Shipping container??

[The Heretic]

I saw a 10' shipping container today when I was out and about.



It occurred to me when I saw it, that this would make a decent gun room (guns, powder, ammo, etc.) in my shop.

I could start with that, reinforce it (put some fireproofing in, maybe weld stainless steel on the inside, find a more secure way to lock the doors) over time, put some humidity control, put a real safe inside of it, anchor it down to the floor, and then in about five years when I move to a new place, I could move everything without the movers knowing that there is a safe or guns inside.

One of the things I have not wanted is someone delivering a safe to my property and then knowing that there is something valuable on the property, probably guns, and where the safe is. Not that I don't necessarily trust a locksmith, but they may have helpers. Then there is the movers.

Plus, I want to put it in my shop (putting it in the house would be a hassle, and I am not sure the floors where I would put it would handle the weight), and I don't want the safe visible to anyone in the shop, so I would need to build something around it - a room - and then do that all over again when I move.

I could maybe have a smaller safe (one I could put in myself with my SIL's help) and/or a hidden one inside the house, for those guns I want handy all the time - e.g., a shotgun and handgun.

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[John Gault]

Great plan. I've looked these in simular context. I've also seen them in concrete under ground....

 

[mrblond]

When I had my Ft Knoxx delivered, it came on a plain, brown box and the truck was also plain. Other then if someone was watching it being put in, they would think your getting a new fridge or something.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

For your indoor shotgun safe needs, take a look at Solo Vaults, ShotLock individual, wall mounted device that closes around the receiver! Mine is almost three years old and I like it a lot! It's fast opening, pretty secure, it could be popped open or more likely torn off the wall, but they had better bring they're lunch!
I disposed of the factory screws and used longer, bigger diameter Lag bolts.
The company also makes the same type of safe for other firearms!

PS: I keep a reliable old Mossberg 500 in my ShotLock! It is totally patinaed on the steel parts. Works perfectly but not a great monitary loss if something happens. This is my moms old riot gun that she kept loaded by her bed until she neared 80! Mom was a pistol!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I like this idea a lot! Take that shipping container and seal it better and improve the locking setup! I would think with it anchored down, it would be pretty hard to break into! I also think building around it with cement blocks would ward off attempts at breaking in from the sides! The door could be re enforced to prevent or at least slow an attack! This is a great idea, I really like it! I might do this for the shop to keep tools in! I could see this being a better set up for a safe then a safe alone as well! Hum.........................

 

[edslhead]

Never seen a 10' one. Did somebody cut down a large one?

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

that would be badass. would have to move a bunch of 'S'around in my garage to make one of those fit though!

 

[The Heretic]

Never seen a 10' one. Did somebody cut down a large one?

Various people do cut standard size containers down to non-standard sizes. They put conventional doors (man doors, rollup, etc.) and windows in them and so on. But if you do that they are not as strong and won't hold as much weight when lifted.

But the 10' size is a small but standard size - they come in 10', 20' and 40', and a few 53'.

Shipping Container Dimensions - Standard Container Dimension Info (http://www.containercontainer.com/shipping-container-dimensions)

 

[The Heretic]

that would be badass. would have to move a bunch of 'S'around in my garage to make one of those fit though!

I have a decent sized shop (~2K SFT). I could put it against the back of the inside of my shop or on the outside. If it had guns in it, I would want it on the inside. I would put lighting (some LEDs), a small electric heater and a dehumidifier into it.

I am now thinking that I will get a 20' container instead of a 10', for the simple reason I could put more stuff into it - e.g., two safes instead of one, a workbench and storage shelves. Twenty feet won't take up that much more room in the shop.

 

[The Heretic]

I like this idea a lot! Take that shipping container and seal it better and improve the locking setup! I would think with it anchored down, it would be pretty hard to break into! I also think building around it with cement blocks would ward off attempts at breaking in from the sides! The door could be re enforced to prevent or at least slow an attack! This is a great idea, I really like it! I might do this for the shop to keep tools in! I could see this being a better set up for a safe then a safe alone as well! Hum.........................

I would have a safe (or two) inside it. A storage container, even reinforced, would not last very long (five minutes) against someone with a power saw or plasma/oxy torch unless you put thick steel all the way around it and replaced the doors with a large safe door. It is just easier and more secure to put safes inside of it. Since the safes would not be visible, it would be less likely to tempt someone even if they knew the container was in the shop - which, if it is against the back wall, they could not see it very well from the windows unless they shined a light in, and even then not that well - they would have to break into the shop (not that hard really - just break a window and crawl in) and turn on the lights and then walk toward the back.

Also, I could store stuff on top of the container (light stuff). I could put a ladder on the side, or get rolling stairs. I could some expanded metal grid across the top to put stuff on it and walk on it.

 

[Camelfilter]

Put it underground?

 

[Ura-Ki]

I was just thinking that!

 

[easy-e]

That one is definitely cut down as all of the commercially available small storage containers have holes for the dogs/hold down pins in all 4 corners.

But the 10' size is a small but standard size - they come in 10', 20' and 40', and a few 53'.

The only ones for actually moving freight at 20, 40, 45, 48, and 53 foot containers. The majority of 48 and 53 foot equipment move domestically only.

Anything smaller than 20' is designed for storage, not for transportation. Buy the proper style lock to take advantage of the shroud in the middle as it's specifically designed to be impossible to cut with conventional tools. My customers have had a lot of containers broken into over the years and with how easy it is to roll up with a tilt bed and steal the entire thing, i would be weary of putting too much of anything valuable inside one of these.

