Looking for a new gun safe

[Rsadams]

Whatever safe we buy should have an expanding fire seal on the door. That will keep out smoke and water. When I did all the research four years ago, I found several safes that were high quality and secure. I wound up with Sportsman Steel Safes.

Their top of the line safes have a 1/4" steel body, a 10 gauge stainless liner, massive locks and re-lockers, concrete fireboard, and a Palusol expanding door seal. The door gap is so small that they cannot be pried open, and if the lock is tampered with the relockers activate and the door cannot be opened.

The only way a thief can break in is to have the combination, or cut through the safe body. While a cutting torch would make quick work of the 1/4" steel body, The 10 gauge stainless liner will stop the torch. So they'd have to cut out the liner with a saw. They'd also have to deal with the concrete fire board. All that could be done, but it will take too long for most thieves.

I had this safe when I lived in Oregon, and last summer when we were under a fire evac status we put several valuables in the safe for fire protection. It provided piece of mind knowing the house could burn down yet everything in the safe would be fine.

As someone who has been through a massive forest fire and lost everything.... I can say that if the house is a complete loss even a fire safe will have heavily damaged items.... Mainly because the safe is only rated for 30 minutes normally and the house will cook it and since you won't be allowed back in for awhile , ours was 8 days which gave it time to turn the safe into an oven because the house normally falls down around the safe and creates a Dutch oven effect...

With that said you have done your research it sounds like and bought a nice safe , there's a reason why some cost more of course.... Just a word to the wise if possible next time take whatever you want with you... At the time of the fire here my safe wasn't fire rated... It sat in the corner of my trailer so it actually fell out as the house burned but the fire was so hot it actually burned the bone and stag handles off some nice knives I left in there to the point they were just ash , never found one piece of them except the metal blades... It had 1 inch locking lugs and I broke them with a crow bar I found laying on the ground with hardly zero effort... That's hot...

I now have a fire rated liberty with alot of the same features as yours but I still load up EVERYTHING now when fires get close , happens all the time here.... I absolutely hope you never have to use your safe for it's intended purposes , I wish that on nobody.... Just thought I would mention it... Don't forget to take , mags , ammo and of course as much reloading stuff you can get out , ie powder primers and bullets.... Insurance won't cover that.... Also most homeowners insurance will only cove about $1000 dollars for guns.... I increased mine to $20,000 for about $120 a year.... Might also check your policy......

 

[archangel485]

Lots of good posts already, I went through this same dilemma a few years back. The video posted by @teele1 is a video I watched and well worth your time.

The question you have to answer is what is your concern, if theft is what you want to guard against, 90% of the safes available are a no go. Go to a box store sometime that sells big safes and push on the wall, you'll see it flex, that's how you know a pick axe could make it through that pretty easily let alone power tools. Most of those safes are 12ga. steel, pretty thin. They might help with a very short duration of fire but thicker steel is also much better for fire protection. So yeah, those thin walled safes basically keep kids out and there are cheaper ways to do that. A rule of thumb, if it's a huge box that holds 20 rifles or something, and it weighs 400lbs, it's not very thick steel. Safes have to have thick steel, and thick steel is heavy. So, like one poster said, don't buy one giant safe, buy several smaller ones if you need more capacity.

I ended up going with a Sturdy safe, much thicker steel, more stout door pins, overall a much better design. Sturdy also has several good videos on youtube but here is a decent one to watch.

 

[243Lapua]

Depending on where you live. I have bought 3 safes from Lone Star safes, in San Antonio TX and Houston TX

 

[acloco]

You can help the fire rating by applying a layer or two of sheetrock to the exterior of the safe. As somebody pointed out, make sure you put TWO layers on the top of the safe.

ALL items in a gunsafe, during a fire, will be considered to be IN a crockpot (as somebody pointed out).

If you have papers or coins, you need to keep in a smaller fire rated safe inside of the primary.

 

[PhilC]

watch this video the safe dealer tells the truth.

I watched that video (and others) several times before settling on settling on brands I'd consider. Got more safe than I was looking for because it was on the floor, clearance priced, free delivery, and at 3/4 ton, that was a big deal.

 

[284winner]

My safe is in the outside wall of my home in the walk in closet of my bedroom. Outside the home on the siding are four visible dots where if those dots are connected with a chainsaw, a 44x64 inch hole will be left in that wall exposing the safe. On the back of the safe are two large loop straps to pull that safe over and on to the ground if necessary. Sounds pretty extreme but was just a forethought when I built that master bedroom and pretty much built it around that safe. Pretty sure no gun safes contents will survive a couple hours in extreme heat from a fire. The odds of a break in vs fire are real close to equal. If the contents get replaced by a companies guarantee, all thats left is fire safety.

 

[INTJ]

You can help the fire rating by applying a layer or two of sheetrock to the exterior of the safe. As somebody pointed out, make sure you put TWO layers on the top of the safe.

ALL items in a gunsafe, during a fire, will be considered to be IN a crockpot (as somebody pointed out).

If you have papers or coins, you need to keep in a smaller fire rated safe inside of the primary.

Concrete fireboard is better option than sheetrock. I don't know where to buy that by itself. More fire protection layers are indeed better. I spec'd my safe with double layers of fireboard.

