gun safes

[Maximumbob54]

I bought the Mesa MBF7236.

Pro's: It's huge. It's bigger than my refrigerator. It holds everything I own. It comes with plenty of shelves that you can configure in various ways to make everything fit just right. The price was pretty good and included free delivery. I have owned it for just shy of a year and it has had zero problems. The locking mechanism feels pretty solid.

Con's: Mine has the electric key pad. Not sure that's really a pro or a con but I don't like it. You can see where the cost cutting came from in the build quality. Some of the parts are at odd angles but they still function. The pegs for the shelves all had to be reshaped to be functional. They were all bent wrong. The center piece is too tall so it took some figuring on how to get carbines to fit.

All that being said I'm still feeling like it was decent and a complete case of you get what you pay for. Buy a Canon or a Browning and you will double your cost if not more to get the same size but you will have much higher quality parts and internals.

Lastly I want to add a comment on most free shipping. It is usually only delivery to your door. It doesn't include getting it off the pallet, getting it into your house, or even a heavy duty hand truck in the back of the delivery truck. Mine was dropped off to me on a pallet and pushed into my garage. Then it was up to me to figure out how to get 800+ pounds of safe into the house. I recommend a few six packs, some pizza, and a few buddies over the method I used.

 

[roymack]

I have this one. I would recommend.
Gun Safes | Gun Safe Accessories by The Official Patriot Safe Company

 

[bobsdad]

I have a Zanotti and it has served me well for about 15 years. Although it is made here in Iowa, I have no connection to the company other than owning one of their safes. The best thing about it is 2 guys can carry it into the house because it comes in 6 pieces that are assembled using stainless steel pins on the inside. If you move, it is relatively easily disassembled and transported. It is "fire resistant", but not "fire proof". I have it lagged down to my basement floor. Several different sizes.
read about them here:
Gun Safes for your home or business | Zanotti Armor®

 

[corpulent]

Has anyone had to beef up their floor in order to safely have a safe (heh)? Extra blocking/piers necessary? A lot of the bigger safes seem pretty stout, and I'd hate to have the floor sag or buckle.

 

[bigshot500]

If possible you can place it on or close to an outside wall where you have the support of the foundation (if on the first floor above the basement) if your going to be away from an outside wall (many people dont like this idea due to more frequent changes in tempature which may increase condensation etc.) you can attempt to place it along the center line of the home where the primary support beams run and are held up by steel poles in the basement. Of course if you think about it another way...having 4 300lbs guys sitting on a couch your getting a similar load but its just not a constant one...never seen a floor cave in from some big boys in the house..

 

[Hofstet]

I have a Heritage Safe and am very happy with it. Very good looking and well made.

 

[kennyb]

you can take a steel box and wrap the six sides with half inch sheet rock, tie together with a steel strap and you have a non rated safe that will go toe to toe with the best fire rated out there...go test that...we already did.

and your methodology was??terminal performance was?fire intensity and duration was?

 

[Maximumbob54]

I won't say something like that will go toe to toe...

But...

But the fact does remain that many safes get their fire rating from gypsum boards inside. That isn't all there is to it but it is a large portion of it and how many do it.

 

[qballwill]

Earlier this month I recieved a Winchester Western 34. Its a 45 gun safe which I thought was more than I needed. I still have some room, but not nearly as much as I thought. Do exactly what others have said, buy one bigger than you think you need. The Western Series is Winchesters midline safe, but I am extremely happy with it.
I ordered mine from Factory-express and got one heck of a deal on it. It was shipped to my curb cheaper than i could have went a picked one up for.

 

[trr01]

I apologize, if you go to Ebay's main page and type gun safe in the search bar, The Pioneers will be in the first few safes shown.

 

[teesur]

Without a doubt, the best advice you can get is: "figure out the very maximum size safe you think you'll need and
then buy one at least twice that size". Don't ask me how I know this!!
teesur.

 

[MrSurly]

I found an old Cary Safe Co. safe that was made in 1878 in the local paper. Picked it up for a couple hundred, gutted it (accountant/ attorney safe) and made it a gun safe. Its cool but the fact remains that it's probably less secure than the modern safes. The way I see it is that its there to deter the snatch-an'-grabbers. Any SERIOUS thieves who come prepared for safe cracking are gonna win anyway, regardless of the brand. they'll either open it or haul it out. I do wish it had more fire protection, though.
Speaking of that, you'll please note that although you'll see "U.L. ratings" on various safes look closely and you'll find the ratings are "UL listed as a Security Container" The fire listing will be certified by some rating entity that has no more credibilty than Bob's baitshop and Decal service.

Note also (and PLEASE somebody prove me wrong on this)
There is no such thing as a "Gun Safe" that is UL Listed AS A Fire Safe.

Sellers will say " yep, its rated for 1400* for a half hour, and its a UL listed safe" technically true, but misleading.

I don't have ANY faith in a fire rating that's not Underwriter's Labs or NFPA

 

[Hugh WW]

When Miss Kitti and I got married, she knew that I had a thing for Smith's. Little did I know or suspect that she would develop a thing for Winchesters!!!! We now have two safes, probably in need of a third. Trust me, the rest of the advice is good, buy way more than you think you need!!!!!

 

[djohns6]

From what I can find , these fire ratings are based on an internal temperature of 350 deg. More than enough to screw up any polymer weapon I would imagine .