 

[Diamondback]

So I guess that means I can forget that idea I had about relocating what's left of my grandfather's shop into a 20' Conex so that it'd just be a matter of "disconnect power and lock down, relocate, reconnect at destination"...

If memory serves, they also have a 102' (I'm a railroad history geek) but it's generally only used for ships and seldom goes farther inland than the port complexes where they're unloaded.

 

[The Heretic]

Yeah I thought about the issue of someone coming in and loading it up.

Thing is, the container would not be outside and accessible - it would be at the back of my shop perpendicular to the entry and the way the support posts are in my shop, it would have to be moved manually to get it so you could load it onto a truck or trailer.

It would take a winch and something heavy to pull against to move it into that position, and I am thinking it would take an hour or so. Containers are not light - they can't be moved around like a safe, especially in tight quarters.

Plus, I am thinking I would bolt it down to the floor and then weld the bolt heads. It would take a bit of time to break those free with a torch or grinder - depending on how accessible they are.

It would just be easier for them to get into the container itself, but then they would have to get into the safe, which itself would be bolted to the container.

The main thing is that the container would be inside and not visible from the outside, so no tempting people. Almost nobody ever comes on my property anyway, except neighbors looking to borrow tools or needing help.

I would have an alarm system too (not to mention neighborhood dogs who bark at noises and strangers). While I live in the boonies (kind of), I do have neighbors (at least one of which is ex-army and has guns himself) who would hear the alarm system, and it would be hooked up to the internet and a cell phone.

The neighborhood is very low crime - being out in the woods on a mountain, and yet having neighbors within a couple hundred yards, dogs and so on. One neighbor restores rare Italian classic sports cars and has never had problems.

 

[etrain16]

Shipping containers can be a great option. I work in construction and we've used these for storage of everything on a job site. We've used them for offices and temp power generation. In some cases, they've been used by our oversees group for housing.

It is very rare, even out in the open, that people get into them - usually any thefts occur because someone got a copy of the key to actually open the locks. Most have a shroud that covers the lock so you can't in any way cut the lock off. These things are built to survive in harsh weather and being roughly handled, so they will last.

We've talked about getting a big one - 53' and putting it in the back of our property just for general storage. Run some power to it for light, maybe even for heat, if needed and just keep an eye on the roof as they can rust/leak in the weather if not well cared for.

But I like the idea, it's a great way to provide just another level of protection to your stuff. I may just have to consider that down the road myself.

 

[Member 5605]

It may be cheaper for me to get one than build a shed. Just put a roof over the top leanto style. Then walk away.

 

[tarster]

Reading through the replys.. Boy you guys sure are paranoid!! I wouldn't bother changing the lock on it, it looks like it has 3/8 in steel shroud around the lock on the front, the 4 swivel bars that secure the front doors would be a PITA to get through even with a grinder. I do have to ask.. if its in your shop are you doing to be putting it in there with a tractor or a forklift? Only reason I ask is if you dont borrow or rent one and that same forklift is still on your property.. it doesn't take a very smart bear to figure out you probably keep the keys for it in the forklift or in the office which is in the shop..

On a side note, I would want a 20ft container.. Once you put a 64 gun safe inside a 10ft container you will have roughly 3 feet when the door is opened in there, might be able to put a bench.. But.. 10ft would not be enough for me.. Also if you wanted to keep people out, I would find a way to wall in, or something the box so that the only accessible area is the door, dont let them get to the walls or top and then you should be much better off.


By the way.. I have seem some expert drivers drop those boxes off a flat bed before.. Dang! stuff a container in a place you couldn't get the truck straight into, they dropped the first 5 feet off and then turned the truck like it was hauling a gooseneck trailer and just jimmie'ed the box back into a small area just big enough for the 20ft box.. It took him about 10 minutes maybe and he was totally unloaded.. Surprised the dickens out of me.

 

[Joe13]

Reading through the replys.. Boy you guys sure are paranoid!! I wouldn't bother changing the lock on it, it looks like it has 3/8 in steel shroud around the lock on the front, the 4 swivel bars that secure the front doors would be a PITA to get through even with a grinder. I do have to ask.. if its in your shop are you doing to be putting it in there with a tractor or a forklift? Only reason I ask is if you dont borrow or rent one and that same forklift is still on your property.. it doesn't take a very smart bear to figure out you probably keep the keys for it in the forklift or in the office which is in the shop..

On a side note, I would want a 20ft container.. Once you put a 64 gun safe inside a 10ft container you will have roughly 3 feet when the door is opened in there, might be able to put a bench.. But.. 10ft would not be enough for me.. Also if you wanted to keep people out, I would find a way to wall in, or something the box so that the only accessible area is the door, dont let them get to the walls or top and then you should be much better off.


By the way.. I have seem some expert drivers drop those boxes off a flat bed before.. Dang! stuff a container in a place you couldn't get the truck straight into, they dropped the first 5 feet off and then turned the truck like it was hauling a gooseneck trailer and just jimmie'ed the box back into a small area just big enough for the 20ft box.. It took him about 10 minutes maybe and he was totally unloaded.. Surprised the dickens out of me.

Better paranoid then robbed...

 

[Joe13]

I have a friend at a steel mill.

I've been waiting for funds to start building a vault in my basement.

I can get all the steel scraps for pennies on the dollar and might have to piece it together but you would need a cutting torch to get into the thing and a lot of time - if you even knew it was there; I've been saving the back corner that get no traffic just for that plan for a couple years now.