A little insight on gun safe location...

[Wheelgunner840]

My opinion is to keep it in the house where you can get to that 870 in a hurry if you need to. I also suggest a small single gun vault secured in the bedroom closet, so you can have instant access to a handgun if something goes bump in the night. The interior closet sound like a good idea. Out of sight, out of mind.

Do not try to drill through a carpet. The drill bit will grab a strand of the carpet, and you will have one big ugly zip line going across your floor. I know it's a bit of a pain, but you need to get a sharpie marker, and mark the hole(s) exactly where you are going to drill them. You can do this one of two ways. You can put the safe in place and mark through the hole(s) in the floor of the safe onto the carpet, and then move the safe out of the way to drill, or, you can measure the hole(s) in the safe and then transfer the measurements to the closet floor and mark them.

The reason to make the marks on the carpet, is so you can take a very sharp razor in a utility knife, and cut a small square of carpet out at the exact place you will be drilling. Cut out at least 1"X 1" of carpet, and save the pieces. I do not know what is under the closet flooring of your house, but you should find out if any pipes or wires reside there before drilling. If no obstacles, use some sort of anchor/ expansion bolts. Again, the type and thickness of your flooring need to be known to offer more precise information.

Whatever you do, keep it in the house so your guns are more accessible to you than to thieves, and drop the $28 bucks for a Golden Rod. I haven't had a speck of rust on any gun in my safe which is equipped with a Golden Rod in 15 years. It gets quite humid here in the summertime.

Good luck,

WG840

 

[ditrina]

Originally posted by diamonback68:
My other selling point was my wife could store her jewelry in there. She sure wouldn't want them out in a cold unsafe, unguarded garage.

That's EXACTLY the logic I used.. and it worked..

 

[crofoot629]

Living near the ocean your guns would rust within a few days if the safe were in the garage. It’s also ill eagle to have a gunsafe in a garage in California. You are not considered to be in possession of your firearms. You can tell her I said so!

Emory

 

[84CJ]

There are more reasons to bolt the safe to the floor than to keep someone from carring them off. A safe is front heavy when the door is opened it can tilt forward. If it is full and heavy stuff on bottom it is not so bad but it will seem unstable. I use shims like you would use shims like you would use hanging doors or windows. to level the safe make check the level by how the door swings. Stays closed when closed open when open if opened to 45 deg it stays at 45 deg. Sucks when a door keeps closing on you.

Wheelgunner has a good point about carpet. especially if it is berber carpet. I typically use lag screws with a touch of wax on them and do not drill.Go slow to make sure it bits and screws in. Markink and cutting a small patch is best if you have Berber safe the plug so if you move the safe. Soap is just as good. Firm pressure and it will go without drilling. Hardwood needs to have a pilot hole.

Otyher selling points to consider.
Titles
Deeds
coin collections
any important papers (marriage license)birth cert. etc......
Pictures esp.wedding

(if safe is fireproof)
Negatives and polaroids are best at the bottom in another small fireproof box. a little heat will ruin them
Cameras
etc....anyting you can thik of thats near and dear to her heart.

I would still consider a golden rod even in the house Only uses abou the elect. as a night light.

Most criminals wont even touch a safe. Unless you live in the sticks and they have lots of time. They sometimes try but rarely succede.

300 lb safe is not that hard to move crooks wont care if they tear up your house.

 

[gunnut44]

My safe is in the house, and no way my $4000 safe and a lifetime of collecting guns,knives, my daughters baby pictures, family treasures that have been passed down from generations is going in a garage. Dont get me wrong I wouldn't put a Stack On brand or another cheap so called "safe" in my living room, but mine is a beautiful piece of furniture and part of our house.

 

[n4zov]

"....it would be easier and faster for thieves to get your safe out of your garage than out of your house."

+1 Most garages have tools that can be a lot of help to anybody wanting to steal a gun safe. It sounds as if you are in a salt water environment and I would not want a safe in an unheated/cooled space. A Goldenrod dehumidifier would be a good investment regardless.

 

[ridewv]

I would only want my safe (with guns in it)located where it's climate controlled. An un-heated garage may be dry but with tempurature swings it'll condensate. I observed this in my garage. It had been cold, below thirty degrees. Then the weather became warm and raining. I opened the garage door and saw *everything* metal dripping wet. Not unlike the outside of a glass of iced tea.
I keep my safe in my motorcycle garage but it's heated and air conditioned.

