What You Should Understand Before Buying A Gun Safe

[Adam in WI]

My point directly, if bolted down and the door opening against the wall a pry bar would be impossible to use.

Ever see an indexable pry bar?

 

[Emmett Dibble]

Older plate metal safes with no fire rating over newer sheet metal with fire rating. No fire material equals more room. 1/4” plate steel isn’t easy to cut through with out a plasma cutter. 500 homes in a neighborhood over 20 years… WAY more break ins then fires. Good security and sit-rep. Quality mechanical and electronic locks equal. I replaced a S&G mechanical with a S&G electronic a year ago and feel secure enough going to replace the other. One safe old Amsec, other Cannon. Both refrigerator size. Pull the door apart on your safe and measure/picture so if the lock does fail you know where to drill…

 

[INTJ]

This is mine. 60Wx33Dx72H. Around 2250 lbs. Closes so tight the air rushes out. Likely impossible to pry. It would also take a while to cut into. Try to disable the lock and it permanently locks itself. Palusol fire gaskets. Concrete fire board. It's the second best safe they make--they have one step higher. Don't go cheap on a gun safe.

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[PatMiles]

A big issue is how many guns will a “24” gun safe hold. Bench guns with scopes? Maybe 8 with careful placement! What they advertise is crap!

By removing the bolts from rifles you can get 2 or 3 additional rifles in a safe. Build a bolt rack out of 3/4" PVC with the serial number of each rifle and mount it high on the door.

 

[Triple BB]

A good insurance policy is your best security. I used to handle property claims for a living. Glad I'm retired. Had a water loss at a million dollar plus home. Went to the walk out basement family room and the guy had gun shelves on three walls that had at least 200 guns sitting out in the open. We started talking guns and I noted he obviously wasn't too concerned about theft. He said everyone is endorsed on my homeowner's policy for full face value and we'll see you back over here if something happens. I said I hope not...

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have the best s&g locks on all my safes- none of them will open with the key if locked by the combo lock. That is only for day use. Heres a couple of mine. I also have some s&g mechanicals that have the day key that i prefer over electronic

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Here is the correct bar for getting into your safe.

 

[DShortt]

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 follow the same philosophy. I keep the doors closed on the cabinets which contain my firearms related things and keep everything in cabinets out of sight.

 

[JSH]

I looked at a full insurance policy years ago. They wanted an enormous amount of info, plenty of pictures and then a professional estimate, I totally get it and understand. However before I put forth all that effort and expense on my side I wanted to know what kind of premiums I was looking at. The quote I was given for five higher end collectables at the time, I could replace them in a few years out of pocket. Thus my first safe purchase.

A quality safe is well worth the piece of mind at times I am away. Lol maybe a false sensation though, beats what dad and grandpa did, a long gun behind every door, several stashed in a closet and numerous handguns in the dresser drawer.

I recall as very young fellow going into numerous homes, open the front door there was a coat rack and a gun cabinet right there. Sadly those times are gone.

 

[M-61]

From: JSH:
“Sadly those times are gone”

So are those folks.

 

[chuckshooter]

I think the most important thing is the fire rating, and a real rating, my best safes have a 4 hour rating. Worst thing would be to come home and find your house burned to the ground and all your guns torched inside your "fire safe".

 

[chuckshooter]

I also keep my acetylene torch regulators in my safe, so some dirt bag can't use my own torches to break in.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I also keep my acetylene torch regulators in my safe, so some dirt bag can't use my own torches to break in.

How bout cutting wheels and grinders?

 

[Charlie-NY]

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.

That's arguable - I have a full basement and 2 floors above it. My basement was flooded twice, once from a burst domestic pipe and again when hurricane Sandy just about wiped out the south shore of Long Island. Even though the basement took on a significant amount of water, the house stayed dry. Furnace, hot water heater, washer and dryer all had to be replaced.

If my safe was in the basement it too would have been in several feet of water. Everyone's situation is different. I was just stating that the potential for flooding should be a consideration.

 

[BigBolt]

That's arguable - I have a full basement and 2 floors above it. My basement was flooded twice, once from a burst domestic pipe and again when hurricane Sandy just about wiped out the south shore of Long Island. Even though the basement took on a significant amount of water, the house stayed dry. Furnace, hot water heater, washer and dryer all had to be replaced.

If my safe was in the basement it too would have been in several feet of water. Everyone's situation is different. I was just stating that the potential for flooding should be a consideration.

Yes there are always acceptiongs to any situation and placement of a gun safe is no acception.

 

[Ray123]

Just not concerned about it.. there is always a way to break into a safe. But spending 30 seconds in my home making that kinda noise will get you killed. Plus its bolted to the floor and walls on 2 sides so it's near impossible to get leverage on it with a pry bar. There are a few nice guns in there, but they can be replaced, and definitely not worth dying over.

 

[M-61]

From Ray123:

“….and definitely not worth dying over.”

I always felt the person breaking in had already made that decision.

 

[Jpete]

Here is the correct bar for getting into your safe.
View attachment 1376374

I have a lot of experience with indexing pry bars, it would truly amaze me to see one pry a safe door open without failing. I also just took the 48" indexing pry bar to my safe door to see if it would fit between the door and frame, it was way too thick.
I just cannot see any crackhead or methhead that does a random break, work that hard or long to break open a safe and have the proper tools to get in it. What I have heard from guys that have had attempts to get in their safes, is the idiots give up and break off the dials or handles with a hammer and flip over the safe. A gentleman in the gun club had an attempt to get in his safe and they flipped it over and it fell through the floor.

 

[Emmett Dibble]

I see a lot of variation in ideas in this thread.... I'd offer up that locked up is better than not and the most protection you feel you can reasonably afford, a $5K safe for a few hundred dollars worth of guns is silly.

ANY safe can be broken into. Lock, material, design... if a man built it, a man can break it.

It's about time and availability. Google some crime statistics on fire and theft, make a reasonable
assertation of the value of your property and ability to protect it and then act accordingly.

I would suggest pictures and records of firearms and serial numbers stored for future use in case they do get stolen...

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have a lot of experience with indexing pry bars, it would truly amaze me to see one pry a safe door open without failing. I also just took the 48" indexing pry bar to my safe door to see if it would fit between the door and frame, it was way too thick.
I just cannot see any crackhead or methhead that does a random break, work that hard or long to break open a safe and have the proper tools to get in it. What I have heard from guys that have had attempts to get in their safes, is the idiots give up and break off the dials or handles with a hammer and flip over the safe. A gentleman in the gun club had an attempt to get in his safe and they flipped it over and it fell through the floor.

You should watch some of the youtube videos. Guys can pop the door open in less than a minute