Winchester Gun Safe at Costco?

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, All,

I'm in the market for a new safe. My old Cannon is still doing a fine job, but is not fire resistant, and we would like to add another safe that is. I've checked out the market for my price range, which at this time, is not that high, and found two safes that seem reasonable.

One is the Centurion, by Liberty. Found it at Lowe's, and the asking price is $727. 19 cubic feet (13.6 of which is usable, after the interior is added; four, 1" active lock bolts; 30 minute @ 1,200° fire rating; lifetime warranty against break-in or fire; S&G mechanical combo lock; 445LBS.

The second one seems to offer quite a bit of "bang for the buck", and I found it at Costco, for $499.99 (sounds very much like a $500 safe, to me, but call me crazy....!) It's a Winchester gun safe, made by Granite Security, at their factory in China; 30 minute @ 1,400° fire rating (two layers of fire sheeting in the top, sides, and bottom, three layers in the door); "24" gun safe, which is a tad larger than the Centurion (though I know that these types of numbers are totally misleading); Palusal door seal; 10 - 1.25" 3-way, active locking bolts; electronic, UL-listed, "LP" lock; 3- spoke vault-type handle; limited lifetime warranty against break-in and fire; 420LBS.

For the money, it seems to me that the Winchester safe has a lot going for it. I know that it's not in the same league as the "Big Boys", but I have neither the money, nor the room, for such a monster that most of us might "want" to have, and need to make a compromise that is better than my old Cannon, but not as costly as the higher end products.

Do any of you have either of these two safes? If so, I would very much appreciate your thoughts, comments, and recommendations. I am leaning towards the Winchester, mainly for the many features that are offered, and the better fire protection. The price, for what you get, seems hard to beat, even though I know that, with more money to spend, I could have a much nicer safe. Thanks for any help you can send my way. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[Wayne02]

I did some searching when I first spied that safe at our costco and the first thing I came across is this thread:
My winchester/granite gun safe failed me - Glock Talk

I don't know if this is the same Winchester now being offered at costco but it might be, or it might be of similar construction.

 

[Maddog 521]

I have a Winchester safe made by Granite Security. Mine was made in Fort Worth Texas. They had a "scratch and dent" sale at their plant and I picked it up at a very good reduced price. They told me if the safe was ever breached they are liable and will pay. I would buy another one.

 

[Stevie]

They install thick sheet rock(gypsum board) in the fire rated safes.

The dealership I worked for started selling gunsafes. The employees checked the price differential and construction between cheap and expensive models. The main difference being the gypsum board lining.

 

[Doc Mark]

I did some searching when I first spied that safe at our costco and the first thing I came across is this thread:
My winchester/granite gun safe failed me - Glock Talk

I don't know if this is the same Winchester now being offered at costco but it might be, or it might be of similar construction.

Good Morning, Wayne, and All,

Thanks, very much, for the comments, Guys. Wayne, I, too, saw that thread, and it gave me pause to think, for sure. But, from what I can see, the safe that was pried open, is nothing like the one currently being offered at Costco. The door thickness is a huge difference, as well as the number and placement of the locking bolts. I guess in the end, "ya' pays yer money, and ya' takes yer chances", just like with most other things. I'll go check out both safes again, this weekend, then buy the one that seems to call my name. Thanks, again, and God Bless! Oh, and Merry Christmas, too!!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[yaktamer]

I boughtthe Winchester/Granite safe at Costco earlier this year and I'm happy with it. I did a lot of shpping around, and it seemed to be the best value in the "economy" sfae market.

 

[roymack]

I did a lot of looking. I found the Patriot Safe was an excellent product at $1500. Go to patriotsafe.com A high quality safe for the money.

 

[Doc Mark]

Good Evening, Friends,

Many thanks, once again, for all the comments and suggestions. Roymack, I did look at the Cannon "Patriot" safe (love that name, by the way!), and thought it looked pretty good. But, at $1,500, it's just too expensive for what our "end of year" budget can afford.

