Gun safe in shipping container?

Questions about Queensland gun and ammunition laws. QLD Weapons Act 1990.

Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by Jdt96 » 20 Jan 2019, 5:08 pm

Hey guys does anyone know the laws on having a gun safe in a shipping container? Trying to save space in the house. I genuinely think the container is more secure then the house anyway. You can’t break a window on a shipping container.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by JimTom » 20 Jan 2019, 5:14 pm

Mate I am not sure of the storage laws regarding a shipping container, however I was thinking will the internal temperature of the container be an issue in summer. Maybe a consideration in addition to the laws depending on where you live mate.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by JSS » 20 Jan 2019, 5:54 pm

As long as you lock the shipping container (as your safe needs to be in a secure area) and bolt the safe to it like you would in your house you are perfectly legal.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by Roo farmer » 20 Jan 2019, 9:14 pm

JimTom wrote:Mate I am not sure of the storage laws regarding a shipping container, however I was thinking will the internal temperature of the container be an issue in summer. Maybe a consideration in addition to the laws depending on where you live mate.


I specifically asked this question to a gun shop owner. He told me that for gun storage, the hotter the better. Helps prevent condensation and associated rust issues. They keep their guns in one out the back of their shop. When you think about it, guns get to Australia in shipping containers, so keeping them in one should be fine. This is obviously a weather proof container with no leaks.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by JimTom » 21 Jan 2019, 5:11 am

Roo farmer wrote:
JimTom wrote:Mate I am not sure of the storage laws regarding a shipping container, however I was thinking will the internal temperature of the container be an issue in summer. Maybe a consideration in addition to the laws depending on where you live mate.


I specifically asked this question to a gun shop owner. He told me that for gun storage, the hotter the better. Helps prevent condensation and associated rust issues. They keep their guns in one out the back of their shop. When you think about it, guns get to Australia in shipping containers, so keeping them in one should be fine. This is obviously a weather proof container with no leaks.



Yep fair enough, can’t argue with that.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by straightshooter » 21 Jan 2019, 6:27 am

The NSW law specifies that the safe must be in a substantial building. Bananaland laws are probably the same as they were supposed to be uniform nationally you know!
Recently the definition of 'substantial building' was tested in court and the outcome I understand was to the effect, if the building is council approved via a DA (or it is a dwelling house) then it is a substantial building. Anything else is left to the 'safe storage' inspection officer to determine.
Happy to be corrected if I have got it wrong.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by zhuk » 21 Jan 2019, 6:51 am

I know someone who is indeed using a shipping container, and he has installed safes inside the container. This is in NSW.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by deanp100 » 21 Jan 2019, 7:01 am

I am in qld and use a container as the safe. Guns are in racks in the container and have survived a safe inspection. The refs even use the word “ container” and to anyone in the shipping business that only means one thing. They are perfect and way more secure than a safe. They do get warm and I worry about the guns but have used it for years without an issue. The qld laws wording lends itself perfectly to a container .
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by Blutius Maximus » 21 Jan 2019, 3:37 pm

It gets pretty humid in QLD. Do you guys do anything extra for that, or just make sure you have a nice thin coat of oil on everything?
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by deanp100 » 21 Jan 2019, 4:34 pm

I keep them well oiled, as I would anywhere. The guns get hot and the oil thins and drips off but a layer always remains. I don’t have any special humidity problems. They get hot enough that you can barely hold them, but never had an issue.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by Blr243 » 21 Jan 2019, 8:06 pm

Is a shipping container secure because of one heavy duty padlock ? And if so a cordless angle grinder with a thin disc has the door open in less than thirty seconds I would still bolt the safe to the floor of the container
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by bigfellascott » 21 Jan 2019, 8:40 pm

Roo farmer wrote:
JimTom wrote:Mate I am not sure of the storage laws regarding a shipping container, however I was thinking will the internal temperature of the container be an issue in summer. Maybe a consideration in addition to the laws depending on where you live mate.


I specifically asked this question to a gun shop owner. He told me that for gun storage, the hotter the better. Helps prevent condensation and associated rust issues. They keep their guns in one out the back of their shop. When you think about it, guns get to Australia in shipping containers, so keeping them in one should be fine. This is obviously a weather proof container with no leaks.


My mate has about 8 safes in his shipping container and he had a lot of orange tinged looking Sakos a while back :silent: He also has a big arse block of concrete attached to a chain which is burried in the ground under the shipping container to help prevent anyone coming along and putting said shipping container on the back of a truck and driving off. :drinks:
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by deanp100 » 21 Jan 2019, 9:12 pm

Blr243 wrote:Is a shipping container secure because of one heavy duty padlock ? And if so a cordless angle grinder with a thin disc has the door open in less than thirty seconds I would still bolt the safe to the floor of the container

Everyone always says the same thing about getting into a container quickly, yet. They buy a thin cheap safe and put it in a Gyprock room and think they are secure. No-one is secure but a container with a lock box is a damn sight harder to penetrate than a Chinese safe.
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Re: Gun safe in shipping container?

Post by bigfellascott » 22 Jan 2019, 7:25 am

deanp100 wrote:
Blr243 wrote:Is a shipping container secure because of one heavy duty padlock ? And if so a cordless angle grinder with a thin disc has the door open in less than thirty seconds I would still bolt the safe to the floor of the container

Everyone always says the same thing about getting into a container quickly, yet. They buy a thin cheap safe and put it in a Gyprock room and think they are secure. No-one is secure but a container with a lock box is a damn sight harder to penetrate than a Chinese safe.


It doesn't take much to cut a hole in the side of a shipping container either and if anyone thinks their firearms or anything else for that matter is safe because it's locked away they are dreaming, I'm sure someone holding something to a love ones throat will soon see anything unlocked! :drinks:
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