Used safes

[bigride]

Has anybody here bought a plain used safe instead of a dedicated gun safe? If you only need to store handguns, this sure seems like a better deal than most "gun" safes. Some used safes even have an additional interior steel door. I was just wondering if anybody had done this and get your opinion on the matter.

Just pretend this is witty.

 

[federali]

New or used

Yes, I did buy a used long gun safe. The safe was mechanically perfect but what I didn't realize is that the felt padding at the bottom was holding dampness or moisture and it caused two guns to rust where it contacted the felt. The safe had been sitting in a safe company warehouse.

Whatever you buy, make sure it's too heavy for one person to move and it must be anchored, preferably to a concrete floor.

If you're getting the safe for $129.00 or less, you're not buying a real safe.

 

[gdnagle]

They will work you just don't get all the carpeting and dedicated space for your firearms. Then again a gun safe only has shelves anyway for handguns unless you get the pockets for the door, so your good to go with putting in handgun racks in a floor safe. Remember they are short and fairly light so bolt it down good. And to put in long guns you will need a good hack saw to cut them into pieces.

 

[NYlakesider]

Years back a good friend of mine bought a used double door safe from a defunct Jewelry store. That thing weighted tons not pounds. It was rather big, had it delivered by a big tow truck. Once we got it in front of the garage we used a padded plow on a ¾ ton truck to push it into place. We built racks for the inside and he put a lot of things besides guns in there.

PS he got it cheap but he had to pay for the move.

 

[Hellraiser]

I have two safes... but keep them separated because I heard about safe sex.

 

[wuluf]

I have two safes... but keep them separated because I heard about safe sex.

That joke was heavy, man....

 

[carpriver]

Safe *** I didn't think you can talk about that kind stuff.

 

[Big Cholla]

OMG!

I have two safes... but keep them separated because I heard about safe sex.

My two safes are pushed up tight together. Does this mean I can expect little safes sometime soon? Hey, what is the gestation period for Gun Safes anyway? Big Cholla

 

[Bat Guano]

Years back a good friend of mine bought a used double door safe from a defunct Jewelry store. That thing weighted tons not pounds. It was rather big, had it delivered by a big tow truck. Once we got it in front of the garage we used a padded plow on a ¾ ton truck to push it into place. We built racks for the inside and he put a lot of things besides guns in there.

PS he got it cheap but he had to pay for the move.

Got one like that about 35 years ago; 7' tall, about 6' wide by 4' deep, weight unknown but I guessed about 3500 pounds. I paid $300 for it and another $300 to get it moved. We were building a new house at the time and had the basement poured and the sub flooring down. We lowered it down through the hole where a fireplace was going and rolled it over to where my gun room was going to be. I sold the house 20 years ago. I guarantee the safe is still there.

The "new" one is smaller (a relative word if there ever was one). It damn near killed five of us getting it through the front door and downstairs.

With luck the next one will only be about a thousand pounds or so. A man's gotta know his limitations.

 

[chief38]

A used "Jewelry Safe" with a good burglar rating will beat out a "Gun Safe" every time. They aren't pin striped, don't have fancy mirror gloss paint jobs, and won't come with gold plated wheels and handles but are way more secure, have better locks, usually are rated better at fire retarding. IMHO there is NOTHING wrong with a used safe and would be a much better bang for the buck.

If you wanted to store long guns you would have to construct some rifle racks inside but that is only a minor inconvenience IMHO.

 

[snake803]

20 years ago I bought a used army surplus document safe.... bought interior carpeted shelving from Liberty & had a friend put a candy apple red paint job on it.. Still have it and it's still full...
JIM..........

 

[chief38]

Just want to also mention...............

ALWAYS change the combination no matter weather your safe is new or used. No need for ANYONE to know the combo - and yes DO IT even if the Safe Co. is Bonded. Not only is this just a prudent and more secure way to go but it's a lot easier to remember YOUR chosen combo than the one that came with the safe.

 

[ridewv]

Years back a good friend of mine bought a used double door safe from a defunct Jewelry store. That thing weighted tons not pounds. It was rather big, had it delivered by a big tow truck.
...PS he got it cheap but he had to pay for the move.

I did the same thing finding this Mosler safe in a jewelry store that had closed down. It came with the original 1940 Mosler invoice, shipping record (3,700 pounds), and owners manual how to operate, lubricate, change combinations etc. I found the drawers to be perfect for hand guns.

For someone looking to buy a safe I always suggest looking for used ones. Business's close down all the time and many have a safe.

 

[Mcwsky09]

I have two safes... but keep them separated because I heard about safe sex.

Should not be an issue - they both have protection.

 

[sipowicz]

I see what you did here bigride...very clever post!

 

[Big Cholla]

For any Forum members near the Las Vegas area, I know of a Lock Smith that is moving his retail store location in the next month that has two big ex-jewelry store safes for sale at bargain prices. ............ Big Cholla

 

[model70hunter]

I had a smaller one for hand guns, coins and records. It was an old business safe, 1920? It was about 1/2 as tall as my gun safe. When we sold the house I had to leave it, to big to move and load by myself. Geez, I loaded and moved it on my original purchase when I was young. What happened?

It did work great for handguns and valuables.

 

[Fishinfool]

When I worked for the gvt., we used secure fire rated filing cabinets for sensitive documents. Don't know the exact weight, but they were extremely heavy, thick steel, with S&G combo locks for each drawer, and a heavy steel locking bar with a padlock that ran the length of the cabinet for added security. I bet it would not be too hard to find one, and they would make an excellent handgun safe.

Larry

 

[bigride]

I see what you did here bigride...very clever post!

If a safe question can generate this much extraneous "discussion," I'm scared to death to ask how snug your pistol should fit in a holster.

Just pretend this is witty.

 

[rog8732]

Good thought bigride......I had thought of one of the industrial construction sites where they use "job boxes".
They are very sturdy, and, the construction gangs are able to make them more secure by hoisting them up a hundred feet or so with a crane.

I had a chance to get a six foot safe from a pawn shop a few years ago,free, but the combination was lost long ago, and a locksmith's fee turned me away. At the time I didn't have any to put in it anyway.