I currently own a few firearms and only see a few more in my collection if any. I have two young girls and one is getting old enough that the stop box and removal of the rifle bolts doesn't make me feel secure enough when I am away at work. I was curious what safes do the best job of protecting the firearms from getting into the wrong hands, rust, and anything else life can throw at them. Ideally one with a top shelf for ammo, 3-5 rifle/shotgun slots, and hooks or pouches for a few revolvers. I don't need a massive 30 gun safe because the maximum my collection will ever get to would be 5 firearms. I just have too many other things I'd want to invest in and my interests are very narrow with firearms.

I bought a small gun safe from Bass Pro shops called a Redhead but its made by the same people who make Browning safes and is very heavy duty and well made. It has a Sargent and Greenleaf combination dial lock which most locksmiths will tell you is the best and much more reliable than digital locks. I bought it with my credit card points but I think it was under $500 and I keep other valuables in it.

Only recommendation I have is to decide which one you need, size wise.

Then double it.

You'll thank me later.


,

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Death? Smile back...

You can drive yourself insane trying to find the "best" gun safe.

And dive deep down the rabbit hole of steel gauge, fire protection ratings and other features.

Sizes seem to always assume all someone owns are single shot .22s and single shot shotguns.

Figure out what your budget is, and what sort of protection (just keeping kids out, fire protection, needs to be able to slow down a determined attacker) you want the safe to provide, and that will help give you an idea of what the best for your needs is.

The most I'd like to spend is 500-1000 range. I guess I'll have to research, but it seems some quality options can be had at this range.

There really are a lot of considerations you need to evaluate before investing in a Residential Security Container (aka: gun safe).

I spent a great deal of time researching before I bought my RSC, a Fort Knox Maverick 6026, which would be a perfect fit for your needs at a much greater price tag than I paid 7 years ago. I wanted a manual dial and electric plug for a "Golden Rod" for moisture protection.

You might start out with a reputable dealer near you or look at sites like: ohiolibertysafes or thesafekeeper. Also, check for used safes in your area on Craigs List or other local options for bargains.

The standard "Medium" size safe is 60" tall, 30" wide and 18 to 24" deep. Then the interion and fireproofing are installed in that common size shell.

I've had mine since late 1984. It holds 18 long guns, has 3 shelves half the width and 2 full width shelves. You will need to budget: at least 1 small shelf to briefcases full of family paperwork. (passports info., home and car loans, & insurance paperwork) and a second small shelf for the wife's precious items (jewelry box and souvenirs from the girls) A box with spare mags and you wiped out your small shelves. Handguns in a soft case or factory box take 2 to 3 times more space than a loose gun, same on long guns.

I highly recommend you spend the money and get the safe that you can grow a little with. ($1300-1700)

Ivan

A little extra safe is better than a little not enough safe. Safes are like file cabinets, you will find something to put in them. I have two Canons and a Winchester. All are small enough one big person or two average people can manuever them. They are bolted to the cement floor so they are not going anywhere unless somebody has a lot of skill, a lot of tools and a lot of time to defeat, after they get thru two layers of electronic security.

Lots of security "safes" in that price range. Not really safes per say. Bolt them to wall studs so someone doesn't just bring a buggy - auto correct, lol .and walk the whole thing out of your house.
They are great for keeping stuff out of reach of kids. And will probably be ok for smash and grab theft. But not a big hassle for someone determined to steal your stuff.
But really any safe just buys you time. If someone wants it bad enough they will get it.

The best prices I usually find on safes is at Tractor Supply, have bought a couple from them in the past. They usually have Cannon, Winchester, and Liberty safes.

Here's a pretty good deal they have right now on a 20-gun Winchester:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...20-gun-ts20-30

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Life Member GOA and NRA

I'll add one more 'get a bigger safe than you think you need' comment.

First off, safe manufacturers tend to give capacity by the number of slots in the safe. The reality is you can only put maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of the guns into the safe than the manufacturers listed capacity.

I would recommend either a safe by Liberty or Fort Knox. I have experience with both. Both companies make high quality products.

For sure bolt what ever you buy down securely.

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Bill Bates

You can go to a Dunham's Sports store and look at the safes on display to get a realistic hands-on idea of what you may like. As Bill Bates said, go by what they actually may hold. I'm not saying buy one from them, just look at the actual interior size for a better idea. I bought a small one for what I had at the time. I need another one.

