Are these the smartest gun cabinets you can buy?

Let’s be honest, gun storage is one of the more unglamourous elements of shooting, but possibly one of the most important. If you’re like me, your gun cabinet is an unprepossessing lump of a grey metal, hidden away in some dingy corner of the house - clunky, hard to get at and unsightly. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Bespoke Gun Cabinet Company was founded by Anthony Parkes with a view to creating bespoke gun storage systems that make use of his lifelong passion for woodworking and craftsmanship, and the skills he has developed over decades. “I started making furniture when I was at school,” he says. “It’s all I’ve ever done, really.” He started making gun cabinets about 20 years ago - when he started shooting - upon the realisation that most of the gun security solutions on the market were as I have described above. He learned his skills in school woodworking classes “before all that Design and Technology stuff came in” and prides himself that all of his products are still made out using “proper tools” and without the use of CNC machines.

 

 

The company, as the name implies, started out making bespoke gun cabinets as commissioned pieces, often designed to fit in with the decor of a room such as a study, wine cellar or even a dedicated gunroom. Some of the examples are particularly impressive - Anthony told me about one designed to look like a bookcase from the outside, with a secret flap that reveals the keyholes to the cabinet hidden within. At the less ostentatious end, he’s recently designed a cabinet to look like an electrical box, complete with stickers.

Anthony’s cabinets can also include glass - hammer and axe glass, to be precise - if you’d like to have your guns on display yet secure. The glass is the same as is used in bank vaults and meets with the police’s requirements. “The glass is actually more secure than steel.” Anthony says, adding “We had a case recently where someone broke into a house and had a go at the glass, and they actually broke several tools in the process of trying to get in but couldn’t get anywhere close to breaking it."

 

 

With five people in the workshop, the lead time on a bespoke gun cabinet is around 12 weeks, but for those looking for a faster solution Anthony and the team have used the lockdown period to built up a stock of ‘off-the-shelf’ cabinets, ready for installation. Not only do these offer a speedier service, but being 'ready to buy' they represent a wallet-friendlier option too, with some discounted by nearly £4,000. Currently available designs include a grandfather clock, a corner cabinet and more glass-fronted cabinets in a variety of styles.

 

Another gap in the market that Anthony is seeking to fill is gun storage when you’re out and about. It’s an experience that most, if not all shooting people have had, wondering how to ensure that your guns are safe when you’re in the pub after a day’s shooting. “In your house, you have to jump through hoops - the police come and inspect your cabinet and try to rip it off the wall, all that stuff to make sure that your guns are secure,” explains Anthony. “But when you’re out of the house, there’s no real guidance or rules around it, and you can pretty much leave your gun in the boot of your car - someone could simply follow you back to the pub, smash in the back window and be away with your guns.”

 

 

To counter this threat, the company has prototyped a steel vehicle gun cabinet that’s bolted to the frame of the car, and then dressed to look like a wooden hospitality box. At present the design has been made for a Landrover Discovery, and uses the existing fixing points in the car’s chassis. It means that when you lock your car, your guns should be as secure as they are in your house. The design of the vehicle gun cabinet is such that it can be adapted to most car boots, with one for the new Landrover Defender next to be templated. The gunboxes can be installed or removed from the car in minutes, while maintaining a high level of security, and have room for cartridges and refreshments too. Anthony says that initial feedback from those who have seen the gunboxes is overwhelmingly positive, and that they have already sparked some fascinating conversations about gun security when out and about.

 

As shotgun owners we all have a responsibility to ensure the security of our guns at all times, and these products from The Bespoke Gun Cabinet Company provide peace of mind, while looking stylish. If you needed any further convincing, it is worth noting that Anthony’s work is used by the Holland and Holland Shooting Ground, EJ Churchill shooting ground, and in Harrods for displaying and storing shotguns, so if you want to have a look at some examples of his handiwork, you can pop into one of these places. For more information about The Bespoke Gun Cabinet Company, or to discuss your requirements, visit their website.

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