For anyone seeking a gun hiding spot that checks the boxes for being both safe and accessible, the garage is ideal. However, you may be wondering what the most practical method for hiding guns in your garage looks like. It’s common to wonder if your garage will simply leave your firearms too exposed. While you don’t necessarily need an intricate system for keeping garage guns secure, you do need some type of system. The basic two-step system for smart garage gun storage involves both using and concealing a gun safe. However, there’s a big world of options for hidden compartments and trap doors beyond that!
As I’ve covered, hiding your guns in a safe when keeping them stored in your garage is really the best option for camouflaging for easy access. A safe left out in the open only takes care of half the job. Nothing announces to observers and intruders that you’re hiding something valuable quite like a visible safe. Let’s cover what you need to know about how to conceal your gun safe in the garage. Here’s a rundown of the options we’ll be diving into:
- Use hidden gun furniture.
- Build a cabinet around the safe.
- Cover the safe with a blanket.
- Use a gun safe disguised as an electrical breaker panel.
- Use a gun safe disguised as a refrigerator.
- Keep ammo and magazines separate.
Use Hidden Gun Furniture
Concealment furniture is a great option for throwing off anyone who comes sniffing around in your garage. “Gun” furniture looks just like regular furniture, art and accent pieces. The only difference is that it contains hidden compartments designed specifically to house guns.
I’ve seen everything from lamp bases and flag-shaped wall décor to entertainment centers and side tables full of hidden compartments and draws. If you’re crafty, you can build some nice custom pieces. However, there’s no worry if you don’t view yourself as a carpenter because there are so many artisans out there selling concealment furniture these days. Most of it is very rustic and attractive.
Build a Cabinet Around the Safe
You can actually achieve something very similar to what a nice piece of concealment furniture achieves with a relatively quick do-it-yourself solution if you’re the handy type. This next tip is to actually build a cabinet around your safe. Enclosing your gun safe is a great option for making your safe look like just another work table in your garage. This is also a pretty inexpensive option because you’re mostly just using wood boards to craft a pretty rudimentary cabinet.
Cover the Safe With a Blanket
I’ll throw up the disclaimer that this isn’t my favorite option for hiding your gun. However, it is an option. If you want to keep your gun safely out of sight, throwing a blanket over it is probably the easiest solution.
I don’t recommend using a soft, patterned blanket that you got from inside the house because that will draw suspicion because of how “out of place” it looks. Instead, opt for some camping or car blankets that look like they belong in a garage. An insulated pallet blanket is also a good option. I’ve also seen some people pull off using a cardboard box that looks like a worn, crumpled box full of tools or old junk to conceal a gun safe.
A Gun Safe Disguised as an Electrical Breaker Panel
This option is one of my favorites simply because putting it together will make you feel like you’re in an old spy movie. There are some cool hidden gun safes out there that are built into the wall to look like electrical breaker panels. This is a really seamless, smart option that gives you the advantage of a built-in safe that also camouflages perfectly with its surroundings.
A Gun Safe Disguised as a Refrigerator
This is a great option if you’re looking for a way to conceal a fairly large gun safe. Now, I don’t think this is the perfect solution for a variety of reasons. The first is that I think a refrigerator attracts a little too much attention and activity if you have a lot of friends or family coming and going from your garage regularly.
I also don’t like it if you have kids or teens in the house or visiting regularly because they’re bound to be curious enough to open this refrigerator to look for snacks. However, a fridge gun safe can be a great option if you’re looking for a way to enjoy a lot of storage space in a garage that’s relatively quiet.
While I used a refrigerator as an example, it’s fair to say that anything of comparable shape and size can technically be converted into a concealed gun safe. One niche trend is for gunowners to have old soda vending machines converted into custom gun safes. While I think this can be a neat addition to your garage, I do worry about a vintage soda machine drawing a little too much attention when the goal is really to keep eyes away from where your guns are being concealed.
Make a Plan to Keep Ammo and Magazines Separate
Strategy is an important part of good gun storage. That’s why I’m a fan of the idea of always keeping your ammo and magazines separate. The big advantage of this is that you’ll also know where both are kept for easy access. However, someone who breaks into your garage to discover one or the other won’t have that advantage.
The ideal setup would be to have your magazines securely tucked away in a safe using one of the methods we covered above. You’ll then have your ammo in a sealed, fully protected container at least a few feet away from your safe. You may actually want to consider a separate safe just for ammo that’s concealed using a different method than what you’re using for your actual gun safe. A setup like this creates a real hindrance for anyone who is trying to get to your stockpiles in a rush after entering your garage.
Final Thoughts on How to Add a Gun Storage Safe in Your Garage
At the end of the day, the goal is really to make your firearms as invisible as possible to anyone who enters in through your garage door when you’re hiding your gun in a safe in your garage. I’ll also say that hidden gun safes that are not built into your wall should be as far away from your garage door as possible to make it just that much harder for anyone to drag your safe away.
Yes, it goes without saying that even a cardboard box or blanket is better than nothing to keep your guns concealed from anyone who might be walking by your home, visiting or taking an uninvited peek through the windows in your garage. However, designing some type of ultra-concealed custom gun safe is really the best option for keeping your gun situation safe, secure and highly secretive!