If you've been looking for rifle rods for gun safe setups, you probably realized pretty quickly that your safe isn't in fact as big because the manufacturer claimed. It's among those universal truths within the firearms world: a "24-gun safe" usually fits about twelve rifles easily, maybe fourteen when you're willing to scratch your favorite pine stock. The issue isn't usually the square footage of the safe itself, but rather those clunky, notched wooden or foam shelves that come pre-installed.
Those manufacturer racks are built for a globe where every rifle is a thin, iron-sighted lever activity from 1950. They will don't account for modern reality—things like oversized optics, bolt handles, bipods, and pistol grips that will stick out and hog all the particular space. This really is where those plastic rods come into have fun with. They don't simply organize the mess; they fundamentally modify how you use the vertical area inside that heavy steel box.
The Problem With Traditional Notched Shelves
We've all been there. A person lean your precision rifle into the particular notch, but the particular scope is so wide it prevents the gun close to it from sitting straight. Or, you do have a shorter carbine that doesn't even reach the rack, so it's just kind of leaning precariously against the walls. It feels such as playing a high-stakes game of Tetris where the reward is not really scratching your finish.
Traditional racks force your own guns to slim in a specific angle. That angle will be a massive area killer. Because the weapons are leaning back toward the safe wall, you get with a huge "V" of wasted atmosphere in the middle of the safe. By using rifle rods for gun safe organization, you're basically informing those notches to get lost. A person pull the manufacturing plant rack out, throw it within the garage area, and suddenly a person have an empty canvas.
How These Rods Really Work
When you haven't seen them in person, the particular concept is almost annoyingly simple. It's essentially a durable plastic rod along with a hook-and-loop (Velcro) coin or mind on the best. You slide the particular rod down the barrel of the lengthy gun, after which you "attach" the very best associated with the rod to some fabric-lined shelf straight above it.
The beauty of this is that the gun today stands perfectly top to bottom. It's not inclined left, right, or back. Because the particular gun is straight, its footprint will be as small as it can possibly be. You can stick a rifle in to a corner that was previously inaccessible. You may also stagger them—put the thin ones close to one another and give the particular scoped ones simply enough breathing area. It's an infinitely more operative way to group a safe.
Getting the Many From your Space
The actual magic occurs when you start layering your guns. Along with a standard stand, you generally have one main row of weapons along the back and perhaps an incomplete row for the edges. With rifle rods for gun safe storage, a person can start rows from the very back and work your own way toward the door.
I recommend putting your own "safe queens" or the stuff you hardly ever shoot in the very back line. Then, you can place a 2nd or even a third row in front of all of them. Since the rods keep the guns upright and stable, a person don't have to the "domino effect" where pulling one rifle out causes the whole collection to tumble.
You do have got to be a bit strategic, though. In case you put your 12-pound precision rig within the very back, you're going to become annoyed every time you have in order to move five some other guns to get to it. Maintain your go-to range toys or home protection setups near the front. The rods allow it to be easy in order to swap positions whenever you get a new "favorite" that needs to end up being front and middle.
Installation Isn't as Tough because it Looks
A lot associated with people hesitate due to the fact they think they need to be a DIY expert to get this working. Truthfully, the hardest part is usually clearing out the safe so you can actually move around inside. Most of these rod sets come with the sheet of "industrial" strength loop fabric. You just staple or spray-glue that will fabric to the particular underside of the particular shelf above your rifles.
One thing I've learned the hard way: make sure that shelf is secure. Since the rods are essentially hanging the "stability" of the gun through that shelf, a person don't want it wobbling around. In case your safe has those cheap plastic shelf videos, you might desire to upgrade to something sturdier. As soon as that fabric is usually up, you just drop the rods within the barrels plus click them in to place. It's incredibly satisfying to see everything arranged like soldiers in a row.
What About the Barrels?
I hear this the lot: "Won't putting a plastic rod down my barrel ruin the rifling or trap wetness? " It's a good question. Most high-quality rifle rods for gun safe use are produced of a non-abrasive plastic that isn't going to hurt your steel. Because for the moisture, as long since you're using some kind of dehumidifier—like the GoldenRod or individuals silica gel canisters—you shouldn't have a good issue.
Actually, because the particular guns are spaced more evenly plus aren't crammed towards carpeted walls or foam that can hold onto humidity, you might actually get better airflow around your firearms. Just create sure the rods you buy are usually the right good quality. Most standard products work for. twenty two caliber or more. In the event that you're looking to store a. 17 HMR or a small-bore air rifle, you'll need to look for specific "small caliber" rods, or they won't suit down the pipe.
Dealing With Different Heights
Another common headache is having a mix associated with long shotguns and short carbines. Along with a fixed rack, the short guns never reach the particular support, as well as the long ones stick up too high. Given that you're using the particular shelf above because your anchor point for the rifle rods for gun safe organization, you have in order to find a "sweet spot" for that corner height.
For the truly short things, as an SBR or even a compact handle action, you will probably find the rod doesn't achieve the shelf. A person can either lower the shelf (which might cramp your taller shotguns) or just get creative. Some people use a little wooden block or even a sturdy plastic container in order to "boost" the short gun up a few inches so the rod can reach the fabric. It's a small price to pay for the amount of extra room you gain everywhere else.
Is It Well worth the Cost?
Let's be real—these things are basically just fancy sticks. When you go through the price tag for a complete kit, you might think, "I could probably create that for five bucks. " But when you consider the price of your firearms, the price associated with the rods is usually a drop in the bucket. If these rods allow you to fit five more guns into your current safe, they've saved you from having to buy a second $1, 000 safe. That's exactly how I justify this, anyway.
As well as, the convenience factor is huge. There is nothing worse than wishing to go to the range but dreading the process of digging through the cluttered safe. When your guns are usually organized with rifle rods for gun safe sets, you can observe exactly what you have. No more "where did I actually put that 10/22? " or unintentionally bumping your favorite optic against the safe door because you were trying in order to squeeze a gun into an area that was as well small.
Final Thoughts on Safe Organization
From the end associated with the day, your safe is a good investment, but it's also a tool. If it's a mess, it's not providing you well. Changing to a rod-based strategy is one associated with those things you'll wish you acquired done years ago. It cleans up the visible clutter, protects your own finishes from "safe kisses" (those irritating little dings from other guns), and also lets you use the capacity a person paid for.
So, if you're tired of the particular notched-rack struggle, give the rods a chance. Remember to measure your shelf distance first, buy the few more rods than you believe you need—because the collection always grows—and get your time setting up it up. You may be surprised at simply how much "hidden" area was sitting within your safe almost all along.