Today, I went back to check out the Liberty Centurion, and the Costco Winchester/Granite Security safes, and also stopped at our local Bass Pro Shop to check out their Red Head safes, which I believe are also made by Granite Security. For the price, and for what we can actually afford right now, The Winchester safe really had it all, when compared to the others. Now, Lowes did knock $200 off the price of their Centurion since I was there a few days ago. But, that price ends after tomorrow, and I just decided to go for more features, and more locking bolts, and thicker (folded steel) door, and went with the Winchester safe, for $500. Now, to get it upstairs in into place..... Aye, there's the rub!! Ahhh, it will work out, I'm sure, and when I get it firmly lagged into the floor, and ready to go, I'll report back here with my thoughts and initial impressions.

Thanks, again, for all the great comments, Friends. Much appreciated! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[Lomax Anderson]

Tractor Supply has a Cannon for 999...I think it holds 36 ...and they have a bigger one for 1299...has all the features and the Cannon warrenty...I was thinking about getting one...

 

[tallpaul]

ya can put sheetrock on the outside to get fire rating too...

 

[Doc Mark]

Hi, Tallpaul,

This is actually a good idea. I've long thought about "updating" my old Cannon safe, which I do like quite a bit. I may well work out a project in which I add sheetrock, or something like it, to the inside, along with some metal panels to hold it all in place, for that old Cannon. Or, maybe just adding the sheetrock will be far better than as it now stands. Hummm..... you got me thinkin', which is always a "dangerous proposition"!! But, right now, none of this will happen, as we're getting a ton of snow, and such projects will have to wait for somewhat better, and less SLIPPERY weather! Thanks for the great idea, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[OLDFED]

I bought the Costco safe a month ago and it meets my needs. I haven't tried to fire test it though. Even if it is a "low-end" product, it's better than the nothing I had.

 

[duckloads]

As part of my job, I am an origin and cause fire investigator. I have seen plenty of houses burnt to the ground. Wood burns at about 1850 degrees F. Flashover, where EVERYTHING in a room or compartment ignites happens at about 1100 deg F.

Gasoline is about the same while methanol burns at over 2100 deg F. It takes WAY longer than 30 min's for a house to burn down.

I look at the ratings of "fire" safes and shake my head. So, if you get a localized fire at the opposite end of your house from the gun safe, your guns might be ok.

I once investigated a house fire that was a total burn. Even the floor joist were gone. They guy had a gun safe where he also kept his important papers. I never got the chance to have the safe opened. It was a two story house, and once the structure started to collapse, the safe wasn't so safe anymore. It looked like it had been in a train wreck. I really wanted to know if anything survived. I expected to see a bunch of burnt steel and charcoal. I'm guessing that once the available oxygen is used up in the safe, everything flamable just turns to carbon. In the above case, the door seal for the safe had been compromised

Depending on where you live and the response time of the fire dept, make sure you have adequate insurance on your home's contents.

that's just my .02.

 

[roymack]

The Patriot safe that I have is not made by Cannon. Cannon does have a patriot model. Patriot Safe Company has their own line of safes.

 

[Doc Mark]

Good Evening, Friends,

Many thanks, once again, for all the comments and suggestions. Roymack, I did look at the Cannon "Patriot" safe (love that name, by the way!), and thought it looked pretty good. But, at $1,500, it's just too expensive for what our "end of year" budget can afford.

Today, I went back to check out the Liberty Centurion, and the Costco Winchester/Granite Security safes, and also stopped at our local Bass Pro Shop to check out their Red Head safes, which I believe are also made by Granite Security. For the price, and for what we can actually afford right now, The Winchester safe really had it all, when compared to the others. Now, Lowes did knock $200 off the price of their Centurion since I was there a few days ago. But, that price ends after tomorrow, and I just decided to go for more features, and more locking bolts, and thicker (folded steel) door, and went with the Winchester safe, for $500. Now, to get it upstairs in into place..... Aye, there's the rub!! Ahhh, it will work out, I'm sure, and when I get it firmly lagged into the floor, and ready to go, I'll report back here with my thoughts and initial impressions.

Thanks, again, for all the great comments, Friends. Much appreciated! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Greetings, All,

Well, enough snow and ice have gone, that I finally got my new Winchester/Granite Security safe, bought at Costco, up two flights of stairs, and near it's final place of installment! Even though rated at 420 lbs, I think it HAS to weigh more than that! It took three strong men, and three fairly strong boys, to get that safe into it's place! We had a strapping dolly from U-Haul, and even with that, it was a hard task, indeed. My lower back is barking a bit today....

