Suggestions for New Gun Vault?

[clunker]

I will be moving in with my sister for a while until I can get established in Portland. Not only does no one else in my extended family like guns, but there are other reasons that I feel it would be prudent to install a vault. She has frequent guests, including kids and some who stay for weeks. Also, a friend with questionable judgment following a stroke.

I have a budget of $1,000, and I only need to store two rifles, plus ammo and reloading gear. Of course, I will not be living there forever, and I will most definitely be increasing the number of firearms in the future. The vault will be located in the basement, which involves steep, narrow stairs or a slippery path around the outside of the house. I would prefer something that 3 men can move without a crane. I'm not sold on any brand, so tell me what I should get and why.

To start discussion, Costco has a waterproof Stack-On with 75-minute, 1400* fire rating for $600. The price is right, and the size is right, but is it junk?

 

[Rsadams]

Fire ratings are great but like alot of things they are over stated when it comes to an all out house fire... Don't ask... If you're looking at something just to lock them up and keep them out of the wrong hands the stack on will work.... If it's upstairs it needs to be light enough to get it up there also since you aren't staying forever.... The cheap safe can always be used for something else later.... If you're not going to mount it to the floor were it can't be turned or moved you have a problem , unless it's so heavy you can't... In which case how are you going to move it especially if you're like me and doing it yourself...?

You can pick up a small liberty safe that's around $5-600 bucks that's nice.... Why not buy the cheap gun safe and something like a simplisafe alarm for the room that it will be in and a lock on that bedroom door to keep maintenance out and from snooping , you can take that with you when you move also , way to easy... $14.99 gets you monitored with no contract.... When you get to your final destination you can upgrade the alarm to whole house and a 10 year old can install it....

Without the alarm pretty much any safe can be opened with a saw , you need to limit the time they have to work on it.... It's amazing what you can open with a $20.00 cut off saw from harbor freight , don't think you need expensive tools.... You must limit the time a criminal has to work on any home safe , or any safe exept the best and given time they will open also..

Just FYI as with any alarm don't put signs etc in your yard , doors or windows , it only tells a competent burglar what he needs to bring to get around it....

 

[clunker]

Fire ratings are great but like alot of things they are over stated when it comes to an all out house fire... Don't ask... If you're looking at something just to lock them up and keep them out of the wrong hands the stack on will work.... If it's upstairs it needs to be light enough to get it up there also since you aren't staying forever.... The cheap safe can always be used for something else later.... If you're not going to mount it to the floor were it can't be turned it moved you have a problem unless it's so heavy you can't... In which case how are you going to move it if you're like me and doing it yourself...?

You can pick up a small liberty safe that's around $5-600 bucks that's nice.... Why not buy the cheap gun safe and something like a simplisafe alarm for the room that it will be in , you can take that with you when you move also , way to easy... $14.99 gets you monitored with no contract.... When you get to your final destination you can upgrade the alarm to whole house and a 10 year old can install it....

Without the alarm pretty much any safe can be opened with a saw , you need to limit the time they have to work on it.... It's amazing what you can open with a $20.00 cut off saw from harbor freight , don't think you need expensive tools.... You must limit the time a criminal has to work on any home safe , or any safe exept the best and given time they will open also..

I didn't even think about a saw. I was planning to store my tools in the same room. Guess I'll have to rethink where some of those tools are stored. I am less concerned about theft than I am about someone doing something stupid. I love my guns, but they are easily replaceable factory rifles. I've been reading that some of these vaults can be hotwired for quick access, and my friend's safe is so flimsy that I'm sure I could break in with my bare hands. Those are the ones I want to avoid. That Stack-On is 560 lbs, which might be too heavy to get up and down those stairs. I'll take a look at the Liberty and the alarms.

 

[CjC73]

I recently bought a Stack-On safe. Like Clunker said, any safe can be opened given enough time. I didn't want to spend a small fortune, just something to keep them locked up and not laying in a closet. I got the larger one, 69 gun I think. Remember, with scoped rifles, that 69 guns only means about 30-35 can fit easily. Mine weighs about 900# I think. I hired a company to move it into my basement. It's staying if we ever move. I also got manual combination lock. Just preference. I rarely actually lock it to be honest.