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Waiting For The Sun.

Another thing to think about is the fire rating. If you keep documents or anything on paper in the safe, the fire rating is important because that establishes the point at which the interior of the safe will get hot enough to char paper.

This is my biggest safe and it filled up quick. It's made by Champion.

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Do not forget to bolt down your safe. This is very important if you get a smaller safe. Crooks have gotten sophisticated with moving large safes. If they can get a safe on its side, it is easier to pry open. If you have children, bolting it properly avoids tip over danger.

If I had to do over I would make sure to get a tumbler lock. I have one of each. One is close to 40 years old with a tumbler lock and not a problem. The other is 2 years old and am on my third electronic lock. I would buy a bigger safe than I think I need and avoid the electronic lock.

Contact our resident safe whisperer Kanewpadle.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

OK, I just went through this say like 10 months ago. I am relocating to Savannah, GA, and I did not want to move my 30 gun Browning, and #2 son needed a safe.

So, I posted here, and got lots of answers. First, buy bigger than you need right now. Trust all that tell you this. Next, do you want fireproof?

Now, you have settled size and fire rating. OK, new or used? There are lots of used ones around, and they are like pianos. Big and heavy to move, but a few hundred will get one delivered. I did not have the luxury to window shop the used market, so I went new.

Oh, one other thing, mechanical lock or electronic. There is no doubt in my mind that you want Sargent and Greenleaf mechanical.

I looked around, and most everything on a sales floor was electronic locking, and ordering was LONG term.

I found Zanotti Armor in Iowa. They supply a modular safe, USA made( they make it), and it is a slick system. I bought a 30 gun, 6" high with finished interior. About 2900, plus 350 COD shipping. They only use 1 shipper. Unit showed up, they unloaded it with pallet jack and put it in garage. I hired 2 local guys to help move the parts and set it up. Comes as 6 pieces and assembles perfectly in 30 minutes. A second one would take 20 min..

Mine weighs 650 lbs and has mechanical lock and humidifier. 8 week delivery from time of order. At the time they had a special on the deluxe interior option for no charge. Quality all the way.

Check em out on the web. PM or email me if you want more info

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Nearest town to me is only ~ 17,000 people--no local safes for sale. But after looking at, and deciding on, a couple of Liberty safes, I checked the Liberty dealer listings and found that a local hardware store--which did not stock safes--was authorized as a Liberty dealer. It was news to the manager there when I went in. Since my order did not involve their being out the cost of stocking and waiting, and I offered to pay in advance, the deal was no-investment instant profit to them. They gave me a helluva discount and delivered both to my house out in the boonies.

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de minimus non curat lex

Lots of good answers above. Let's presume you are correct and you'll never own dozens of guns. That leaves two issues you need to address.

1. Do you want the safe to be fireproof?

2. Is the sole point of this to keep children away?

Once you answer yes to item 1 you're into hundreds of dollars. Maybe even 4 figures. But if item 2 is your sole concern you can easily get a good gun CABINET that holds a half dozen long guns and handguns for a fraction of what a fireproof safe will cost you.

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Come and take it!!

If you're only concerned about the kids, rather than a cabinet, there's another choice: a job box. These are stoutly built steel boxes meant to store tools on construction sites. If you want to reduce the possibility of someone walking off with it, bolt it to the floor.

I second what WardenRoss said , and I speak from experience . If someone would have told me that , I wouldn't have two safes .

I, too, am a fan of the job box for keeping firearms away from curious young ones.

And I second the suggestion that if going for a traditional gun safe one should buy one rated for at *least* twice the number of guns to be stored in it.

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Mark Lathem

There is no such thing as a garage or gun safe that's too big.

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- Change it back -

Know a local Dude who has an underground vault.
About 10x10, big old bank vault door.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Tractor Supply sales a Liberty freedom safe, $900 in my area.
Should meet your current needs.

