Possibly making a gun cabinet?
August 25th, 2009 | 
Author: I’ve been wanting to build my own gun cabinet, and since cooler weather is around the corner and I have nothing really to do until deer season rolls in, I’ve started making plans for a gun cabinet.
My dad has made one, but the two main ‘doors’ are glass.. I don’t like the idea of having something that can be so easily broken like that as doors. The one my dad made has storage on the bottom and a display area on the side also. It’s made of solid oak, but solid oak wood isn’t cheap.
The one I’m planning is similar to the one my dad made, just have some noticeable changes. I’m wanting to have the doors solid wood (cherry, cedar, oak, pecan, etc.. (a hard wood)), but maybe have glass fit over the wooden doors with etching of a whitetail or a dog on flush as a design. Depending on the cost, I may just paint it instead of glass etching. I’m wanting it to have storage on the bottom for ammo and gun cleaning supplies and on the side instead of having a place for display, a storage area for hunting clothing… So, here come my questions..
What would be the recommended thickness of the wood that will be used for a gun cabinet? Figured I’d ask here instead in the DIY section.
With the long gun storage, can I have the guns on the going length wise and also going depth wise or would that make the chances of knocking them over higher?
What depth would be better to have the guns like that? (previous question)
Is there a certain type of felt that needs to be used when ‘padding’ where the barrels will rest up against?
For the storage on the bottom, would it be better to have the ammo and gun cleaning stuff separated?
The hinges will be concealed.. they’ll be recessed in the door and on the door frame.. makes the finishing easier and nicer looking in my opinion
Thanks yall so far too 
dca2003311, thanks but no thanks about buying a used one. I want to make this on my own.
xqqz_me — I love drawing, but I don’t have any ideas right this sec lol. If ya got any, I’d be glad to hear em
Howdy Annie! Good to see that you are thinking about making your very own gun cabinet! Now to the basics. You want something that is strong, and from materials that are readily available. You have two choices of wood that are both functional, and aesthetically pleasing. I am going to say Maple, and Red Oak are going to be your primary choices… both are woods commonly available at home improvement stores (home depot/lowes), relatively inexpensive, and very strong. You can make the gun rack itself before you make the cabinet (rack inside of the cabinet), that way you can fit the cabinet to your specific needs. I’d stay at 6 feet tall, and probably 2 1/2 feet wide or so (like the one I made many moons ago out of cherry). You can have a cabinet on the bottom, and that will be best for storing ammunition/cleaning supplies, even better, get a lock separate from the one that will house the guns, that way, if anyone breaks into your house, they can’t get at the ammunition with the same key that they got to the guns with (per-say they found it somewhere… I don’t know…). I’ve always thought glass doors are kind of a bad idea, they make an easily broken opening for someone to pluck your guns from. Other than pine, Red Oak and Maple are going to be the most inexpensive woods you can find, Cherry is going to run you some big bucks! If you want something durable, then I’d go with half inch board, and then run to your local steel supplier and see if you can find sheet metal to line the inside with (that’s what mine is)… you may have to find a person who knows how to play with metal a bit (boyfriend perhaps?), as sheet metal can be a real b*tch to get to exact shape (springy…). By the way Annie, what I’m going to say now sounds like a bad idea, but if you have a gun that you are really, really attached to, I don’t suggest putting it into a cabinet… god forbid someone found the cabinet, the wood would only hold up so long before giving up… even the sheet metal lining as I suggested wouldn’t be able to take that abuse for too long. A gun cabinet is really just a means of storing a gun, and possibly built "tough enough" to deter a lazy thief (too much work for them sometimes). If you can, pull up a floorboard and hide it in there… possibly make a compartment under the floor where you can retrieve your guns (keep them in a dry section of the house too…). I’m probably drawing this answer out, but I will see if I can find any plans, or even take measurements of my own and send them to you later.
Posted in Wood Storage Cabinet
Sorry, all thumbs here. But see below for some plans.
References :
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/gun_cabinets.php
Size and depth depends on how much stuff and guns you want it to hold. 1/2" wood for front/sides is a minimum and 3/4 better depending on shelves/bracing.
In these plans just put in solid doors instead of the glass ones. The Glass/Plexiglas with designs is a nice touch.
Even with solid doors it still only takes a screwdriver to break in or take off the hinges.
