Gun Safe

[halfmoanut]

I need a safe give me your thoughts. I only have 10 rifles and probably won't own anymore. Have 3ea benchrest rigs. Will keep in basement. Which is the best bang for the buck??

 

[Nodak7mm]

1/2 inch Nut,

Gotta define its purpose to better answer your question. What are your needs?

A safe place to lock firearms up from kids?
A safe to keep stuff safe from burglers/thiefs?
A safe place for valuables in the event of a fire?

IMHO: each one of those purposes has a different price range..

Regardless, dont settle for a 10 gun safe... Lol!! Unless all your rifles are unscoped small .22 rimfires, they wont fit all fit nicely.. Mine is a 18-20 gun Liberty and I can barely fit 12 rigs in there... Something to bear in mind...

Rod

 

[bozo699]

1/2 inch Nut,

Gotta define its purpose to better answer your question. What are your needs?

A safe place to lock firearms up from kids?
A safe to keep stuff safe from burglers/thiefs?
A safe place for valuables in the event of a fire?

IMHO: each one of those purposes has a different price range..

Regardless, dont settle for a 10 gun safe... Lol!! Unless all your rifles are unscoped small .22 rimfires, they wont fit all fit nicely.. Mine is a 18-20 gun Liberty and I can barely fit 12 rigs in there... Something to bear in mind...

Rod

1/2 inch nut, the way you spelled his username, I don't care who you are that's funny ;D ;D

Anyway I agree with Nodak7mm analogy of the different degrees of safe guarding your rifles, I as well have several of the big Liberties that will guard against all three things Nodak mentioned. No $1K-$3K gun safe is totally burglar or fire proof but there going to make some noise and work for whats in there, and they will protect against fire to a certain amount and depending on placement and surroundings the contents may come through a fire unscathed I also agree that if you want to protect 10 rifles buy a safe to protect 20 or you will be disappointed.
Wayne.

 

[Nodak7mm]

;D ...... 8)

Rod

 

[FryeGuy]

good lord I hope you have a basement with an entrance. if not, you should buy one from someone who delivers and has a stair climbing dolly. you should also take the advice from rod. a 10 gun safe will not hold 10 guns unless 4-6 are pistols. any bolt guns and the space is gone quick. I just bought a 20 or 24 gun safe, and it'll hold about half that many, and you gotta really fit them. I bought mine to keep the little one out, but went ahead and spent the extra to get fire protection, etc. Winchester has a safe that has 90 minute protection at 1400 degrees F. silverado line. browning makes a nice safe. liberty, heritage, they are really have good safes. there is an article on the home page here about safe buying.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Don't know where you are located, but if you have Lowe's stores there, you should give them strong consideration. Their safes are Liberty or another good quality safe, and they will deliver in place for $49 in mo areas. That is a truck, dollies and three men, hard to beat.

 

[nfhjr62]

Would go with a Liberty Safe, when my Liberty safe was delivered it came on a wood skid sized to the safe i had it moved into the basement on the skid then bolted both to the floor luckily i did as a few years later the water heater burst and put three inches of water in the rear basement were the safe was lucky i did.

 

[Jeff A]

This article was very helpful when I was buying a safe.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/gun-safe-buyers-guide/

 

[farmerjohn]

HI NEIGHBOR, A FIREMAN GAVE US A TIP THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW. REGUARDLESS WHAT KIND OF SAFE YOU GET, SCREW TWO SHEETS OF FIRE GUARD SHEET ROCK, 1/2 IN OR 5/8 IS EVEN BETTER, ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER TO THE CEILING DIRECTELY OVER AND CENTERING THE SAFE WITH THE MINIUM AMOUNT OF SHEET ROCK SCREWS NEEDED TO HOLD UP THE TWO SHEETS SAFLEY. THE SCREWS WILL MELT AT A LOT LOWER TEMP THAN MOST SAFES ARE BUILT TO WITHSTAND AND DROP THE TWO SHEETS ON TOP OF THE SAFE AND USUALLY FOLD DOWN ON EACH SIDE CREATING A BARRIER THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE. THE FIREMAN TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN GUNS COME OUT OF A BASEMENT SAFE SET UP THIS WAY COMPLEATLY UNHARMED. JUST A THOUGHT, JF

 

[hedditch]

Farmerjohn, Do you know what my wife would do if I screwed two five eights sheets of plywood above my safe? I don't want to know either. Maybe if it was in the basement, ok but not in my upstairs reloading room that everyone walks in and out of. Hmmm, I don't think so. However, not a bad idea.

