Any advice on a good safe?

[Frankie2blue]

In my search for a 617 4" pre lock gun around the forums, I have ended up with more guns that I didn't realize I needed until I saw them. This is a dangerous place. (And I STILL have not got my 617 4")

Anyway, it's time to upgrade to a larger and nicer safe. It is pretty confusing,as the more i look into it the more I find they are not really that secure. There are videos on Youtube of people getting into a Liberty in under 2:00 minutes!

I have been looking into Fort Knox Defender series and a couple others. I was wondering if you guys have good recommendations for a safe for handguns and maybe some cash and important papers. Would I be better with a regular home safe that is beefed up more seeing as I only have handguns. 10 Ga steel does not seem all that thick on most of the gun safes I see.
Any recommendations are appreciated. It would be nice to get out of it in the 2000. plus range if I could get quality, and I am afraid to waste my money on the wrong thing.

 

[Frankie2blue]

In my search for a 617 4" pre lock gun around the forums, I have ended up with more guns that I didn't realize I needed until I saw them. This is a dangerous place. (And I STILL have not got my 617 4")

Anyway, it's time to upgrade to a larger and nicer safe. It is pretty confusing,as the more i look into it the more I find they are not really that secure. There are videos on Youtube of people getting into a Liberty in under 2:00 minutes!

I have been looking into Fort Knox Defender series and a couple others. I was wondering if you guys have good recommendations for a safe for handguns and maybe some cash and important papers. Would I be better with a regular home safe that is beefed up more seeing as I only have handguns. 10 Ga steel does not seem all that thick on most of the gun safes I see.
Any recommendations are appreciated. It would be nice to get out of it in the 2000. plus range if I could get quality, and I am afraid to waste my money on the wrong thing.

 

[CH47gunner]

Sorry, I can't really help with picking a quality safe.

But thru my own experience, buy one that's HUGE!
You're going to need the space - plan on one that fits your needs & then double the size.
I bought a Canon Executive 24 rifle safe a couple of years ago, thinking it would be adequate. Not so - I've already rearranged it a couple of times to make room for new additions. Now I'm thinking separate safes, one for long-guns and one for hand-guns.

Bruce

 

[Dale53]

I am a retired Insurance Claims Rep (thirty years). I have seen lots of safes - some damaged beyond repair. Most of them were damaged but the thieves didn't get inside.

Your home will not normally be the target of high level safe crackers (they use equipment that would quickly defeat most any safe). Your typical burglar is a doper who is not terribly smart. A safe is only PART of the security package. Good nosy neighbors are important - cultivate them. A really good alarm system is a MUST. Finally, you MUST bolt your safe to structural parts of the house. I have seen burglars cart off a 1500 lb safe where they can work on it if it takes hours.

If you have a good alarm, they only have minutes before the police get there. So, something like a Treadlok, properly bolted down is apt to be all you need.

Dale53

 

[Dosgatos]

This is an issue which had me in a quandary for some time. Professionals can get into anything, anytime (and in a SHORT time!). Most burglars are not professionals. I ended up buying a used safe from my local locksmith for $400. He had a nice selection of used safes from $300-$1500. A gunsmith friend of mine tells me his strategy is to buy fairly inexpensive safes to keep the average person or burglar honest (an oxymoron?) but to rely on his alarm system.

Most importantly, buy a safe larger than you think you will need, or you will end up buying TWO safes. I didn't think I needed a safe bigger than the two eight-pistol racks I planned on using. I now have three pistols beyond the sixteen rack spaces.

 

[Rigmover]

Everbody's dream to have a safe like this but you would have to build your house around it LOL.Anyways yah check out your local locksmiths and see what they have thats what i did and found a decent 2500 LBS safe built in the late 1890's. Pick it up for $650 plus another $250 to get it delivered and put into the basement well worth it. I built sliding drawers that can easely fit 10-12 guns per drawer.It'll take me awhile to fill it.But im trying.Check this Vault out[IMG:left]

[/IMG]

 

[Farmer17]

I recommend two smaller safes bolted together. They are easy to unbolt and move if you ever need to move them and they are twice as difficult and take twice the time to break into. If one of the locks fails, you still have half of your guns available.

