How do you organize your stuff?

[Andielouroo]

I’m looking for some insights on how others organize their gear at home. Specifically I’m talking about magazines, cleaning rods, spare optics mounts/rings, bipods, tripods, spotters, beanbags, etc.

Over the years I’ve collected piles of the kinds of stuff listed above but have never really figured out a good way to organize or store it. I’ve used small bins, cabinets, shelves, etc. but have never found a great solution. Things like rifle mags (non-AR), bipods, and optic mounts sometimes end up in a safe or in a gun bag and I’m always searching for things.

If anyone is happy with the way they’ve organized their crap I’d love to hear about it or see pictures. It’s time I got somewhat organized.

 

[deersniper]

Specialty mags go in clear Tupperware totes
Bulk ar mags go in cardboard boxes

a lot of stuff goes in filing cabinets. Drawers for barrels bipods range stuff uppers etc

cleaning rods get hung vertical in a home made holder.

I need my storage area to be about 2-3x as big. It’s a disaster

 

[spife7980]

It goes into the closet. If everything is in the closet then you know where everything is.

 

[Clayman]

Clear storage totes in cabinets or closet.

Mags in one, cleaning supplies in another, cardboard boxes with spare parts in them placed in a larger clear tote, gear tote, etc.

One like this for the cleaning supplies. It has a sealed lid.

 

[rtB]

 

[Gustav7]

Depends on what your personality or mind game is.

I'm unorganized and spacey/ADHD/forgetful... so I will never successfully organize well, and if i just put it all somewhere I'll probably never find it.

So I loosely organize by category in boxes and do my best to never deviate from that lol...

Example of boxes:
Optics - all boxes, manuals, rings, mounts, screws, extra optics, caps, etc.
Specialty Guns - Any part thats not an AR, AK, or Glock.
Gun Cleaning - obvious -- Cleaning rods hand on hooks on the wall behind my bench.

 

[ditter]

Reloading bench is messier than I would like, but thankfully i built some shelves along the back.
Components in ammo cans.
Aerosol cans and cleaning supplies in the little hand carriers you can get at the dollar store.
Also have an old tackle box that I keep small pistol parts and cleaning tools in.

 

[acudaowner]

what can I say I am cheap oh and plastic milk cartons when I can get them free from the store .

 

[Old Man with Gun]

I use storage bins, ammo cans and a couple cabinets. I think the see through bins look messy, so I have black bins with labels on each. I find shallow bins better for organizing than deep ones.
Inside the bins cardboard boxes cut to the correct height, section off areas or in the case of pistol magazines pouches labeled for each type.

Cabinet space is important as well, some stuff just doesn't fit well in containers or you don't want to dig every time you need it.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

I try to not "keep all my eggs in one basket". Unfortunately, as I age I seem to forget where some of the baskets are located. Don't feel that making a list of locations would be a secure thing to do. Letting my son, in a far away place, know where items are located.

 

[BullGear]

30 cal, 50 cal and 20mm boxes for my mags. Yes, I hoard mags. Ammo goes in these same boxes except they are stored in Coke vending machines that have been gutted. Kinda like safes for my ammo. All other "stuff" goes into storage boxes you buy at Home Depot.

Anything that is intended to go onto a firearm in the near future, they are kept in one of the gun safes. Tools are kept in smaller containers and stored on top of 1 of the safes. Tipton Ultra Gun Vise is stored on top of another safe. Cleaning rods are kept in the nook between 2 safes. Cleaning supplies are kept in a 50 cal box which is kept next to my desk.

All firearm records and Class 3 paperwork is in a fire resistant container, which is then kept on the upper shelf inside of a safe.

I think that's about it.

 

[Old Man with Gun]

I try to not "keep all my eggs in one basket". Unfortunately, as I age I seem to forget where some of the baskets are located. Don't feel that making a list of locations would be a secure thing to do. Letting my son, in a far away place, know where items are located.

I have an excel spreadsheet for my family if ever needed, it is password protected and stored in the gun safe with a copy of my will. Brakes down everything, even firearm components, upgrades and values.

 

[carbonbased]

Cleaning rods: this thing is pretty awesome. I have four rods and don’t want any more because I’d have to buy another case!

Gun Cleaning Rod Case by MTM

MTM's Gun cleaning Rod Case

www.mtmcase-gard.com

 

[M77]

Cleaning rods: this thing is pretty awesome. I have four rods and don’t want any more because I’d have to buy another case!

Gun Cleaning Rod Case by MTM

MTM's Gun cleaning Rod Case

www.mtmcase-gard.com

Nice , can't say I've seen that before . Good idea

 

[b2lee]

Magazines are easy...you just load them and pack them:

After you pack them...you stack them. 28 per Fat50 can.

Bags just go in the typical Home Depot/whatever black storage bin with the yellow tops. Cleaning rods can go in a fishing rod holder above your bench. You should have a roll around tool box....large....under your bench that holds all your tools. Cabinets above your bench for powder/primers/and other storage. Nut & Bolt bins for brass/bullets/collets/bushings.

 

[kd185]

View attachment 7688045

this for the creedmore stuff?

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I store magazines for my pistols, rimfires, and bolt guns in these and label the drawers.