If you buy a good enough safe, there isn't a need for a safe within a safe. I guess the good safes are more like crock pots on low.........

Sportsman Fire Test Video

 

[joshb]

My safe is in the outside wall of my home in the walk in closet of my bedroom. Outside the home on the siding are four visible dots where if those dots are connected with a chainsaw, a 44x64 inch hole will be left in that wall exposing the safe. On the back of the safe are two large loop straps to pull that safe over and on to the ground if necessary. Sounds pretty extreme but was just a forethought when I built that master bedroom and pretty much built it around that safe. Pretty sure no gun safes contents will survive a couple hours in extreme heat from a fire. The odds of a break in vs fire are real close to equal. If the contents get replaced by a companies guarantee, all thats left is fire safety.

I really like a guy that plans ahead!

 

[acloco]

Concrete fireboard is better option than sheetrock. I don't know where to buy that by itself. More fire protection layers are indeed better. I spec'd my safe with double layers of fireboard.

If you buy a good enough safe, there isn't a need for a safe within a safe. I guess the good safes are more like crock pots on low.........

Sportsman Fire Test Video

You are correct. Painful to work with though.

Two layers of 1/2" sheetrock or a layer of 5/8 waterboard is good medicine as well.

 

[INTJ]

You are correct. Painful to work with though.

Two layers of 1/2" sheetrock or a layer of 5/8 waterboard is good medicine as well.

Yeah I wondered about that. It came with my safe, and I don't know how practical it is to add after the fact. Sheetrock is much easier.

 

[acloco]

Yeah I wondered about that. It came with my safe, and I don't know how practical it is to add after the fact. Sheetrock is much easier.

Add to the outside. Will definitely NOT be as attractive........

 

[Dave@MAM]

I fully agree with Joshb. I realize no gun safe will guard against the fires of hell temperatures for very extended lengths. I also planted my Liberty Franklin 50 in a corner of my house to at least be accessed more easily by fire personnel with cooling water if all else fails. (In a rural area, VFD’s can take a few minits to get trucks rolling.). Supposed to with stand 1200* for 75 minits.
Before I bought this safe, I considered buying another safe and placing in another bedroom. Guy recommended selling the smaller Liberty, and getting one larger unit account of already having space dedicated to one safe. Would only be adding minimal size, compared to having two safes taking up space.
I like the idea about the chainsaw scenario, however in my case I usually have to work on one before I can use it so.............

 

[INTJ]

Add to the outside. Will definitely NOT be as attractive........

That brings up another good option. If you have the room you can built a little enclosure around the safe. A safe closet that is heavy with the sheet rock and insulation. Put it behind a door and you will have added both security and fire resistance.

 

[timeout]

That brings up another good option. If you have the room you can built a little enclosure around the safe. A safe closet that is heavy with the sheet rock and insulation. Put it behind a door and you will have added both security and fire resistance.

And always keep it against an outside wall so the whole house can't fall in around it and build it into an oven. Also, it can more easily be sprayed down with water by the fire department to keep it cool.

 

[NV_Dmax]

How many videos out there showing a safe that successfully defended against a house fire?

 

[Tommie]

Just my opinion:
After seeing real photos and videos of guns that were in a safe and “survived” a fire, I would not put a single round through anything that had been in the middle of a house fire.

 

[acloco]

How many videos out there showing a safe that successfully defended against a house fire?

One of my other hobbies, coin collecting.

A few years back, the wildfire that raged through norther California, definitely provided statistical info about safes.

In one particular person's bad experience, the only safe that survived, one ton bank safe (picture 12" steel walls/door).

NGC and NCS Help Coin Collector Impacted by Devastating Paradise Wildfire

In all, 48 NGC-graded coins were conserved, graded and reholdered after the Paradise WildFire At 6:33 a.m. on November 8, 2018, a wildfire was reported

coinweek.com

 

[BOB LEE SWAGGER]

Buy once. About the price of one of my Kahles scopes. I wouldn't try to save money on a safe or car brakes.

Fatboy

Are you looking for a high-capacity gun safe that can handle all of your rifles and shotguns? Choose the FATBOY from Liberty Safe. These large safes can securely accommodate up to 60 long guns, complete with collector gun racks and rifle rods. Durable, dependable, and heavy-duty, a FATBOY gun...

www.libertysafe.com

 

[WVelkhunter]

I have always cussed at threads on gun forums for costing me money, but this one may definitely take the cake. I've also been looking at adding an additional safe because mine is overflowing. But after reading and watching videos, I'm strongly considering building a walk in safe addition onto my house. Concrete walls, floor and ceiling with a vault door entrance from inside my house. A contractor friend of mine recommended building it out of fox block and adding a Sportsman Steel vault door.

 

[NV_Dmax]

The attached file is a vault detail that I clipped (for privacy reasons) from a set of drawings I have. That's definitely the way to go. I almost replied yesterday with this but most don't want/can't go down this road.

I have always cussed at threads on gun forums for costing me money, but this one may definitely take the cake. I've also been looking at adding an additional safe because mine is overflowing. But after reading and watching videos, I'm strongly considering building a walk in safe addition onto my house. Concrete walls, floor and ceiling with a vault door entrance from inside my house. A contractor friend of mine recommended building it out of fox block and adding a Sportsman Steel vault door.