• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

What You Should Understand Before Buying A Gun Safe

BigBolt

The majority of the gun safes today are made not in the the United Safes. Sure you can buy one made in the USA promising the best protection. It really comes down to what you afford to purchaes and what you really need to safely store your guns. Collectors of rare guns is a whole different world I just will be disussing the everyday person.

I had found Tractor supply has the least expensive prices for gun safes. I purchased a 26 capicity one after looking at several brands. It is like purchasing anything else, do you want the best or something or something that just works? Even the best gun safes only protect from fire/water for a certain amount of time. All the brands made out side the USA are generally made to each manufaturer manufatures. However, the construction and materials are about 95% the same between all manufacturers.

Electronic verses mechanical dials both provide adequate security. The changing of the combinations is far more easier with electronic dials. The mechanical dials requires you to remove the safe door that covers the works. The electronic is done right from the key pad. What ever number you use do not use your zipcode, house number, birthday, phone number or any number that is connected directly with you. Make sure that the gun safe you pruchase reguardless of mechanical or electronic can be opened with a key as a back up. This in case you forget the combo or just hose things during a combo change. Most electrinic dials are run by a 9v battery and the key opening is brhing the dial which just twists off. After a combo change DO NOT close the door. Lock the door with out closing it and test you r combo at least 3 times. If it works then you can close and lock it and then test the new combo. Hense the emergency key if you do not have one it will not be able to be opened and you will need a professional to open it. This could cost arounf $500.00 dollars and depending on the locksmiths capability it could render the safe usless after opening.

A couple of things you will need to look at; the majority of all the gun safes recomend putting them in the basement and bolting them to the floor. What they do not discuss is the area of mounting. If you have the space you should mount it so the opening side opposite the hinges are mountes is as close to a basement wall in the corner. This prevents the use of prybars and other tools to break open the door. Placing it in the middle of the room or where the hinges are close to the wall leaves the safe vunerable.

If you do not have a basement and are mounting on the floor in the house make sure your floor can support the safe. Mounting should still be in the corner as previously disussed. Mounting them to the floor also presents an issue. Screws or lags just to the floor/subflooring also is not secure as a pribar in about 10 seconds can prying it up. Supports with additional wood such as 2x6 under the subfloor should be added with carrage bolts and washers. This means you will need to open the ceiling below the floor to install the support.

Garage or barn mounting is another option however, you will need a dehumidifer to be installed in the safe. The majority of the safes have a pre-drilled hole in the bottom back corner to allow a pass through of an electric cord. I mounted a 2 plug receptical in mine to allow for a dehumodifer and light. Also reguardless where you mount a safe you will need a dehumidifer as the guns should be stored between 40 and 50% humidity.

Oh I have been a locksmith and electric security expert for over 40 years and have had 2 years of formal training and military traning.
 
BigBolt said:
The majority of the gun safes today are made not in the the United Safes. Sure you can buy one made in the USA promising the best protection. It really comes down to what you afford to purchaes and what you really need to safely store your guns. Collectors of rare guns is a whole different world I just will be disussing the everyday person.

I had found Tractor supply has the least expensive prices for gun safes. I purchased a 26 capicity one after looking at several brands. It is like purchasing anything else, do you want the best or something or something that just works? Even the best gun safes only protect from fire/water for a certain amount of time. All the brands made out side the USA are generally made to each manufaturer manufatures. However, the construction and materials are about 95% the same between all manufacturers.

Electronic verses mechanical dials both provide adequate security. The changing of the combinations is far more easier with electronic dials. The mechanical dials requires you to remove the safe door that covers the works. The electronic is done right from the key pad. What ever number you use do not use your zipcode, house number, birthday, phone number or any number that is connected directly with you. Make sure that the gun safe you pruchase reguardless of mechanical or electronic can be opened with a key as a back up. This in case you forget the combo or just hose things during a combo change. Most electrinic dials are run by a 9v battery and the key opening is brhing the dial which just twists off. After a combo change DO NOT close the door. Lock the door with out closing it and test you r combo at least 3 times. If it works then you can close and lock it and then test the new combo. Hense the emergency key if you do not have one it will not be able to be opened and you will need a professional to open it. This could cost arounf $500.00 dollars and depending on the locksmiths capability it could render the safe usless after opening.

A couple of things you will need to look at; the majority of all the gun safes recomend putting them in the basement and bolting them to the floor. What they do not discuss is the area of mounting. If you have the space you should mount it so the opening side opposite the hinges are mountes is as close to a basement wall in the corner. This prevents the use of prybars and other tools to break open the door. Placing it in the middle of the room or where the hinges are close to the wall leaves the safe vunerable.

