-
Forum Update: We've upgraded the software to improve security, performance, and the overall experience.
👉 Read why we made the change | Support the Forum
Gun safe purchase advice?
- Thread starter TDC
- Start date
That's the same model I have, and it's a good one.
chuckster57
Member
What ever safe you buy, don't think that just because it weighs XXX pounds, it can't walk away. ANCHOR it solid.
My electronic locking safe hasn't failed to open in the 3 years I've had it. Its in the house, in a closet in a spare bedroom loaded with cooking stuff, and lag screwed to the floor.
My electronic locking safe hasn't failed to open in the 3 years I've had it. Its in the house, in a closet in a spare bedroom loaded with cooking stuff, and lag screwed to the floor.
Buying nothing from Walmart, Costco etc...........
Instead stick to safes such as Liberty, Cannon, Fort Knox, American Security among others.
Instead stick to safes such as Liberty, Cannon, Fort Knox, American Security among others.
In just a couple of hours I'm receiving more pertinent information vital to making an informed decision than I have in several weeks of shopping with local "experts!" Lots of valuable advice from very bright people on this thread. I believe many others can use this info, too.....
I've had my large garage safe for many, many years. Never have had any attempt to breach it.
The four threats that seem apparent for any safe are theft, fire, smoke and water damage to the safes contents. I believe many of us have seen what the combination of fire, heat, smoke and water can do to our blued guns especially.
Are you guys content with the protection your safes provide in these categories? I'd like to hear people chime in that have had some unfortunate or tragic experiences with their safes due to theft, fire, etc... Those can be the most valuable "learning experiences.."
Thanks!
I've had my large garage safe for many, many years. Never have had any attempt to breach it.
The four threats that seem apparent for any safe are theft, fire, smoke and water damage to the safes contents. I believe many of us have seen what the combination of fire, heat, smoke and water can do to our blued guns especially.
Are you guys content with the protection your safes provide in these categories? I'd like to hear people chime in that have had some unfortunate or tragic experiences with their safes due to theft, fire, etc... Those can be the most valuable "learning experiences.."
Thanks!
Flint Ridge
Member
I have an OLD house, basement ceiling about 6'4". I literally demo'd a room and took the floor/joists out, dropped this 6' safe in on a chain hoist - freaked the safe delivery guys out. Took them an hour to get it in the house and 10 minutes for me to strap & rig, hoist, take out the new false floor, remove floor and drop it in.
If you ever wondered what the bottom of a Liberty 50 looks like...
hdfinder47
Member
You might want to consider one with the dual, or EMP, lock. It's a dial lock with an electronic component built in for quick opening. I've never (in 35 or so years using electronic lock safes) had one fail. That being said, an EMP can wipe out electronics so the manual dial backup may be something to consider. Cannon was the only manufacturer I found with this option currently and the safe is of good quality. Bought one for my son also. Built in lights and plugs for other electrical options and also computer plugins.
I keep the "collectibles" in the older (Smith) safe and the "go to" loaded stuff in the EMP safe.
I keep the "collectibles" in the older (Smith) safe and the "go to" loaded stuff in the EMP safe.
Help us out here, Kanewpadle.... From your experience give us a brand "best to worse" opinion. We get so much "razzle-dazzle" from sales people - stuff like "UL ratings" for fire protection and "California DOJ ratings" for security, much of which seems to be misleading at best...
When it comes to workmanship what would you select as your list of what to look for?
Simple really. Stay away from anything made in China/Taiwan. Walmart, Sam's Club, Lowe's, Home Depot and Costco sell inferior safes with name brands we may recognize such as Winchester. Don't fall for it.
Liberty, Cannon, American Security, Fort Knox, National Security, and Champion are among the best.
I have first hand experience with Liberty and Cannon customer service and they are great to work with.
Liberty used to import their "budget" line of safes but they stopped a couple years ago. And American Security still does. I don't believe Cannon does.
It's difficult to see and know the difference between US made and Chinese unless you know what to look for. And then only if you open the safe and remove the back cover and look at the lock and bolt works.
A gun safe is an investment. I can't understand why people buy a budget safe at Walmart. I think they don't know any better.
If you live close to a fire station, don't worry about the fire rating. Don't store gas or other flammables near your safe. And store it in an area with constant temperature. Frequent temperature changes will cause condensation.
Buy bigger. Bolt it down. Have it delivered and set in place. And have it delivered during the week when most of your neighbors are working.
I highly recommend a traditional safe combination. Not digital. Yes digital is convenient and quicker. But a rotary dial combination will last many years while a digital will not. And digital locks are made in China. When, not if, but when the solenoid fails on the digital lock the safe will need to be drilled open. I see this at least once a month.