I would buy a safe if I wanted security……they are not that expensive for a small one for 6-8 guns.
References :
http://www.ibiblio.org/twa/plans/plans/guncabinet.pdf
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/gun_cabinets.php
* Just buy a good used Gun Safe.* They can be had for a minimum of $75.00 used.* Check Ebay for used Steel and Wood Gun Safes and Cabinets.* You might be surprised at what you will find.* I just bought a like new Gun Cabinet at a Garage Sale that holds seven (7)* Long Guns and has a engraving on the Plexiglas Door of a Mother Quail and her little ones in flight and on the ground with woods and fields .* There is also a separate storage area underneath to hold Pistols, Revolvers, cleaning equipment and ammo.* I paid the price that they had on it of $75.00 Dollars.* Check out those yard, garage, and lawn sales Annie.* I can also lock the Door of the Gun Case, and another lock on the storage space underneath.* I just found another one at a Garage sale today made the same way as the one i bought for $75.00 Dollars but this one holds 12 Guns and is Ornamental and made from Cherry wood in like New condition.* They are asking $300.00 Dollars for it.* Sounds like a bargain to me.*
References :
* Run like a Deer.*……………….Fly like an Eagle.*~~
You could use Lexan, a type of plastic, in place of glass. (1/8" is thick enough for MOST uses!)
It is very hard to break. (It is used in SOME aircraft for cockpit glass!)
I had a gun store in Alabama and used 1/4 Lexan for front windows.
NO ALARM system required on store BECAUSE of Lexan use. (1/4" will stop a .44 mag, but watch out for ricochet when it throws the bullet back at you!!)
References :
Experience
If you’re looking for something to take a little effort to break into I’d make the main panels from 1/2 or 5/8" plywood with hardwood veneer. One finishing issue is that most of it you can’t sand more then just the lightest bit because the veneer is so thin. For supports & shelves you can use the same stuff since you’re probably going to put felt on the edge faces. As for felt Id just use any soft feeling heavyweight felt.
Just for issues of easy access I’d stick with barrel up storage. This way you can see which rifle/shotgun is where & don’t have to move half of them to find the one you want.
I think a solid door with a overlaid glass panel could be really nice looking but well done paint work would be attractive as well.
References :
Howdy Annie! Good to see that you are thinking about making your very own gun cabinet! Now to the basics. You want something that is strong, and from materials that are readily available. You have two choices of wood that are both functional, and aesthetically pleasing. I am going to say Maple, and Red Oak are going to be your primary choices… both are woods commonly available at home improvement stores (home depot/lowes), relatively inexpensive, and very strong. You can make the gun rack itself before you make the cabinet (rack inside of the cabinet), that way you can fit the cabinet to your specific needs. I’d stay at 6 feet tall, and probably 2 1/2 feet wide or so (like the one I made many moons ago out of cherry). You can have a cabinet on the bottom, and that will be best for storing ammunition/cleaning supplies, even better, get a lock separate from the one that will house the guns, that way, if anyone breaks into your house, they can’t get at the ammunition with the same key that they got to the guns with (per-say they found it somewhere… I don’t know…). I’ve always thought glass doors are kind of a bad idea, they make an easily broken opening for someone to pluck your guns from. Other than pine, Red Oak and Maple are going to be the most inexpensive woods you can find, Cherry is going to run you some big bucks! If you want something durable, then I’d go with half inch board, and then run to your local steel supplier and see if you can find sheet metal to line the inside with (that’s what mine is)… you may have to find a person who knows how to play with metal a bit (boyfriend perhaps?), as sheet metal can be a real b*tch to get to exact shape (springy…). By the way Annie, what I’m going to say now sounds like a bad idea, but if you have a gun that you are really, really attached to, I don’t suggest putting it into a cabinet… god forbid someone found the cabinet, the wood would only hold up so long before giving up… even the sheet metal lining as I suggested wouldn’t be able to take that abuse for too long. A gun cabinet is really just a means of storing a gun, and possibly built "tough enough" to deter a lazy thief (too much work for them sometimes). If you can, pull up a floorboard and hide it in there… possibly make a compartment under the floor where you can retrieve your guns (keep them in a dry section of the house too…). I’m probably drawing this answer out, but I will see if I can find any plans, or even take measurements of my own and send them to you later.
References :
Avid shooter.
When are ya gonna draw some more comics?
References :