It's a decent safe. not flimsy at all. I like the features that is has an outlet already wired inside, at least mine does, and the door organizer for pistols and misc. IMO, it's a good safe for what you pay. Are there nicer ones out there... absolutely. Are there cheaper ones, absolutely.

560# is easily doable with a couple guys. Use an appliance dolly. Or get one of the dollys that can climb stairs. I tried one for mine but the way my stairs are, it didn't work. But slick contraption.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Get the lightest safe you can then hide it

 

[TIMO]

For misc. rifles and stuff, I have a Sentry safe I bought at Walmart on sale about 12 years ago. For its size and construction, it has served well along side a large National Security safe. It is small enough to be put in a closet and bolted down. Not sure if they still make them. Check with Lowes or Home Depot, might be able to buy online and delivered.

Tim

 

[pirate ammo]

give them to me ,I'll take REAL good care of them,,

 

[clunker]

After posting this thread, I started doing some research. What I found is somewhat discouraging. Watching a video of two guys breaking into a robust safe in less than two minutes with nothing more than a crow bar and pry bar was an eye-opener. Also found (as Rsadams stated) that most fire-ratings don't mean much. There are some good ones out there, but it looks like they start at a lot more than I'm willing to spend. I like the Zanotti just because I can move it easily, but $1,500 and 8 weeks back-ordered. Floor-mounted in closet seems like a no brainer. People can still get into it, but they will have to work for it.

 

[Rsadams]

After posting this thread, I started doing some research. What I found is somewhat discouraging. Watching a video of two guys breaking into a robust safe in less than two minutes with nothing more than a crow bar and pry bar was an eye-opener. Also found (as Rsadams stated) that most fire-ratings don't mean much. There are some good ones out there, but it looks like they start at a lot more than I'm willing to spend. I like the Zanotti just because I can move it easily, but $1,500 and 8 weeks back-ordered. Floor-mounted in closet seems like a no brainer. People can still get into it, but they will have to work for it.

The alarm , like simplisafe is the way to go , you can put a door sensor on just that closet etc... I am telling you , if they don't have but 25 seconds before the alarm goes off it makes it hard to look around... Lock your bedroom door when you leave , give your room mate the code if they need in there. Once it sounds , nobody is going to hang around and see if the cops show up or not... Since your not worrying about theft so much you could just lock the closet door with the safe and tools in there.... Someone will have to break in to get to it etc.... Just think about what you need for now... Take the bolts out of the rifles etc... There's a million ways to stop kids from getting them , a belt does wonders...lol

 

[clunker]

Take the bolts out of the rifles etc... There's a million ways to stop kids from getting them , a belt does wonders...lol

Lol! A belt does wonders unless it's someone else's kid. I remember the belt as a kid. Just the rattle of the buckle could wake you from a coma. Taking the bolts out should have been obvious, but it never occurred to me. Duh!

 

[alinwa]

OK, seriously, this isn't really about security from professional demolition guys like you see opening the stuff in the vids.....I mean I can break into any vault using my big torches, hotsaws and airhammers...and we do WIKKID damage with bars.....

Home "security" is a slippery slope, I deal in the large custom home market ($750.000.00 to $20,000,000.00 homes) and do a lot of poured-in-place walk-in safes, vaults and security rooms ....... and the "security measures" sold by the various companies are laughable.

I take security very seriously having been broken into, robbed, 5 vehicles stolen and 20+ jobsite burglaries (box vans/boxes/conex storages etc) I have a walk-in vault in my own home and at this point I leave my jobsite trucks unlocked, even my home unlocked just to save from busted windows and doors.....I've had boxes taken, vans taken, one crew backed a flatbed truck right thru the wall of a "secure" building and was done and gone before thee po-po dropped their donuts.

In my opinion you want to keep the stuff from "little fingers" and locally sourced incompetents...... casual pickers.

In my opinion you want some fire protection (altho, really, how much?? homeowners covers damages....)

In my opinion you want WATER protection maybe most of all. I've been burned out twice and water and smoke did the most damage.

To my way of thinking, buy the liddle Costco safe, stick it in a basement corner and stack a few sheets of scrap sheetrock on it.

