Gun safes-Which to buy?

[rodeo kid]

Anybody got any advice on a decent safe for a grand? And dial or digital for a lock? thanks.

[lthardman]

I just bought by second Liberty Safe. First one is a Lincoln model, second a Colonial. I have been happy with Liberty, and they are made in the USA. Pretty conservative fire ratings, seem secure.

[jnyork]

I have two Liberty safes, and am satisfied with the quality. I got one each of manual and electronic locks and prefer the manual, but that's just me. You can get more safe for the money if you forego the fancy paint jobs. Caution, a "24-gun safe" will hold maybe 15-18 or so if any of them are bolt guns with scopes. Always buy a much bigger safe than you think you need, extra holes will get filled in time.

[Dastook]

Tractor Supply carry Cannon safes with that great Cannon warranty. They are without some of the bells and whistles but you can buy the 48in. IIRC for $900.

[Hobie]

I might mention two things I think are most important.

#1, most safes that are sold are really security containers. Real safes cost more, weigh more and work better. You get what you pay for.

#2, you will need 2 to 3 times the size you think you'll need for what you have now. If you're going to add the family jewels and such you'll need even more room.

http://shootingwithhobie.blogspot.com/2 ... safes.html

[rafter-7]

digital lock..... wayyyy better// arjunky has a TSC cannon safe and its alright for a grand but like hobie says you get what you pay for

[cnjarvis]

I went with a Liberty safe, partly because of the security, value, warranty and availability and partly because of THIS.

[David]

2 of my 4, are Liberty, there was some comment about buying bigger then you think you need My wife doesn't say anything about buying more guns but she said no more safes! 2 actually are the biggest ones they do sell. If I could buy another it would be a Liberty as well and I wouldn't consider anything without a G&S lock.

[Mich Hunter]

I might mention two things I think are most important.

#1, most safes that are sold are really security containers. Real safes cost more, weigh more and work better. You get what you pay for.

#2, you will need 2 to 3 times the size you think you'll need for what you have now. If you're going to add the family jewels and such you'll need even more room.

Very good info. You really have to do your research on these. Some are high priced due to name and paint job, not quality. Other "high" end safes can also be easily opened with a crow bar due to week welding and large gaps around the doors. I would highly recomend you to a Sturdy or AmSec. When compared to others, they out perform most all security containers. The Sturdy's are not pretty but are VERY well made and have real fire protection. Most safes have sheet-rock as a fire liner instead of Ceramic Wool or glass fire liner. They are also both made from 7 ga steel instead of 12 ga.

[Old Time Hunter]

Don't know where you are going to put it and whether or not you will have to move it, but my advice if you do, get one with a door you can seperate from the main box.



Mine is a "Winchester" with digital lock, seems to work just fine. Wish I would have gotten two as they claim that it holds 36 guns, but the best I could squeeze in was 28. It really only holds 24 though without bang'n one against another....maybe they were talk'n pistols though!

Good thing I built in a vault on the other side of my gun room.

[Ysabel Kid]

I upgraded (size and fire-rating-wise) to a Champion safe a few years ago. Nothing fancy, but it was the best price for the size and I'm really pleased with it. The sucker weighs 1400 pounds empty! Y2K got my old Browning Silver-series safe. Hobie is right - you will need more space, between growing your "collection" and other things that end up in it. Good luck!

[El Chivo]

I have a Cannon, it seems very nice.

[Tycer]

My next safe will be the biggest I can get with a mechanical G&S lock. Fire rating is unimportant to me, nor is the number of bars holding the door shut. I will build a rebar reinforced, filled cell block room with a fire rated ceiling and steel door around the safe in such a way that no pry bars or cutting tools can be used to breach the safe. The doors of most safes are the strongest points, however pry bars can be used at the top to fold the doors outward and open. That's how I did my last one and I feel pretty good about it not being breached. The Jaws Of Life would have to break the block walls to open the safe.

