I have been thinking about getting a gun safe and with Christmas coming maybe santa would be good to me. : )Y'know what? I don't know that I've ever blogged about safes before. And he's right - it's an excellent topic. Quite often we take storage as somewhat of a given, buying cheap locking metal boxes and thinking that's it. Now, if your only reason for getting a safe is that you live somewhere {cough} MA {cough} that has a "safe storage" requirement for gun ownership, you might want to pick up something inexpensive just to comply with the laws.
Have you ever blogged about safes? Price? Manufacturer? Fire rating? or gotten other bloggers input?
If so what do you recommend, if not it would be a good topic.
But what about actually keeping your firearms, well, safe? Gun safes are one of those areas, like 1911s, where you can spend a small fortune depending on the bells and whistles you require in your shopping list. Want a safe that can hold 36 long guns? No problem. Fire rated to 400ºF for one hour? No problem. Waterproof? Climate-controlled? Padded? Electronic and keyed locks?
There are about as many options out there as there are gun owners. Cabelas alone lists options from $130 Stack-On units to $4,000 Liberty safes that can withstand a fire for 2.5 hours and weighs literally half a ton. Your search for a safe is pretty much limited to your budget and the load-bearing capacity of the floor you intend to put the safe on. Obviously, a basement is a good place for a large, heavy safe - if you are not vexed by flooding issues. Here, obviously, the humidity becomes an issue, and looking for a safe with climate control is important.
As far as specific brands, I've got a couple of small Sentry safes that seem pretty tough for their size and price range; I've heard good things about Liberty and Fort Knox; many folks have had good experiences with GunVault for pistols (and they make long gun safes too). Most outdoors-based stores will have their own brand (usually contracted through one of the larger manufacturers), or you can go to your local gun store and ask what they recommend (Four Seasons in Woburn keeps inventory of safes onsite).
Other options are to buy a vault door and reinforce a walk-in closet - check the local laws, though; certain arrangements do not meet the "Safe Storage" requirement in MA (IOW, don't just put a bathroom door style lock on your closet and think you're obeying the law). A friend who collects military surplus rifles turned a walk-in closet into a gun room, and displays row upon row of Mosin-Nagants and SKSs on padded shelves. If you've got a talent for rough masonry, some cinderblocks in a corner of the basement and a steel door will deter pretty much anyone.
Or you could always just get one of these... :)
Really, though, nothing is going to stop a determined thief - safes just buy you a little more time for them to get frustrated and decide to trash your house instead. The main reason for getting a safe, IMHO, is preventing quick access to those who shouldn't have it (kids, neighbors, the guy putting up new sheetrock, etc.) and keeping your firearms in a climate-controlled environment to stave off the ravages of time. Some folks spend a small fortune on a gun safe to house $500 worth of .22 rifles; others rely on a $200 sheet metal safe to protect $10K worth of custom AR-15s and high-end Remingtons. To each his own...
What do you recommend/use for a gun safe/storage system?
That is all.
13 comments:
Two things, - well maybe three; first, the old expression, " A lock only keeps an honest man honest.", is still true. Second, there are safes and there are secure containers. Until you get into really big dollars, most everything is a secure container. Third, most any secure container will do the job, IF you understand the limitations of that particular container.
So decide how many guns you need to store, double that and then go looking for a container. Repeat as necessary, heh.
emdfl
Oh, yeah, and I STRONGLY reccommend sticking with a spin-dial lock(a good S&G) as opposed to an electronic lock.
I have two. A Liberty, and a Fort Knox. Both high end. Gotta love them.
See Ya
DIMY,
Good morning, Which models do you have and can you tell me approximate cost?
Thanks, PISSED
...and the combinations...
(Well, it was worth a shot...)
I have a Champion Victory -- very nice. In Mass they don't charge sales tax on gun safes! If in doubt, get the bigger one, as you will never regret it.
"Really, though, nothing is going to stop a determined thief - safes just buy you a little more time for them to get frustrated and decide to trash your house instead. The main reason for getting a safe, IMHO, is preventing quick access to those who shouldn't have it (kids, neighbors, the guy putting up new sheetrock, etc.)"