In any case, I promised to offer my initial thoughts and impressions, once the safe was in place. I can say, without hesitation, that I really doubt there is another safe on the market, FOR THAT PRICE, that offers as much "bang for the buck" as does this Winchester safe! I was rather worried about the quality I'd find, once the box and packing had been stripped off, as this safe is made in China, and I'm not a huge fan of most Chinese-made items. But, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find a very quality safe underneath all that packing. And, indeed, the packing, itself, was very well done, and kept my safe in good condition, despite a tear on one side of the box. No nicks, dings, or dents to be found. The slate grey powder-coated finish is very nice, and in my eyes, quite attractive. Once a new Energizer 9V Alkaline battery was in place (as strongly recommended by the manufacturer), and after ten minutes of letting the safe warm up a bit, the electronic combination lock worked like a charm, with no problems, at all! I've already changed the combination, and that went well, too. I really cannot find a single fault with this safe, for the money paid, and feel my $500 was VERY well spent. I was also happy to find a very small hole, drilled in the lower back corner, for the power cord on my Goldenrod heating bar! Some internet reports stated that this safe did not have that option. Well, I can't speak for what others have found, but my Costco/Winchester safe has it. When I called Granite Security to ask about that, the fellow to whom I spoke, named Josh, was very helpful, and told me to use a fireproof caulking around the hole, once the Goldenrod has been installed. I will definitely follow his advice.

So, I can recommend this safe, without qualms or hesitation, to anyone who needs a nice, high-quality RSC, with tons of features and options, in the $500 price range. I do know that better safes can be had, but not without paying FAR more money, and having the space for a much heavier safe!! For the money I had to spend, I am thrilled with my new safe!! So, there you have it, my impressions, as promised. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

[kennyb]

i just purchased the winchester/granite legacy safe...it's a bigun at 6'tall...it does have eighteen locking bolts and weighs 1000lbs.plenty of room inside,at least for now....it's pricey at $1500.00 but my gun dealer knocked $200.00 off so that helped a bit...anyway...looks like it will do the job!

 

[BarbC]

It took three strong men, and three fairly strong boys, to get that safe into it's place! We had a strapping dolly from U-Haul, and even with that, it was a hard task, indeed. My lower back is barking a bit today....

You see these stupid-looking things?

They're $20 at Home Depot. I used them to move my safe into place and it slid across the carpet like it was on grease.

I use them for everything. I even brought them to work to help a lady move her bureau. These stupid little things will move a sleeper sofa, a full entertainment center, anything. Just lift a corner about an inch and kick it under.

 

[Big Fred]

That looks good Barb. When we moved into our new house 2 years ago I bought some 2" PVC pipe and cut it into 3 foot lengths and used it as rollers under my safes. I moved them myself while my wife kept moving the pipes from behind the safe to the front. Worked like a charm. This was all on one floor with no steps. Steps would have been a different story.

 

[Doc Mark]

You see these stupid-looking things?

They're $20 at Home Depot. I used them to move my safe into place and it slid across the carpet like it was on grease.

I use them for everything. I even brought them to work to help a lady move her bureau. These stupid little things will move a sleeper sofa, a full entertainment center, anything. Just lift a corner about an inch and kick it under.

Hi, Barb,

Thanks, very much, for that suggestion. Unfortunately, it was not the sliding into place that was the problem, but rather the horsing it up two flights of stairs, one of which had a very right 180° turn from a landing, that caused the problems. Once on the floor on which it will be installed, it was fairly easy to slide it around, with a small bit of muscle, and into place. But, WHEW, getting it up those two flights of stairs, and especially the tight stairs up to the top floor, was a killer!! I am fairly strong, for an Old Fart, and it took everything I had to give, and could have used a bit more!! OH, well, gettin' old ain't for sissy's, is it??!! Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc (remember "dirt"?? Yeah, I was in on the development of that...... Old Timer that I am!)

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I've been looking at the Winchester safes at Costo for some time now, also. I've read several posts that indicated the safe was easy to force open with crow bars and other simple hand tools. I found by accident that Sam's Club sells a good variety of Cannon safes at very competitive prices. I really don't like Sam's/Wal-Mart, but this may be a time where I need to put on my big-boy pants and make the purchase to secure my collection. As I recall, they delivered to the curb at no extra charge.

Best of luck,

Dave