Best safe for a few rifles/handguns

BabaBlueJay

BabaBlueJay

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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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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