Campbell Industrial Supply of Sanger, California is offering a variety of U.S. made rotary long gun storage racks for sale directly from the manufacturer. The long gun racks store rifles and shotguns vertically with the buttstock resting in the base and their barrel resting in corresponding notches cut into the unit’s top end rack. For the purpose of this review Campbell Industrial sent out one of their 12-gun/22” diameter rotary storage racks.
The rack ships unassembled and upon unpacking the pieces it was apparent that once assembled the unit would likely be sturdy due to the robust materials each of the components was made out of. The powder coated, tubular 30” center pedestal is made out of heavy gauge steel with welded upper and lower flange plates. The base of the rack is made out of 1½” thick plywood and the top part of the rack is made out of ¾” plywood. The wooden base and the wooden top rack pieces are attached to the flanged center pedestal with bolts. Other than an Allen wrench for the bolts used to attach the base to the pedestal, no other tools are needed for assembly. A braided elastic cord is used as a gun retention device for the upper rack. When there are no long guns stored in the rack the retention cord is held in place by pulling it around brass tacks on the underside outer “points” of the rack’s notches. When a gun is going to be placed in the rack, the user simply pulls the retention cord out from the desired slot, inserts the gun’s barrel up between the rack and the retention cord then releases the retention cord while the buttstock is being put in the cradle on the base. Campbell is lining the notches of the top rack with felt material so as to protect the finish on guns placed in the rack. On the rack being evaluated, both pieces of wood are finished in a nice light oak color, with a protective coating of carnauba wax applied. Campbell also offers a dark walnut finish as well. A 12” diameter ball bearing swivel mechanism is affixed to the underside of the base and is rated to hold 1,000 lbs. The base on this particular model has 12 slots milled to hold the buttstock. Each is lined with a plastic buttstock cradle insert. All in all, these components add up to be a very sturdy piece of equipment.
The rack I received for testing had a standard tubular pedestal of 30”. As an option a purchaser may specify an optional 36” tubular pedestal. This longer center pedestal allows for varmint or benchrest rifles to be accommodated, as they often have longer scopes that might not fit in the standard 30” pedestal configuration. The overall length of the rack with the 30” pedestal is 32½” and the longer 36” pedestal increases the OAL to 38½”.
The rack is an ideal way to store 12 long guns in a 22” diameter area. Campbell Industrial’s website has video of where a similar model has been placed inside a medium-sized gun safe with the shelves and/or divider removed. The swivel action of the unit allows the user to simply spin the rack around to the gun desired. This is one option for the user. For those with gun rooms in their house the rack would be appropriate to conveniently store and display their collection. Where the rack would come into its own, in my opinion, would be in a gun shop environment where a store owner could maximize the number of long guns which could be displayed in a relatively small footprint. Additionally, dealers who set up at gun shows might like the rack’s features for the same reason. If table space is limited the rack may afford them extra capacity to conveniently and securely display their long guns. This practical application was recommended by my local gun shop owners who also set up at gun shows. Campbell Industrial makes a variety of rotary racks from a 10-gun model with an 18” diameter base, all the way up to a 22-gun model with a 30” diameter base.
The only modification that I might suggest would be to switch the brass tacks used on the upper rack to hold the elastic retention cord over to similar sized screw hooks. The hooks, if they were oriented outwards would serve to hold the retention cord in place when it was not being stretched around a gun being cradled in the rack. This might be a way to more securely keep the retention cord affixed to the upper rack plate.
If you are in the market for a sturdy, U.S. made rotary gun rack, either for home, shop, or show, please give Campbell Industrial Supply’s lineup a look. In addition to rotary gun racks they make a corner long gun rack, which is essentially ¼ of a circular rack with a fixed base. All other features are the same. Lastly, they make horizontal pistol racks of the type used in gun safes. The price of the 12-gun/22” diameter rack that I tested is listed at $159.00, and the 22-gun/30” diameter rack goes for $209.00. You can see all of Campbell’s models on their excellent website at: www.gun-racks.com or you can call them at (800)932-9518 or (559)876-1376.
Reviewed By: B.T. Davis