Gun Safe and Secure Storage

[Papabear2547]

Anyone have a link or would like to start a discussion on how to go about buying a gun safe? A safe can be expensive, and I've always preferred to just buy another gun, but I'm starting to look into buying a safe. I don't know quite where to start! What features should I look for, are there any brands to stay away from? Where are good places to purchase one, any deals to be found? What other considerations are there?

 

[somethingbenign]

Things I have heard, so trust at your discretion.

1. Replacing failed electronic locks with mechanical ones is a non insignificant part of the locksmith business.
2. Even if the fire rating is top notch if the house is a complete loss that safe is going to turn into an oven under the ashes.
3. The two most common things left behind in sold houses are safes and pianos. Too heavy and the cost for professional movers makes it cost effective to just buy a new one.


Assuming all of these things are true the next time I am looking at getting a safe I want to get something that comes in a flat pack and assembles with internal fasteners. I saw a really intriguing display at Pheasant Fest a few years back but don't remember that company's name. These look to be some current offerings with a quick search.

Zanotti Armor - Modern Craftsmanship & Security for You and Your Safe

Based in Waterloo, Iowa, we’re gun safe experts that offer American-made quality and smart design with every easy-to-assemble safe!

zanottiarmor.com

Modular Safes, Specialty Safes & Lock Boxes - SnapSafe

SnapSafe has a variety of different safe sizes and wire accessories such as organizers and racks. In addition to safes, they also manufacture lock boxes and specialty safes that can be stored in vehicles, under beds, or in walls.

www.snapsafe.com

These guys have some secure wall panels that might also be an option depending on your situation. They wouldn't work in my current house but maybe someday.

Home Page new | SecureIt Gun Storage

THIS IS WHAT TRADITIONAL SAFES GET WRONG When you see it, it’s obvious Guns touch Optics don’t fit Access is slow THE INTERIOR IS THE SYSTEM Traditional safes are built around the box. SecureIt is built around the firearm. CradleGrid™ isthe system behind it. See How It Works Shop Agile Gun Safes...

www.secureitgunstorage.com

 

[Papabear2547]

Things I have heard, so trust at your discretion.

1. Replacing failed electronic locks with mechanical ones is a non insignificant part of the locksmith business.
2. Even if the fire rating is top notch if the house is a complete loss that safe is going to turn into an oven under the ashes.
3. The two most common things left behind in sold houses are safes and pianos. Too heavy and the cost for professional movers makes it cost effective to just buy a new one.


Assuming all of these things are true the next time I am looking at getting a safe I want to get something that comes in a flat pack and assembles with internal fasteners. I saw a really intriguing display at Pheasant Fest a few years back but don't remember that company's name. These look to be some current offerings with a quick search.

Zanotti Armor - Modern Craftsmanship & Security for You and Your Safe

Based in Waterloo, Iowa, we’re gun safe experts that offer American-made quality and smart design with every easy-to-assemble safe!

zanottiarmor.com

Modular Safes, Specialty Safes & Lock Boxes - SnapSafe

SnapSafe has a variety of different safe sizes and wire accessories such as organizers and racks. In addition to safes, they also manufacture lock boxes and specialty safes that can be stored in vehicles, under beds, or in walls.

www.snapsafe.com

These guys have some secure wall panels that might also be an option depending on your situation. They wouldn't work in my current house but maybe someday.

Home Page new | SecureIt Gun Storage

THIS IS WHAT TRADITIONAL SAFES GET WRONG When you see it, it’s obvious Guns touch Optics don’t fit Access is slow THE INTERIOR IS THE SYSTEM Traditional safes are built around the box. SecureIt is built around the firearm. CradleGrid™ isthe system behind it. See How It Works Shop Agile Gun Safes...

www.secureitgunstorage.com

Good info, thanks!

 

[Pearce]

Anyone have a link or would like to start a discussion on how to go about buying a gun safe? A safe can be expensive, and I've always preferred to just buy another gun, but I'm starting to look into buying a safe. I don't know quite where to start! What features should I look for, are there any brands to stay away from? Where are good places to purchase one, any deals to be found? What other considerations are there?

I’d start with figuring out what the most likely vs most dangerous threat is in your area (example: fire, smash and grab burglary, kids accessing firearms, organized criminal gangs with blow torches, etc.) all that is going to drive your options…along with price of course.

The majority of safes sold in big box stores/
online are actually Residential Security Containers and usually consist of thin sheets of metal covering drywall in order to make the safes appear thick and “secure”. That said the majority of people will be fine with “safe” from a big box store as long as it’s bolted down to the floor. These are enough to keep kids out as well as casual criminals from walking off with your guns.

Better safes would include brands like American Security Safes, Fort Knox Safes, and Sturdy Safes all of which use better quality materials and thicker steel in their builds. I’ve have a sturdy safe for the last 10 years and it’s a tank.

Beyond safes a layered security approach to your residence is just as important as a good safe (doors locked, burglary alarm set, tools secured, safe door locked).

