DIY: $15 Shower Gun Box

***Edit:  I originally posted this in Jan of 2014, these images have since been used all over the internet and in memes since there was someone who used a shower gun to defend themselves (and the media probably searched, found this article and decided to use the images without giving me credit).  Good times.***

When are you most vulnerable in your home?  I would submit the answer to that question is simple:  it’s when you are in the shower.  Think about it, even if you carry a gun while in your home it’s probably not with you in the shower.  The shower creates quite a bit of noise when it’s on, thus impairing your situational awareness.  Additionally you are naked, not exactly the best attire to fend off an attacker.  Think I’m being over the top?  Check out these recent headlines.

Police say man attacked in shower during home invasion

Richard J. Frati, 20, of 82A Main St., faces charges of home invasion/burglary and simple assault after he allegedly surprised a 19-year-old male resident by busting the glass shower door, dragging him out through the broken glass and assaulting him.

Elderly woman attacked inside home after getting out of shower

The woman has bumps, bruises and a busted lip from her attack. “25 years, we’ve never had problems like this, no one has had problems like this,” said the woman. So now on top of adding extra locks, security lights and a bull dog she’s going to add more protection. “I will have a gun and I will use the gun,” said the woman.

Showering man attacked in S.F. home invasion

But the house’s resident was in the shower, and when Winston found him, the man stepped out and put up a fight, police said. Winston allegedly hit him several times on the head and body with the metal bar.

Friendswood teenager fights off burglar who attacked her in shower

The mom said the suspect kicked in the front door to burglarize their home and ended up getting in the shower with her daughter.She managed to fight him off, but told police the man said he had a gun. The girl’s mother said the burglar ran off with the family’s laptop.

The Goal

I knew I wanted to keep a gun in my shower but no solutions on the internet really interested me.  Lots of guys put their guns in a zip loc baggie, the concept being that they could shoot the gun while still in the bag.  I desired to create something a bit more permanent which would still allow easy access to the gun.  A few more considerations while planning my project:

  • The box had to be water tight, while I did not plan on placing the container directly in the path of the water the moisture in the air definitely would not mix well with a gun.
  • The box needed to have a hinged door so that I could pop the top and have easy access to the gun without the door falling to the floor.
  • I didn’t want to spend more than $20 for my creation (gun not included).
  • I would be using a “spare” gun, something I wouldn’t have to take in and out of the shower with me every single time.  Of course the gun could be removed and locked up upon leaving the home.
  • I wanted something that was solid, nothing that would swing around or be prone to moving if I were reaching for it in a hurry (and with soapy hands).

The Necessary Items

I braved the crowds at Walmart to find a box that would suit my needs.  In the outdoor section I was able to pick up a Large Outdoor Watertight Box for less than $10.  I then made my way over to the bathroom section and found a few suction cups for around $2 each.  The Zip Ties were already in my garage and I should mention that I did not end up using them in the finished product.

Shower Gun Box 1

I then test fitted the box to the back of my shower wall, the idea was to use the zip ties in conjunction with the suction cups.  I quickly realized that was not going to work.

Shower Gun Box 2 Zip ties discarded, I decided to use some of the double sided strips from command hooks to mount my box to the wall.  I did not use the water resistant strips (didn’t have any at home) but could always swap them out if need be.  Since the box will not be getting wet hopefully it will hold up to the moisture in the air.

Shower Gun Box 4

Shower Gun Box 5

The box mounted solidly to the wall (which I made sure to clean beforehand).  As you can see I mounted two of the suction cup hooks up near the top of the box, these would be my safety tie down points.

Shower Gun Box 6

Safety tie downs are a byproduct of training, where no mount is trusted and thus the object is tied down “just in case.”  In this instance I wouldn’t want a box with a gun in it falling free and coming down on top of my foot.  Here is a picture of the box with a revolver inside.

Shower Gun Box 7

I have the gun pointed up so it won’t flag anyone in the bathroom, additionally it makes it easy to grab once the box is opened.  I like the idea of a revolver because of the simplistic design, and it’s a breeze to clean.  If you are wondering how easy it is to pop the locks on the top of the box it’s really not that difficult at all, you can access the gun within a few seconds.  Here is the finished product.

