Suggestions for safes---strictly for multiple handguns

Let me start with a definition:
Residential Security Container (RSC)

This is what we're talking about. A safe is far more secure and costs lots more money.

A lot of folks aren't much interested in more than keeping the kids out. One of those $200 storage lockers will work for that.
Absolutely. If that is your goal, a wooden box with a Master lock on it will work just fine. Everyone has to gauge their own level of comfort.

I'm just saying that it's unrealistic to buy a $200 RSC and expect the same security as a $1,000 unit. In fact, even the Billy Bob's Big Box store special on sale for $9.99 is better than leaving the guns unlocked. Heck it will even discourage most of the smash and grab guys because they aren't prepared to deal with a locked boxed inside the house.

I didn't want to spend the big money on a "safe" until my wife pointed out the money I have invested in guns. My insurance will cover significantly more that what you suggested. That's still significantly less than I have invested.

It's not really a good standard to weigh the cost of the RSC against the cost of the stuff. Does a $2K RSC protect $1K better than a $1K RSC? See, it's not a reasonable comparison. It's like when people say to spend twice the price of the gun on optics. The goal of that statement isn't that you have to spend twice. It's to get the shooter to understand the value of the component and buy accordingly. The same goes for the RSC.

The OP has already told us that he's actively buying. This is a good thing. Today his collection might be worth X, but tomorrow it will be worth more. My thought is this; if you buy a $200 RSC now, is that just putting you $200 further from an RSC you really want/need? I say spend a little more now so you don't have to spend more in the future.
 
Let me start with a definition:
Residential Security Container (RSC)

This is what we're talking about. A safe is far more secure and costs lots more money.

Absolutely. If that is your goal, a wooden box with a Master lock on it will work just fine. Everyone has to gauge their own level of comfort.

I'm just saying that it's unrealistic to buy a $200 RSC and expect the same security as a $1,000 unit. In fact, even the Billy Bob's Big Box store special on sale for $9.99 is better than leaving the guns unlocked. Heck it will even discourage most of the smash and grab guys because they aren't prepared to deal with a locked boxed inside the house.

I didn't want to spend the big money on a "safe" until my wife pointed out the money I have invested in guns. My insurance will cover significantly more that what you suggested. That's still significantly less than I have invested.

It's not really a good standard to weigh the cost of the RSC against the cost of the stuff. Does a $2K RSC protect $1K better than a $1K RSC? See, it's not a reasonable comparison. It's like when people say to spend twice the price of the gun on optics. The goal of that statement isn't that you have to spend twice. It's to get the shooter to understand the value of the component and buy accordingly. The same goes for the RSC.

The OP has already told us that he's actively buying. This is a good thing. Today his collection might be worth X, but tomorrow it will be worth more. My thought is this; if you buy a $200 RSC now, is that just putting you $200 further from an RSC you really want/need? I say spend a little more now so you don't have to spend more in the future.

That may be, but you are the one who posed the question. Do you really want to store over $4K worth of guns in a $200 box?

That's a financial question. The financial answer is that there is little financial risk with such a modest collection that merits an expensive safe when you consider homeowners insurance that folks already have. Heck, I got over $4k in just electronics that a thief could carry off in his arms in one trip. They aren't locked up in a "RSC". :D

Sure, you can reword the question-- Do you want to store $4k of guns in a safe that doesn't well protect from a determined thief. The financial answer is the same.

If I'm reading your post correctly, you didn't think it worthwhile to have a safe that would provide superior protection against a determined thief until your wife added up the value of all your guns. Once again, your decision up to that point was financial. I didn't want to spend the big money on a "safe" until my wife pointed out the money I have invested in guns.

I know folks who started out with a modest collection (most do) and a inexpensive locker. When the value of their collection increased, they bought a good safe and kept their less expensive guns like 10-22s and such in the locker. Worked out well.
 
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I for one would NOT rely on home owners insurance to protect my guns.

I have heard too many horror stories from customers after a burglary that had to fight with their insurance company over the value of their guns. Many of them settled for less to get it over and done with.
 
I'm not sure that we see things all that differently Phil. I guess I can chalk it up to the vagaries of the written word and my lack of skill in it.

I use the dollar value to spark thought in a way some might not have thought without it. That's all. Yes, it most certainly is a financial question. Maybe insurance will replace all your stolen goods, but they can't prevent the theft. I guess the next question is, do you want to prevent the theft? The follow up question is, if you do want to prevent the theft, how much effort do you want to put into that prevention? If the answer is, $200 worth of effort, then that will dictate what kind of lock you want to store your stuff behind.

