1 - Basic requirements:

These basic requirements can be found regularly in the weapon storage brochures of many German federal states, here taken as an example from the weapon storage brochure of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg:

WEAPON ROOM
According to Section 13, Paragraph 1, Sentence 4 of the German Armed Forces Ordinance (AWaffV), the construction of a gun room is permitted as an alternative to gun cabinets. The windowless gun room must be designed as follows:

DOOR:
ƒcertified door according to EN 1143-1 , resistance grade 0 or I, depending on the number of weapons to be stored.

A combination lock is recommended to avoid the problem of secure key storage.

WALLS / CEILINGS / FLOORS:
ƒMasonry according to DIN EN 1996/NA,
Nominal thickness ≥ 240 mm* ,
Stone compressive strength ≥ 12
ƒMortar group at least NM II/DM

alternatively:
Reinforced concrete according to DIN EN 1992/NA
Nominal thickness ≥ 140 mm, strength class
at least C 16/20 or

alternatively:
ƒcertified wall construction according to DIN
EN 1143-1, resistance grade 0 or I

VENTILATION SYSTEMS:
ƒFor room ventilation, ventilation ducts, max. Ø 12 cm, can be installed

BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM (EMA)
Depending on local conditions (location of the property, structural condition) as well as the type and number of weapons to be stored, the installation of an additional fire alarm system may be necessary. Systems complying with DIN EN 50131 Grade II - Grade IV or at least VdS Class "B" are always required.
In addition to the local alarm (visual/acoustic), a remote alarm to a permanently manned, assistance-providing location is required (certified guard and security service).

Non-permanently occupied buildings
According to Section 13 Paragraph 4 AWaffV, in a building that is not permanently inhabited (e.g.
Holiday apartment, hunting lodge – criterion: little frequented) max. 3 permit-requiring
Long weapons stored in a safe, according to EN 1143-1, resistance grade I
No handguns requiring a permit!

Legal notice: The above information reflects the current status at the time of writing (April 7, 2025, 3:00 p.m.). Short-term, dynamic changes are not uncommon, especially in the area of ​​weapons storage. We recommend that you coordinate your plans with your firearms authority in advance. We accept no liability for any failure to do so.

Note on the marked text *: WALLS, CEILINGS, FLOORS:

Many existing buildings have adequate exterior walls, but the interior walls of the designated weapon room are thinner than the minimum requirement of 240mm. However, in many cases, this is not an obstacle if you can adapt the wall(s) to meet these requirements by building up the masonry.

IMPORTANT: If, for example, you were to assemble a 240mm wall from two 120mm thick masonry walls, you would obviously not find sufficient support in the space between these two walls to permanently mount your gun room door. After a short time, the frame would shake loose, even with chemically bonded screw anchors, simply by operating the heavy door!

DILEMMA: A door frame, as offered by other manufacturers as a standalone option, which is then inserted into the door jamb and fixed there in the wall jamb, is completely unsuitable for your project in these cases, as the following photo shows, note the yellow markings = mounting points in the frame:

We eliminate this dilemma with two additional well-thought-out mounting options:

1: Installation of the door frame on the outer wall, whereby the fastening is carried out by means of threaded rods through the entire masonry, these are screwed on the room side (in the secured area):

2: Mounting the door frame on the inner wall, whereby it is screwed directly into the wall from the inside, here as a direct screw connection through the frame (see photo) or with mounting plates (not shown in the photo, details follow in point 7 of the configuration):

Now you know our three possible ways to connect the door frame to the masonry:

1. Mounting the door frame on the aisle-side wall
2. Mounting the door frame on the room-side wall
3. Installation of the door frame in the wall reveal

In the next step, you'll learn about the different installation options for your strongroom or gun room door. Experience how you can influence the door opening dimensions with simple variations.

Step 2: Introduction of the different mounting options including advantages and disadvantages