Bolt down or no?

[Der Verminator]

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

And that means bolting down is probably a waste of time.

Rather than one big safe, I'd suggest going with inexpensive steel gun cabinets like the "Stack On" and having several of them, some concealed and some decoys containing some junk tools and cement blocks.

 

[chief38]

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.

I've got a friend that lives in the Houston area and he lost his house 3 times due to flooding! Why he continues to live in a flood zone I will never understand! They will no longer insure him for any affordable cost, I think he's nuts!

I am not professing to be a concrete slab expert, however I have seen NONE to this date that are 100% perfect and have no cracks in them. They all have cracks in them - some worse than others. Every new slab I have poured for new construction I've lived in, friends have lived in and neighbors too - have had cracks. It's just the nature of the beast. If your slab is 100% crack free - you are the only guy I know of that has that - the concrete Gods are upon you - lol.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

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've had 5 Ring cameras, both inside and outside, for the past 8 years. None of them make noise when activated. They have been very reliable. Most of my cameras are hidden and difficult to detect.

Also have motion lights around the house. My dog is my primary alarm system, along with a very reliable commercial alarm system.

 

[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.

 

[Doug M.]

Every step you take that makes breaking in to your house harder (less attractive) decreases the number of criminals who want to put in the effort. The really hard core sophisticated criminals who are looking for a real high dollar score will have intel about the places worth hitting, like celebrity homes. The average street criminal will just try stuff.

 

[max]

I was trying to say if you were alerted someone was in your house, you could quickly contact the police.

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!?

 

[swsig]

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?

I would bolt to a better neighborhood.

 

[AJ]

Have five gun safes in the house in various room. All are bolted to the floor and to the wall studs, a couple are bolted together. Not making it real easy to steal anything. Have a Cop living next door.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I would bolt to a better neighborhood.

This is the safe neighborhood here, the border policies are inundating the country with crime. Coming to a neighborhood near you. it is spreading faster than fire ants and killer bees. Enjoy the next few years. You will not find it in the FBI crime statistics.

 

[TX-Dennis]

Mine is bolted to the floor and to the wall studs. There's also a camera pointed at it. My guns aren't expensive collectibles, but they are potentially dangerous weapons in the wrong hands.

 

[chief38]

My thoughts on alarms and video cameras......

I too have a Central Station alarm, video cameras, etc. but no longer get that warm and fuzzy feeling of security with them. Yes, they help, yes they might help identify the specifics of a break in, but burglar's are sometimes brazen and wear masks, gloves and are smart enough to know that a Police Dept. responses can now take over an hour! You'd be surprised what they can accomplish in under an hour!

Unfortunately, the new reality in the USA is we have so many things going on with our local Police, a burglary is not a priority for them anymore. I get the feeling they would rather show up an hour later, write up the report and give you a copy for your insurance company than to possibly face a dangerous encounter with burglars, drug addicts and crazies. Given their poor treatment and lack of public respect these days - I can't really say I blame them! While alarms and surveillance systems are a nice added touch, don't get caught up in a false sense of security! They are only as good as your local PD's response, which these days is not so great.

 

[johngalt]

Unfortunately, the new reality in the USA is we have so many things going on with our local Police, a burglary is not a priority for them anymore. I get the feeling they would rather show up an hour later, write up the report and give you a copy for your insurance company than to possibly face a dangerous encounter with burglars, drug addicts and crazies. Given their poor treatment and lack of public respect these days - I can't really say I blame them! While alarms and surveillance systems are a nice added touch, don't get caught up in a false sense of security! They are only as good as your local PD's response, which these days is not so great.

I can certain understand how that can happen. I would think that in order to reciprocate, the police/DA should be willing to cut the home owner some slack when they eventually come to collect dirtbag's body.

 

[Shooting Padre]

Kind of depends where on the hernia scale it falls!

 

[Capt Steve]

Bolt it down and then some...

I had two smallish safes in my last house. I bolted both down using 3/8" X 3" lags screws After I drilled the holes I mixed up some 4,000# two part epoxy and filled each hole and then cranked the lag screws in as tight as I could get them... yes, they went with the house when we sold a couple of years ago.

The morning we closed escrow on our new place I had the new gun safe {a nice Liberty Revere series} delivered. The delivery crew chief asked if I wanted it bolted down and I assured him I did. He used 4" X 3/8" lag screws but assured me there was no need for the epoxy. Very few residential burglaries and no home invasions up here in our little mountain town as just about every one has guns.

I have multiple security cameras that transmit video immediately to the Cloud as well as notifying me via an app on my phone. They cover all three doors and every window in our house and I added one that is aimed at the safe.

My meager collection of guns {compared to most on this Forum} probably isn't much of a target and any would be thieves will have to work pretty hard all while being videoed. Works for me... so far.

 

[JJEH]

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?

If you are not constantly rearranging the garage, then I'd bolt it down.

In addition, I'd get a security system if you haven't already. We now have Vivint and it works great. It's monitored by the company, and you have access via cellphone.

 

[steelslaver]

I have a couple safes. They are bolted together and would be extremely difficult to move/ But, my fully stocked metal shop is also right next to the house. With thin grinder disk or my plasma cutter it wouldn't, take long to get through a steel door. My belief is if a real pro hits you he is going to get your stuff no mater how many bolts where.

I do have motion detector cameras covering every approach to my house and shop. No, they will not stop a thief, but, a thief is more apt to pass when he sees the smile your on camera sign and cameras. Why get recorded hitting a house when their are plenty with no cameras? I also have a couple neighbors that would get curious about strangers being here when we are not. I am sure they will call the cops when the hidden alarms start blaring away. LOL

Want a real safe? Cast it in 6" to 8" of steel reinforce concrete, with the door frame having nelson studs cast into the concrete. Put a layer of concrete in the door to. It is harder to cut though than just steel, if you use a torch or plasma you get lots of nasty blow back from the burning steel deflection of the concrete. Cuter disk for steel don't work great on concrete and ones for concrete don't work as well on steel. Metal guys absolutely hate cutting steel out of concrete.

But, #1 way to avoid being robbed is to get out of high crime areas and I mean out a thief will drive across down or to the burbs. 150 miles to the middle of nowhere small town where strangers often get noticed. Not so much. The property crime rate here is about 1/2 the national average and a mail box getting smashed or a house toilet papered would be reported as property crime here.