Gun Safes

[TraderVic]

One of these days in the next year or two, I will need to crack for a gun safe. I'm thinking of a size that will hold about 8-12 guns. I suspect this is something like building a pole shed where pretty much everyone says once you decide on the size you want, add about 25% more space.

What brands are a big bang for the buck....you know ; good quality, good options, a reasonable price - and so on ?

What should a novice like myself look for ?

Regards, Vic

[wecsoger]

25%? You're being too conservative. (no, seriously)

I am not a fan of electronic/keypad locks. Unless you have a keyed backup, but then, what's the point.

As large and as heavy as you can go. Unless you get one of the sheet metal ones and plan on lag bolts into the wall studs.

Every safe can be defeated, given tools and time. Figure out what you and your budget are comfortable with.

[Griff]

One of these days in the next year or two, I will need to crack for a gun safe. I'm thinking of a size that will hold about 8-12 guns. I suspect this is something like building a pole shed where pretty much everyone says once you decide on the size you want, add about 100% more space.
What brands are a big bang for the buck....you know ; good quality, good options, a reasonable price - and so on ?
What should a novice like myself look for ?
Regards, Vic

There fixed that for ya. Put them firearms inside, in the dark... and they procreate rather rapidly.
I'm partial to two brands: Hall's Safe Company, (which is what I own); and Liberty Safe Company. My Hall's is 33 years old, still locks tight... and way too small!!!

I prefer a manual lock. No issues about battery life, or shorting out. You want either locking bolts around the entire perimeter of the door, or a solid bar on the hinge side... so you're not relying on the hinges alone on that side of the door. The capability to be bolted to the floor is a boon. If they want mine, they'll be breaking out the foundation!!!

[RIHMFIRE]

Get one with a manual lock.....
and I bought a "Stack on" 25 gun safe and it will barely fit 16 to 18 long guns....
pretty decent safe...it was a great deal...so I bought it...

Looked at liberty safes at the show yesterday....one was so big...it would be a great addition to a man cave!
great safes... but pricey

[Ray Newman]

Look in the Yellow Pages or search the internet for local/near by dealers specializing safes /vaults/vault doors. Then take a culture trip and see what there is. Or, if that does not work, look on the various manufacturer's web pages for dealers and visit them. Be very careful about the dealer's sales pitch -- get literature and read through it carefully.

Also have a good idea as to your budget and available space before you set out. As to a safe's interior, it might look big, but it will fill up quickly! Plan to buy the best you can afford, then find a way to buy the next better safe. Quality and weight are not cheap.

[Pete44ru]

.

Stay away from gun safes that have exterior door hinges, or ones that lack a steel backing plate for the lock/dial, to protect against punching the lock out, through the door.

Bolt the safe to (preferably) a concrete wall and/or floor, so it can't be easily carted away, so it can be worked on @ leisure.

YMMV, but I prefer a light-colored/bright safe interior that also doesn't have a solid rail across the front of the long gun bay(s), and infinitely (almost) adjustable shelves.

As indicated above, get a safe that's at least twice as large as you think you need - any unused space/shelf can be used for other important stuff (deeds, insurance policies, knives, coin collection, etc, etc, etc.


.

[jnyork]

Get twice as big a safe as you think you will need. You'll need it.

Spend twice as much as you have in mind. Go the Credit Union, get a little "home improvement" loan if you need to. Your safe is a lifetime investment, treat it as such.

NO, NO, NO to electronic locks.

You don't need a safe with a beautiful finish on it, unless the wife requires it for you to keep it in the living room. Compare prices based on finish, you might be surprised.

Be prepared to bolt it to the floor and/or wall. Do not procrastinate on this, do it as soon as delivered.

Negotiate with the seller for free delivery. Let someone else deliver it that has the equipment and knows what they are doing.

I have two Liberty brand safes, they appear to be good quality and have given no trouble.

[pdentrem]

Also look at humidity control and lighting. I had to drill a hole for power, I have a Golden Rod and lights installed in my safe.

[Lassiter]

Figure out how much space you need then double it and add 20%. Then you'll be good for a while

[JerryB]

We have a Liberty Timber Ridge safe that my grandson bought a few years ago. It is a dial lock and we have not had any problems with it so far. Except for it filling up, I think Jerry3 has slowed down some on his buying.

[geobru]

This is a link to a thread on safes that I learned from.

