Gun Safes - What Do You Like?

[kudzu]

The small safe that I keep my handguns in is too small for long guns and not really very secure. I am thinking of getting something large enough for all my guns and some other valuables. What do you have that you like or what would be your choice if you were in the market?

[tallman]

$$ ?

They vary quite a bit in price.

How many guns and what size?

Be hypothetical if you don't want to specify.

[philbytx]

If you haven't got kids at home, leave the handguns on the night stand and just park the long guns in the corner of every room !!

 

 

[Firefight911]

Here ya go.

 

Gun Safe

[kudzu]

$$ ?

They vary quite a bit in price.

How many guns and what size?

Be hypothetical if you don't want to specify.

I was thinking in terms of which brands or manufacturers, but probably should have been more specific. Say 10 or 15 long guns and 2 or 3 dozen handguns plus room for some documents and small valuables. I do not want to throw money away but quality/security is more important than price.

[upflying]

If you haven't got kids at home, leave the handguns on the night stand and just park the long guns in the corner of every room !!

 

Gonna agree here, by the time you can get a gun out of a safe, it will be too late to use it.

Modern weapons that are replaceable should be readily accessible. Antique, hard to replace and collector weapons should be in a safe.

[kudzu]

If you haven't got kids at home, leave the handguns on the night stand and just park the long guns in the corner of every room !!

 

Gonna agree here, by the time you can get a gun out of a safe, it will be too late to use it.

Modern weapons that are replaceable should be readily accessible. Antique, hard to replace and collector weapons should be in a safe.

My defensive weapons are always kept readily available. I am considering a safe to make it a little harder, or at least take longer, for all my guns and the valuables mentiond to be stolen when I am not at home. Also, the fire protection it would provide is a plus, too.

[SHOman]

I just helped a buddy pick out a safe, spent a bit of time recently looking at various ones and comparing the differences.

 

As you noted quality and security are the main concerns, check these out, they are considered "the best" by many. Pretty pricey.

 

http://www.graffundersafes.com/

 

These are also pretty good but a step or two under Graffunder. These are generally considered the best residential type safe for an affordable price.

 

http://www.ftknox.com/

 

Sounds like you have a nice collection to protect. Be careful what you get. Those cheaper safes are pretty easy to break into.

 

I would recommend 8 guage steel walls at a minimum. The lock mechanism is important too. Cheaper safes can be opened if drilled on the side and the bolt is struck with significant force. My buddy's safe is protected from this by "off center cams".

 

Liberty Safes has some decent offerings (their high end lines) too but are a step below the ones mentioned above. My buddy ended up with a Liberty, Fort Knox was his first choice but cost was also a factor.

 

http://www.libertysafe.com/

 

One last thing. Many companies don't consider the lock to be part of the safe and warranty the lock for less time than the safe itself. So... if your electronic lock fails, you might be out of luck and end up with a good sized repair bill. This probably doesn't apply to Ft Knox and Graffunder. I prefer a dial lock myself.

 

I could go on and on about safes. I left out an explanation of the differences in fire protection (cheaper vs. better).

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

[kudzu]

I just helped a buddy pick out a safe, spent a bit of time recently looking at various ones and comparing the differences...

 

...Let me know if you have any questions.

SHOman, thanks a lot - that was exactly the kind of info I hoped to get!

[CarrotNC]

+1 on the Liberty brand. Only wish I'd gotten at least two sizes larger. Don't know what weapon the manufacturer is using when they rate it for "x number of long guns" but I'm lucky to hit half that number if scopes are fitted.

 

Space can be expanded by putting pistol holters on the door. But no expansion really available for longer weapons. If you ever have a hankering for a flintlock rifle then make sure the interior height of the safe will accomodate it.

 

Thought about where to put it? Preferably secure it with anchor bolts into concrete, and with a 110v outlet nearby for a dehumidifier. Best security is completely out of sight/mind to the random thief; a dedicated team will be able to solve any puzzle given time -- and your safe buys time.