 

[MrMajestic]

Costco runs sales on Cannon's, I believe, with great prices. They deliver but will not carry it in the house for you! You are on your own. Go to the local gym and get a couple of bruiser, tell you will give them a protein shake. ;D

 

[5spd]

If you have a Sutherlands home center around you check them out. They always have over 20 different sizes of safes in stock and great prices.
Thats where I got my last one, even though it says winchester on it, its made by Granite safe co.
Mine is the Liberty line & fire rated at 45min.
Get one with the serviceable door (door comes off). I moved mine to the basement by myself, removed door & dollied it down, then the safe. No problem at all. Mine holds 24, so a 10-16 gun safe should be as easy, but have a pal help to make it easy on yourself.
Home Depot & Lowes carries the basic gun safes also, not big, but a safe anyway.

 

[DukeDuke]

If you are preparing for the worst, the safe will cost you. A lot!

 

[Forum Boss]

One tip -- don't hesitate to buy a safe with external hinges (look at bank vaults some time -- most have external hinges). The external hinge lets the door open wider, and the safe can be easier to install initially (since you can move the safe body without the door). There is no loss of security because, with the locking bolts in place on a properly made safe, you can cut off the hinges and the door won't move.

Also, be aware that most safe losses are due to pros just waltzing right in with a dolly or pallet jack, and taking away the whole safe. You are NOT secure unless your safe is secured to floors and/or walls.

As to the question of digital locks vs. electronic. Go electronic if you need rapid access. Otherwise a good rotary lock will last longer with less maintenance issues. There are, of course, really good electronic systems, but for the guy who goes into his safe maybe once a week, the rotary dial is probably a better choice. Most locksmiths agree.

 

[dreever]

The sides of the safe are the most vunerable. Unfortunately any thief with a body grinder and a hard wheel can get to your guns in less than a minute. Also pretty safes scream "LOOK HERE I AM!". Concealment of your safe is your best answer for protection.

Danny

 

[Taildrag15X]

In a basement home built with 14"reinforced poured concreit walls, 10" floor and ceiling with a Vault Door from these guys:

http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/defender.htm

 

[Nodak7mm]

a good rotary lock will last longer with less maintenance issues. There are, of course, really good electronic systems, but for the guy who goes into his safe maybe once a week, the rotary dial is probably a better choice. Most locksmiths agree.

LOL! My brother in law (BIL) is a locksmith and says, upwards of 80% of the gunsafe calls their shop takes are related to the elec keypad "fritzing" out. And as Paul also pointed out, there are good elec systems. But again, 99.9% these safe calls my BIL goes are on the "standard" mass-produced 500-700$ Sunday Ad Special safes we see.

When moving my 750lb Liberty, I found it interesting that it would not slide down a carpeted stairwell by gravity alone. It was actually easy for 3 of us to get it from garage to gun room. From Pallet, tipped onto moving blanket, skidded to basement door and slid it down. Not all that hard. But key is: BE SAFE and Dont Get in Front of it!

This is another case of buy once cry once.

Rod

 

[bozo699]

In a basement home built with 14"reinforced poured concreit walls, 10" floor and ceiling with a Vault Door from these guys:

http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/defender.htm

Mike,
A buddy of mine did his the same as you did, very nice, large and secure, I don't have a basement but may build me something similar.

The sides of the safe are the most vunerable. Unfortunately any thief with a body grinder and a hard wheel can get to your guns in less than a minute. Also pretty safes scream "LOOK HERE I AM!". Concealment of your safe is your best answer for protection.

Danny

Get into a safe with a body saw,...yes,in less then 60 seconds,.....NO way in hell. Maybe one of those wallmart cheap tin lockers they call a gun safe but not a real safe.
Wayne.

 

[dreever]

Wayne,

A real safe yes. One with at least 3/8 thick solid steel walls. Which you won't be moving into your house with a dolly. Unfortunately most safes out there including Browning etc. only use thin guage steel. 8 guage steel is only .1644 inch thick. Browning safes only have a 12 guage steel body which is .1046 inches thick.

Danny