So, I won't bore you with the details, but a friend is having problems at his house and has asked me if he could store his guns at my place, as I'm the only one he trusts.

I would love to help a friend, but I don't have the room to secure them, so I don't want to do it.

Anybody have any ideas? Would a pawn shop store them uniquely secured for a fee, rather than pawned?

I recall a recent thread about trying to secure firearms offsite, but don't remember there being a resolution.

They're having a rough time, so rather than just saying no, I'd like to offer him a viable option.

Thanks for reading....

Does he have a safe? Maybe move the entire safe to yoyr place if possible.

Beware "storing them" at your place is a technical violation of I594 since it's a transfer without FFL...

Storing him unsecured is probably legally dangerous for you. Say they are stolen, in your possession, but his property. Dodgy situation legally.

Thanks dems!

But if you were to do it you could probably figure a work around. Have him put a safe in your house and put his guns in it but not give you the key/combo.

Dunno man. Crummy situation, and crummy law.

I'd have him buy a cheap Stack-On gun cabinet and store it indoors at your house. Spare bedroom, linen closet, whatever. As long as he keeps the key you should be fine legally. Those cabinets are usually $100. Well worth the relative safety they offer if he's going through a tough time. Also keep an eye on craigslist and offerup. Sometimes decent safes come up for pretty cheap.

Secure storage unit?

Ya, that's a big pickle all around.
Pawn shop/gun store would be a last resort.
Gonna charge a storage fee, plus a BGC fee to pick them back up.
Ya, I'm thinking about a safe somewhere.
Storage unit with insurance?

Thanks for the feedback so far, good stuff.

Yeah, storing them unsecured was not even a consideration.

Good call on the transfer fees at a pawn shop/gunshop, I hadn't thought of that. I was viewing it as if you were leaving a gun to be worked on, and stored.....not as an actual transfer.

Man, this is tough....

How many guns are we talking about?
5-10-50?

These are worthless for theft, but as a simple locking cabinet they work great. You can fit more in them if you lay it horizontal on two 2x4s (to keep it off the floor) and stack guns inside wrapped in gun socks.

I'm guessing between 8-12 long arms, and a few pistols.

He's an ex-marine, and a hunter, but not a collector.

Rent him some storage space at your house.

Say.... big enough for a gun safe.

Nothing illegal about him renting storage space from you.

Nothing illegal about him not telling you what he is storing.

Better make up a bill, and give him a receipt...

Exactly. I was thinking of this more as a legal protection for NWGunner rather than any sort of actual defense against theft.

Thanks Sinus & Selador, clever....

So ya, somewhere in a dry, semi secure area secured inside a safe or gun cabinet.

I'd add that I would make sure it had a combination lock.
Plausible deniability in case there are any 594 or DV issues.

No DV at all....