Phil does make another good point. Why do we spend so much time and effort looking for and purchasing a RSC when we put almost nothing into protecting our most valuable assets; home and family? Many think nothing of buying a $5K safe for their guns and have a $5 lock on the front door. Or they put a $500 lock on a $50 door. Will that lock really prevent entrance? Or how about the guy who gets a really solid door with a fantastic lock, but leaves a window open?

Security of ourselves and our possessions is a lot more than a box. There is a delicate balance between being secure and freedom of movement; between living in a home and living in a prison. People have made fortunes on this subject. We're still trying to build a better mouse trap.

I guess for me it all boils down to quality. Buy the best you can afford. Think to the future, but don't paralyze yourself by over analyzing. Any locked container is better than none. Some containers are better than others. None have any theft value if they can be picked up and carried off.
 
If you are only looking for a handgun safe I would suggest a Stack-On Shooters Safe. I have one and have been very happy with it!

Here is a link to the Stack-On site:

https://www.stack-on.com/categories/elite-safes/products/300

Bill


Stack On is nothing but a cabinet with a lock on it. If you buy a Stack On make sure you remove the Can Opener from the kitchen. With a 10 or 11 gauge residential safe, you stand a far better chance at securing your valuables. Unless a theif comes prepared, they will be scratching their heads once they see the safe. If they come prepared to hat will get in if given enough time. Just sayin...

Also, always go BIGGER.
 
Buy a smaller safe than what you think you'll need, then when you have to buy a bigger one you can use the first one for ammo. Or a decoy. At my old house, I had my fairly cheap safe built into a wall with a book case on brackets on the wall so it was flush with the wall. House was broken into but they never found the safe. Got a bunch of other stuff but not a single gun.
 
Thanks very much for all the input! Obviously I have a lot of options to weigh. There are a couple specialty lock/safe stores in the Cincinnati area that claim on line to have a large in-stock selection. I'll continue my research there. I want to actually see what I am going to buy with something like this.
 
I have to agree with Rastoff on pretty much every point (well said).
One thing I would add is that safes are useful for stroring more than guns and ammo. Things like identification documents, the kid's Christmas money, the extra gun money you're hiding from you wife (I'd never do that personally...just saying;) ), the good silver and prescription drugs (easy to have a thousand dollars in prescription drugs once you get to a certain age:mad:). Yes, I wish I bought a bigger one that what I have now. So go big if you can. Good luck!
 
I have to agree with Rastoff on pretty much every point (well said).
One thing I would add is that safes are useful for stroring more than guns and ammo. Things like identification documents, the kid's Christmas money, the extra gun money you're hiding from you wife (I'd never do that personally...just saying;) ), the good silver and prescription drugs (easy to have a thousand dollars in prescription drugs once you get to a certain age:mad:). Yes, I wish I bought a bigger one that what I have now. So go big if you can. Good luck!


There are 3 things that life has shown me can never be too big. In no particular order they are garages, safes, basements.

Yes there are other things also but the ones above are major players!
 
I would appreciate suggestions on a nice, solid safe that can sit in the corner of our bedroom by our bed---something with room for at least 10-12 handguns.
Ray

Maybe something like this anchored to the floor would be fine for what you want.

AMSEC Safes – Gun Safes, Security Products, Cash Management » UL Listed 2-Hour Fire and Impact Safes

UL1511GR-260x300.jpg
 
Hopefully, I have solved this problem. Especially for peace of mind.

I keep the very best of my collection in a safe deposit box. Mine can hold 29 guns. I made a mockup using heavy cardboard and a glue gun.

I don't need to see these very often. The box costs $50 a year.

BTW: The NRA deal requires that you ASK for that coverage....it is no longer automatic. I also insure with Eastern Insurance/ aka Historic Firearms, and they do NOT ask for serials.
 
Get one bigger...

Get one bigger than you think you will need.

Stack ons are good for keeping the kids away from my guns but a thief with a dolly cart could tote it right out the door. For my purposes though, they are adequate. If you aren't on a tight budget like me, get a 'real' safe.
 