DONE........

Take it with you when you leave The Rose City



al

 

[clunker]

OK, seriously, this isn't really about security from professional demolition guys like you see opening the stuff in the vids.....I mean I can break into any vault using my big torches, hotsaws and airhammers...and we do WIKKID damage with bars.....

Home "security" is a slippery slope, I deal in the large custom home market ($750.000.00 to $20,000,000.00 homes) and do a lot of poured-in-place walk-in safes, vaults and security rooms ....... and the "security measures" sold by the various companies are laughable.

I take security very seriously having been broken into, robbed, 5 vehicles stolen and 20+ jobsite burglaries (box vans/boxes/conex storages etc) I have a walk-in vault in my own home and at this point I leave my jobsite trucks unlocked, even my home unlocked just to save from busted windows and doors.....I've had boxes taken, vans taken, one crew backed a flatbed truck right thru the wall of a "secure" building and was done and gone before thee po-po dropped their donuts.

In my opinion you want to keep the stuff from "little fingers" and locally sourced incompetents...... casual pickers.

In my opinion you want some fire protection (altho, really, how much?? homeowners covers damages....)

In my opinion you want WATER protection maybe most of all. I've been burned out twice and water and smoke did the most damage.

To my way of thinking, buy the liddle Costco safe, stick it in a basement corner and stack a few sheets of scrap sheetrock on it.

DONE........

Take it with you when you leave The Rose City

al

Holy crap, Al! I thought you lived near my neck of the woods, but that's some serious crime against you. Your line of work sounds like a lot of fun though. People don't even lock their doors here, and I'll have to remember what it was like living west of the Cascades. I've been living in a smallish town with very low crime, a stellar education system, and friendly people for 16 years. It will be a major adjustment. Even though I have the construction skills, I doubt my sister would allow me to build a bomb shelter in her home. You are absolutely correct about water protection. I have repaired many thousands of dollars of water damage. You'd be amazed at how much damage an overflowing toilet on the third floor can do.

From the responses so far, it seems like my best bet is to get something fairly inexpensive and rely more on being smart about it. When I build my next house, I'll consider constructing the 2-foot-thick reinforced concrete vault. For now, I should probably stick with something simple. As mentioned before, the guns are replaceable. But the guitar and few other things are not.

 

[alinwa]

Holy crap, Al! I thought you lived near my neck of the woods, but that's some serious crime against you. Your line of work sounds like a lot of fun though. People don't even lock their doors here, and I'll have to remember what it was like living west of the Cascades. I've been living in a smallish town with very low crime, a stellar education system, and friendly people for 16 years. It will be a major adjustment. Even though I have the construction skills, I doubt my sister would allow me to build a bomb shelter in her home. You are absolutely correct about water protection. I have repaired many thousands of dollars of water damage. You'd be amazed at how much damage an overflowing toilet on the third floor can do.

From the responses so far, it seems like my best bet is to get something fairly inexpensive and rely more on being smart about it. When I build my next house, I'll consider constructing the 2-foot-thick reinforced concrete vault. For now, I should probably stick with something simple. As mentioned before, the guns are replaceable. But the guitar and few other things are not.

Ohh, I'm not in a high crime area, just old had some stuff happen.....Portland isn't even "high crime" compared to eastern cities, ever'body's HIGH, but most of them are smiling vacantly not breaking into stuff. It's the jobsites and outlying areas that have the stuff getting ripped off by folks on hard drugs and opioids. We call 'em tweakers and they're in every state/county/town in This 'Lustrous Union..... they run around jobsites all night looking for tools, wire, lumber, metal parts they can sell for scrap....

My first vehicle was stolen from my home back in Sandstone Minn'DesoDa because my apartment was just 3 blocks from the bar.

The others were taken from jobsites in various towns (Washougal WA is THE WORST for tweaker theft!) where we leave them for extended periods of time. And I've had several taken into custody by the over-zealous street patrol nazi lady they hired when they passed a law saying "any vehicle parked on a city street for over 24hrs must be moved or is subject to impoundment"..... an awesome example of a well-meant law gone awry.

