Building a reloading room

[Intheshaw1]

Our house has an unfinished basement with random reloading gear scattered around here and there. I have a solid bench that my presses are mounted to, a desk for gunsmithing, and some shelves storing all the extras.

 

The basement has an awkward space, based on my plans to finish the basement, that I'm making into a reloading room. The space is approximately 9x12 feet with an attached closet space of 3x6 feet with it deeper than wide. Ceiling is 7'6 for about 3/4 of the space and 9' for the rest.

 

I already have a set of old kitchen cabinets to add to that space and plan to frame up with 2x4s and use 3/4" plywood walls. Looking to add some sort of internal security door as well.  I'll run probably two separate circuits for outlets and one for lighting. Planning to sound proof with insulation to knock down on some of the noise. I'm contemplating a french cleat system but with current plywood prices I may skip that or just do a small wall.

 

I have the ability to build it out as I like and I'm curious as to what others have done or wish they would have done.  I've reviewed tons of pictures but most focus on the bench and not building out a dedicated reloading/gun room. Planning to buy the lumber and materials this fall and build out as a winter project.

[Sigarmsp226]

InTheShaw - Please take lots of pictures (before, during, and after) as this is a topic of great interest to me.  My wife and I will soon be relocating to West TN or at least North North MS. Our plan is to build (would be our third home to build) or purchase a home that fits our every need. Either way there will be one internal room in the house that will play three roles - Reloading Room, Safe/Storm Room, and Walk-in Gun Vault.  This means re-enforced  walls, ceiling, and floor as well as a real Inside Swing Vault Door.  I want to get ideas from your build that I can use in mine as it relates to the internal layout and design.  Looking forward to seeing your progress thru completion…..

Edited September 14, 2021 by Sigarmsp226

[Intheshaw1]

23 minutes ago, Sigarmsp226 said:

InTheShaw - Please take lots of pictures (before, during, and after) as this is a topic of great interest to me.  My wife and I will soon be relocating to West TN or at least North North MS. Our plan is to build (would be our third home to build) or purchase a home that fits our every need. Either way there will be one internal room in the house that will play three roles - Reloading Room, Safe/Storm Room, and Walk-in Gun Vault.  This means re-enforced  walls, ceiling, and floor as well as a real Inside Swing Vault Door.  I want to get ideas from your build that I can use in mine as it relates to the internal layout and design.  Looking forward to seeing your progress thru completion…..

I'll take some pictures as I start, right now it's just some rough framing that the previous owner did.

 

I will say when we were buying a house 5 years ago we looked at 2 that had safe rooms. They used precast concrete for the garage and build the safe room under that by pouring the basement walls to close off that area as well. One was sealed off completely besides running electrical and the other just had a handful of small 4x12 in openings on the top and bottom of the walls to allow running electrical and airflow, I would suggest doing that.

 

As an fyi, I'm looking at building an external garage with a precast floor and it adds about 10k to the cost in addition to all the concrete for the walls and basement floor.

 

For stick framing out an existing room, I've seen pictures of metal strapping, essentially turning the room into an 1800s prison or putting rebar horizontally in the walls to slow down breaking in. I am considering rebar and maybe cement board walls but it will only slow, not stop, someone who is motivated.

[Trini]

On 9/14/2021 at 1:52 PM, Sigarmsp226 said:

InTheShaw - Please take lots of pictures (before, during, and after) as this is a topic of great interest to me.  My wife and I will soon be relocating to West TN or at least North North MS. Our plan is to build (would be our third home to build) or purchase a home that fits our every need. Either way there will be one internal room in the house that will play three roles - Reloading Room, Safe/Storm Room, and Walk-in Gun Vault.  This means re-enforced  walls, ceiling, and floor as well as a real Inside Swing Vault Door.  I want to get ideas from your build that I can use in mine as it relates to the internal layout and design.  Looking forward to seeing your progress thru completion…..

Be sure to order your door the earliest you can.  Years back when building our house I ordered a vault door.  Was on backorder for 10 months.   Builder wanted to start or would put me at end of his list. Canceled door order.  Had solid Oak door installed and inside has 1/4" steel bolted on.