If you want to home-make something, that's awesome, but for guns, buy some steel.