Gun Safes Anyone?

[PaulIcemanMc]

I purchased one from Sam's Club about 2 years ago. The measurments on it were 48"wx21"dx60"h.y I knew as soon as I saw it that it was a good price, $650+/- picked up. Well.....it weighed 700 lbs empty. I hauled it home in my 1/2 ton pickup, which squatted pretty good all the way home. Needless to say, I installed it in the first floor bedroom. I found out you have to bolt them to the floor so they won't fall on someone and kill them.
Also have a small Sentry 2x2 cube for my bed room.

[.40_cal_meatwad]

I've got a pretty decent "American Security" safe. I think it is a 25 gun safe or something. It is fire rated for 90 minutes at 1200 deg-F, I think that will do it.

[AsapSafes]

A frequent complain we get from customers who bought smaller gun safes due to limited budgets, is that they wish they have made an effort and bought a big one from the get go. Then they get stuck with the smallest one, I mean, selling a gun safe, then relocating it, it's not the most common of tasks. So if you are in between a small and big one, consider that carefully.

[Wolfling68]

When buying a safe, do not go cheap!!! Make sure you get one that is UL rated RSC (residential security) or better. In my area, the criminals know how to pop open the less secure safes with crowbars (I am not exagerating).

[KathleenElsie]

One of my requirements is a dehumidifying unit built in. A large one built into s cellar wall works well for us.

[theicemanmpls]

Thanks for the input guys. I live in a city with a good fire department and live within a mile and half of the nearest fire station. The safe I ordered is not big but it weighs about 500 pounds. I know a couple of well motivated bad guys could carry it off so I plan on bolting it down. That should make it a bit more challenging to steal. I did not look for a safe at Lowe's.
You see, I told you I should have posted here first unwise omission if life. When will I ever learn?

If the bad guys want your stuff, they will find a way to take it. Safes stop the amateurs, and slow down the professionals.
Once there was a bank, in an older building with a drive through. The bank torn down the old building, and relocated to a mobile home in the parking lot, while a new building was being built.
One night, the bad guys hot wired a fork lift from the job site. They then took a saws all, and removed the wall from the trailer. They then picked up the safe that was in the trailer, and put the banks safe in their pickup truck. Nobody has seen the safe, the pickup, or thousands of dollars. BTW, the trailer had a security system.
I am sure, that unless your firearm collection is worth thousands nobody is going to go to great lengths to steal your belongings. IMO, if the bad guys break in, they will take items that are not in the safe.

I have a secure safe. It is a good fire rated one. However if the bad guys defeat my perimeter security system and obtain access to our home, they might have an entire weekend to work on opening our safe. I can't remember why, but I wired up a mercury tip over switch inside the safe. Kinda of dumb, because the bad guys will have to be in our home to pry the safe from the floor. duhhh.
If someone wants in, they are going to get in. I keep the blades, and bits to my potential safe opening tools inside my safe BTW.

I also insure my collection though the NRA's program. The fire department is 1/2 mile away, but a house fire can get real hot for a long time.

If you have children, the best place to store you firearms is in a safe with a combination lock. Your primary concern is keeping your children away from your dangerous implements. If you don't have the money to get a good safe, get something, get anything. Please protect the children. I don't want to hear any of the usual " I train my children" "My kids do what I say". Just lock up your guns.

[Fondis Firearms]

I have a nice Liberty safe that I bought last December. It is fire rated for 45 minutes and has 35 cu ft of space. I thought this was a huge safe, but in 7 months I have just about filled it. I watch for sales at my local Big R... I paid $900 on clearance for this (including tax) Last weekend they had a 60 minute 30 cu ft Liberty safe on sale for $700. I wanted to buy it, but my husband said NO because he knows I'll fill it I'll probably wait for their Back Friday sale - They should have an even better deal than this one. He can't say no forever, especially when he sees the new Henry I have on layaway for his birthday (or maybe Christmas). There is no more room for rifles - especially a gold Big Boy .357