BobC357
Member
I maybe late to the party but, like others -- always get bigger than you think you'll ever need. In addition, get both fire and water seals and fire protection. If there's ever a fire, there will also be water. I've got an AmSec (American Security) with manual S&G combo lock. After a fire, your electronic face will probably be melted plastic while the combo will probably still function. All the other posters have great advice.
One thing to make sure of is that the door has a layer of Palusol running all the way around the opening. Palusol is a fire sealant tape that expands from the heat and seals off the door so that water, and then later steam and smoke from the fire doesn't get sucked in as the interior cools back down. It doesn't need to be, and usually isn't recommended to be quite touching at the ends where the top and sides pieces meet since it expands.
Several issues back (some time in 2012 IIRC) in Handloader or Rifle magazine, Brian Pearce wrote an article in which he talked about one of his friends and neighbor that had a severe house fire. His safe(s) didn't have Palusol around the door(s) since they were a little older model(s), and when they cooled down, they sucked in a ton of smoke that damaged all the wood and steel on every gun severely. Pearce did the best he could to clean and restore them, but none were ever like before the fire.
Something else to look for is heavy duty locking bolts on all four sides of the door, not just the sides or top and sides.
Several issues back (some time in 2012 IIRC) in Handloader or Rifle magazine, Brian Pearce wrote an article in which he talked about one of his friends and neighbor that had a severe house fire. His safe(s) didn't have Palusol around the door(s) since they were a little older model(s), and when they cooled down, they sucked in a ton of smoke that damaged all the wood and steel on every gun severely. Pearce did the best he could to clean and restore them, but none were ever like before the fire.
Something else to look for is heavy duty locking bolts on all four sides of the door, not just the sides or top and sides.
Lots of good advice has been given. I'll try not to repeat what's already been posted.
1) Inside hinges don't mean a thing. A thief can cut the outside hinges off a safe and all he did was waste his time. The locking lugs are what holds the door on, get BIG ones--lots of big ones!
2) Buy American!
3) I highly recommend 10 gauge steel.
4) You must have some sort of price in mind. Double it! You will not regret it in the long run.
5) Will the door swing open 180*'s? One major brand I was considering didn't and it would have been a big mistake for me because of my limited space.
6) However many rifles your safe is rated for--cut it in half unless you like your rifles all into each other or think "handling marks" add character.
7) Electronic/dial lock? I have electronic but would prefer to have both. Yes, some good safes have both. I've got a call in to a locksmith to change to a dial. That was 5 months ago. You can change your combination with an electronic lock, not a dial that I know of. I don't even want a locksmith to have my combination.
8) Beware of thinking a safe is a bargain for what you're paying. If you do your homework, you'll soon find out why it was (not) a bargain!
9) Don't be in a hurry to buy a safe! If you take your time and learn all you can about safes, you'll be educated enough to make the right decision.
10) Did I mention to double the cost you have in mind?
11) You will want the peace of mind knowing your safe hasn't been broken into or hauled away unless they stole your entire house with it.
This video is worth a watch if it already hasn't been mentioned. Good luck! You'll need a lot of it if you decide to cheap out.
GUN SAFES "THE TRUTH" weaponseducation - YouTube
1) Inside hinges don't mean a thing. A thief can cut the outside hinges off a safe and all he did was waste his time. The locking lugs are what holds the door on, get BIG ones--lots of big ones!
2) Buy American!
3) I highly recommend 10 gauge steel.
4) You must have some sort of price in mind. Double it! You will not regret it in the long run.
5) Will the door swing open 180*'s? One major brand I was considering didn't and it would have been a big mistake for me because of my limited space.
6) However many rifles your safe is rated for--cut it in half unless you like your rifles all into each other or think "handling marks" add character.
7) Electronic/dial lock? I have electronic but would prefer to have both. Yes, some good safes have both. I've got a call in to a locksmith to change to a dial. That was 5 months ago. You can change your combination with an electronic lock, not a dial that I know of. I don't even want a locksmith to have my combination.
8) Beware of thinking a safe is a bargain for what you're paying. If you do your homework, you'll soon find out why it was (not) a bargain!
9) Don't be in a hurry to buy a safe! If you take your time and learn all you can about safes, you'll be educated enough to make the right decision.
10) Did I mention to double the cost you have in mind?
11) You will want the peace of mind knowing your safe hasn't been broken into or hauled away unless they stole your entire house with it.
This video is worth a watch if it already hasn't been mentioned. Good luck! You'll need a lot of it if you decide to cheap out.
