Safe storage for a 22ga shotgun

[Jim Becker]

Or take to a gun shop and sell it, just a 22 caliber rifle something like I grew up with.

You seem to have missed the point that there is sentimental value here. IE, it's not that it's a super duper rifle, it's the fact that it was the OP's dad's when his dad was a kid.

[Lee DeRaud]

A trigger lock would keep it from firing , but it could still be used to bang a head in...

<sarcasm> I'm not sure there's enough room in my gun safe to store all my hammers. Suggestions? </sarcasm>

[Bill George]

<sarcasm> I'm not sure there's enough room in my gun safe to store all my hammers. Suggestions? </sarcasm>

Heck we used to take our 22s on the school bus to go squirrel hunting at a friends after school. I suggested just getting rid of it since it’s clear none of them are gun people and will never use, or even handle, keepsake or not.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Heck we used to take our 22s on the school bus to go squirrel hunting at a friends after school. I suggested just getting rid of it since it’s clear none of them are gun people and will never use, or even handle, keepsake or not.

Ag class in basement of school had an indoor target range. Kids brought rifles to school on the bus. Practiced as part of agriculture course. Some schools actually had rifle teams. One kid, for show and tell would bring in one of the pistols he made.

[Rob Luter]

Heck we used to take our 22s on the school bus to go squirrel hunting at a friends after school. I suggested just getting rid of it since it’s clear none of them are gun people and will never use, or even handle, keepsake or not.

Ag class in basement of school had an indoor target range. Kids brought rifles to school on the bus. Practiced as part of agriculture course. Some schools actually had rifle teams. One kid, for show and tell would bring in one of the pistols he made.

My youth was similar. You could buy rifles at the hardware store. My Winchester model 94 came from K-Mart. I'd come home from school and grab a gun, a vest, and a dog and go hunting the treelines for rabbits. I suspect that if a teenager with a long gun was seen in the same locale today someone would call the cops. Hayfields have turned into "country estates".

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have a picture of my sister and I boarding a Greyhound buss to go to Grandmas. I am carrying my shotgun in its Winchester cardboard box. I am sure I had shells too. I think I was 11 or 12.
I recently took to measures to secure all of the guns.

[Bill George]

Correct all my handguns are locked in a safe place, long guns with trigger locks. Always treat all guns as loaded and never point a firearm at something you do not want to shoot. Learned proper gun handling at an early age. There may be a time when you wish you had one.

[George Yetka]

Amazon search trigger lock. They are $12 it goes through the trigger guard making it impossible to fire. Cheaper than any safe.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Amazon search trigger lock. They are $12 it goes through the trigger guard making it impossible to fire. Cheaper than any safe.

That's not sufficient in New Jersey.
You need a locking container - or a safe.

[Bill George]

That's not sufficient in New Jersey.
You need a locking container - or a safe.

The OP is not in NJ but in Virginia that is who George was replying too.

[Mike Cutler]

I just read that Virginia requires safe storage. I have my dads 22ga rifle that he had when he was a kid. I don’t know exactly when he got it but it’s pretty old. He was born in 1908.

the gun breaks down into two pieces and is stored in some sort of long sock that’s supposed to prevent rust. The last time it was handled was probably 20 years ago when a gunsmith friend went through it. He applied lubricants/coatings with archiving in mind. The last time it was shot by me was over 50 years ago.

So the gun is sort of disassembled and stored in a sock. There’s no ammunition in the house. What doi need to do to comply with storage requirements? There’s no way I’m getting a gun safe. Is there a lockable case that’s not too big? I can always just keep my trap shut but I would rather follow the law.

second question. If I take the gun to a gunsmith, can it be rendered inoperable in a way that’s reversible by a gunsmith? The idea would be to discourage a kid.

third question: Would a trigger lock suffice?

Roger

It does not appear, from a simple google search, that the safe storage law has passed. It also appears that it is targeted at residences with minors, and or adults with known mental issue. You would have to ask that question to your local PD, and they may not even have the answer.
Don't let the term " Gun Safe" cause anxiety.A safe is a safe, and it can be used to store more things than guns. If the rifle breaks down as small as you're implying, it would be very inexpensive To buy a small 3 or 5 gun safe to secure it, and maybe put other things in there as well. It would cost more for a gunsmith to render it inoperable than a small safe.
I wouldn't be too concerned about its age.

[Bill George]

Ditto what Mike just said, the only requirement is storage so a Minor can not access the firearm, no requirement for gun safe or other means. A gun lock is needed if you have children in the home and that is common sense. My guess he has got a old Stevens single shot lever 22 like my dad had, by the time I was able to use it was pretty well worn out!!

[Lee DeRaud]

It would cost more for a gunsmith to render it inoperable than a small safe.

That seems highly unlikely: removing the firing pin takes maybe 5-10 minutes max.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The OP is not in NJ but in Virginia that is who George was replying too.

I understand that. I am going on the presumption that George, who does live in NJ, might not be aware of the laws in his own state.

[George Yetka]

I understand that. I am going on the presumption that George, who does live in NJ, might not be aware of the laws in his own state.

I have 5 seperate (full) gun safes. I was giving him a legitimate inexpensive solution for him. NJ is not an easy state to be a gun enthusiast in.