Buy as much fire protection as you can afford. Make sure the door has the magic heat expanding seal to protect the safe contents from heat and fire gases. The gases from a fire are corrosive way out of what one might expect. The expanding seal keeps the gases out. I prefer the mechanical dial, specifically Sargent & Greenleaf, over any electronic lock. Locate your safe where Joe Crook will have a tough time working around it. For example, if too near an outside wall window, Joe has been known to hook up a log chain to the safe and yank it through the window/wall. Bolt the safe down, using its designed in bolt holes if possible. The hole in the top of the safe is a smokestack, to make your goldenrod heater work. Don't plug the hole. Tight fitting door, along with sufficient metal thickness, will slow Joe down.

Buy a liberty. They’re hard to beat for quality.

And if you think that this will be your only safe, buy a good one.

Look for dealers in your area.

Please don’t go cheap. $500 is not going to get you much. I’ve worked on and or drilled open so many that I lost count. All because of poor quality. You want nothing made in China/Taiwan. Parts are not available.

And stay far away from any safe that has a key override. Some people like this feature but they don’t realize that it’s a major weakness that’s easily exploited.

If you live close to a fire department a 30 minute fire rating is all you need.

Also, do your research. Many brands with popular brand names that were once made in the US, are now made in China.


Several years ago Costco or Sam Club sold a gun safe that had Winchester logo on the front.

They looked nice. Until they were exposed as junk.

In a publicly stunt a local safe dealer bought one of those and promptly knocked the top of the safe off with a 5 pound sledge hammer. Took less than a minute.

Choose wisely.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Love my Liberty!

I recommend getting a basic 60x30. May be a little larger than you need, but you never know how many more you’ll get and you can put other valuables in it. Moreover, it’s relatively easy to move if needed and they’re not much much more than a small safes. Best bang for the buck. Look at Liberty and the like.

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213th FBINA

I Reinforce that you should get twice the size that you think you need. Not only for expansion of your gun collection including ammunition and magazines, but also to store other things that your wife may want in a safe (jewelry) and the larger ones are harder to move. Anything less than a 24 gun safe is likely a carrying box for would be thieves if unanchored. Even large safes can be quickly opened by professionals particularly once pushed over on their back. Consider drilling it into the floor/foundation and hiding it where it is nether easily seen nor moved or tipped over. If it is just to keep children out as you know, almost anything with a strong lock will work. there are folks here who work on safes and know more than me.

I make this suggestion every time this discussion comes up.

I'm not recommending a specific safe,I am recommending that you take a look on Facebook marketplace and around gun stores in your area and see if you can find a good safe used.

When I bought my current safe my wife looked on Facebook Marketplace and we found a $600 Liberty Centurion for $325.

We bought it from an Air Force officer whose PCSing to SHAFE in Belgium and didn't want to ship it.

As others have suggested, it was twice as big as we need but that was just a happy accident.

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Retired Career Security Guard

Any safe that uses gauge to describe the thickness of the steel instead of plate should be avoided imo. If all you want is childproof then anything would work. But it will have an electric lock which can have issues. My safe is all plate steel with tumbler lock and sheetrock lined for fire protection. Bigger is better. Put it where it cannot be seen from the street or better yet in a closet so nobody even knows its there unless you tell them.

Bigger is better because the wife will want to put her jewelry in and important documents and Passports.

If you truly want superb protection from theft, fire and water, do not buy a "gun safe"! Instead, go to a safe dealer and buy yourself a used jewelry safe. Jewelry safes are stronger, have better locks, heavier, thicker and carry better burglar ratings because they are just better safes in general. Of course you will have to customize the inside but that is not very difficult if you are handy with a power saw and some basic tools. When you are done, you will have a much better and stronger safe than a "gun safe".

If you are still wanting to buy a designated "gun safe" and don't want to take the above route, then buy the best quality and size gun safe you can afford. As other's have stated above, collections do seem to grow! A safe can also be used for other items, so never think you are buying too much safe - it will become small quickly- lol.

IMHO a mechanical combination lock is the way to go. Electronic locks are more hassle than they are worth and can create problems. Many have electronic versions but I personally prefer mechanical S&G locks. I have read here about issues with electronic locks - not for me.

No matter what you wind up getting, there is one rule that is golden!! Bolt the safe to the floor in all 4 corners!! That doubles the security of any safe! If a burglar can not rock the safe over on its back to pry it, that makes it much much harder to pry open. Lighter safes will also be prevented from being carted away to be opened later. If at all possible, place the safe in a large, lockable and central alarmed closet and "hide it" by covering it up with clothing or something. IMO no safe should be "displayed". That is just advertising to prying eyes.

