Visible Storage for Historic Weapons

Historic weapons are on display in museums and armories around the world. The military doesn’t have rules that distinguish how to display historical weapons, so they are stored in the same way as active weapons. It is important that their storage is safe and secure and that the weapon is visible for safety and inventory purposes. There are multiple options available, whether you need to stick to museum-type storage or armory storage for your historical weapons. Some options include LED lighting and waterproofing.

Understanding Visible Storage for Historic Weapons

When storing historical weapons, you have to think about both visibility and security. You also need to make sure there is the right amount of space to accommodate the weapons you are showcasing. Lastly, you need to make sure the weapons are in a controlled environment where they can be completely preserved. Visible or perforated doors are two of the options we provide for visibility.

Challenges of Storing Visible Historic Weapons

Weapons can be challenging to store, as they need to be completely secured, the same way you would store an active weapon. Weapons cannot be stacked directly on top of each other for safety purposes. You have to make sure they are in a controlled environment to preserve their condition. The airflow needs to be kept in mind, as well as making sure they are preserved away from dust and mold. You also need to make sure that the weapons are securely held in place inside the rack or cabinet. Movement or sliding can cause shifts in the weapon, and that can become very dangerous.

Another challenge to storing historic weapons is making sure they comply with the US Military standards. Our systems meet and sometimes exceed these standards. We can help you with a stand-alone cabinet or rack, or we can help design a system that will meet all of your storage needs. Most of our cabinets and racks are stackable, so we can help you whether you have a large or small collection of historical weapons that need to be preserved.

Types of Visible Storage for Historic Weapons

There are multiple types of storage available for historic weapons depending on your needs. Our systems range from museum storage cabinets to weapon racks.

Glass Door Visible Museum Cabinets

These cabinets include visual doors with laminated glass. They are perfect for different types of preservation storage, especially weapon storage. Learn more about glass door visible museum cabinets.

Benefits:

• This cabinet protects historical weapons
• This cabinet allows you to see air-sensitive artifacts without exposing them to air contaminants
• This cabinet comes with airtight seals so you can preserve and protect from moisture, dust, and other contaminants that could endanger the artifact

Features:

• Sizes range from 24″ – 60″ wide, 12″ – 36″ deep, and 36″ – 96″ in height
• Welded construction makes sure it is up to the standards needed for weapon storage.
• Cabinets are designed to be used statically or mobile. They can be transported with no worry.
• Cabinets are designed to stack on top of each other.
• Viking Watershield tops are available to make sure no water reaches the weapon.
• Two styles of recessed handles are available.
• Includes a three-point latching system that is up to code for weapon storage.
• Lift-off doors make it easy to load and unload the cabinet.

Conservation Full Height Museum Cabinet

This welded construction cabinet comes with multiple features to fit your historic weapon storage needs. This meets the multiple needs of those that don’t have much space but need to store multiple weapons. Read more about the Conservation Full Height Museum Cabinet.

Benefits:

• This cabinet comes with a variety of options, including four-panel double doors that provide a visual into the space.
• This is a highly customizable piece of storage equipment that we can help you customize.
• This cabinet safely and securely stores historical weapons.
• This cabinet comes with water protection, so there is no need to worry about the preservation of the weapon.

Features:

• Nickel-plated hardware to reduce corrosion and flaking is included.
• Drawer bumpers with cushions are included to prevent jamming of drawer contents.
• Reinforced doors can be lifted off the cabinet. This makes it easy and convenient to load the cabinet.
• The cabinet comes with a non-off-gassing powder-coated finish that is high-quality. This finish is attractive and won’t cause harm to the historic weapons kept in the cabinet.
• There is a reinforced pallet base with a front cover that is removable. This allows easy relocation and installation.
• The cabinet is made of solid, heavy-gauge steel and reinforced welded construction. This cabinet was built to withstand years of service.
• The cabinet comes with a closed-cell Elastomeric Seal. This and a three-point latching system preserve your historical weapons.

The full height large capacity cabinet can be fitted with several optional features to meet your storage needs.

Optional Features:

• Full-width and half-width easy glide drawers are included as an option. These are available with safety stops in both 1-1/2″ and 3-1/2″ increments. The weight capacity is 100 pounds for each drawer.
• Full-width and half-width adjustable shelving is another option. Weight capacities range from 100-300 pounds.
• Lever handles with built-in locks for security are available.
• Secure entry into the cabinet can be assured with an integral lock for your recessed handle.
• The option of a set of four casters is also available.
• Vents with sliding closures allow for venting of cabinet interior and preservation of historical weapons.
• There is the option of visual lift-off doors with sealed tempered glass panels for visibility.

Universal Weapons Rack

A Universal Weapons Rack is a steel-made storage rack made for multiple weapons on one rack. It is a cost-effective, space-efficient, and very versatile way to store historical weapons. These racks have been used for the storage of weapons at museums and armories. They have perforated doors to provide visibility and airflow to your historical weapons. Learn more about the Universal Weapons Rack.

Benefits:

• A Universal Weapons Rack is extremely durable. It is a fully-welded, heavy-gauge cabinet. This provides long-lasting use. These racks can stand the test of time.
• The Universal Weapons Rack is very secure. It comes with perforated retractable doors and bars that lock. The Universal Weapons Rack will secure any historic weapons you are storing.
• This weapons rack is space-efficient. The design is modular and stackable to maximize storage space. There is an option to gang the cabinets together and put on a mobile system with other cabinets.
• There is the option of a bin system for the storage of gear, optics, and other special equipment that also needs to be stored.
• The Universal Weapons Rack is a flexible choice for storing historical weapons. There are multiple configurations based on your specific needs.

Features:

• The rack width is 19″ or 36.5″ with a depth of 16.”
• Heights available are 18″, 34″, 45″, 61.5″, 76″, or 84″
• Cabinets have built-in folding, retractable cabinet doors that retract inside the cabinet when it is fully open.
• Maximum security is provided with heavy-gauge steel, rotating locking bars, according to military storage requirements.
• The doors of the cabinet have nine interlocking contact points.
• Cabinets are welded with heavy-gauge steel to ensure durability and strength. This is built around a 4-post structure. The cabinet walls are 18-gauge steel, and the top and bottom of the cabinet are 16-gauge steel.
• These cabinets can be stacked two levels high. The structure can support a minimum of 1,500 pounds.
• The doors, back, and sides of the cabinet are perforated to allow counts of weapon inventory, even when the cabinet is closed or locked.
• There is the option of a multi-purpose back panel kit. This supports a minimum of 700 pounds and allows you to assemble a cabinet that fits your weapon storage needs.

The Universal Weapons Rack has been used in a training center at a US military base. The is one of the Army’s largest training sites. They wanted the ability to show trainees historical weapons and the associated equipment. These weapons were all brought under one roof to consolidate, preserve conditions, save time, and enhance the educational experience for soldiers in training.

The Universal Weapons Rack was chosen to fit the space and house all the weapons. Four-post shelving units were used to enclose the racks. Frame doors were added with glass windows and locks for visibility and security. An LED-lighting system was added to illuminate the historic weapons for the soldiers.

The end product was fantastic, and the customer was extremely pleased. Trainees can now attend class in this room while viewing the historic weapons in their secure cases.

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Maximizing Visible Storage for Historic Weapons

Southwest Solutions Group® designs and installs visible storage for historic weapons for the military and museums. We will provide you a free consultation to determine your exact needs and specifications before the design process begins. To learn more or to speak with a specialist, call us at 1-866-445-8859 or send us a message today.

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