I'd be interested in any experiences any of y'all have had with gun safes. Fireproof or not? Digital combination or not? Store ammunition in it or not?
It seems that the sky's the limit on what you can spend. I'd like not to spend towards the no$ebleed end of the spectrum, but want something that I won't regret later.
I'll be looking at one big enough for both rifles and pistols.
17 comments:
If in doubt, go with the bigger one. I like good old mechanical combination locks. I have a few boxes of ammo in there, but mostly guns, and some papers and odds and ends I would hate to lose. Fire resistance is important, Remember, too, you still have to move an 800 pound box around, and you "may" not be able to do it yourself, or just put it anywhere in today's houses. I have a Champion Victory, but you may not need as large a safe ---- yet.
I have two. The first is a smallish GunVault mounted in my bedroom closet where I keep my bump in the night stuff (handgun, 2 mags, flashlight, etc). In my office, I "converted" the closet to a gun holder by installing some appropriate shelving/countertop and putting a keyed lock on the door. In there I keep my 2 rifles and 2 shotguns, plus ammunition, cleaning supplies, targets, range bag, and household fireproof safe. The closet itself is not fireproof and I felt that investment was not warranted because I don't have an extensive collection, don't have kids around the house, and really didn't want a refrigerator-sized gun safe sitting around my house somewhere.
Admittedly, it is just a slightly more secure closet, but that was sufficient for my needs, and more budget / aesthetic friendly.
Fireproof - nay - fire resistant is critical. Both for the guns and invariable other paperwork that will be secured inside.
Big is relative. Bolt it down, thoroughly. I moved an 1100# safe into place in my home (up 4 stairs, around two corners, etc) ALONE. You need to keep it in place to keep it secure.
Can't define "too big" but keep in mind the advertised capacites are very optimistic. Bigger is always better, esp when you see what else finds itself in there.
Ammo - I wouldn't store much more than a mag or two for each of the guns in the safe. Had an acquaintence with a home that got caught up in a wildfire a couple of years ago. Bulk ammo in the safe let loose and blew the door open, negating everything...
Lowe's has this for about 400 bucks, and it is fire rated, has the Paluseal stuff for fire. It weighs a manageable 287 pounds. Looks like a good value, and you don't need a rigger to move it. I was thinking of getting one as the aforementioned Champion is about full.
Centurion by Liberty Safe 12 Cu. Ft. Executive Safe
Ayuh.
What everybody else said.
I've got a Liberty (wish now it was bigger), w/a mechanical lock- I don't trust those newfangled electronic gizmo locks.
Fire resistant, adjustable interior, electric access to inside (for dehumidifier, light, etc.) are features to consider when shopping.
I only keep a "grab" quantity, like a box or so of ammo for each piece in the safe.
Mine was about $1k, but that was 15 yrs. ago...
Definitley combo lock.
This way nobody (crook or cop) can get the key.
Dennis the librarian shusher
I've been pretty happy thus far with my Cannon from Tractor Supply. It's worth noting that it only has bolts on one side of the door, but that was an acceptable trade off for me against price ($1300). I was more interested in fire protection and stopping a casual smash-grab than anything else.
Combo locks can fail just as well as e-locks - there are good and bad to both, and I would be comfortable buying either.
Okaaaaaay Wally, I guess we shouldn't mess with someone who moves 1100 pounds by himself!
BP,
I'm in the process of basically armoring my attic, so I'm probably the wrong guy to ask,but... :)
Whatever you do decide to get, get it twice as big as you think you'll need.
Trust me on this...
I've got the small Liberty Presidential...wish I had bought bigger, but it was the only size I could get upstairs. Liberty safes are spendy, but they are just awesome. I got mine at Gander Mtn for more than 50% off because the finish was scratched to heck. But it is a safe, not a piece of furniture!
BTW, I'd get it after the big move...those things are expensive to move!
Unless you're willing to spend big bucks, gun safes aren't. To get a California approval rating the safe has to withstand two minutes of a crow bar beating. That just isn't cool. It's a target.
Might I suggest hiding it? Build a plywood enclosure with it's own lock. Label it "Paint Supplies" and put it in an out of the way corner.
As for ammunition. Put it in a cardboard box and tuck it with the christmas decorations. I don't think you want it in the same place as the guns.
We've got one big-ol' safe in the bedroom and some little fast-access safes in other parts of the apartment. You've been to the Kitty Den - all rooms feed into one central area. The only realistic goblin entry is through the front door; unless there's a weapon already stashed in my area I'd have to approach him to lay hands on a heater. That didn't seem healthy!
In other words -- consider your planned avenues of retreat and shelter when you figure out how many safes you need, what kind, and where you're going to put them.
Bigger the better. I had one of those lockers, with the cylindrical key locks. Any large guy could pick it up en masse and take it. I upgraded to a Fort Knox, about 800 pounds, empty. Fine safe, thought I had solved the problem. Burglars removed the Fort Know safe intact. Lesson, bolt any safe, no matter how large, into the concrete. postscript - no guns or documents recovered or surfaced 3 years later, thand God for Fort Knox!
Okaaaaaay Wally, I guess we shouldn't mess with someone who moves 1100 pounds by himself!
And without breaking a sweat, just using logic and leverage, never brawn. I did it to prove a point- that a criminal could do it to. Faster, actually, since he wouldn't be concerned about scratching a wall.
Before the safe, the last big move was an 8500lb lathe that we did with three guys. Two would have been better, third just kept getting in the way.
I just bought a Winchester 16 gun model from Costco. $500.00. It's fire rated at 30 minutes. It has an electronic lock. I have a Browning I bought many years ago that is also 16 gun and rated for 30 minutes that had a combination lock. Of the 2 I prefer the combo. Although I do have to remember the combination, I set it to something that's easy for me (middle age memory issues notwithstanding). The electronic requires a 9 volt battery. The last time I visited the Utah house the battery was dead and it was Sunday night. Nothing is open in Utah on Sunday night and I had failed to put away spare batteries. I'm comfortable with either but if I have a choice I'll take combination (not keyed).
I have golden rod humidity control in both and they are lag bolted to wall studs.
Buy as much quality and size as you can afford. You may buy two or more in your lifetime but it's at least possible this is the only gun safe you'll ever own. Spending as much on those 2 areas as you can will pay off in the long run. Humidity control is important.
I keep my gun safes in the house proper and my bulk ammunition in my basement. I bought a large, metal storage locker and welded on 2 hasps (upper and lower). I lock it with large Masterlock combination locks (keyed to the same combo as the Browning safe). I will probably end up moving the safes into the basement as well and securing the whole thing with a commercial grade steel door. Eventually.
My re-loading supplies are in non-locked wooden containers with powder seperated from primers (no bombs!) in an outbuilding.
Hope this helps BP.
Wally, actually I know you are right, as I have done some rigging myself. I had my safe moved to my new house however (at great expense) though I might have been able to do it (though not alone). There is a video on Youtube of a fellow moving huge pieces of concrete by himself, to prove a point. Yes, leverage and rolling friction will move most anything.
Different Wally...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOgyHcPnI70
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