If you are on a tight budget and are restricted to buying what I refer to being a glorified "gym locker", then bolting it to the floor and hiding it as best as possible inside a lockable closet would be essential. I would also suggest not placing a gun safe in a garage - unless you have absolutely, positively no other choice.

I got the one below for about $650. It's 24" wide x 18" deep and 59" high. It has a 2 hour fire rating and the book says it will hold something like 15 long guns. The electronic combination is a non-volatile memory (combination isn't lost if the battery dies). It has a top shelf and the lower, notched shelf has a "half shelf" that covers half of the notches for long guns, giving more shelf space. You can easily add more shelves for things other than firearms and with the fire rating can use it for important papers as well, or jewelry, anything you want to keep locked up. As for rust prevention, unless you buy a safe with some sort of humidity control (add $$$ to the price), they won't keep guns from rusting. You can buy small disposable closet dehumidifiers which I use and they last four or five months in my Southeastern humid summer environment. Mine was easily moved into place with a set of standard hand trucks and can be bolted to a wall or the floor. Fully loaded mine probably weighs 450 pounds. and I cannot move it by myself. I don't have it bolted down, mine is as far from an exit in the house as it can go and I have a good security system.

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In 2011 the local Menards big box home improvement store advertised they had a load of Safari gun safes for $399. I called to make sure they still had them, and was told they still had 62 of them, but come right now because there was a small line of pickup trucks in the yard buying them. So I did. I don't recall the claimed fire resistance rating. I'm thinking 30 minutes. It's roughly 29 inches wide and 5 feet tall, and I bolted it to the concrete floor in my basement at all four corners. I am under no illusion it is a high quality safe, but I would buy it again. I do believe I am done buying guns. Been thinking I want to start going the other direction and reducing the number I have. At the very least, sell one to buy another to hold even.

Very happy with my Liberty Safe, Model D-23, purchased in 2010.

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In case you are curious how well a quality safe works after an intense fire I'll show you:









Water and foam that leaked into the safe caused more of the mess than the fire itself. No guns were lost, no jewelry was lost, and no valuable papers were lost. I did dispose of some guns that were stained and hurt me to look at but they were still shooters.

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Come and take it!!

Long ago, possibly on another, now defunct board, a fireman brought up a point. If your safe is in a basement, it shouldn't be on the floor. The pictures immediately above show why. If you have a fire, your basement is going to fill up with water. I'm not real sure how you're supposed to get your safe up on an 18-24 inch block, but it seems like a good idea.

Children are the reason I am getting a safe so this is critical. I'm less worried about a thief or fire and more worried about simply keeping them out of them while away from the house. I have my revolver with me all day but the long guns will be in there.

I was/am a gun enthusiast with 4 kids. My local class III dealer had hundreds of firearms in his home. I ask how he made sure to lock them away from his 4 kids? His response was: "You always try to keep thing put away, but the real safety is to "Gunproof" your kids." His version was" Make a Saloum pact with your kids. On their part, They will never touch the guns without express permission! On your part, You will stop whatever you are doing and quickly get any gun of yours they wish to see and hold!

I did this with my 4 kids. The first 3 weeks, they will drive you nuts wanting to see one gun or another or 10 at a time (I set a 5-gun limit after week 3). My kids lived by this and my grandkids are raised similarly.

I have had several people say, Their kids would never obey the rules. Then you have a greater safety problem than you realize! They could play with matches and burn you and the house to the ground. They could put chemicals in your food to see what happens! Most things aren't that extreme, but IT IS OUR RESPONSABILITY TO TEACH OUR KIDS TO FOLLOW THE RULES! With my kids, I never worried, with cousins and neighbor kids, I watched like a hawk! And even banished some from our house: MY HOUSE, MY RULES APPLIES TO EVERYONE!

The physical gun safe is no substitute for training your children!

Ivan

(The NRA has pamphlets with "Eddie the Eagle" on child gun safety for free!)

My safe above was on a hardwood floor in my living room resting on plywood, and supported by a couple of piers directly underneath that I had built in there during a remodel because it was a small house and I knew the safe would be on display above my pier and beam foundation. I refused to drill holes in that floor. It was gorgeous, a deep forest green, and I wasn't concerned about that heavy thing being moved. And after the fire, there it was.....