Trust me- if that guy wants into your safe, and he has enough tools, brains and know-how to hang sheetrock, he can get into a safe. All he needs is enough time and the inclination. Watch who you allow into your homes, people. Just sayin'........
"Leaning against the wall" works for me. I do keep the GP100 in a lockbox, but that's because of its sentimental value.
I count on the animals to take care of the house while I'm away.
I am in the middle of searching for another safe and have learned a bit.
Fire ratings are good, but think about how long the safe will be hot for. If there's a fire, the safe may fall through the floor and be packed in hot embers for a while, and after the fall it may not be easily opened.
Homeowners should cover fire damage, as well as water damage, etc, and whatever it takes to open the safe after the event.
A major theft deterrent is bolting the safe down. Safes get a lot easier to force when they are laying on their back. Do what you can to prevent that.
Bighorn safes, by Rhino Metals, are getting a great reception. Costco had a 37" wide bighorn for $1k, but now they are showing a 28" model for that price. May be worth a google.
One quick word - stay away from GunVault! A friend of mine purchased one and the battery died before he could change it. When he called GunVault for help, they gave him the following instructions: To open them, all you need is a flat head screw driver. Jam it into the top of the door, near the latch and twist. The door pops open.
I have a safe by Granite, which I bought at Bass Pro as a store-brand "Red-Head" brand.
It's a 60"h X 30"w X 24" d size, weighing in at about 600#. 12 ga. body with 10 ga door. A dozen 1" locking bolts, five-spoke handle.
Got it on sale at $799+ tax. It's comparable to far more expensive $1k ++ boxes.
The S&G dial lock it came with arrived with a bent shaft, and was replaced under warranty. I opted to change it for an S&G electronic for speed of access.
My house is Pier & Beam, and the 12-inch diameter piers go a full 36' (yes, that's feet) into the ground. Guess what the safe is bolted onto?
Hurricane Ike put 2" of water into the house, and the safe is still serving well. I stripped the interior to the bare-metal, then de-rusted the exterior bottom and 4inches up the sides, as well as the interior. A couple coats of primer, three coats of black enamel and one of clearcoat, and reassembled. Some gold pinstriping on the seam between old powdercoat and new paint, and we're as good as new.
Of course, I'd prefer a 36" wide Fort Knox, but not at three times the price.
Granite also makes the "budget rated" Winchester safes sold at Sam's. But they also make much nicer safes, like mine.
And yes, it's really just a "Residential Security Container", but it'll do to at least slow 'em down.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
I have one of the "high end" Winchester safes. It's supposed to be a 36 gun model, but I doubt I could fit 36 Red Ryders in there, let alone 36 real firearms.
I think I got it for around 700, and it weighs in in the 750 pound range. I have it bolted to the concrete floor and cross bolted to wall studs on two sides(the safe's in a corner).
It has a decent fire rating, and has altogether been pretty good for the money.
Opening a keypad lock is MUCH faster than opening a spin-dial lock. And the 9v battery can be replaced from the outside.
My Cannon rep has being installing and servicing them for >25 years. He says they replace about four per year in our region; two damaged in fire or flood, and two damaged but not even close to opened by would-be thieves. He also said they've never had one stolen, except from a garage where the badguys could back their truck up to load the safe.
Oh, and you own more guns than you think you own. Get a safe one size bigger than you think you need. Don't ask...
I hope to pick up a safe in the next couple of years. I figure it'll either be a "Sturdy" or "Fort Knox". Sturdy safes seem a bit no frills. But appear to be very well crafted. They rely more on ceramic insulation than gypsum/sheetrock (which is really a firebreak and not insulation). But of all the safe companies, I found Sturdy to be the most informative. Explaining why a single lever near the side, although not as attractive as a wheel, is really a stronger option. Explaining WHY you want external hinges. And how internal hinges are more likely to ware but provide no real added protection. (http://www.sturdysafe.com/gimmicks.htm)
http://www.sturdysafe.com/
Besides they have an nice looking model, who happens to be the owner's daughter.
Of course if you really want to splurge, these safes have clear doors.
http://dashatm.com/Clearview%20Gun%20Safe.htm
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