need a good deal or even donation of a lockable case!

[BigBird73]

HELP! need a lockable case for my 870 tactical.. we have a 6 year old and a curious teenager and the woman of the house wants me to be able to lock it up when I am not around.. anyone got a deal on one for me?

[DaveC]

Do not store a firearm in a case. It will rust.
Go get a safe or locking cabinet. Cheap, made in China cabinets, like "Stack-on" or "Homak" or similar aren't that expensive, and can be lag-bolted to the floor or wall studs in the closet with a ratchet set. Air will be free to circulate around the gun so it won't rust as quick with periodic inspection and so on. Any big-box Lowe's, Home Despot, Academy, Gander Mtn, Cabela's, or similar should have a range of options. Personally, I started out with a cheap cabinet with two door locks. served me pretty well, and I stored a whole huge heap of ammo cans in the base, which made it unbelievably heavy in addition to the lag-bolts. Now I still use it for my WWII-vintage bolt actions while my more serious firearms are in a full-on fire-retardant combination lock safe/vault that weighs hundreds of pounds...

Get some educational materials and educate the young folks about firearms...Basic gun safety. De-mystifying guns will go a long way toward sating curiosity, while keeping your firearms locked up while you are not around is common sense.

[BigBird73]

Thanks so much for ideas and info.

[Synchronizor]

If your primary goal is just to keep your kids from hurting themselves, you don't need to buy a gun safe. A simple trigger lock or cable lock will disable the weapon effectively, for very little money. Many large sporting goods stores will give you a basic cable-type gun lock for free; and the US government also funds a program to provide free cable locks. Check your local police department or sheriff's office to see if they participate in the program.

As DaveC said, it would be very smart to educate your kids and familiarize them with your guns in a safe environment under your supervision if you, as the parent, judge them to be mature and responsible enough to handle it. Keeping guns hidden away and tantalizingly forbidden can be more dangerous than satisfying their curiosity safely and teaching them how it should be used responsibly.

[BigBird73]

Thanks for your thoughts and info. Everything you said makes sense. Last nite the person I bought it from brought me some free 00 buck and a cable lock too! I am all set now!

[DaveC]

True that: I have used bicycle cable locks, or armored cables with bicycle-type U-locks to lock up receivers to antiquated, exposed plumbing. It may not look that great, but it is secure. I am not sure about pricing and so on, but there are some pretty neat shackles that lock around the shotgun's receiver and keep it elevated off the floor and behind a wall or doorway or closet, etc. Some kind of "sales pitch" might be necessary with the significant other/SWMBO if the idea of having such a semi-permanent fixture on the wall is off-putting to the other house/apartment tenants.