If you do not have a basement and are mounting on the floor in the house make sure your floor can support the safe. Mounting should still be in the corner as previously disussed. Mounting them to the floor also presents an issue. Screws or lags just to the floor/subflooring also is not secure as a pribar in about 10 seconds can prying it up. Supports with additional wood such as 2x6 under the subfloor should be added with carrage bolts and washers. This means you will need to open the ceiling below the floor to install the support.

Garage or barn mounting is another option however, you will need a dehumidifer to be installed in the safe. The majority of the safes have a pre-drilled hole in the bottom back corner to allow a pass through of an electric cord. I mounted a 2 plug receptical in mine to allow for a dehumodifer and light. Also reguardless where you mount a safe you will need a dehumidifer as the guns should be stored between 40 and 50% humidity.

Oh I have been a locksmith and electric security expert for over 40 years and have had 2 years of formal training and military traning.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you for posting that. You have a lot of good info there. The only part I'm not sure about is the back up key. Most of your high end safes, and vault doors don't have a back up key for a reason. Look at Graffunder, American Security, Fort Knox, etc. It's mostly your lower end and middle of the road ones that have a back up key.
 
What about a double "safe" arrangement. Dedicating a small closet for the safe, bolted to the floor and wall with a metal door and steel frame that locks access to the closet.

The concept here is to create a situation where it takes considerable time and effort to break into and the safe is concealed - not sitting out in the open so a potential thief doesn't know it's there.

From what I've read, most thieves are in a hurry to avoid detection and take the "low hanging fruit" that's easily accessible.
 
Probably the safest safe I ever saw was a friend who had one in a dead space you entered through a large false electrical panel. Heck, he didn’t need a safe. I walked by that door I don’t know how many times before he took me through it to show me something
 
Charlie-NY said:
The basement may be recommended but it's the first place to flood. Basements flood when the home stays dry.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...
Kind of a mute point, no basenents in many of the states because they flood and on the main and second floors it floods also. If people do have basements it is still the best place.
 
6.5grendel said:
Thank you for posting that. You have a lot of good info there. The only part I'm not sure about is the back up key. Most of your high end safes, and vault doors don't have a back up key for a reason. Look at Graffunder, American Security, Fort Knox, etc. It's mostly your lower end and middle of the road ones that have a back up key.
Click to expand...
Like I alluded to the info is for the every day gun owner there always better expensive safes. When you screw up resetting the combo or forget the combo you are screwed. Some safe manufacturers and I stress some may have the original combo based on the serial number. If you do not register your safe with them then you will pay big $$$ and as I said based on the locksmith you may or may not have a usable safe after opening.
 
K22 said:
What about a double "safe" arrangement. Dedicating a small closet for the safe, bolted to the floor and wall with a metal door and steel frame that locks access to the closet.

The concept here is to create a situation where it takes considerable time and effort to break into and the safe is concealed - not sitting out in the open so a potential thief doesn't know it's there.

From what I've read, most thieves are in a hurry to avoid detection and take the "low hanging fruit" that's easily accessible.
Click to expand...
All very good ideas and can be done however, a steel door with any lock can be defeated in seconds. The safe bolted down in a tight spase is the better and most effective option.
 
A lock keeps honest people honest.
Do not get hung up on prying one open. Plasma cutters the size of a brief case and the new metal cutting saw make a new door in short order. Most thieves don’t like to make noise, nor work to hard. However I know of two instances the “ new “ metal cutting skill saws were used to just chop a new door in the side. No one heard a thing.

A closed mouth gathers no foot. I speak very little of what I have.
 
I sold gun safes for a number of years while working in the industry.

A few things I learned about them:

1) Manufacturers will flat out tell you even the best fire rated safes have roughly 50% chance of failing in a fire.

2) If you put it in your basement or not, if your house burns down it will be in the basement. And it will flood from the water used to put out the fire. You will have about 24 hours tops before your guns are paper weights.

3) The DO NOT hold the amount of guns advertised.

4) E locks or the handle of a manual lock will melt off in a fire. You’ll need to get a locksmith to open either.

5) If they aren’t locked the fire rating is nothing.

6) most of the expensive fancy looking safes are more so used as a decoration than protection.

7) if you buy one brand new open the door and leave it for a week. They smell awful of glue.

8) You can cut through most of them with some pretty basic stuff.

9) Don’t let kids near them when they are open.

10) Most guys would benefit much more from a very secure room of some kind and a really good rider on your insurance policy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Classified Ads

Forum statistics

Threads
165,788
Messages
2,203,397
Members
79,110
Latest member
miles813

Share This Page

Back
Top