Quality Gun Safe

[ChipEckardt]

Looking for feedback from others
ISSUE
Would you purchase a high-end gun safe from a company that's main business is in an unrealted field?

I was looking to purchase a high quality large gun safe. Did my research and found what I thought was the best (talking in the $5K and up price range). Contacted them and they referred me to a dealer a few hundred miles away. I was expecting a locksmith, etc., the firm was a marina.

I do not want to get into names, and this marina might be the best in all the world as far as I know, but I was shocked that a safe manufacturer with what appears to be an excellent reputation would sell a franchise to someone that does not appear to have any related expertise. To me this seemed like a car dealer selling power tools.
I am not not looking for a lowball price, I could get that at Wally World, etc. i am looking for service if it would ever be needed. Not sure how I would ever get service if the safe locking mechanism acted up or had a fire and could not get in safe, etc. I don't buy guns from stores that cannot service them. It seems crazy to buy a safe from someone that (on the face of it) cannot support it.

What do you think? Thanks,

Chip

Chip

 

[mr45man]

I had a name brand, $2800.00 safe fail.
Seems the electronics in the lock failed,
I bought it from a safe dealer , that's all he sold.

Called the company and they offered to send out a lock smith
to fix it on there dime.

Long story short,i got the thing open with the tech on the phone
They sent a new unit and i installed it , again with the tech on the phone, rather than having a stranger in my house do it

I think the all use a local lock smith to do any service work
John H.

 

[Phil]

Liberty Presidential

Stay away from digital (electric) locks...

 

[Rustystud]

Drake Safes in Roxboro, NC are top of the line. Greg Drake is a great guy to deal with also.
He has spec models and makes custom models. They have a web site and will deliver.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Rookie]

Liberty Presidential

Stay away from digital (electric) locks...

+5 for the Liberty Presidential with manual S&G lock.
I would not buy from a dealer who was not certified buy the Mfg. as locksmith / service tech.

 

[RottenII]

I have a Liberty and its excellent. My dealer is actually an RV dealer. Go figure. He has a separate building behind the RV dealership that is totally packed with every safe you can think of.

 

[Nodak7mm]

+ 5 for Liberty. I have the "lincoln" with a mechanical S&G lock

B.I.L. is a locksmith and handles all the safe calls for his company. 90% of the safe calls involve the electronic keypads on the "mass-produced" safes.. One interresting tidbit about these mass produced safes we find at big-box stores and in mail order catalogs, they have utilize common default combinations.

But regarding the better safes: Liberty, Fort Knox, Browning, I dont think you can go wrong. But you need to decide what is important to you, such as?

Fire protection.
Theft protection.
Weight.
Movability.

I think if you keep your mouth shut about how many firearms you have, secure them in a decent safe (not the tin ones from the discount store), in a non-showoff location, & use common sense with keeping your firearms secure, you'll be fine against 99% of thefts.

Fire Protection. Well, I think alot of it boils down to type of fire, duration of fire, and temp of fire. If you are concerned about that, then you need to do some serious research with a security specialist..

just my 0.02

Rod

 

[jayded1]

As a locksmith/safe tech for 20 years, go to someone in your area (PM if you want some names) who not only sells and services safes but can move them as well. I won't buy a computer from my dry cleaner you should buy a safe from someone who really knows a bit about them. It pains me to see what passes off as gun "safes" today, more than likely you can get a real safe TL-15 or higher to fit whatever your needs will be, either brand new or second hand for less than a typical "gun safe".

Just my 2 cents....

 

[ChipEckardt]

Thanks for feedback everyone.

Chip