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Gun Cabinet Plans
A wooden gun cabinet for rifles and shotguns: the butts stand on the cabinet floor behind a stop, the barrels rest in notches cut in a rest board at the back, and a shelf at the top holds cases and cleaning kits. Two doors close the front and take a keyed lock. The default cabinet, 600 mm wide, holds five or six long guns up to 47 in long; enter the width, the height and the depth to get the cut list.
- Default size
- 600 × 1830 × 330 mm
- Parts
- 12 pieces · 9 sizes
- Sheets (2440 × 1220 mm (4 × 8 ft))
- 1 carcass + 1 door + 1 back
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Build time
- About 8 hours
- Edge band
- 15.2 m
Cut list (default size)
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Thick. | Board | Edges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 1 | 600 | 330 | 18 | Carcass board 18 mm | |
| Side | 2 | 1812 | 330 | 18 | Carcass board 18 mm | |
| Bottom | 1 | 564 | 330 | 18 | Carcass board 18 mm |
Sizes in millimetres; length runs along the grain. Edges: bold lines are banded.
6 more parts, the sheet layout and the cut order are in the full plan.Resize it to any size, print labels and save it in a project.Sign in free to open it
How it is built
- Cut the notches in the barrel rest before assembly, all at once with the board clamped to a spare, then line them with felt.
- Use 12 mm (1/2 in) plywood for the back: it stiffens the cabinet and is harder to break through than hardboard.
- Fit a keyed cam lock or a lock bar across both doors, and screw the cabinet to the wall studs.
Common mistakes
- Treating the cabinet as a safe: store ammunition locked away separately and follow your local laws.
- Making it too shallow: a rifle with a scope needs about 300 mm (12 in).
Tools you need
- Table saw or track saw
- Jigsaw
- Drill/driver
- Hinge jig
Frequently asked questions
How many guns fit?
About one long gun for every 90–100 mm (3 1/2–4 in) of inside width: five or six in the default 600 mm cabinet, eight in a 900 mm one.
What are good gun cabinet dimensions?
About 72 in (1830 mm) tall for rifles up to 47 in long under the top shelf, 12–14 in (300–350 mm) deep for scoped rifles, and 24–36 in (600–900 mm) wide.
Is a wooden gun cabinet secure?
It keeps guns organized and out of reach, but it is not a safe. Fit a keyed lock or a lock bar, store ammunition locked away separately and follow your local storage laws.
How deep should the notches be?
About 40–50 mm (1 5/8–2 in) wide and 60 mm deep, spaced 95 mm apart, lined with felt so they do not mark the barrels.