[HEAD0001]

Buy the very best one you can afford. Then save up a little bit more money and buy a better one. Safes can be difficult to move, but by no means impossible to move. Buy the very best one to start with. Remember if you buy the right one it will last you for your entire life. And give you protection for your entire life. Pay a lot of attention to the fire protection. Fire protection is the big factor here.

There is no way I would consider a digital or key pad safe. Dial all the way. You are buying something for a lifetime. So it needs to work as well 30 years from now, 40 years from now. Digital or key pad---no way. Dial will work forever. Digital will fail, just a matter of time.

Bolt the safe down. I bolt mine to the floor and the back wall. I do not want it to move unless I am the one who wants to move it. A thief will knock a safe over just for spite if he can not get in it. And you know what happens if he knocks it over. Tom.

[RSY]

We have a couple of Brownings that have served well.

The Liberty Safe guy has been on Tom Gresham's "GunTalk" show before, and from what I heard, they are definitely a cut above the rest of the pack. Also, there's a little rebate for "GunTalk" listeners: you click on the FatBoy at the top of their homepage and enter "tom" as the code to access it.

Good luck.

[Modoc ED]

I've got a couple of those $89.99 on sale Homak security cabinets and a $59.99 Stack-On pistol security cabinet. One Homak cabinet and the Stack0On are in a locked shop/shed and the other Homak is in a locked pump house. All are bolted to the walls with 4" lag bolts. To get to any of them ya gotta get past the dogs and then work up a sweat defeating the locks on the outer doors, etc. etc. etc.. Works for me.

[Pete44ru]

[To get to any of them ya gotta get past the dogs and then work up a sweat defeating the locks on the outer doors, etc. etc. etc..]

I would NEVER trust my guns to a cabinet, no matter how many bolts were holding it fast.

FWIW, some "fixed" burger will take care of dogs in a minute or two, and I've broken into locked cabinets in not much more time than that. It wasn't pretty, though.......................

Bolt down a real safe, using lags shot into a concrete floor/wall if available (best) or into wall studding & floor joists - because "weight" alone is not enough, if theives know there's a safe involved and come prepared with an appliance hand truck.

.

[Sixgun]

Sportsman's Steel Safe Co. in Kalifornia. Cost me 2 g's 20 years ago. 72 x 42 Weighs about 1500. I also have a Remington Liberty that I keep my junk in.

14 dogs watch over these, along with nosy in-laws on one side and a cop on the other. Around here we shoot first. I'll take my chances--------Sixgun

[Kansas Ed]

I own a Liberty Freedom. Very happy with it. I have the spin dial on mine, and after reading the link that cnjarvis posted, I'll never own a digital....if you read closely...the guy opened his safe in a few minutes by removing the lock and rewiring the board. Not my idea of security...a thief with access to Google could do the same thing.

Ed

[madman4570]

I myself prefer the Heavy Duty Mechanical locks.
Really any of your decent quality heavy safes will do.
BUT---------------If someone really wants somthing from it bad enough and knowing you are gone away, they will get it via some type means such as a cutting tourch etc.

That's why the simple mercury switch wired inside safe to detect if the safe has been tipped/moved. The sensor is wired into your home's alarm system being a separate "zone" - one not normally disarmed even when someone is at home. Even if they forget to arm the alarm system when they leave the house, if the safe is moved/removed, the alarm goes off.
Also put in a siren in the room where you place the gun safe. Very high output type decibel sirens and it's about impossible to figure out how to crack the safe or even think while the cops are quickly coming.

[Mutt]

Liberty safe ,combination lock. I have guns , papers , some keepsakes , & ammo ,increasing the weight quite a bit . Slab flooring . $ 1000. about 12 years ago , from a small local sports store .
So far , so good.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mutt

[O.S.O.K.]

For those with safes, do you secure them to the floor, wall? How hard is it to pull the screws out?

I've been told (and I believe it) that a safe is really worthless unless its bolted onto a concrete slab or similar. Otherwise, the theives will simply bring a dolly and cart the bad boy out and load it into their truck/van and deal with it later.