Sorry this is a quick SWAG while I’m sitting in the car waiting on my wife.

 

[Stanislao]

I'm going to echo the "define your threat" mentioned above. With kids you can skimp on weight and durability, but the locking mechanism becomes more important. Unfortunately most safe locks are shit, try to find something with a good mechanical dial and no keyed backup lock. Destructive entry is a different animal, requiring a serious safe for meaningful resistance. Even then a skilled team that knows you have a safe worth breaking into will be able to do so.

In any case, place your safe out of sight and have some cameras in or near it. Concealing the safe avoids attention and awkward conversations. Having any kind of camera that notifies you of attempts on the safe is helpful against all threats, at least unless they take out your internet.

 

[shoobe01]

I am big on define-the-threat and went with a cage for my house. Layered, a concrete (tiny) room the stuff is in, then a cage inside that for firearms. All Simplex locks. Suburban, ISO-1, we appreciate the nosy neighbors, we have a low risk of theft, a near zero risk of someone using heavy tools etc, and whole-structure-loss fire risk is low.

(Important documents are in a legit commercial spec fire cabinet, not a consumer grade one).

1000% go with mechanical. Ideally electronics would work, but I have worked (professionally) with embedded systems plenty enough to know its not even worth hoping anymore they will work, as much as e.g. biometrics would help speed up access.

Find a local dealer instead of mail order I tend to say. Here in KC there's one reportedly good where the Bushnell outlet was (they moved next door) but even a trustworthy locksmith may be able to help, whether safe or vault. Keep the local info, they may buy it back (some deal in used ones) or help move it when you move out if you no longer need it.

Think about a vault instead. A secure room, not a box you have to put somewhere. Can be more space efficient, and can be fairly inexpensive as you just make sure the outer walls of the room get suitably reinforced, and then install a very strong and securely locked door to the room (closet etc). Best installs I have seen for new construction are like this, whole side of the basement as a sealed off room etc but possible to do in existing construction. You can even upgrade slowly, start with just securing the door then move to secure the walls, make organizers, etc.

 

[Snub Nose Sasquatch]

A gun safe capable of protecting its contents from fire and determined thieves typically costs thousands of dollars and weighs over 1,000 pounds. Is buying a real gun safe worth doing over purchasing a gun security container? There are several factors worth considering:

1. Neighborhood: Do you live in a good neighborhood or the wild hood?
2. Fire risk: How close are you to the fire department? How close is your house to the nearest fire hydrant? Do you have smoke alarms throughout the house? Do you have a couple of fire extinguishers throughout the house?
3. Loose lips and show off: Do a lot of people in your life know you have firearms? Do you have firearm stickers on your vehicle that could encourage someone to follow you from the grocery store to your home, where they will case your house over the next couple of weeks? When heading to the gun range, do you leave the house carrying that awesome tactical carry bag for your Glock and 5 boxes of ammo or do you carry it in a blue Walmart reusable sack? Does the HVAC guy or the plumber have any reason to suspect you own a firearm?
4. Schedule: Do you work from home? Are there other people living in your household coming inside and outside throughout the day?
5. Value: Are you sitting on firearms so valuable that they rival the cost of a new vehicle? Do you have insurance on those guns?

For myself, I feel that a gun security container (e.g., Stack On) is good enough for my needs. The neighborhood is not filled with crime, the fire department is less than 1/4 mile away, I give no evidence to outsiders that I own firearms, we're frequently home more than most people, and I have a small quantity of firearms that can easily be replaced with insurance.

I highly recommend spending some quality time reading this website: https://gunsafereviewsguy.com/

 

[Barry B]

I have a safe. It's a safe, not a cabinet. That said, I watched 2 guys EASILY move it into my house. It is probably a 275-300 lb safe. I watched 2 guys move it from that house into my current house... again, they moved it EASILY. I do not have it bolted down.

I bought it to keep prying hands off my firearms first, and to make it that much harder to cart the safe with guns in it, out of the house. That was pretty much what my need was, and is. This meets it.

You can easily go down the rabbit hole on pry resistance, burn rating, etc. etc. There are videos out there that will tell you much of that is overblown advertising. Burn ratings are subjective, and any expert will tell you if anyone can get your safe on it's back on a flat surface, they will have access to that safe shortly.

Have realistic expectations on your needs, and what meets those needs. And plus 100,000 for mechanical. I nothing that secures firearms that is electronic.

-B

 

[Stanislao]

You should at least bolt the safe into the floor/wall. Aside from being a basic security measure, the thing is rather dangerous if it gets pulled over.

 

[Barry B]

Mine? Sits in a corner. If it didn’t it would still take a significant concerted effort to tip it. Definitely not a concern.

 

[TariqWilliams]

I went with Liberty Safe mainly because I wanted something that wasn’t just heavy but also gave me a bit more trust in its lock system. I looked into a bunch and felt like theirs had a solid middle ground between cost and actual security. The size options were helpful too since I didn’t have room for a huge one. Just make sure to bolt it down no matter what.