How to Keep Your Guns Safe AND Accessible: Lockable Racks

Mar 7th 2023

How to Keep Your Guns Safe AND Accessible: Lockable Racks

One of the main reasons, if not the main reason, to buy a gun safe is to secure your firearms. And we all know why: unauthorized access and firearm theft are serious concerns that come along with an unsecured firearm.

Whatever your motivating factor, we all know that the safest condition for a firearm is unloaded and locked up. But is a safe always the best option?

A lockable gun rack or secured gun wall might be the solution you’ve been looking for to replace a cumbersome gun safe. We aren’t against the gun safe lobby or anything; we work well with the industry and count them as allies. But they are not a one size fits all for gun storage. Let’s find out when a lockable system might be your best firearm storage option.

Storing Your Guns

There are many ways to store your guns, some secure and others a lot less. We all have different priorities, concerns, and needs, which is why a customizable solution is so important.

Top Considerations

There are three things you need to weigh when looking for gun storage solutions heavily:

  • Ease of access
  • Protection of your guns
  • Safety and security of your guns.

A gun safe is unarguably the most secure. There is no questioning this or getting around it. An excellent gun safe is also the only fire-resistant option, so consider one if you have expensive and/or irreplaceable collectibles. But they come at a serious cost: fire-resistant models are expensive but extremely heavy. If you can, you will want these on a poured concrete lower-level floor because they can get up to half a ton.

The extra security of a gun safe stands out to some, but the lack of accessibility and display is not ideal. We're here to help you better understand how gun walls, racks, and stands can suit your collection and provide more security than you might think.

A Lockable Display Can Benefit a Variety of Gun Owners

If you're a gun owner looking for a safe yet functional storage solution, odds are you would benefit from a secure gun mount. Hold Up Displays helps customers with the best, most appealing storage practices including racks, walls, and stands.

A lockable gun rack can suit a variety of gun owners.

Those who prioritize home defense know how important immediate access is to your firearms. Keeping your weapons safely mounted in closets, bedrooms, basements, or wherever you desire, is one of the best ways to maintain accessibility in the (God forbidden) chance of a home invasion.

Our systems are also ideal for hunters, outdoorsmen, and even competitive shooters with the ability to organize, mount, and display all your essential gear. Whether you're headed out to the range, target practice, or the great outdoors, having your guns and gear safely organized and ready to go is ideal for every gun owner.

Law enforcement officers are another market we are proud to serve with racks and systems that help promote security and easy access to your equipment.

No matter what collection, or priorities, we offer customizable storage solutions for your guns and gear.

Security: A Top Consideration for Many Gun Owners

We understand our customers' concerns. You want your arsenal to look good. You want it to be out in the open for quick access. But the obvious downside to a gun wall storage system is that the guns are basically open air and in plain sight.

The importance of secure storage cannot be overstated.

According to the ATF, roughly every two minutes, a gun is stolen in America. In four years, from 2012 to 2015, over one million guns were stolen from individuals, and another twenty-two thousand or so were stolen from gun stores. So, about a quarter of a million guns are stolen annually, give or take.

That is a lot of hot guns hitting the streets, not to mention all the ones already floating around.

Also, there are around 500 accidental shooting deaths per year. While this is an entirely minuscule number compared to the total number of guns in America, which is something to be proud of, 500 is still a lot of completely avoidable deaths.

We know that as gun owners, you do not want to be part of either statistic.

But there is certainly a balancing act in play. You may want to keep your guns open and available, but you will run up against logistical concerns. A safe is the most secure solution, but it’s not practical for ease of access.

A gun rack with cable locks is the best decision you can make. When the gun wall is secured to studs in your wall, it is one of the strongest, most secure options on the market.

The other upside? It looks exceptional. You can use a vertical gun rack for up to twelve rifles on a single gun wall. Do you need to mount a combination of handguns and rifles or shotguns? We’ve got you covered.

Ok, well, how about if you need secure storage for a lot of rifles? Well, we know a thing or two about that. Our Ultimate Rifle Rack slatwall display holds up to 24 long guns.

So, we understand how to store a bunch of firearms. Now let’s talk about locking options.

Locking Storage Solutions that Offer Functional Gun Safety

Storing your firearms on a gun rack is outstanding, but it poses some security considerations. Recalling the figures earlier regarding gun thefts in the U.S., A quarter million a year get heisted, ostensibly for nefarious activities.

Not only do you not want to lose your guns, but you definitely do not want to contribute to the problems. Locking your guns up is the easiest answer to the problem, and that isn’t even mentioning the part about accidental deaths. But it doesn’t have to be an either-or. You do not need to give up quick access to your guns by locking them away.

So, here are the options to make your guns secure without losing mobility and ease of access.

Individual Gun Lock (HD96)

Our simplest and most surefire solution, the individual gun lock quickly and easily ensures your gun, whether a long gun or a handgun, is not going anywhere. The mounting end slides securely into our slatwall system, while the trigger-guard style lock is attached to the mount with 19 inches of aircraft control cable.

Multi-Gun Lock (HD95)

We understand that you probably bought your gun wall to display a bunch of guns, especially long ones.

Well, the multi-gun lock is the solution. Measuring 70 inches long, the multi-gun lock attaches to the slatwall and runs through the trigger guards. It then uses a standard padlock or combination lock to attach back to itself.

Not sure how to use a cable gun lock on your collection? Check out our article that walks through the process.

Locking Pistol Display (HD70)

We won’t let your brace of pistols get left out. Our locking pistol display is the easiest and most secure way to take a pistol and mount it on slat wall, or you can mount a pistol directly to a stud with our flat wall option. Once the display is mounted, you just open the trigger guard lock, insert the pistol, and lock it down. Quick, easy, and totally secure.

Locking Firearm Display (HD71)

We really like this one. It is a super-simple horizontal mounting option for any of your long guns. Not only is it low-profile, but it comes out quickly as soon as you unlock the gun. This is another flat wall option in case you want to mount a rifle independently around your house or shop.

Locking One Piece Long Gun Display (HD711)

This is another item we are proud of. Similar in operation to the locking firearm display, this one-piece unit can pivot over a range of motion. So, if you want to mount your rifle horizontally, go for it. Want them somewhere between horizontal and vertical? Be our guest.

Security Lock (HD19)

For the minimalist, and particularly for the minimalist who maybe knows exactly when they will access their bow or rifle, the security lock prevents little, curious hands from getting and using your weapons.

Providing Functional & Safe Storage Solutions

You have spent a lot of time and money building your collection of guns; it does not happen overnight. It’s a collection worthy of pride! But you need them to be secure. We build our gun walls to last a lifetime. But they won’t just last a long time; they are secure. Once our gun walls or slat walls are mounted to the studs in your walls, they are immovable. We built our storage locks to be integrated into our designs so they are as secure as the entire assembly. And since your system is completely modular, you can always add, remove, or change your locking systems based on what you want to display.


If you have questions about our system, call us and we can help you map out the best gun wall storage solution for your needs!