Gun Safes?

[LuketheDog]

You'd better bolt it down really well...

"Shockey said that rifle and others were stored inside a white Cannon safe, which the thieves carted away in its entirety. The family suspects that the burglary required two or more people to carry out, and that they had used either a truck or trailer to make off with their stolen goods."

https://www.outdoorhub.com/news/201...hockeys-home-burglarized-fathers-guns-stolen/

 

[Laelkhunter]

Good video that is an eye opener for what most safes offer for protection from theft:

Also, to the debate of digital vs analog. Digital is fast and easy, but will wear out eventually. Analog should last longer than you without failure. Just something to ponder.

Interesting video, but am I the only one that noticed the one locking bolt on the bottom of the door did not appear to be engaged? Most of your "premium" safes have two or three bolts across the top and bottom of the door and three to four on the sides. My Browning does, anyway. The door on the safe in the video appeared to be very light metal, almost sheet metal. Maybe it wasn't a fire rated safe that would require a thicker door. What they could have shown you is someone with a sawsall that can defeat a safe in about two minutes, and they wouldn't have to tip it over on it's back.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Interesting video, but am I the only one that noticed the one locking bolt on the bottom of the door did not appear to be engaged? Most of your "premium" safes have two or three bolts across the top and bottom of the door and three to four on the sides. My Browning does, anyway. The door on the safe in the video appeared to be very light metal, almost sheet metal. Maybe it wasn't a fire rated safe that would require a thicker door. What they could have shown you is someone with a sawsall that can defeat a safe in about two minutes, and they wouldn't have to tip it over on it's back.

If you're ever bored, there are a fair number of videos showing stuff like that. Pretty interesting. And that's the crazy thing, a lot of safes sold are just sheet metal, 14 gauge is common for the budget safes and there really ain't much there, fire axe and done.

 

[runningmt]

Any safe will only keep honest people honest, as a true criminal will go to great lengths to get what they want. Keeping guns out of tiny hands is a great motive for a safe.

Safes are like tents.....a 6 person tent is really good for 2 or 3 people. A 24 gun safe is really good for 10-12 guns, if that.

 

[lifesupport4u]

Happy with my Liberty. Moving it was a pain... I think it’s 800lbs in a basement. If I move again I will be tempted to leave it and get a new one delivered to wherever I move.

It has limited space for longer guns like my duck hunting shotgun with long barrel.

Also, it’s big enough it doesn’t fit in my utility closet.

So, part of me wishes I had actually gone a little smaller...

Just a few considerations.

 

[westbranch]

Recently had one of these delivered. Seems like a good budget option to me. Not completely organized yet, but 12 seems like a stretch for this "30 gun" safe. Which I expected based on everything I researched. Probably will need something bigger eventually...

Kodiak KB19ECX | 59"H x 28"W x 20"D | 30 Long Gun Safe | 30 Min

Kodiak Gun Safe, 420 Pound, 30 Min Fire Protection, Electronic Lock, Internal Anti-Tamper clutch. California-approved firearm safety device.

rhinosafe.com

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Any safe will only keep honest people honest, as a true criminal will go to great lengths to get what they want. Keeping guns out of tiny hands is a great motive for a safe.

Safes are like tents.....a 6 person tent is really good for 2 or 3 people. A 24 gun safe is really good for 10-12 guns, if that.

Well said

 

[OverlordBear]

I think I might be the first to say it, congrats on having a kid on the way. You ll be a great dad if you continue to bring your high level of emotional intelligence into fatherhood like you do with your HT posts.

Before I bought a house while I was renting I used a cheap 16 gun sentry gun cabinet like they have at sportsmen and Home Depot and I just put 2 45 pound plates in the bottom to make it annoying for someone to try and swipe and to prevent it from tipping over. Plus they are easy to move by yourself.

 

[slatebuilder]

Buy something way bigger than you ever anticipate. As you have kids, add to your collection, add to their collection, space fills up fast.

 

[TN_Rifle_Junkie]

I have a RHINO 24 gun and filled it within one day of purchase and now I have to go buy another one. Biggest thing my dealer told me was to not keep powder and primers in the safe with the guns. Buy a separate storage locker for those items.

 

[Pucky Freak]

My wife and I bought a 24-gun Liberty safe the other day. 14 ga. steel, keypad, and 375 lbs. Got $100 off $730 price. It’s basically the bare minimum of what we needed for a safe. We have 6 guns currently, and I’m glad we didn’t get a smaller model. 18-gun would have been a squeeze. Purpose is for kid safety. Max size that would fit through the doorway was 30-gun model, and anything much heavier would have been tricky to get in the house. Keypad is convenient, but I know will likely replaced someday. I put a 1/4” thick and 2 1/2” wide board under the front lip to keep it from rocking forward and tipping as an alternative to bolting down. I would not suggest getting anything lighter than 375 lbs unless you are going to bolt to the wall or floor.

