A long gun takes up more room than a pistol and is harder to hide, which is why most home-defense shotguns end up in a closet corner or under a bed where you cannot reach them lying down. Two magnets change that. Mounted under a bed frame, behind a door, inside a closet wall, or on the back wall of a truck cab, they hold a rifle or shotgun flat, silent, and one hand away. This guide covers how to do it with the SofHold magnets we carry.
Why two magnets
A pistol has a flat slide; a long gun has a round barrel and a receiver of a different height, and it is long enough to lever itself off a single magnet. Two 50-pound magnets, one under the barrel and one under the receiver, spread the hold and stop the gun from rotating. Space them for your gun: on a shotgun, one just ahead of the forend and one at the receiver; on an AR, one on the handguard and one on the lower.
The magnets
SofHold Come & Take It 12 Gauge
Neodymium magnet rated at over 50 pounds of pull, wrapped in top-grain leather so it does not scratch a finish, and it mounts with screws or adhesive backing, so you can screw it down or stick it. Works with any steel-slide handgun, including Glock, Sig, Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Ruger, Beretta and Taurus. Money-back guarantee. $45.
SofHold Come & Take It .223 and .22 LR
Same magnet, caliber-embossed. The plain Magnetic Gun Mount does the same job without the graphic. Buy two of any of them.
Where to mount a long gun
- Under the bed frame. The classic. Screw both magnets to the inside of the side rail on your side of the bed, receiver toward the head. You reach down and the gun is there.
- Behind a bedroom door. Vertical mount on the wall, hidden when the door is open, which is how doors are at night.
- Closet wall. Vertical, behind the hanging clothes.
- Truck cab. Back wall behind the seat, or under a rear bench.
Aluminum and polymer
An AR upper and lower are aluminum and do not hold. Mount the AR by the steel barrel and the steel of the handguard or bolt-on rail, or put one magnet on the barrel and one under the buffer tube. A polymer-frame shotgun holds by the barrel and the steel receiver.
The rules
Same as any staged gun: not where children or guests can reach it, nothing touching the trigger, and if the room is not controlled, the long gun lives in the safe.
Frequently asked questions
How many magnets do I need for a shotgun?
Two. One under the barrel ahead of the forend, one under the receiver.
Will they hold an AR-15?
By the steel barrel and rail, yes. The aluminum receiver does not hold, so place the magnets on steel.
Will the magnet affect an optic?
Keep the magnet away from a red dot's battery compartment and electronics; mount on the barrel and lower, not the upper rail.
Screws or adhesive?
Screws, always, for a long gun.
Will it scratch the finish?
No. Leather cover.
The bottom line
Two SofHold magnets under the bed rail turn a shotgun in the closet into a shotgun in your hand. Screw them down and keep the room controlled.
Related reading
Best gun magnets
Best truck gun holsters and mounts
Under-desk and nightstand gun mounts
