When you have a small gun safe designed to hold a handgun, the safe can be easy to stash in a variety of locations in your home. This can prevent it from being spotted in the event of a break-in, given that guns are something thieves will often steal. However, when you have a rifle- or shotgun-sized gun safe, hiding this large metal box is more of a challenge, given its size. If you want to keep the gun safe out of sight, here are some locations to think about.

In Your Bed

Some people might be tempted to keep their guns under their bed, but the gap between the floor and the bed isn't conducive to a gun safe. However, many gun safe manufacturers actually make bed frames that have a safe built into them. The "safe" part of the bed lies horizontally, allowing you to stash multiple firearms inside it and then lock it up. You place the mattress directly on top of the frame, and by the time you've added sheets and a comforter to the bed, no one would remotely suspect that it contains firearms.

In The Wall

Spy and heist movies often feature cash safes hidden in the wall behind a painting, but the sheer size of a gun safe means that you'd need to tailor your approach a little. You can certainly remove a section of drywall, reinforce the wall studs and place your safe behind the wall. When it comes to covering it, think about a full-length mirror. This is a common sight in many master bedrooms, so you could reasonably store the gun safe in the wall and disguise it with a mirror. Another option is to put a bookcase in front of the safe. However, you'd likely want to put the bookcase on caster wheels so that you could move it with ease to access the gun safe.

In A Cupboard Shelf

Some manufacturers make thin gun safes that are designed to be positioned horizontally. This type of safe is ideal to build into a shelf in a cupboard — ideally in a location such as a walk-in closet. The gun safe can lie on one of the shelves and be covered by another plank of wood above it. This plank can then be hinged so that it can lift up, revealing the gun safe beneath it. Once you've stacked clothing on the shelf, it will blend right in with its surroundings.