The little one is getting older and older and the need for a gun safe is getting more and more evident.
Plus I am gathering come good stuff & guns over the years and would like to protect them.

I have about 10 long guns and about 6 pistols.
and have the usual pictures and papers that are worth somthing.
well at least to me and my family.
Can anyone give pointers and advise about safes I might look at?

I found this awesome article... Gun Safe Buyers' Guide
but looking for word of mouth advertisement as well.

If your happy with your safe and would suggest it to others,
or if you would change stuff about the decision you made...
I would love to know..... please share.... thanks in advance!

__________________
)))X~ silvercn ~X(((

I'm not sure where you live, but this is made by a smaller company in OKC. I'm very happy with it.

Bear Safes - Gun safes, mailbox safes, etc.

__________________
Where's my dad's America?

Got a Tractor Supply near you?

Check out the Cannon Safes they sell. I got one for $599. Can hold up to 24 long guns and has a shelf that can hold up to 10 pistols.

Has other shelving that I used because I don't have that many long guns.

+1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

__________________
Sure you did

I recommend a Liberty safe. I have had two and the current one is a Presidental Model which is about 5 years old. I can move shelves for more rifles and can store many handguns, rifles, ammo, etc. Included in the safe are interior lights and a multi plug for additional accessories with a power switch. I use it for my golden rod. The come with a life time warranty. I would log in to their web site and view the different models to suit your needs.
Nick

I have about a half-dozen long guns and maybe 15 revolvers/pistols. I bought this Cannon safe from Costco about 6 months ago for $579 delivered - 400lbs - worth every penny - it can hold a lot more than I have right now. If you are a Costco member, they currently have a different brand on sale for about the same price - very similar to the Cannon:

__________________
Lou

+1 on the Liberty safe. My main concern for buying a safe was the fire rating and the extras mentioned above are a plus.. I got the Lincoln 25 and it weighs 735 empty and when it's loaded I'd say it goes approximately 1000#. Ya can't walk off with that.

CB

Most of the 'name brand' safes are very similar in quality and construction. Most of them use the same locking mechanism. So look for the best deal on price and delivery. My biggest recommendation is to go for the 'fire board' lined safe. Not so much for the fire rating, but for the huge reduction in dings and marks on guns that get pushed up against the inside walls. I have experience with both lined and unlined and I will never get another unlined safe. JMHO, ........ Big Cholla

I have two Zanotti safes, made in Iowa. They are six pieces, top, bottom, three sides and door. They are assembled and held together with pins. Once assembled you'd swear it was welded. Only downside is a considerable wait time at this point.
I have a client who needed a safe right away. We went to our local John Deere implement dealer and they had two safes on display. Turns out they are made by Liberty. She got one 24" wide and 5' tall that's fire rated for 30 minutes for $550.

I won't make a specific recommendation, but will give you a couple of suggestions about buying. First, select the largest safe you can possibly afford and then buy the next larger size! All safes are automatically too small within two years of purchase. When you look at safes check them over very carefully for scratches and blemishes. When I bought my last safe, I found a scratch on the side of the model I was looking for and the dealer knocked $150 off his best price because of the scratch.

Another vote for Cannon via TSC. I upgraded from a cheap Sentry sheet-steel cabinet to the Cannon 7240 (6 foot tall, 40" wide, holds lotsa guns) earlier this year. Also, keep an eye on their ads, the safes often go on sale for a significant discount.

It's not as secure as some of the other options - there are only locking bolts on one side of the door, in particular. However, it's got a good fire rating, great warranty, and I was mostly concerned about fire protection and stopping the smash/grab kind of thing. (It'd still need power tools to get open.)

It's got a power-through outlet already installed, so I added a goldenrod and a set of LED rope lights from Home Depot. No fishing around in a dark safe for me!

For size comparison, that's a golf bag with clubs/cover leaning against the right side:


CIMG0028 by zer_cool, on Flickr

And here's the lit-up inside:


CIMG0033 by zer_cool, on Flickr

I have been very satisified with my Browning Theftgard. Large specious interior - holds 12 long guns and has 5 shelves. Usually stocked by gun stores. Someone came up with an idea some time back - get a manuel lock because if we were ever hit by a high altitude nuclear blast the surge would destroy all electronic locks.

I am biased, as a close friend is the area distributor for Zanotti safes, so take this into consideration.

The big selling point for the Zanotti safes is that they can be delivered without the neighbors being aware that you are having a safe delivered, and they can be relocated readily. The downside is that they do not offer fire resistant models. I have heard that the fire resistant safes, when subjected to a normal house fire give off moisture inside the safe, and the combination of heat and moisture will cause severe rusting by the time things have cooled down enough to open the safe.

I do not know if this is true. I would like to hear from someone who has first hand experience with a fire resistant safe under those circumstances, either with their own safe, or one they have observed.

In my opinion, the principal reason for having a gun safe is to prevent unauthorized access, secondarily to preserve the items for identification for insurance purposes after a fire. If your safe is in the basement of your house, you will have standing water after the fire; it may end up in the basement anyway, if the fire is severe enough.

