Shop protection

JV Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
1,173
Hi friends :)

So, I'm grinding away in the shop last night and I hear someone yelling off in the distance. I live on about 6 acres and my neighbors are not close. It's typically pretty quiet at my place. What I hear is shouting of "WTF are you doing?!" ...like 5 times in a row. It wasn't aimed at me in any way...I doubt they even knew I was out there. It was obvious however that there was aggressive activity not too far away.

Well, this got me thinking. All of my guns are in the house....this is not smart. I need to bring something out to the shop, but as most of us would agree, guns work much better not caked in grinding dusts :) I also like to keep them in top shape. Anyone have an effective solution for pistol storage in an good accessible manner, that is relatively dust proof? I would like to do something relatively out of site, and better than in a tool box drawer. No little people hands to worry about, but still safety is a top concern. Appreciate any solutions that you all may have.

Thanks,
John
JV KNives
 
In my opinion 6 acres with far away neighbors means pistol isn't what you want......

You are in AR territory.

Tape masking or elec tape around the muzzle just to keep dust going down your barrel.
Shoot through it.
Hopefully you never Have to.
 
In my opinion 6 acres with far away neighbors means pistol isn't what you want......

You are in AR territory.

Tape masking or elec tape around the muzzle just to keep dust going down your barrel.
Shoot through it.
Hopefully you never Have to.
Lol thanks Crag. Several ARs but looking for a compact small solution here....like the tape over the barrel idea tho, thanks!
 
build a sliding drawer.. that sits under a workbench.. if you ever need it you just open the drawer...
you would be very surprised how clean the items inside a closet drawer stay.. you can even make it look like part of the workbench..
build it well and make sure there are no big gaps, and the contents will be just fine.....
 
motion activated outdoor lighting and cameras?
 
I would be more concerned on what the intruders were doing on your property.

Security lights and maybe cameras and a DVR would be wise. The solar security lights can be placed a distance away from the shop. They are dirt cheap and come in multi-packs.

As for the pistol storage, I would go with Pinoy's suggestion.
 
I would be more concerned on what the intruders were doing on your property.

Security lights and maybe cameras and a DVR would be wise. The solar security lights can be placed a distance away from the shop. They are dirt cheap and come in multi-packs.

As for the pistol storage, I would go with Pinoy's suggestion.
Thanks Stacy…not really on my property , just could hear the shouting. My place is lit up like a Christmas tree 😊
 
I have a shelf with an ammo can filled with wooden blocks and scales, an ammo can with wrought iron and damascus end cuts, another ammo can wouldn’t seem out of place and accessible in seconds.

Just keep some sort of desiccant pack in there with it.

 
I don't know where y'all live, but I don't fear my neighbors here in WNC. Maybe I'm just lucky...
 
I don't know where y'all live, but I don't fear my neighbors here in WNC. Maybe I'm just lucky...

You are, indeed, a lucky man in that regard, sir. And it has to be a blessing to not fear your neighborhood. I haven't had that sense of security since my parents moved back to this s**thole city when I was 11 and I started getting held up at knifepoint for my 7th grade lunch money daily until I got my own slicer and fought back. That was the start; changed me forever. Nasty 1960s industrial city. And now, my block is changed to the point my wife and I are the aliens, but at least we haven't had a drive by in about three years now. Last time was Chicago bangers chasing after someone's brother next door at 2AM. They had an auto pistol and blew a whole 30 round clip shooting up the wrong apartment in the 2 flat. Welcome to Waukegan...
Funny, though, once you understand the hazards and prepare for them, it becomes second nature and you go about your life normal, just protected. I would suppose "situational awareness" causes some tension you never realize is always there.
I've got an old 12 drawer Craftsman rollaway down in my basement shop. There's a single center drawer narrow and deep that was likely intended for something like a height gauge or whatever. Berretta 64B (Cobra 9 Kurz) fits in there perfect. It'll allow me to get to Miss 590A or B (Mossberg). I'm too old to fart around.
 
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Small town Arizona, lucky I guess as well to not really worry. We frequently leave our doors unlocked, lol. Most valuable things inside are the dogs, rest of it can be replaced. Also probably lucky that replacing things isn't a massive worry. Anyone have any suggestions for keeping stuff in a storage unit safe?
 
JV Knives JV Knives , I read your first post and thought to myself dang that sounds like here. Just a few night ago I'm out front Quing some beef and I hear basically the same yelling you described. Now we're all on 2.5 acres around here (our house is not on the ranch). Its a rather upscale, nice, rural neighborhood. Rolling hills, grass and oak trees. But because it is kinda upscale it seems to be a target area. The neighbors behind us had their garage cleaned out while they slept cause they'd left the garage door opener in their truck out front. Buddy couple blocks over, if we had blocks, had his quad ripped off, yada, yada, Big serious though few houses up the hill from us we had a woman murdered by her son. He was busy dismembering her in the shower when his sister came home and scared him off. So we got this psycho running the hills around here with a gun and a large machete type knife. I'm getting calls from Deputy friends not to open the door etc. Ya could read about it here, it's a pretty good read:


Anyhoo. I'd recommend carry on the belt. Yeah I know, grime, grit, shop dust and all that. Well untuck your shirt and cover the pistol. I do it. Many of the safety folks would say thats dangerous but I have my grinder set higher than the tails of my shirt. I grind outside and even in the winds that we are famous for round here its not a problem. Its really not. Even considering that, I'd recommend a Glock 43 or similar. I'm not a Glock guy but carry one when I know things are gonna be dirty dusty and nasty at the ranch. Why? Cause I know its gonna go bang. Now, I'm kinda a revolver guy and very partial to Smith J frames as pictured above....but I've carried a revolver in nasty stuff, so much that I checked. I had one shot and the cylinder locked up.. The revolver had to be disassembled to get er back in firing shape. Why on the belt? Some one kicks in the door, or comes running up to shop or whatever. You've basically have 3 seconds to react. What if you are on the other side of the shop from that drawer? Ya ain't got time to get across the shop and open that drawer. Remember you will always be responding to what some one else has already done. YOU ARE ALREADY behind. Better to have it with in arms reach always than across the room. Just saying.
 
Small town Arizona, lucky I guess as well to not really worry. We frequently leave our doors unlocked, lol. Most valuable things inside are the dogs, rest of it can be replaced. Also probably lucky that replacing things isn't a massive worry. Anyone have any suggestions for keeping stuff in a storage unit safe?
Same when I lived in central AZ. Never once locked the doors to my house, even when I went out of the country for 2-3 months. Just isn’t a problem in small towns
 
Small town Arizona, lucky I guess as well to not really worry. We frequently leave our doors unlocked, lol. Most valuable things inside are the dogs, rest of it can be replaced. Also probably lucky that replacing things isn't a massive worry. Anyone have any suggestions for keeping stuff in a storage unit safe?
Same when I lived in central AZ. Never once locked the doors to my house, even when I went out of the country for 2-3 months. Just isn’t a problem in small towns
Well I'd of said that too about here. Very rural.

1O05zuo.jpg


Riding towards the house here and we are with in the city limits of Tehacahpi. As the crow flies about 1.5 miles from the house which is outside the city limits. YET it did happen here. I'd suggest reading that link I posted above. Its not a what if, it did happen.
 
Well I'd of said that too about here. Very rural.

1O05zuo.jpg


Riding towards the house here and we are with in the city limits of Tehacahpi. As the crow flies about 1.5 miles from the house which is outside the city limits. YET it did happen here. I'd suggest reading that link I posted above. Its not a what if, it did happen.
Beautiful shot and place! Unfortunately, it seems that outlaws travel well :confused:
 
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