 

[ladder13]

Originally posted by Rigmover:
Everbody's dream to have a safe like this but you would have to build your house around it LOL.Anyways yah check out your local locksmiths and see what they have thats what i did and found a decent 2500 LBS safe built in the late 1890's. Pick it up for $650 plus another $250 to get it delivered and put into the basement well worth it. I built sliding drawers that can easely fit 10-12 guns per drawer.It'll take me awhile to fill it.But im trying.Check this Vault out[IMG:left]

[/IMG]

Mike
SWCA 1975

 

[Frankie2blue]

I have looked at some smaller ones in Lock shops, but it is hard to tell the quality or thickness of steel. I have a good alarm system and am friends with all of my neighbors, who all happen to be LEO and one CIA. (I am the only one of my 5 closest neighbors that is not.) One of them are retired LEO. They all just happened to settled here twenty years ago. Not really the area to break in.
Anyway, I am looking for some name brands (if there are any) of gun safes or Home security safes that are really worth buying. Thanks.
Here is one of the videos I found on gun safes which is interesting. There are a bunch of them out there that get you thinking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhOjWHbD6M

 

[Jellybean]

I used to have a Liberty safe which I loved. I now have two smaller safes, made by Liberty and sold by Gander Mtn, that I hate. There is some truth to the link you provided. However, chances are very slim that you'll ever have two guys walk into your house with a crowbar and prybar and willing to take the time to open a safe as in the video. Although now that that companies cheap form of scare tactic advertising will be a training video for scumbags everywhere, you might want to be ready for a second break in if you do have a safe.

Get the best safe you can afford, get an alarm system, learn a little about home security like what kinds of locks to use and keep the area well lit. If someone really wants what you own there is no way you're going to stop them, the idea is to make your house a less desirable target than your neighbors.

 

[tbury]

I have a $700 treadlock. The guy who delivered it told me he knew of one customer that had his safe bolted to the floor of one of his rooms in his house. Thieves ripped it out through the front door by chaining it to a 4WD. The moral is if they want it bad enough they will get it or into it. Locks and Safes do a good job of making it too much trouble for the average thief to get to your valuables. A good alarm system can help but a pro can cut the phone line and/or disable your power to your house. I do not see the value of $2000 to $3000 safes. That money could go towards additional home security items and systems which would support the function of a safe. JMHO

 

[n4zov]

Check this out for very helpful information on choosing a gun safe: www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

 

[Frankie2blue]

Good article. Does anyone here have the Fort Knox Defender series safe?

 

[SEG]

There is a guy on AuctionArms.com out of Florida that advertises Free shipping.
Don't get carried away with locking bolts and door thickness, look for what gauge the walls are. 100 2" locking bolts don't mean much if the side walls are 14 gauge metal, you could open it with a can opener.
PLUS 10 for Security items, I have OC canisters hooked up to mine and 2 98DB horns.
I have a Browning and a old Mosler safe, either one weighs over 1000lbs empty, very happy with both. I added a 4" plate 1/2" thick to 5-5/8" anchors 6" long into a concrete slab for both.

If a theif wants it bad enough, they will find a way.
I also have a Jo-Box/Gang Box I converted to a gun safe for when I bring stuff in to work to work on. You ever try to get into one of those?
Sometimes I think a safe would be easier.

Hope this helps

 

[Sportsterguy]

Go BIG, Thought a 14 gunner would do it but it's packed. Ditto on the alarm system and highly recommend a dog. Thieves are usually scared to death of them and they are great company. Here is a pic of my 105 lb. American Bulldog "Bruno". He's a very gentle dog but folks stay way back from our back fence when passing. Between the alarm and him I have more faith in him to deter unwanted company.

 

[Richard Simmons]

Here's a pretty neat alternative to a safe.

http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?t=174612

 

[Smithhound]

Yes, go big, way big. I am on my second safe now, I quickly filled a high quality 35 long gun safe (which does not hold 35 unless you collect/shoot single shots). Figure on the future acquistions.
No safe is completely secure, as stated by others you are trying to keep amatures out, not pro's. There is no defense against a professional. If what you have in your safe is valuable enough, someone will find a way to take it. Big strong safe, burglar alarm, nosy neighbors whatever, if you have big time money or valuables in there and someone wants it bad enough, what is to stop them from watching you for a few days and when you walk out your door to go to work one morning, stepping out of the bushes, sticking a gun in your ear and having you 'oblige' them by opening your safe?
Good luck with that scenario.
To secure my safes I built a very large pedestal and bolted them to it, tip one and the other follows, hopefully onto the thief.
All you can do, is all you can do.
RD

 

[Frankie2blue]

I had one safe guy tell me on the phone that if I had enough handguns to overfill a 60" by 27" safe, then what I really needed was a therapist instead because I must have a serious obsession!

Anyone here know somebody with an obsession?

 

[SEG]

NOPE!!
Just a heathy curiosity

 

[mkk41]

Just bought one of these.

http://www.sentrysafe.com/products/productDetail.aspx?s...art&WT.si_p=CartView