I first saw this on YouTube, from a user called fubarprotocol and I had to try make a DIY Handgun rack myself.
Basically this project is a strip of hardwood with ¼ metal rods inserted in it and covered with heat shrink tube so that you can hand your pistols up by their bore.
I think this works really great, and makes it easy to get to my guns. Fubar bolted his in his safe, but I have mine in my workroom. I don’t store my guns on the rack, but keep them there when cleaning them after a range visit, or organizing my equipment for a class.
This homemade pistol rack works great with my wooden rifle rack.
Materials
- Strip of hardwood, I used a 1 x 2 strip of hardwood from the hobby section at Lowes.
- ¼ rod
- ¼ heat shrink tubing
- ¼ plastic end protectors (I found them in the metal drawers in the Lowes hardware section where you get odd shaped nuts and connectors.
Procedure
- I marked and countersunk mounting holes one inch from the ends, and at the center
- Starting 2 inches from the end I marked holes for the rod every 4 inches (you may want to space more or less depending on the size of your guns.
- Drill the holes, I drilled them slightly smaller than the ¼ rod.
- I countersunk the rod holes on the back of the board so that I could epoxy them in so they would not work loose.
- Next cut the rods into 6 inch lengths and round one end with a grinder.
- Pound the rods into the board, keeping everything flush and straight.
- Fix the rods with epoxy.
- Sand, paint, or stain board as you desire
- Cut strips of heat shrink to fit rods.
- Insert, trim, and heat the shrink tube so that they fit tightly on the rod.
- Superglue rod tips to the metal rod.
- Hang
I use this on a regular basis, and I find this was a very useful project. Maybe a smaller set up with a single rod may allow me to hand a firearm in a useful location. But that is up to your imagination.
