Bolt down or no?

[Beemerguy53]

Mine are bolted to the wall studs and slab.

Few years back someone on the Silencer Talk forum came home to his front door busted and his 600+ pound safe gone.

The most important things in his safe was a sub machine gun, several SBR's and suppressors.

He said it had to have been someone he knew or someone that saw him shooting his cool stuff at the range and followed him home.

I am always amazed when I see posts on Facebook or other social media sites where people show off guns they own, including some truly rare or collectible stuff.

Also...most of us have at least somebody in our circle of family members and/or friends who isn't exactly an honest, upstanding citizen. You have to be very circumspect when talking with anyone about your guns...

 

[Kiwi cop]

Bolt it to the floor. Also bolt it to a wall, our two walls if in a corner. Minimum of 10mm (25/64). I actually have mine now bolted into the buildings framing with 50mm (2 ") construction screws. Result, last time a burglar tried to pull one of my safes from the wall he bent a 6' long 1" chrome weight bar like a banana.

Do not rely on a Ring camera for security.

I found out the hard way that the Ring camera makes a sound when activating and there is sufficient delay for someone to grab it off the wall and shove it into a box, or even a pocket, before it starts recording. And the online charges are excessive.

i now have several Eufy cameras and alarms installed.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Mine is bolted to the floor....

Not perfect, but better then nothing to hold it in place.....

 

[wood714]

If someone can "lift your safe with a dolly" or "throw it on a truck", you don't have a safe. You simply have a fire resistant box.

If that is the case, get a real safe. Get one 6 feet high, 4 feet wide made from 3/16 or 1/4" steel with rolled door frame. It will weigh about 1700 pounds without the guns inside. It would take a real pro to get in one. Not many of those around.

Rather than pay monthly fees the rest of my life, I bought these type of gun safes. They hold their value and, when I no longer need them, can be sold to recoup my investment.

No need to bolt down two thousand pounds. These type safes are not usually found at the box stores. I bought mine factory direct and saved. PM me if interested.

I wanted a massive safe, but didn't want it sitting in a room in plain view. I have 3 smaller safes that all fit in my closets.

 

[chief38]

ABSOLUTELY DO bolt down a safe - no matter how large, how well rated or how heavy it is!!!!!!!

There are a bunch of video's on the net showing that even high quality safes are opened by a few guys with pry-bars in minutes once the safe is on its back. Rocking a safe and flipping it in its back is not hard to do either. Prying opened a good quality safe it very difficult while standing up in place because the leverage is completely different from that angle. A safe on its back is quite vulnerable.

I would recommend using 4 large concrete anchors (one in each corner) and I'd not worry about breaking any type of seals you think are on the safe because after a few years of opening and closing I doubt very much how water tight they would be anyway. If it really concerns you, put a bead or glob of GE Silicone sealant around each bolt. That will waterproof the bolt holes but unless you live in a severe flood zone like New Orleans, burglary would be of greater concern to me. Yes - many of the safes sold are equipped with expandable door seals that do so when wet (supposedly), but again, I don't know how long they remain "good" after hundreds or thousands of repeated openings and closings.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ViUdd-2LM&t=28s[/ame]

 

[chief38]

BTW...... a safe (no mater what the quality is) is really meant to slow down burglars - not really to stop them overtime. If you are going on vacation you would be very surprised just how many people know you are not home!

These days Airline reservations, car rentals, hotel rooms etc. are all booked online. We all know by now that anything done on a computer is not safe! How many times have we had our credit cards and ID hacked off the computer? Once a burglar knows you will be out of town for an extended period of time, they know they have time to get into any safe you might have.

Alarms and locks are really for honest people as thieves and burglars know how to get around them. Don't kid yourself into being falsely protected and do the best you can to slow down and retard a burglary. Every step you take to protect your valuables slow down a potential robbery.

1) Get the best quality (fire and burglar rated) safe you can afford!
2) Bolt is securely to the floor
3) If at all possible install a safe inside a locked closet.
4) I'd also recommend having that closet alarmed with a separate key pad that has its own code. You can use your home alarm, but give the separate key pad its own code known only to you (not the kids).
5) I would not tell anyone about your gun safe or where it's located. The less that know about it the more secure you are! Many robberies are actually "inside jobs" by people who know when you will be away or out for an extended time period. .

Because we are honest people here on this Forum, we do not think like thieves and burglars. We must do the best we can - that's all we CAN do!

 

[Greyman50]

Bolt it to concrete using Hil-Ti anchors, best there is. Kind of surprised no one mentioned Burglar Bombs. My safes are bolted down and if I leave for more than few hours set burglar bombs. Check them out online as there have been no losses from people using them. Just don't forget you set them.

 

[Puller]

Mine is not bolted to the floor. It took 6 big strong guys to get it into my basement when it was empty. It's not going to be any easier to handle now that it's full.

I do agree with the multi layered security approach and I have a home security system, motion lights, and dogs. Plus, if I'm home some of my guns are in secure locations other than the safe.

