My gun locker project

Found a cool little gun locker on Craigslist a few weeks ago. I was looking for something to store a few of my guns in. I was going to buy a safe, but I figured I should just wait and spend the money to get a large and really nice liberty or Fort Knox safe. For now I just wanted something to store them so they are more secure then laying in a soft case with a trigger lock on leaned against a wall. I happened to stumble across this piece and I thought I couldn't odd it up for the money. It's a custom build but I'm thinking it had to of been partially made from a salvaged military or police locker. The frame is custom made and was welded. The sides are real thin aluminum sheet and riveted on. The front doors are like 1/8" plate, same with the pieces that were designed for the barrel supports and the stock holders. I wish I had asked him a little history of the piece. Not sure if he bought it or was the one who made it or whatever. The seller wanted $100, I ended up paying $80. It was in good shape other than the cob paint job. Figured I was gonna repaint it or something anyways so I wasn't too worried.

Called the guy and went to look at it with every intention to buy it. Figured I would do it up a little and when I get a real safe this can be a convo piece or look cool in my man cave or something. Could even sell it down the road if I wanted to but I don't think I will now. Decided on the way home after buying it that I was going to just grind it down and take it to work and coat the entire thing in spray on bedliner material. So I left it in my truck to take to work the next day. That night I was thinking of some other things to make it kind of cool, and make it mine, if you know what I mean. Thought maybe I could make some door handles out of some .50 cal bmg rounds. After looking around for some I decided that it was still going to be kind of small. So I started looking at 20mm rounds. Figured those still might be small so I found some 30mm dummy rounds. Was thinking of something else I could do to make it unique as well. Thought why do I buy a empty pineapple grenade and cut it in half and glue each half on the door so when I coat it it makes it look like its coming out of the door. This didn't really pan out as I bought a resin replica that also had a cast handle and would of been a pain to cut. Figured I would get it sprayed first and figure out what I would do with it afterwards. Spraying had some positives and negatives. It was able to build the sides up and strengthen it a bit, making the cabinet heavier and more sound. It did a good job of covering the rivets although you can still seen them a little. Draw backs were the piano hinges and the doors no longer closing flush. The hinges I would of preferred to just take the doors off and spray that way but they welded the bottom ends on. It would of been a pain in the ass to get them off. I decided to paint them. I let dry for a day but the way they welded them one the rubbed when opening so it wore the paint off a little. When we sprayed the locker they didn't want to coat the hinges and I was afraid of gumming them out. They suggested to grease them and coat so it wouldn't stick there. They over some overspray on them but it doesn't look bad and it didn't gum up too bad. Doesn't open as smooth as it once did but I'm ok with it. Decided to take the 30m rounds and clear coat them to keep the patina. A buddy of mine at work suggest tapping the grenade and bolting it on one of the doors. So I decided to place it through one of the vent holes so I wouldn't be drilling anymore holes in the doors. Also ordered a LED kit for it. I was going to just get a white kit, but then my buddy told me I should do red. I asked why and his reply, "because red is badass, and it will look good" so I got to thinking and I'm like he's right it would look badass in red. So I ordered a kit and wired that all in. The kit has a motion sensor so it will turn on when I open one of the doors or insert my hand into the locker. Also ordered a digital master lock that lights up so I can enter at night and extremely fast, and have a combination I can remember instead of worrying about a key or trying to see or enter numbers.


Over all it turned pretty cool. Took several hours to complete over the course of a few days. The biggest pain in the ass was refitting the barrel and stock holders. Here's a few before and after pics. Let me know what you guys think

 

thats pretty cool

 

Sweet! Lovin' the 30mm handles!

 

I like it. You did a good job bringing it back to life.