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... fe#p329201

[TraderVic]

This is a link to a thread on safes that I learned from.

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... fe#p329201

Good link.....very consistent with the advice given above.....especially sizing the darn thing !

We'll see what the better half will allow

[David]

I have 5 safes is you don't count the ones in the walls all of which you can fit several people in

My wife doesn't tell me not to bring home another gun but she does says if I bring home another safe there's going to be real trouble.

I love my Liberties the best, I think the S&G locks are top notch and I'm not into any kind of electronic stuff...

my 2cents.

[JB]

.
Stay away from gun safes that have exterior door hinges

Internal hinges look neater, but you can open the door wider with external hinges, which may or may not matter to you. External hings really have no bearing on security because it's the bolt holding the door shut. Even if you cut the hinges off with a torch, the door will stay shut.

[David]

I'd be a lot more concerned over gap in the door and then look at the real construction of the door.
A good safe you can't get a bar into maybe a rip bar but your never pry it if it's got a solid door.

[Ysabel Kid]

My Champion safe is large, weighs almost a ton (literally), fire-resistant, and did not break the bank to get. I recommended it in the other thread 5 years ago, and still do!

[boolitshooter]

I have a Hall safe. It's 1100 pounds. 72" tall by 36" wide and 30" deep. I need another one. Best safe I have ever seen when I bought it in the early 80'.
You can't go wrong with a Hall
BTW when I last moved the moving company scratched the bottom of the safe. I had insurance and thy paid me $1.20 a pound. It was a very small scratch.
No matter who makes the safe, an inexpensive safe is better than non at all.

[bmtshooter]

An often overlooked concern is the risk of your guns being destroyed by fire. Anything other than a fire - resistant safe is only giving you protection from risk of unauthorized access. The not too unlikely possibility of a house fire could wipe out your entire collection. Whatever safe you choose, make sure it will provide some fire protection.

[TedH]

Everyone seems to be against electronic keypad locks. Has anyone ever actually had a problem with one, or is it some kind of phobia?

[jnyork]

Everyone seems to be against electronic keypad locks. Has anyone ever actually had a problem with one, or is it some kind of phobia?

I bought one of my safes with an electronic lock, worked ok for a few years as long as I changed the battery every 6 months. Thing finally went bad, need new battery every week or so, then quit working completely. Cost me 90 buck to have the locksmith come over and install a new S&G manual lock.

I do have a phobia for electronic gadgets, I firmly believe if it is a choice between electronic and manually operated , always go with manual.

[JerryB]

Just like Jerry said, this older Jerry does not like electronic gadgets. A combination lock is high class enough for me.

[Griff]

Everyone seems to be against electronic keypad locks. Has anyone ever actually had a problem with one, or is it some kind of phobia?

Besides... nothing sez "Safe" like a gold plated Sargent & Greener manual 3 number dial! All the electronic ones give in return for being ugly is convenience. For you AND the electronically gifted thief!

[JohndeFresno]

This is a link to a thread on safes that I learned from.

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... 8&p=329201

+1 on above link! (Link edited to remove highlighting)
That's what I was going to recommend.

If you want to keep the kids out, get a cheap Chinese safe (like a Sentry Safe as sold at Home Depot and elsewhere). There are several impressive looking safes under different brand names with nice paint jobs that claim lots of locking bolts, generally all made at the same place in China with thin, cheap metal, that pose as American made, strong safes. The above link carries a tale of woe for that brand - my personal, painful experience.

If you are actually buying a safe to keep bad guys out, here is one quick test to quickly eliminate most safes that will fail you:
Unless the locking bolts engage behind an extremely heavy metal ledge, don't buy any safe that allows you to stick a nickel between the closed door and the frame. The crowbar attack is documented a few places online, and even our lowly gang-banger thieves in my town defeated two Sentry safes in a very short time, as we finally determined, and made off with several military rifles.

But if you want something that cannot be easily pried open by burglars, spend a little more money and get something like a Liberty safe, or the excellent Sturdy safe made in Fresno, CA that can't be breached with crowbars.

And bolt the safe down, e.g. in cement using Redhead bolts and in a corner or against a strong wall, so that it can't be quickly carried away and attacked later with drills or Tigs or whatever.

Then, alarm its location. If you can't afford something like ATD then get an inexpensive do-it-yourself alarm that at least alerts the neighbors, your attack chickens, or whatever animal or soul that is in the area, to help thwart off thieves.