A weapons locker aboard the USS Enterprise-E
A weapons locker is a storage area for firearms aboard Federation starships and outposts. They are typically accessed through a simple touch interface or voice command to authenticate authorized access by Starfleet personnel.
Design
Depending on the purpose and size of a weapons locker, it can store phasers, plasma rifles, portable weapons containers, and other standard Starfleet personnel equipment. Plasma rifles are regularly stored in with the muzzle facing upwards for ease of retrieval, and phasers are placed in a manner in order to optimize storage space. (Star Trek: First Contact; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Larger weapons lockers are designed to hold space-combat weapons, such as photon torpedoes before they are automatically loaded into the firing bay. (DS9: "Tribunal"; TNG: "In Theory")
Although most weapons lockers are placed in strategic locations such as in armories, near transporter rooms, shuttlebays, or security offices, certain starships, such as the USS Enterprise-A have a weapons locker in the kitchen. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Uses
A weapons locker is also located in the staging area aboard the Template:ShipClass USS Enterprise before (TOS: "The Cage") and after (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) the refit of 2270-73.
In 2369, Tosk tampers with an access terminal in a corridor on Deep Space 9 in an attempt to access a weapons locker, located in the habitat ring, level five, section three. (DS9: "Captive Pursuit") Chief Miles O'Brien and Major Kira Nerys also took advantage of similar weapons lockers aboard Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Hard Time", "Shattered Mirror")
In 2372, Tuvok wanted to talk to Captain Janeway about weapons storage aboard the USS Voyager. (VOY: "Persistence of Vision")
In 2373, Janeway accessed a weapons locker in engineering to combat the macrovirus aliens. (VOY: "Macrocosm")
Background
Legible letters on the inside
For the weapons lockers seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, real-life containers were used. Those containers were modified, however, so that it was not visible on screen that they had previously served another function.
In "Hard Time", however, Chief O'Brien opened a locker and some letters were seen on the inside of the lid; those letters had not been made unreadable. On the screenshot to the right(turned 180 degrees and mirrored) the words "Action Packer" are legible.