GUN SAFES "THE TRUTH" weaponseducation - YouTube
alaskavett
US Veteran
You have been given some very good and useful advice here. First, scrap the "budget" idea and OVERBUY in every respect of the word! Go bigger stronger heavier etc. Be mindful of where in your house you will keep it.. Had a friend who kept his mounted against an outside wall "just in case" there was a fire as he intended to chainsaw his way into the burning house to save them.. Yes, his guns suffered from condensation... Take into consideration where you live. I recommend a serious home security system that you can monitor.. Some offer armed guard response at very reasonable rates.. Nice to have the option when your away at work..Do not buy the home install stuff, pay to have it done right and do insure your toys! Remember we buy safes as protection when we are gone. This is no time to stop at Walmart for your needs... Do not forget to have a great dog! Kyle
Door Kicker
Member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2012
- Messages
- 107
- Reaction score
- 77
lots of good advice here. I'll add mine.
1) buy as big a safe as you can afford
2) buy the safe with the best fire rating you can afford
3) when you narrow down to you short list, then compare warranties. You may be surprised that the more expensive don't always have the best warranty
When doing my research I discovered that Cannon had one of the best warranties. The biggest difference was in the small print. It boiled down to who would pay to ship your safe back to the factory. Most all the ones I looked at, the buyer had to pay for freight back to the factory for evaluation and then repair/replace. Cannon states that they will arrange for a carrier to pick up deliver to them, and then return the new or repaired safe.
The way I figured, by the time you pay freight on a safe, you may as well just buy a new safe.
Also, since I bought a small Cannon first time, I was able to trade it in on the larger Cannon (that is now too small)
1) buy as big a safe as you can afford
2) buy the safe with the best fire rating you can afford
3) when you narrow down to you short list, then compare warranties. You may be surprised that the more expensive don't always have the best warranty
When doing my research I discovered that Cannon had one of the best warranties. The biggest difference was in the small print. It boiled down to who would pay to ship your safe back to the factory. Most all the ones I looked at, the buyer had to pay for freight back to the factory for evaluation and then repair/replace. Cannon states that they will arrange for a carrier to pick up deliver to them, and then return the new or repaired safe.
The way I figured, by the time you pay freight on a safe, you may as well just buy a new safe.
Also, since I bought a small Cannon first time, I was able to trade it in on the larger Cannon (that is now too small)
Last edited:
The Graffunder safes are rediculously out of reach on price for most Americans.There are lots of opinions and lots of models to satisfy them.
I would first suggest coming up with a dollar figure on what you anticipate protecting, remember that jewelry, etc., will likely end up in the safe as well. Next decide what you are going to protect the contents from. Where will it be located in the home? Is there an alarm system, dogs, nosey neighbors, etc.?
The best discussions I've seen on the web are on thehighroad site, search "RSC" and read for a couple of days.
I've discovered after years of studying and talking to locksmiths that you can buy a real safe for what many of the brand name ten or twelve gauge boxes cost.
I am glad that folks love their Liberty safes but they wouldn't be on my list.
If I were buying again I would be looking at (in rough order of price) the Amsec BF models, the Sturdy 7 gauge series, the Amsec TL-30 gun safes, or a Graffunder with a rating suitable for what I was storing.
I also like the idea of two safes in a room as opposed to one larger one.
Advice worth what you paid for it.
YMMV
Regards.
Bob
The Liberty safes have withstood about any imaginable test you can lay on a safe. Go to their site and watch them use 4 sticks of dynamite and a boatload of primachord wrapped around one of their Presidential safes, and it still stayed locked shut. watch them drop several from 100 and 200 feet and stay shut. No criminal is going to lay more on a safe than that.
The best safe would be a poured concrete bunker with a true vault door mounted for entry like many wealthy people have, but again, that's simply out of the average persons price range and living area's ability to handle.
Very true what you say. However, we need to remember that very few gun safes in the home are attacked by professional thieves. Most of them are amateurs looking for an easy score so most well made gun safes will do just fine.
We also need to consider alarm systems, dogs, and home security like you mentioned. Is someone home most of the time? Above average deadbolts on your door?
If a thief has the time they may or may not get into your safe or be able to remove it. In my experience, they damage the safe by knocking off the lock and handles. The two things you need to open the safe.
So the question is, will they or won't they have enough time?
An Amsec TL30 is the ultimate. But do we really need it? If a professional wants in he will get in providing he has time. And it's not much harder to drill a TL30 than a RSC IF you have time. And drilling is noisy. Extremely noisy. The only other way is to manipulate the lock which isn't easy and equally time consuming.
There's a lot to think about. But we don't need to over think it.
03clyde
Member
They're my choice as well.
Don't let changing the combination sway your decision. I have 2 manual locks and both combinations can be reset by the user. Not hard to do at all.
