Theft. Robbery. Nothing gets me angrier than some bastard coming in and taking something of mine. Obviously the health and welfare of family is way more important, but we’re not talking logic. We’re talking the helpless feeling after finding your car gutted, your house entered, your belongings gone. And bear in mind I’ve never had anything stolen that I couldn’t easily replace. Nor have I ever come face to face with the criminal element. No, the real loss is the loss of confidence and the feeling of security. The magical happy place where bad things don’t happen suddenly evaporates.
The first time I was the victim of robbery, my truck was “broken into” by (most likely) young kids wandering the streets late at night. I was a teenager living at home, and “my” truck was really my Dad’s truck that was an extra family vehicle. And I said “broken into” in quotes because the truck was actually unlocked. The truck was old and had little of value, except for some cassette tapes that were dumped at the end of the street. Guess they didn’t like my taste in music.
My parents lived in a quiet, older neighborhood in a small town in South Texas. We never locked our doors, trusted the neighbors, and generally led a decent life. Even as we realized that our little street was only a few blocks away from a much lower class area populated primarily by non-whites. Not that I’m implying anything. Just that a lot of the little bit of crime that happened got attributed (true or otherwise) to kids from that other area wandering through our little area.
Anyway, I went ballistic. I ranted and raved. I stayed up late watching the street, hoping the little bastards would make a second attempt. I bought the most expensive alarm system I could afford and installed it. Since I was a teenager sacking groceries, it was the cheapest on the market. My installation skills weren’t much better. The mercury switch would go off on a cat fart (invariable at 2 am). The wiring would drain the battery dead randomly. After several weeks, my Dad ripped it out of the truck. End of story.
The second time was several years later. I had my own car, with about the same level of alarm system. I was fanatical about locking it. Then one day, mid-afternoon, I swung by the house to grab something. In and out, maybe 5 minutes tops. Left the car unlocked. 5 minutes turned to 10, then to dinner, then to a movie and finally asleep. Wouldn’t you know it, those little bastards came back!
This time they hit every unlocked car in the ‘hood. Stole what they could, vandalized the rest. The worst was the cops, standing on the front lawn, laughing and joking about it. Over $5,000 worth of damage and vandalism on our street alone, in 1982 dollars, and they were laughing. One even said to my face that I should have locked it up. I was beyond livid. If I’d been holding a gun that SOB would have died where he stood!
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Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, I was furious. I might have had an anger problem back then. Not today, I’m totally over it. Wait, no, I’m still pissed. But at least the intervening 3 decades have allowed me to learn one thing. I should have locked it up. In both cases.
Okay, I got 7 paragraphs and the only mention of guns is my offhand comment about shooting a cop. Not good. Why is this on TTAG? Cause of this: Black 12 gun cabinet safe w/ FREE SHIPPING!!!!
When it comes to guns, the concept of locking it up takes on even more meaning. Yes, having something stolen eats at your mental well-being. And yes, having something expensive stolen means it might not be easily replaced. And yes, things of sentimental value can’t be replaced at all. But having your guns stolen also means that they can be used to propagate crime and inflect violence on others. That’s a worry card I don’t want.
For guns, locking it up can range from the super-expensive, survive the nuclear holocaust level fireproof vault down to the trigger lock and safety cable el cheapo system. I find locking steel cabinets to be a good mid-range answer. It fits my price range, fits in my closet, and should stop 99% of the amateurs out there. My current 8 gun cabinet is right now filled to capacity and beyond. I believe it to be a Homak but I’m not sure. No markings anywhere on it to indicate the manufacturer other than the HMC stamp on the key. It appears very similar to the one in the picture above.
I’ve just hit “Buy It Now” on E-bay for this one. It should allow room for all my toys, plus a little room to grow. Once it arrives I’ll try to document the quality, fit and finish for the TTAG Best and Brightest. I’ll cover some aspects of installation without giving away all my secrets. And I’ll let you know if it’s worth more than the bottom dollar competitor. Until then, I’ll be sitting by the door waiting for the delivery truck!