I don't know about the nuclear blast thing, but I'm sure glad my son advised me to get an electronic lock. It makes the safe so much easier to get in and out that I use it all the time, and when you shut the door it is locked again.Just my 2 cents worth.
And yes, you can't go too big.

Take a serious look at Sturdy Safe.

They are a good company to deal with.

Gun Safes by Sturdy Gun Safe | American Safe Manufacturers

Even if you do not buy one of their safes they have a lot of good info on their web site.

I have the Cannon safe from TSC, same as the previous posters have stated. I think it was $599, with about 1200F for 30 minutes. Not fancy, but for the money it is pretty good. You get a little more fire protection and thicker metal; for more money, with some of the other brands. I'm happy with the Cannon, but some of the Browning and Liberty are really pretty. I guess if any are in a fire or attacked with sledge and chisels, none of them will stay pretty. Mikey

As a professional locksmith, I'd say to talk to your local locksmith, or if you have one in your area, a safesmith. Good safes arn't cheap & cheap safes arn't good. Know what you want. Fire protection, burglary protection or both. Don't let anyone tell you that any safe is "Fire Proof" of Burglar Proof" there is no such thing. Safes are rated in "time" as to thier fire protection or burglary protection.
I hope this helps.

thank you very much...

I found a safe company locally here in OREGON/WASHINGTON.
Mountian View Safe Co. 16 Position Rifle Safe
I am haggling with the guy but he is a hard sell.
I think hes stuck on $500 (pretty fair).
but I have to pick it up about 65 miles away... oh well.

now I am trying to figure out
which lock system to pick:
LG manuel combo Photo Details
or the,
Digital keypad Photo Details
either are same price...

what are your thoughts on the traditional combo or a digital keypad.
I fould this article... http://www.steelwatergunsafes.com/im...nDial.docx.pdf
but your experience is just as good if not better!!!

keep it comin! wanting to buy on friday...

__________________
)))X~ silvercn ~X(((

I looked at electronic lock types when I bought my Stack On Total Defense model with a traditional combo dial. I thought there might be a problem if it ever went through a fire getting it open again if the electronics melted into the lockworks. Bought mine at a Dick's Sporting Goods store with a big markdown. Regards, Chef

__________________
Alabama Hunter Ed Instructor

Myself I prefer the manual combonation lock type. I have seen too many electronic ones fail. Every electronic lock failure I have been called out to, I have replaced the failed unit with a manual combination lock. If used properly a manual combination lock will work for 50 plus years. I have serviced some dating back to the late 1800's that still work perfectly. Just my 2 cents.

I bought a brand called Oxbow, which is made by Cannon safe and I am very happy with it. It has an electronic lock and I have had no problems with it.
What I can say for sure, like others have said here, is to buy the largest safe you can afford, you will find that they tend to fill up fast.
Mine is a 36 gun safe with 5 additional shelves and I am already running out of room.

The wife started at $300-$400...
I have sold her on the $500 range...
I dont think I can get much higher than that...

Man! I am really struggling with the MANUAL or DIGITAL lock.
come on guys.. dont fail me now... Share you opinions!
I want to hear you unbriadalded opinions...

...for the record I am leaning towards a MANUAL lock.
if you support that let me know... if you dont agree, speak you piece.
thank for the ton of advise you have posed so far.. it has helped!
keep it comin!

__________________
)))X~ silvercn ~X(((

I have one manual and one electronic. Neither has ever failed. The manual has a "day lock" where you lock the dial in position and use the key to open the safe. 98% of the time I use only that on the manual which of course is not as good as flipping the dial and really locking it.

Guess what I'll buy next. I'm a convenience kind of guy and if the electronic fails I'll just call Knott to fix it.

Bob

I haved called the guy and he is delivering the safe tomorrow.
I still have time before 0800hrs tomorrow to change my mind about the lock.

DIGITAL or COMBO.
I have tentatively selected the COMBO.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR OPINIONS IF I AM MAKING AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT.

thanks!

__________________
)))X~ silvercn ~X(((

I don't think there is a real practical difference between them at this point. Electronics can fail (switches go bad), but combos can drift or shear. It's a matter of preference, IMHO.

Enjoy your safe!

I am a Combo fan......I don't care for the electron models.

Well I decided on the MOUNTIAN VIEW SAFE CO.
A local company.

Height: 59"
Width: 22"
Depth: 16"
Inside Volume: 6.267 ft3

*60 minutes of fire protection @ 1200 Deg F with heat activated door seal.
*Double layers of fireboard in body, Triple Layer on Door, with drill resistant hard plate.
*1/8" steel body and 1/4" steel door.
*10 - 1 1/2" Diameter locking pins
*Spring loaded active re-locking bolt
*Powder Coated Black
*Combination Lock: LAGARD Spy proof Dial

Thanks to all that put in their 2 cents.
It really helped!!! I love the safe I decided on.
Got this SOB bolted down and even bolted to the wall too.
a S#IT Brick(steel) house... comes to mind...

__________________
)))X~ silvercn ~X(((

If $ is not in issue, GRAFFUNDER is the best safe for my $.

Nice choise. It will last a life time.

Costco carries various brands at various times in your price range. I bought a Winchester (actually made by Granite) there last year that I've been happy with.