My present foundation on my rebuilt house is a slab so my new safe sits on a plywood board, too. We could have drilled holes, etc., but considering that it is in an interior, locked "safe room", or big closet, depending on your point of view, it will not be easily removed without machinery.

So, there is this:

That sounds like a quality gun cabinet is all that the OP needs. I have 4. Two Stack-On brand (using round/hollow keys), one Winchester brand (using a modern, complex key), and one special solid steel thing with no name and a gorgeous skeleton key.

(c) Tractor Supply

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/ca...s?cm_sp=SBC-_-
Gun+Safes+Cabinets-_-Gun+Cabinets

(c) Wal-Mart

Gun Cabinets & Racks - Walmart.com

(c) Home Depot

Gun Cabinets - Gun Safes - The Home Depot

They all sell the same or similar products. Your prayers are answered.

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Come and take it!!

I sold safes at Gander Mountain for many years, and here's the advice I gave all my customers.

1. Decide where it's going and measure the space carefully.
2. The old adage "a mess will expand to fill all available space" applies to guns and gun safes. Buy the largest one space and finances allow. You will fill it.
3. Don't buy cheap. I sold many different brands, and they ALL gave us trouble except for the Liberty brand, whether sold under their own name or manufactured for other companies. Their warranty is exceptional.

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Ain't This Fun Though?

And remember, if you leave the safes in the dark at night, they'll start to multiply. Ask me how I know.

An Olive Drab 50 cal ammo box adapted with a pad lock or a cross bed tool box from your PU under the bed will work in a pinch.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

Certainly you will be limited by what you can spend now, but please keep in mind what many have said above: even if your collection of firearms does not double or more, you will find MANY more items that belong in your safe. Plan accordingly.

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Formerly Model520Fan

For the price of one rifle, I got a steel safe to keep my Nikons (now worth dirt), my pass port, my pass words, my watches and knives, many FA's and my lil black book. It's about priorities.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

My own kids were all gun knowledgeable and trained well from childhood long before the advent of today's rules and regulations, but that did not cover the grandchildren that visit a lot and we enjoy firearms discussions and handling.

Even though all the kids are grown and gone and it is just the wife and I, we both felt better if a: guns were more secure than leaning against wall corners or in closets, and b: all ammo was stored separately from the guns and also in locked ammo boxes.

I did not feel that the second story would support and multi hundred pound safe and I couldn't move it anyway...so I looked into Stack-on gun cabinets. Very cheap (on sale at the time at Tractor Supply, about $69.00 - but many years ago), easy enough for 1 man move up the stairs and into closet, bolt to studs, holds 8 rifles/shotguns, some with scopes, has shelves if you only want handguns. Would NOT keep any thief away, simple key lock.....but PERFECT to keep kids (up to teenagers) and no one knows but my family where it is. Added benefit to me was that the house is climate controlled, my garage was not so with this cabinet in a closet, not a single speck of rust anywhere, anytime, no humidifier rod necessary.

Again....no fire rating....no fancy lock system....not burglar proof at all...but perfect lowest cost...child proof gun storage in my opinion.

Bababluejay.....let us know what you finally decided from back in July. Pics are good too from your "kiddie-safe" decision. Others may have the same questions, concerns, thoughts.

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

I think this is the right one for me. I think my brother is buying me one for Christmas. If not, I think this is the right cost for the right protection. If they crowbar this, cut the cable locks, and hammer 🔨 the pad locks off my pelican where the ammo is, I am not sure how much more secure I'd be with a safe. I think this would be enough of a barrier 🚧

That was my thought exactly when I bought my first bona fide safe. And the gun involved put fire protection almost at the top of my reason to upgrade to a safe as opposed to a locking cabinet.

One day I was visiting my now deceased father in Ohio. I was getting ready to leave to come home when Pop said, "You're into this cowboy shooting. Take the Trapdoor Springfield home with you." So I took it home and have it to this very day.

When I got home, I considered the odds of various types of casualty damage. Rightly or wrongly, I considered a fire would be more likely than a burglary. I mentally played out the scenario of a fire and came to the conclusion that if that Trapdoor Springfield was destroyed in a fire, sure, with money I could buy another Trapdoor Springfield rifle, but it wouldn't be the one my dad gave me. That was the clincher for me to get the safe.