AR mags are stored in something like this

I put up a pegboard wall to hang my shooting bags, ear pro, ECI's, slings, packs, data card holders, stuff like that. Some of the other stuff gets dropped in clear totes. Small parts for AR's, bolt guns, and pistols are stored in organizer boxes, I'm partial to the Plano 3700 deep storage containers because you can drop just about anything in there, pistol grips, small parts, rings, mounts, etc... I try to stay as organized as I can but it usually still comes out looking like this

(Not mine but you get the idea)

 

[RELOOP]

Hey,,,,,you break into my garage?

 

[salks]

I laugh about this all the time but my most expensive stuff rifle, scope and gear for shooting spend most of its time in the basement scattered around. It is what i use the most. I have several $500 glocks, ar's and shotguns cozy in the safe.

 

[clcustom1911]

Specialty mags go in clear Tupperware totes
Bulk ar mags go in cardboard boxes

a lot of stuff goes in filing cabinets. Drawers for barrels bipods range stuff uppers etc

cleaning rods get hung vertical in a home made holder.

I need my storage area to be about 2-3x as big. It’s a disaster

My level of organization is, "don't worry, I know where everything is"

 

[clcustom1911]

But, I also have one on these thingies in one of my safes to organize my assorted bullshit AR parts.

 

[E. Bryant]

Safe space is precious, and reserved for firearms and optics.

Parts and reloading supplies go into storage containers - clear bins for bulky stuff, and Stanley Sortmaster containers for smaller parts. These containers then go onto shelves. Ammo goes into a lockable cabinet to keep it out of sight.

I admit to having a random collection of cardboard boxes stuffed with miscellaneous crap like OE trigger locks and what-not, but generally speaking, this is far inferior to using a see-through container of some type.

Go to your local big-box stores, take a look at the options, and then pick a brand and stick with it. I didn't do this, and now have a random collection of tubs and lids that can't be interchanged and that don't want to stack neatly with one another. I don't know that one brand is better than the other (both Hefty and Sterilite seem to hold up fine if not overloaded or left out in the sunlight for extended periods of time), so just pick one that fits your shelves and roll with it.

 

[beetroot]

Everything goes on the floor in the spare bedroom, I have cupboards, a desk and some organizing boxes that in theory are for gun stuff but I'm too lazy to put it back in the right place.

Some times I just leave stuff strewn about the living room, wife usually puts up with it for a few days before makes me tidy all my toys away.

 

[fxdwgkd]

Tool chest is what I use for spare parts etc. Keeps everything organized and can at a quick glance notice if something is missing or not where it should be.

 

[clcustom1911]

Safe space is precious, and reserved for firearms and optics.

That's why I buy used safes from odd places. The one pictured is actually a Schwab FireGuard 2557 document vault with a real fire rating (UL 350⁰ 1 hour). $500 from the back corner of some safe moving/refurbishing company in New Jersey. Fucker weighs 1300# empty. Retail was $5-6k when new.

I have another safe which is just shy of a UL "B" rated safe. Weighs about 1000# empty. $200 on Craigslist

I have another big ass repurposed steel electrical cabinet with reloading shit I got for free just to help someone move it from a garage.

My eyes are always peeled for shit like this.

 

[acudaowner]

just got a 10x12 shed out back just for surplus reloading supplies should I ever find enough to call it surplus . but for now its mostly on book cases and a couple shelves

 

[Pugster]

My mags are grouped into ziploc bags, and then placed within clear Sterilite totes. The totes go into a cabinet to be out of sight.

All of my various tools/cleaners are organized on a rolling Storage Drawer cart.

 

[Bigfatcock]

I put inventory lists in everything. All I do is look at the list. I always put things where they belong. If it’s not in use, it’s in it’s place.

 

[HotRod68Camaro]

I use a 40" tool box (image attached) for smaller stuff.
Drawers from top to bottom:
Top/1: firearms specific tools in cases (tq wrench, allen key sockets, sight adjustment, micrometer, etc)
2: smaller handheld tool (torx driver/armorers wrenches, etc)
3: pistol parts
4: upper receiver parts to include spare optic mounts
5: lower receiver parts
6: empty mags and spillover
7: spillover

I also have a locker with one shelf devoted to firearms stuff: tripod, rear bags, extra mags etc.

Spare barrels are in the safe with the dehumidifier

 

[fxdwgkd]

I use a 40" tool box (image attached) for smaller stuff.
Drawers from top to bottom:
Top/1: firearms specific tools in cases (tq wrench, allen key sockets, sight adjustment, micrometer, etc)
2: smaller handheld tool (torx driver/armorers wrenches, etc)
3: pistol parts
4: upper receiver parts to include spare optic mounts
5: lower receiver parts
6: empty mags and spillover
7: spillover

I also have a locker with one shelf devoted to firearms stuff: tripod, rear bags, extra mags etc.

Spare barrels are in the safe with the dehumidifier

Same box I have except mine is yellow. Not my favorite color choice but got it scratch and dent for 50% off and couldn't pass it up

 

[MikeinTexas]

Guns in the safe, ammo stacked in ammo cans in the closet next to the safe. Powder and primers (when I have them) on the shelf in the closet. In the garage I have a toolbox that rolls under the reloading bench for much of the reloading stuff, presses on the wall using inline fabrication quick plates. Cleaning rods in 76mm shell from when I was in the service, rest of the cleaning gear in a tackle box so I can schlep it to the range. Range bag is also in the garage next to the USPSA targets