When I say "I take security seriously" that means I seriously weigh options and consider implications..... and in many cases my actions run completely counter to accepted practice. Like not locking the doors on my jobsite rigs. We lock away the keys, in lockboxes, but locking the cabs on equipment just means they heave a rock thru the window to rifle thru the glovebox. Leave it unlocked and they'll still mess up the cab but most times nothing's broken.

Same with "home security"..... a doghouse, a large pair of boots or a target set up in the yard are often better deterrents than locks or a "security system." I giggle when I see 9 deadbolts installed acros't the front of a home (with huge windows) and the sides and backs of the home all privacy-fenced and dark (with huge windows and glass doors)


naahhhhh, regardless what you hear, you'll still love Portland, and will be perfectly safe. Unlike Pittsburgh or Chi'Cago, when that guy sidles up to you he's just trying to sell you something, not hit you. Portland is WEIRD (I mean, 'Portlandia' IS a documentary...) but it's not high crime. And for out here it ain't even that weird.... if a guy runs around nekkid in Portland he'll still get beat up, unlike CA where you have to put down towels on the seats in Mickey Dee's...

 

[Dusty Stevens]

also do smart things like don't carry gun cases in where everybody can see you. don't park your truck out front with all the cool glock stickers on the back glass. im definitely not a believer in SimpliSafe due to their stance against the nra when yeti and everybody else did it, but I do love my nest system. you can get all kinds of cool cameras you can look at anytime and set up notifications for movement or just persons. I'm heavily invested in nest with a lot of their products and couldn't be happier

 

[JFrank]

These have plate steel doors and 1 hour fire,
Got it for $599 iirc payed $200 for delivery

I will be moving in with my sister for a while until I can get established in Portland. Not only does no one else in my extended family like guns, but there are other reasons that I feel it would be prudent to install a vault. She has frequent guests, including kids and some who stay for weeks. Also, a friend with questionable judgment following a stroke.

I have a budget of $1,000, and I only need to store two rifles, plus ammo and reloading gear. Of course, I will not be living there forever, and I will most definitely be increasing the number of firearms in the future. The vault will be located in the basement, which involves steep, narrow stairs or a slippery path around the outside of the house. I would prefer something that 3 men can move without a crane. I'm not sold on any brand, so tell me what I should get and why.

To start discussion, Costco has a waterproof Stack-On with 75-minute, 1400* fire rating for $600. The price is right, and the size is right, but is it junk?

Costco safes are junk" I could get in with a small bar..
Every post above is wrong

 

[JFrank]

also do smart things like don't carry gun cases in where everybody can see you. don't park your truck out front with all the cool glock stickers on the back glass. im definitely not a believer in SimpliSafe due to their stance against the nra when yeti and everybody else did it, but I do love my nest system. you can get all kinds of cool cameras you can look at anytime and set up notifications for movement or just persons. I'm heavily invested in nest with a lot of their products and couldn't be happier

The coolest thing about cameras is watching them steal your stuff!

 

[carlsbad]

No need to get a heavy fireproof safe for a temporary residence. Go with a lockable gun cabinet. This one should do you will. Hide it in a secure location. Take the rest of your money and buy a new toy.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stack-On...ecurity-Cabinet-Rifle-Storage-Locker/14710131

 

[biggun2869]

I first thought I'd write a little here but I won't, this is directed at alwina, I have read several of your posts that all seem to be well done! My question is if you have made the money you're talking about why can't you support the site?!!! I'm just a lowend guy myself and I have been able to muster the money to garner a silver membership for a few years. Have never sold anything here although I have bought some stuff.
You obviously have a brain and the means, what in the world is WRONG with you people?
I want to say I am NOT looking to gain an enemy, from what I've read I would probably like you! I mean what I say as it was said. Wake up and smell the roses! Gary

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

You have two rifles to secure. You have a space not open to guests to store them in. This is only a temporary problem. You only need to secure them from family and friends. Go buy a used refrigerator and attach heavy u-bolts with a good chain. Most likely if you don't advertise the fact that you have the guns, no one will. If you are moving into a house where you think folks will root in your property, find another place to live.

 

[people]

One thing you will want to look for is a safe that the door will come off. Sure you can use battery powered appliance movers but taking the door off makes it so much easier to move.