Gun Storage
- Thread starter gordon
- Start date
What type of budget are you working with and what is the maximum size you are looking for? Are you concerned with theft, fire, flood or just unauthorized use?
Here's a decent safe the will hold 4 pistols and give you reasonable smash and grab anti theft, fire rated and water resistant capabilities.
Thanks...I'll go by my local Tractor supply and see what they have. I'm OK with spending $250--350 for a good unit .
That safe is smack dab in the middle of your price range. It's most likely something you'll need to order through Tractor Supply.
Bassbob
Emissary
They have them on the shelf at my local TSC right now. Or at least they did this past weekend.
Did you get a chance to look one of them over to review the quality?
I haven't seen that particular model in person.
lkjohnson17
Operator
Gun storage is like kitchen cabinet space. You need more than you think you do, so plan and buy accordingly.
Good advice!
I've upgraded my main safe a few times already and it would have been cheaper to just go big the first time out.
Thanks...going over to Braintree this afternoon.
Bassbob
Emissary
No I didn't. Mostly because I have no use for one, but if I get a chance I'll stop by one day this week and check them out for you.
Bassbob
Emissary
I haven't replaced a safe, but I have bought additional safes. Probably would have been cheaper to buy a bigger one, but I really don't have a good place to put a big one. Plus big + Quality + damn expensive. I would rather buy a smaller, quality safe and need another one later than a big, not so great safe.
I had a chance to buy a monster of a safe a while back. I probably still could get it. My buddy's brother in law is a bigwig at Remington and he got him a safe that's massive and retails for 7 grand. My buddy would have sold it to me for $1100. It's way too big for my house though and I would have to rip flooring out and do piers and beams to support the weight ( I am on a crawl space).
Keystone19250
SAINT
A friend of mine bought an older house and then a $4,000.00 safe, had to spend $10,000.00 to support the floor to support the safe.
Bassbob
Emissary
I believe it. I mean brother, you wouldn't believe the size of this safe. Best quote he got was $500 to move it. And it was a couple miles from his house.
I'm not looking I was just interested in hearing from someone that may have seen one up close.
BreakingWind
Master Class
I bought a nice safe at Harbor Freight for a very economical price. Can bolt to the floor. Electronic keyboard combo capable of 2 saved combos and a couple of keys in case the batts run dead and your electronic combos don't work. I have had same duracel batts over a year now. This is not a top of the line gun safe and is not even listed as a gun safe but for its price point it is a very capable unit. I bought mine primarily so that I could secured my handguns when the grandkids and others are visiting.
Jfal
Professional
I just wanted to bump this thread back into circulation. Been safe shopping for a couple weeks now...what an education.
If you want a true "safe", you will spend $4k-$15k. Must be internally bolted to concrete floor, otherwise it's not secure...should be wedged in a concrete corner (basement) to block one of the sides of the safe....must get at least 60minutes of fire rating, better to get 180 minutes...round locking lugs are OK, but wide flat locking bars are best, and they must protrude from all 4 sides of the door....must have 8 gauge steel or thicker....blah blah blah. Talked to a fireman buddy and he said no safe nor its contents will survive a house fire. Only concrete I have in my home is either the garage or the basement, and I could not get a 400lb (or more) safe down my stairs, and I refuse to store firearms in the garage with humidity in summer and -20F winter temps. Electronic locks are the weak point and usually fail in 3-5 years...requiring a locksmith to drill them out and replace, which costs $1-3k (Liberty warrants their electronic locks/keypads for 5 years). Hinges should be on the inside of the door, otherwise the door is more easily pried off with a crowbar. Cheapest safe with interior hinges is $3-4k and weighs 500++lbs. Delivery and installation of true "safe" starts at $700 (on top of cost of the safe), but even professional movers could NOT get a 1000lb safe across the floor of my house and down the stairs without wreaking my floors and stairs. The weakest point of a safe is the top and sides, easily cut open with a cutting wheel and sawzall...even 8 gauge steel.
I think I'll buy a locking cabinet and take my chances. I thought I could get a decent and secure unit for $1500-2000, but holy moly...Loved the high-end Liberty models, but I'm not paying $10k for a safe. Not a chance until money is no object, C'mon Powerball!
I did learn pleasantly that it is far better to have multiple smaller safes than one large one. Skilled thieves need 30 minutes to break into a high-end safe....each one. Thus, if you have 4 smaller high-end safes, that's 2+ hours of labor breaking into all 4. They likely wouldn't take the time. They might get one or 2, but not all of them. I heard repeatedly that a safe only buys you time, whether it's from a fire or from burglars. I learned quite a bit, but I am overall quite disappointed...
If you want a true "safe", you will spend $4k-$15k. Must be internally bolted to concrete floor, otherwise it's not secure...should be wedged in a concrete corner (basement) to block one of the sides of the safe....must get at least 60minutes of fire rating, better to get 180 minutes...round locking lugs are OK, but wide flat locking bars are best, and they must protrude from all 4 sides of the door....must have 8 gauge steel or thicker....blah blah blah. Talked to a fireman buddy and he said no safe nor its contents will survive a house fire. Only concrete I have in my home is either the garage or the basement, and I could not get a 400lb (or more) safe down my stairs, and I refuse to store firearms in the garage with humidity in summer and -20F winter temps. Electronic locks are the weak point and usually fail in 3-5 years...requiring a locksmith to drill them out and replace, which costs $1-3k (Liberty warrants their electronic locks/keypads for 5 years). Hinges should be on the inside of the door, otherwise the door is more easily pried off with a crowbar. Cheapest safe with interior hinges is $3-4k and weighs 500++lbs. Delivery and installation of true "safe" starts at $700 (on top of cost of the safe), but even professional movers could NOT get a 1000lb safe across the floor of my house and down the stairs without wreaking my floors and stairs. The weakest point of a safe is the top and sides, easily cut open with a cutting wheel and sawzall...even 8 gauge steel.
I think I'll buy a locking cabinet and take my chances. I thought I could get a decent and secure unit for $1500-2000, but holy moly...Loved the high-end Liberty models, but I'm not paying $10k for a safe. Not a chance until money is no object, C'mon Powerball!
I did learn pleasantly that it is far better to have multiple smaller safes than one large one. Skilled thieves need 30 minutes to break into a high-end safe....each one. Thus, if you have 4 smaller high-end safes, that's 2+ hours of labor breaking into all 4. They likely wouldn't take the time. They might get one or 2, but not all of them. I heard repeatedly that a safe only buys you time, whether it's from a fire or from burglars. I learned quite a bit, but I am overall quite disappointed...
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Bassbob
Emissary
Dude for about $500-$600, you can get a decent safe that has an E lock, 4 1" bolts, weighs 500 lbs empty, fire rated, water rated and will hold 4 shotguns, 3 or 4 rifles and 10 handguns. No, it's not the ultimate in security, but bolted to the floor it will keep the crackheads out. It will keep anyone who doesn't have a half hour in which they can make a lot of noise out.
Jfal
Professional
Do you have this model Bob? I know the weak point that jumps out is the electronic keypad...how easy is it to replace when it fails (they all do...just a matter of time). At least it has a key-access when the keypad does fail. And like you said, it keeps the crackheads out. I've thought of building a vault in some unused area of the basement, then I remember that I'm not a mason and generally impatient...common sense takes over.