 

[NYlakesider]

My large Fort Knox weighs close to 1500 dry and I bolted it down. Its also in a tight corner so no room to use Halligan tools. Also have a professional installed and monitored burglar system. If you think I'm paranoid perhaps your right. We live rural, house not seen from road on the end of a 1/3 mile driveway. A good bet is a LEO response could easily exceed 20 minutes!

I have realized for decades all you get is time and I want more than my fair share of it.

For the most part we no longer do long (2 weeks or better) vacations. Now do mostly day trips, this is not due to security concerns.

 

[ladder13]

No comment.

 

[max]

There are very inexpensive and simple to install camera systems that will alert you (via smart phone) to someone around your home. I would do something like that before I messed with the floor.

 

[Jim R]

Every time I see a posting about safes and what to do I say the same thing, buy good firearms insurance. There was a robbery in the neighboring state about 3 years ago were the bad guys, armed with sawed off shotguns robbed a big time Winchester collectors home. They came in and made the owner load his collection into their van. He had his guns insured, it didn't stop the robbery but it eased the pain.

I use a company called Gun and Trophy Insurance. The insurance is surprising inexpensive. Before I used Gun & Trophy I had a rider on my home owners policy. I saved about 75% by switching companies.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I feel like a piker to some of you guys! If I bought a 900# fireproof safe to protect my guns and papers, it would probably be the most expensive thing in my house! I keep my guns locked up mainly in case curious little hands may find them when no one's looking. Kids are fast. As far as putting cheap guns in the safe, you can always disarm the guns by keeping the bolts in a separate place, or magazines, or whatever so some criminal can't use the cheap gun in a crime. I know this works because I've seen it on TV!

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

If someone can "lift your safe with a dolly" or "throw it on a truck", you don't have a safe. You simply have a fire resistant box.

If that is the case, get a real safe. Get one 6 feet high, 4 feet wide made from 3/16 or 1/4" steel with rolled door frame. It will weigh about 1700 pounds without the guns inside. It would take a real pro to get in one. Not many of those around.

Rather than pay monthly fees the rest of my life, I bought these type of gun safes. They hold their value and, when I no longer need them, can be sold to recoup my investment.

No need to bolt down two thousand pounds. These type safes are not usually found at the box stores. I bought mine factory direct and saved. PM me if interested.

That would fall through the floor in the flimsy houses built today. And most people don't have the space for such.

 

[chief38]

There are very inexpensive and simple to install camera systems that will alert you (via smart phone) to someone around your home. I would do something like that before I messed with the floor.

Video's might help to determine who robbed you and what exactly transpired, but the fact remains your stuff is still gone. After the fact security is not much use as a deterrent - if wearing masks and gloves.

I have personally witnessed two guys (safe movers of course) rock a 1,200 pound safe around like it weighed 200 pounds. A safe not bolted down is not secure - just my opinion.

Drilling holes into concrete through the safe takes 5 minutes with a proper Hammer Drill and drill bit. 3/8" minimum and preferably 1'2" - 5/8" bolts should be used. Oh- and BTW, many safes already have pre-drilled holes below the safe's interior floor - so the part about being waterproof "doesn't really hold water" - lol! Silicone sealant will waterproof your holes if you are concerned about water. IMHO there is little reason not to do so and many reason to do it.

And last but not least - how many of us use our "gun safe" to store other valuable documents and other stuff!?

 

[John_M52]

I would not do it. You break the seal on the slab in the Houston area and it is !!!!!. Motion Detectors, Ring door camera's, Etc.. My best friend that lives in a less populated area put a air raid siren in attic. Just MHO.

Only time to worry about bolting to concrete floors is if they have post tensioned cables buried in them. Cutting a cable can be disastrous. Unless there is some weird zoning in Houston. Or water ingress?

 

[16thVACav]

Definitely - bolt it down.

 

[Der Verminator]

I wonder how many pro gun thieves read this forum to get the latest info on what some of us own and how we protect it?

 

[pharmer]

With a Stihl "quickie saw" and the proper blade I can peel the side off your RSC in maybe 5 minutes. The guns might suffer cosmetic damage but for a crook that ain't "operational." Joe

 

[smoothshooter]

I have a large gun safe and crime is on the rise as break ins start moving nearer and nearer to my neighborhood. Should I bolt down my gun safe? Does it make much difference if you are gone for a week or even a weekend? I suspect the safe will keep the amateurs and kids at bay bolted down or not, but the hardcore criminals can likely open any safe with a few hours bolted down or not. It would be drilled into the slab. It is in a tight spot where it would be difficult to move or tip without taking out a wall. All opinions and particularly experiences welcome. Any additional security tips particular to gun safes? Thank you in advance, Rick

Since you are facing an increasing threat of burglary, bolt the safe down. Might thwart the amateurs, at least.
Some thieves around here are getting into gun safes from the side walls using angle grinders with cutting wheels. Most people don't know it, but the sides are usually only medium gauge sheet metal.
Investigators say someone with a little experience can open a hole up enough to pull the guns out thru the hole in about 15 to 20 minutes.