I'd suggest the biggest, heaviest and strongest one you can afford. First off you will wind up using it for more than just pistols, secondly, you want one with a very high fire rating and a good burglar rating. The better ones also have waterproof gasket seals and multiple re-lockers built in that will permanently lock the safe if tampered with. Leave room for an expanding collection - they always expand! :)

Which ever safe you wind up with, MAKE 100% SURE it is bolted to the floor in all 4 corners with GOOD LARGE BOLTS. Even the best safes are much more vulnerable to break-in when they are rolled or rocked over on their backs. I'd also strongly suggest putting the safe inside a locked and alarmed closet and NOT on display like some have. When workmen, painters, salesmen, etc. enter your home you don't need to advertise you have valuables worth buying a safe for. The least amount of people who know your business, the better! Many robberies and break-ins are done by criminals who know what they are looking for before they enter.

Liberty safes are good, as are Fort Knox (more costly though). The insides can be ordered for just pistols or you might be able to have pull out drawers fit in it. If you are handy you could order the safe without any shelves or racks and make them yourself. The cheap big box store safes are nothing more than glorified gym lockers or a method to deter your kids. The cheap safes can be cut through the top or sides literally in minutes with a Jig saw, a Sawzall, etc. and IMHO are nothing more than a false sense of security.
 
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My "safe" is a Stack On. It's not the thin metal locking box, it's a thick door safe with multiple locking bolts on three sides and dead bolts on the hinge side. No, it's not the best, but the price was right. It weighs over 500 lbs. empty and is bolted to both the concrete and the wall. They won't be stealing the safe easily. Yes, it can be cut into fairly quickly with a torch or a little slower with an angle grinder from the side, but so can a Liberty.

To pry the door successfully the thief needs the safe on its back. Your best defense is to bolt it down and to the wall. Most thieves won't spend the time it would take to get in. Yes, if they really want in and they have enough time they can get into any safe.
 
I'd leave some decoy stuff laying around too. Most burglars around my area don't really want guns. If you get caught with a gun while escaping from a burglary, it's an automatic two years (consecutive) in my state. They love gold and electronics. I'd leave an old useless laptop, ipods and video games laying around, and fake gold chains, rings and maybe a knockoff Rolex in a jewelry armoire in your bedroom. Once they find what they think is your jewelry stash, they're not going to look much harder to find the real stuff, which you should store in your kitchen pantry, in a ziplock bag at the bottom of a Quaker Oats container (for the stuff you don't wear much, or for when you go on vacation.) And like I said earlier, a cheap gun safe under the bed with a few Ravens and Bursas. Keep the good stuff hidden.

Also, keep a highball type glass filled with quarters prominently displayed on top of your jewelry armoire. Chances are, they'll take the quarters and dump them into the pillowcase they took off your bed to put the rest of their loot into and you might get lucky and get their prints and ID them. Last burglary crew that broke into my house, I caught practically by myself with pictures from a pinhole camera built into a cheap-looking alarm clock. Local cops wouldn't do anything even with the pics. I found a burglary task force in another town, one member of which recognized my burglars. They put a tracker on the B&E man's car and followed them into another county and watched them do a couple more burglaries and they went to prison for those burglaries. Cleared up a bunch of break ins and shut down a 20-man burglary and fencing ring.
 
I have never seen better advice on any subject the I am seeing here,

YOU CANNOT get better advice than what is above.

I will add one other thing however---that will lead to much controversy and probably tick off 50% or more of you....


ONLY ALLOW yourself the knowledge and ability to enter the safe---not one other person.
 
I have never seen better advice on any subject the I am seeing here,

YOU CANNOT get better advice than what is above.

I will add one other thing however---that will lead to much controversy and probably tick off 50% or more of you....


ONLY ALLOW yourself the knowledge and ability to enter the safe---not one other person.
I agree, I have and appreciate the amount of advice/insight/recommendations everyone has given me!

My family and I were out with my parents last night for my son's 23rd birthday. The conversation, of course, turned to CCW and guns at some point. Dad is advancing in age and told me (like he has mentioned several times before) that he is going to eventually start giving me the remaining guns he has. Notable guns included in this batch are a scoped .257, a double barrelled 16 gauge (never fired) Stevens, and a .45-70. I think he also has an over-under .22/410 as well. So I will have to switch my thinking and obviously look for a traditional tall safe that will accommodate long guns as well. I have a lot of companies and options to look at, so I'd better get started!
 
ONLY ALLOW yourself the knowledge and ability to enter the safe---not one other person.

Essentially I am the only person with access to my safes.
However, the combinations are in our safety deposit box as I wouldn't want my wife to have to hire a locksmith in case of my sudden demise......

(Of course, I could tell her the combinations now and she would never remember them......:eek:)
 
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