Shower Gun Box 8

The Final Word

I realize there is no way to be 100% prepared 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Even with this gun/shower configuration it is still plausible that someone could tip toe their way into my bathroom, pull the curtain back and go Alfred Hitchcock on me.  Yet this does put yet another tool in my preparedness bag and given the stories I posted at the beginning of this DIY, an advantage against a home invader who might attempt to get the drop on me while I’m trying to get Zest fully clean.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

21 comments

1 ping

Skip to comment form

  1. Would it be better to obscure the gun so that a person surprising you would not realize you had a gun or were going to try to use it? A piece of contact paper on the inside of the lid could help you surprise someone with your weapon. Just a thought.

    • Joe Jack on January 6, 2014 at 8:45 AM
    • Reply

    Another idea is to place your gun under your towel outside of the shower.

    • Echo5Charlie on January 7, 2014 at 10:47 PM
    • Reply

    I have really been enjoying reading your articles and appreciate your time and sharing what you have learned with other like minded patriots…and its nice you put in a comedy piece for us too.

      • PJ on January 8, 2014 at 6:55 PM
        Author
      • Reply

      E5C

      Thanks for the kind words and I’m thankful for people like you who find value in what is presented here. 🙂

  2. Very interesting! I’ve never really thought about how vulnerable we are in the shower, but you’re right.

    From the picture, it looks like if you were opening the box very quickly, a little bump might cause the gun to slide out. Is the gun in there securely? I wonder if it might be a good idea to have something like a little piece of velcro stuck to the back wall of the box, and a little piece on the gun, just to keep it from sliding out. But maybe it’s not necessary.

      • PJ on January 10, 2014 at 6:00 AM
        Author
      • Reply

      A piece of velcro couldn’t hurt I suppose, but I don’t really believe it’s necessary as the box is mounted pretty solid to the wall. It’s definitely not as fast as having a gun open and ready right next to your body but I’m ok with that.

    • Fanfare on August 24, 2014 at 3:20 AM
    • Reply

    I have tried those suction cups to hold wash cloths and brushes on the shower walk and found them undependable.

    7 months later, how is your box holding up?

      • PJ on August 24, 2014 at 9:34 AM
        Author
      • Reply

      The box is still rock solid. As to the hooks, I suppose they are fine because they aren’t actually bearing any of the load. If that we the case I’m not sure as to their effectiveness.

    • joe on January 30, 2015 at 7:04 PM
    • Reply

    Great idea I just recently had my home broken into so I’m overly paranoid definitely going to use your idea thanks alot

      • PJ on January 30, 2015 at 9:38 PM
        Author
      • Reply

      Glad you like the idea Joe

  3. I usually keep my 38 snub on a counter in my shower that doesn’t get wet, as well as on the sink counter when I’m taking a shit.

    • keebler on November 15, 2015 at 9:24 AM
    • Reply

    Really Great article.
    thanks.
    a friend needs this item.
    I’ll show this to him.
    keeb.

    • Jeff on July 9, 2016 at 9:30 AM
    • Reply

    I thought of this too, but also stepped it up and wondered why no one has invented this or a shower mounted safe yet, and how would someone sneak up on you in the shower if the door is locked as it should be?

  4. This awesome idea. Thank you for sharing this gun box with us

  5. What’s up to every single one, it’s in fact a good for me to
    pay a quick visit this site, it includes useful Information.

    • Dylan on August 29, 2017 at 6:16 PM
    • Reply

    Not sure how long you plan on keeping the gun in there but waterproof boxes keep moisture in as well as out. So if it’s for a longer period of time you may wish to throw some silica or damp rid packets in there to help absorb the moisture. You’d be surprised how much moisture we have in the air let alone in the bathroom.

      • PJ on August 30, 2017 at 12:11 AM
        Author
      • Reply

      I had the gun in the box for quite some time with no adverse effects, obviously a once every so often cleaning was mandatory.

    • Kb on January 12, 2018 at 5:27 PM
    • Reply

    I use a1 gallon Hefty ziplock bag. The reasoning for this is the firearm can still be engaged without removing it if need be.

    • sgt on February 18, 2018 at 6:46 PM
    • Reply

    I have two dobermans running loose inside the house and a piece within arms reach when in shower….good luck

  6. cut a hole in the ceiling above the shower and fit stainless hinges to a piece of white thick plastic with a small pull tab. your weapon is concealed from theft and quickly accessed in an emergency even when using the toilet. in a shower nobody looks up.

    • BHB on January 22, 2019 at 10:34 PM
    • Reply

    The paranoia never fails to amaze me.

Leave a Reply to Jeff Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.