OT - Convert 'file cabinet' style fire safe to 'gun' style?

I was just browsing through govliquidation, and couldn't help notice all the (near valueless in my opinion) 4 and 5 drawer style file fire safes.

What would prevent one from converting it so that all drawers open together, and get rid of the side supports on one side.

Then you would pull the front forward, and have a side loading safe, rather than a traditional swing open.

It wouldn't be the top in security, but for moderate security.... Bolt it down so it doesn't tip....


I'm not thinking about actually doing this, but more of a 'what could be done with those things' type of question.

Waste of time and materials.

Keep the "3/4drawer" cabinets for Magazines, ( the steel ones) or Pistols, or Gun parts.

I have several types of Filing cabinets from the 50s/60s era, some Full-file depth, others about 6 inch depth, and even "1 inch" flat file drawer chests.
ALl have been adapted to certain uses. The "Flat files" are used for Cartridge collection; One stack of 6" drawers were rebuilt to slide under my Pistol Workbench in the Vault, as My wife drove into the frame of it and demolished the casing of the Drawers. ( the drawers themselves were out at the time.)

I also use "Plan drawer" cabinets, by removing every second drawer, and "building up" the Fronts and sides with 1/2 inch Ply, and use them for my Forensic Pistol collection ( both Loose and Boxed). A normal Plan Drawer chest is suitable for most small Pistols (or Flat semiautos), but large and heavy cased Pistols need the extra headroom. I did the same ( "2to1" ) trick for my collection of Taps, Dies, and Milling cutters, down in the Workshop. And the large top of these Plan/Map cabinets is also coated with heavy Ply as a neat " assembly" or "examination" table.

Picked up most of these Cabinets at my friendly "Scrap metal" man, as there is very little second-hand market for all these "Antiques" ( large Plans are CAD and on DVD, Card Files no longer exist, and only older Business operatives still use a "Hard File" cabinet for storage of Documents, invoices, etc ... I Still do, but back up with DVD.).

The other Thing about 3 & 4 drawer file Cabinets is a height limitation for the type of "Rolling" shelf Rifle Rack... it would be limited in scope.

BY the time you spent money and time reworking a "Fire Safe" Cabinet in the manner described, you could have bought a proper, HD steel GUN-safe, with better security, and hold Long rifles and shotguns.

IN a lot of Jurisdictions ( Outside the USA) such a converted filing cabinet would be still too "Light Gauge" steel to meet requirements, unless within another Vault....

Leave the Surplus Cabinets to those with "small" items ( Coin collectors, Badge Collectors, Paper Documents, other Ephemera, even Pistol collectors, who can use the Cabinets with no modifications ( maybe with added "fit-in trays").... I built a wooden "Tray nest" for one of my old Heavy Office Safes, so I could store Customer's Valuable ( antique) Pistols and MG parts securely ( But it is within my Vault anyway).

Regards,
Doc AV
AV Ballistics Film Ordnance & Technical Services
Brisbane Australia

One possibility I could see working in a limited situation is a "lateral file cabinet". There are fireproof cabinets with very wide drawers, they can measure 43" wide which could hold quite a few 22 rifles or centerfire carbines but they are a tiny bit too short for many rifles. However, if a person got one for the right price he could store quite a few cased rifles in one provided they are not too long.