If I was wanting one for adequate theft and fire protection, or to protect valuables, I’d be looking to spend a lot more $

 

[LuketheDog]

Any of you guys have a steel security door on a gun room (or gun closet) instead of a safe? I'm mid-remodel on my basement, and in the area that is going to become a storage room anyway I have a nice corner with two existing concrete walls. Either I will put a safe there or build two beefy walls with a security door...

 

[runningmt]

Any of you guys have a steel security door on a gun room (or gun closet) instead of a safe? I'm mid-remodel on my basement, and in the area that is going to become a storage room anyway I have a nice corner with two existing concrete walls. Either I will put a safe there or build two beefy walls with a security door...

I’ve always day-dreamed of a nice big climate-controlled walk in gun safe room.

Do it!

 

[Scott85]

Best Gun Safes for Home Gun Storage | SecureIt Gun Storage

Defend your entire home with the best gun safe systems, offering secure firearm storage with fast access and customization. Shop now.

www.secureitgunstorage.com

 

[riv3rbanks]

I think you should not spend money on a "gun safe" until you are ready to buy one that will last forever and have a better chance of withstanding a break-in/fire. I like to look at the safe being an investment that you can pass down to your kids/grandkids one day. For your purpose, a simple cabinet would do. Just something with a lock. You can get those for less than $100. When you're ready to purchase a safe in the future, avoid the box stores. Look for thick steel and a decent locking bolts. Cannon, Winchester, Cabelas brand, etc are all overpriced and basically just look pretty. Look at companies like Fort Knox, Sturdy Safes, Amsec or Graffunder$$$. Shop at the local safe store if you have one to see what is available and always check auction sites and Craigslist for any deals.

 

[HSi-ESi]

Kudo's for all the replies on having a safe for the little hands. I really do appreciate that sentiment.

We have 2 safes, 1 that has normal guns (20 ish total but that includes 5 pistols). 1 in the bedroom that is fingerprint activated. Both don't have great fire ratings- it is more for keeping them locked. We got the "big" one at Murdock's, on sale 10+ years ago. It has held up well, I don't even know the brand.

I figure when we get to the "final" house there will be more thought put in so I have been soaking up the replies.

 

[Kaitum]

One more item to consider (if it hasn't already come up), consider securing the safe to the floor if possible. On the heavier safes, the door is almost 1/3 the total weight. Not that it's a likely scenario but one with terrible consequences if it ever happened - someone (like a kid) hanging on an open safe door could tip it over with less effort than you'd think.

 

[1_pointer]

In the OPs situation, I'd get a lockable gun cabinet and call it a day. Especially since he likely had multiple moves in his not too distant future.

Read a post years ago on a different board by an insurance investigator (whatever the title is). Said he'd investigated for than 50 of both house fires and burglary attempts on gun safes. He said in all of the fire cases, the guns were a total loss. Not as much from heat, but from the steam/smoke of putting the fire out is very caustic. Had a similar results with burglaries; in that all safes were gotten into. FWIW...

They are just things, even heirlooms. Not saying it wouldn't suck to lose those things, but things are just that...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

In the OPs situation, I'd get a lockable gun cabinet and call it a day. Especially since he likely had multiple moves in his not too distant future.

Read a post years ago on a different board by an insurance investigator (whatever the title is). Said he'd investigated for than 50 of both house fires and burglary attempts on gun safes. He said in all of the fire cases, the guns were a total loss. Not as much from heat, but from the steam/smoke of putting the fire out is very caustic. Had a similar results with burglaries; in that all safes were gotten into. FWIW...

They are just things, even heirlooms. Not saying it wouldn't suck to lose those things, but things are just that...

So much great info on this thread so far, definitely making me realize there are gun safes and lockable metal gun cabinets.

I think I will be getting the latter for the next 5-10 until we settle into a forever home. Probably going to move 3 times in that period and I don't relish hauling around a true safe... esp cross country. Hopefully after that I can get a true safe

 

[Gut Shot]

If you buy a "gun safe" you are buying a "residential security container" (RSC). It is a small step up from a plain locking steel cabinet. UL rates these to last 5 minutes (generally) against burglary with hand tools by someone who knows what they are doing.

As far as fire rating, there are plenty of instances of guns surviving fires in fire rated safes. Where you place those safes can have something to do with how well things survive a fire. In a basement corner is better than in the middle of your living room.

Any safe that weighs less than 1/2 ton needs to be bolted down, safes that way more than 1/2 ton should be bolted down. The safe in my shop weighs 1600lbs and three big guys moved it in on a cart and muscled it into place. I grabbed a few friends and did the same thing when I moved my store.

Some of the best deals on real safes (that is, safes that have a TL or T burglary rating from UL) can be found from jewelry, antique and pawn stores that are going out of business, and there will be plenty going out in the next year. I've picked up a few of these safes and never paid more than $700 for one. Also banks that are remodeling may have old document safes that they will part with for a song. The catch is you have to move them or hire someone to do it.