Especially if they are more sophisticated and have targeted your place...

Just a thought.

[madman4570]

For those with safes, do you secure them to the floor, wall? How hard is it to pull the screws out?

I've been told (and I believe it) that a safe is really worthless unless its bolted onto a concrete slab or similar. Otherwise, the theives will simply bring a dolly and cart the bad boy out and load it into their truck/van and deal with it later.

Especially if they are more sophisticated and have targeted your place...

Just a thought.

Not Mine!
Mine even wiggles and they are screwed!
Even if they cut all the power to the house!

[JohndeFresno]

I might mention two things I think are most important.

#1, most safes that are sold are really security containers. Real safes cost more, weigh more and work better. You get what you pay for.

#2, you will need 2 to 3 times the size you think you'll need for what you have now. If you're going to add the family jewels and such you'll need even more room.

Very good info. You really have to do your research on these. Some are high priced due to name and paint job, not quality. Other "high" end safes can also be easily opened with a crow bar due to week welding and large gaps around the doors. I would highly recomend you to a Sturdy or AmSec. When compared to others, they out perform most all security containers. The Sturdy's are not pretty but are VERY well made and have real fire protection. Most safes have sheet-rock as a fire liner instead of Ceramic Wool or glass fire liner. They are also both made from 7 ga steel instead of 12 ga.

Yes - Yes Yes! Personal Experience
I purchased two Sentry safes for an "organization" that I won't disclose. Because that organization did not have (as of that time) an adequate alarm system, the thieves broke in, and within a few minutes were able to defeat BOTH safes, which were bolted into a cement floor, with their backs bolted into wall studs, by the way. All they needed was a pry bar, because the doors are not super tight against the frame AND...

Like most low budget safes, the very impressive looking locking bars all around the safe only extend a short way into the door. Then, the heavy looking locking bolt becomes a flimsy stamped metal piece - the bends down and allows you to lower the locking lug with just a few pounds of pry pressure!

The crooks simply pried the "heavy" locking bolts down and at an angle and opened the doors, taking some valuable stuff, which included putting some firearms into the hands of the crooks.

I then visited Sturdy Safe (in Fresno, near me) and visited their factory. The owner is very personable, honest, has been in business for many years. We purchased ONE Sturdy Safe that held the capacity of the TWO cheaply made Sentry safes that were now worthless.

Because the purchase was for an "organization" he gave us an even more exceptional deal as part of his civic-mindedness, but anonymously. He has a sterling reputation here in California, and he has supplied safes to several high profile customers including some well known city, county and federal police agencies. His safes are guaranteed - you need to contact him to find out what I mean; it is really amazing. Look at Sturdy Safes online.

If you don't want to buy there, make sure that you investigate what is actually inside the door, how tight it is, and how it is made. I have verified that most name-brand cheap "American" safes are actually made by one or two companies in China, as you will find out if you examine the tiny identifying label on the side of the unit! Sadly, many gun stores and outlets (like Home Depot where I bought these safes) don't really know that these are imports with easily defeated security features.

And if you rap on the side you will see that their side plating is thin and can be relatively easily cut; they always make a big thing about how thick the door is, but not the top and sides. AND, you will find out that their steel is milder than American supplied steel, so the doors will bend more readily with a good pry.

Most cheap safes are especially vulnerable to the simple application of a pry bar right on the edges of the door, and after just a few minutes, they can be defeated - as happened at our "organization." Just so you don't lay this off on professionals, I examined the crime scene, which occurred in the outskirts of a smaller farming community city (not a big city). I recovered some gang banger graffitti left behind, and saw the shoe prints. This break-in was perpetrated by kids, not big city seasoned safecrackers. The fact that they took certain items and left others (which I will not get into) cinches their profile as being juvenile gangsters. I will only say that they could have taken more firearms, which a pro would have done, to fence them later. This is the way things are, now - any bad kid, these days, is a lot more educated on how to defeat sloppy or inadequate security.