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Man that's a beauty!!! Maybe one day I'll own something that nice. As for now I do love my new safe and want the best for it and my guns that are going to be going in it. I also have about 8 Samurai swords that will be going in there and those will rust very easily if exposed to moisture. One more quick question, the safe came with two big silica packs in the bottom of it. I threw them out. Should I put some more in there? Were those supposed to stay in there to keep moisture down?

 

[ridewv]

Thanks. I recently bought it from a jewery store that closed up. They had bought it new in 1940. Its great for handguns with all it's shelves and drawers.
I've always used Golden Rods but I am trying this Remmington dehumidifier. You just set in the safe. As it absorbs moisture its gauge changes color. Then you take it out, plug it in a recepticle for 8 hours and it drys itself out. I still may drill a hole and place a Golden Rod in it too.
http://www.remington.com/produ...ini-Dehumidifier.asp (Dicks and Cabela's has them)

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Thanks for the insight on dehumidifiers, and congrats on that safe! Not sure if you noticed but you typed that you got it from a JEWery store, I'm sure a typo but I smiled.

 

[ridewv]

No I didn't even notice it. And the owners of the store aren't even Jewish!

. I'll blame my computer here at work that doesn't automatically spell check everything, like my MacBook at home. It's amazing that's all I misspelled!

 

[SQUIREBANDON]

Well I wasn't gonna point it out but you also put 2 M's in Remington

And no I'm not one of those spell Natzis I just happen to notice. Anyways, that is off topic and I really do appreciate all the help. I have been so pleasantly surprised with everyone on this site since I joined.

 

[big g]

I bought a hidden gun cabinet from one of the guys on this forum (chief38) and installed it in my bedroom.......man the thing works and looks great! I have a Remington 870 in it and I can bring it into action in under 5 seconds if need be. I installed the cabinet when no one was home, and my kids have no idea it is anything other than a picture frame. As a bonus, the picture & frame are beautiful, which my wife loves!

I was looking for a way to keep my defense shotgun safe, out of "little hands" but still have it there when I need it, and this really fits the bill. Check it out...

hiddenguncabinet.com is the guys website.

big g

 

[perpster]

Originally posted by SQUIREBANDON:
As for room in the safe, as of right now I only have a Remington 870 12 gauge and an SW40VE and the safe holds up to 14 long guns so I think I got the room thing covered for at least a little while. And you can be sure the wife has a big say in that!

Put a sling on the 870 and give it to her as a necklace present. She'll love it if she thinks it's jewelry!

 

[Careby]

As far as humidity in a garage goes, I compromised by air conditioning my garage. Sure comes in handy for other uses.

As far as a gun in the garage being of no use for home defense, I would argue that a gun locked in a safe in the house isn't of any use, either. No way I could dial a combination once the adrenaline hits. I keep the guns I'm counting on readily available without too much thinking or dexterity.

As far as a safe tipping over due to the weight of the door, you obviously need some more guns! (Not that you shouldn't bolt it down, too.)

 

[smith627]

Sharing gun safe with wife a great idea. My wife has about 1/3 of safe space with a set of silver, family photos (inside a smaller fire resistant safe)our Will, children keepsakes, etc. Also got rid of our safety deposit box at bank that saved $95/year. She really likes our safe and it is inside the house. Safe is a big Liberty safe and fire resistant. Also agree to get one bigger than you think you need because it is a lifetime investment and over time, you will accumulate more "stuff".

 

[gunnut44]

Any gun in the safe is not a home defense gun no matter where the safe is, if you have to go into a safe to get your gun to protect you and your family it is too late, by the time you hear someone in your house it is too late and you better have a gun a little more handy than locked in your safe, a safe is made to protect your valuables and keep guns and whatever out of sight and out of unwanted hands not store your home protection piece.

 

[29aholic]

Actually guys, humidity isnt a problem if you'll wire a simple light socket in the safe and leave a low watt light bulb burning during times of high humidity, and its 1. cheaper than the drying rods, and 2. You got light to see all your treasures

Definitely bolt it down!!! I dont care how much it weighs

 

[Capt Steve]

""I will not be lied to, cheated, or layed a hand on. I do not do these to others and expect the same from them" JB Books (John Wayne "The Shootist")"

Better watch the movie again, (always a worthwhile endeavor), as your quote is close but no cigar. (o;