[Jeepster]

I have two safes built by American Security AmSec Safes

I am very happy with both price and quality.

I really have no need for a third safe right now, but when or if I do.

I will look at Amsec a third time.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Gun safes are not easily moved nor shipped. Shipping can become a significant cost driver in selection.

Find a mfr close to you and see what they have that will hold your collection and fit where you intend to put it.

You can use either weight or mechanical fastening to prevent it being taken away. If it is too light, it won't fasten well.

[AZKomet]

A 40 in her nightstand....a 45 in mine. A mini 14 in the closet corner, a Walther PPK in the spare bedroom and a 410 in the TV room closet. I was never outgunned.....never will be!!!

 

 

16 other guns in the safe....just in case I need them!

[wolcott]

1)How the hell do they get these big gun safes into your house?

Especially without damaging the floors, etc?

 

2)I read the other day where a man with a nice collection came home to find his house broken into and the gun safe gone. However, the news article did not specify how big the safe was or the weight of the safe. Maybe a van with 4 strong guys and an assortment of tools, pry bars, rollers, etc.?

 

3)Does the bottom of these safes have holes where you can secure them to the floor with some sort of anchor bolt device?

[tallman]

You don't need to bolt it to the floor.

A simple explosive device underneath will prevent it from being moved,

 

 

 

 

 

 

very far.

[CarrotNC]

Most safes do have a series of holes in the bottom, under a trim piece, for bolts and an electrical cord to power lights, dehumidifier and even locks.

 

A professional safe company will lay down protective sheathing when moving the unit into place, and their equipment and expertise is worth the delivery price! Can choose from many safe sizes, from just a 60 pound locker to several tons -- although at that point you might just as well build a room safe.

 

No safe is foolproof, all it can do is buy you time to respond. If you don't have a security system to alert a responder, then the contents must not be irreplaceable, because the criminals will eventually gain access. Or just take it with them for opening later. Either way, the contents are compromised.

 

Heard a story about a guy who put his safe on the third floor of the house with specially reinforced floors to support it, and then trimmed the doors smaller than the safe -- figuring no one would ever steal it. Criminals simply chainsawed thru the floors until it hit ground level, then rolled it thru a hole in the side of the house and onto a trailer. His security system was detecting only door & window openings -- it never went off.

[sebjones906]

I don't worry about condensation in my safe. I get into it every day. I keep wifes jewelry, keys, camera, important papers in it and it has the ability to open with a combination or a key. Very convenient.

 

The most important piece of advice I got when I was looking for a safe was....... "Don't buy one for what you have. The day you install it, it will be full. Buy one twice that big, you will fill it up."

[DaveOVRT]

One should consider the fire rating as well as the security aspects. I have a fairly generic 1/4 inch plate safe in the garage for ammo (5'hx3'wx2'd) and this magnum in the house for weapons, jewlery, and paper work. As I recall it has a 60 minute rating. It works well and looks good

 

http://oregontrailsafeco.com/magnum.html

 

 

[AZKomet]

Gun safes are not easily moved nor shipped. Shipping can become a significant cost driver in selection.

Find a mfr close to you and see what they have that will hold your collection and fit where you intend to put it.

You can use either weight or mechanical fastening to prevent it being taken away. If it is too light, it won't fasten well.

 

There are a # of safes that come apart for shipping...then bolt back together on the inside. This makes them very versatile.

[MotorinLA]

Any safe is better than no safe. If your budget does not allow for the high end safe you'd like to buy, then go with something more affordable. Common burglars will usually not be equipped to tackle a good sized safe, they want to be in and out quickly. If someone is targeting your abode specifically for your guns, then you'd need something pretty significant to stop them. The first kind of burglar is more common. Even a simple stand up safe from Home Depot, which will run you in the range of $300-700, will keep these guys from taking your guns.