In the "good old days" of not too long ago, a pretty safe with an imposing dial was enough. Not any more. Looking good won't protect you when the buglars come around while you are away at the movies or whatever. On the other hand, if you have an excellent alarm system and police who will actually get there, reliably, within 5-10 minutes, then perhaps one of the tin Chinese puzzle boxes will work for you. It didn't for me and the people I represented, sadly.

As Hobie's link shows, the method to defeat these cheap safes is all over the Internet. I found several similar videos, not just one, immediately after we were broken into last year. And the young scuzzbags know how to defeat them; not just the pros.

On the other hand, if you just want to satisfy local or state ordinances that keep a toddler out, then a cheap safe is the way to go, I guess.
(BELOW - Image of pried safe door, looking from inside with lining removed. Locking lug has been pried down and to the side. Note thin metal flanged steel bar that connects locking lug with lockwork in center of safe.)

[stretch]

I bought an American-made safe made by the Heritage Safe Co. It has
a Sargent and Greenleaf dial lock on it, is lag bolted to a concrete floor,
and is located inside a closet under the stairs, making the sides and back
inaccessible, and the top nearly so. It's also fire-rated for about 30 minutes,
which I'm told is fine for the basement.

But like others have said, if they have enough time and they know what you've
got, they'll find a way in. Mine will keep the dope fiends out, and 99% of the
burglaries around here are performed by them. It will not stop a couple of real
pros with cutting torches and diamond-bladed saws.

Take the advice of others here - buy one AT LEAST twice the size you think
you'll need!

-Stretch

[Modoc ED]

[To get to any of them ya gotta get past the dogs and then work up a sweat defeating the locks on the outer doors, etc. etc. etc..]

I would NEVER trust my guns to a cabinet, no matter how many bolts were holding it fast.

FWIW, some "fixed" burger will take care of dogs in a minute or two, and I've broken into locked cabinets in not much more time than that. It wasn't pretty, though.......................

Bolt down a real safe, using lags shot into a concrete floor/wall if available (best) or into wall studding & floor joists - because "weight" alone is not enough, if theives know there's a safe involved and come prepared with an appliance hand truck.

.

I believe you are sincere but you'd have to actually see where I live and the configuration of my place to understand that all is good.

[JohndeFresno]

I bought an American-made safe made by the Heritage Safe Co...Mine will keep the dope fiends out, and 99% of the
burglaries around here are performed by them. It will not stop a couple of real
pros with cutting torches and diamond-bladed saws.

Take the advice of others here - buy one AT LEAST twice the size you think
you'll need!

-Stretch

From what I have learned about Heritage safes, and with the various grades available, they appear to be an excellent investment.

I have to add that Sturdy Safes also offers various thicknesses - the family owned company builds them to order right there at their factory in Fresno. And the thicker ones will even defeat the saws, but at an understandably hefty price because of the price of steel. That is why the feds use them.

Anchoring a safe in an area where you can't get to it with pry bars or saws and torches (sides and tops) is also a great idea!

[cshold]

Lagged to the floor.
Absolutely true, get at least two times the size safe you think you will need.
Wish mine were bigger. Much more goes into those safes than your toys.
Just to name a few, house deed, thumb drive memory sticks with years of pictures.

[O.S.O.K.]

The other thought that I had and try to live by is to not share the existence of my gun collection/location with very many people... need to know basis kinda thing - that or close friends only - but that's even dangerous as people tend to talk... and sooner or later the wrong ears hear.

[lthardman]

We have a couple of Brownings that have served well.

The Liberty Safe guy has been on Tom Gresham's "GunTalk" show before, and from what I heard, they are definitely a cut above the rest of the pack. Also, there's a little rebate for "GunTalk" listeners: you click on the FatBoy at the top of their homepage and enter "tom" as the code to access it.

Good luck.

Thanks, RSY. I did not know about the rebate, but just sent away for mine today. If it were possible to send an electronic beverage your way, I would.