What kind of safe?

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45Guy

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What kind of safe do you have, do you like it?

I have a simple Stack-On safe, holds about 10 guns. I would like to get a bigger Browning or Liberty safe, but that's out of my price range
 
Most of your commercially available gun safes are going to be fairly similar.

Safes aren't built to be liked. They are built to protect their contents. Don't buy a safe because you like it, because it's the cheapest, or because it has the the best paint job. Buy a safe because it offers the level of protection required for your situation.
 
I have a timber Ridge (By Liberty) it says 23 guns but that is if you get rid of all other storage. I love it, 900# of steel a nice maroon color. I will never be without one now. My dad still has cabinets but because of where he lives he can not have a safe (Mobile Home). If i had it to do over I would have spent a little more money and bought a wide body for easier access. The only thing I do not like is if i want to take a gun from the safe out then I have to take all of them out. Other than that it was a great deal.

Any safe even the small stack on is safer than any other storage unless you have two or three big nasty German Sheperds guarding them.
 
SnapOn 14 gun fire rated

I've got the Snap-On in the 14 gun size. BTW - 14 guns is ONLY if none have scopes and none are AR-15's. It's supposed to be fire rated (which as far as I know, it is).
It has the digital, push-button losck and I really dislike that item. It only works about 40% of the time. After three tries, it has a 30 second delay and after three more tries there's a 5 minute delay. I've hit that 5 minute delay several times in the trhee years that I've had the safe & it's very frustrating. Can you imagine how scary that would be if someone broke in and you're trying to retrieve the heavy duty stuff in the safe without being detected? "Beep - beep- beep" everytime that it thinks that you've entered a wrong code?
To "fix it" I have to take the lock off the safe and mail it in for repair - 2-3 weeks turn-around (minimum)!! I think that is a crazy way to handle this situation 'cause you're sitting there w/o a safe way to store your weapons & valuables for several weeks.
It was cheap (under $350) but I got what I paid for, eh?
 
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from a1abdj : a level of protection.....

Buy a safe because it offers the level of protection required for your situation.
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It's hard to find any independent data on the "safety" of various brands/models of safes. I've heard on this site that even some fairly expensive safes are easy to break into - like in under 5 minutes - by anyone who knows a little about it (or finds detailed instructions on web sites).

Do you know of any data that rigorously tests safes?
 
Generally speaking, there are three levels of safe marketed to gun owners.

1. The cheap ones from K-Mart and such. They're slightly more secure than a school locker, and will typically fasten with a Medeco key lock. They're aimed more at keeping inquisitive young hands off Papa's guns than at stopping a burglar. Weight is about 100 - 150 lbs at most. They' won't stop a determined teen who isn't concerned about damaging the safe.

2. The typical gun safe. S&G lock, weight 450+ lbs. Cannon, Browning, Ft. Knox, etc. fall into this category. Some exhibit better workmanship than others, but the bodies are typically 10 gage, meaning they'll stop a typical "smash & grab" robbery.

3. As #2, but with fire protection. Weight approximately doubles.

Talk to a real safe expert - the guy who supplies these (for example) to the jewelry trade, and he make take issue with calling any of these safes.

My advice . . . figure out the largest you'll need . . . and then go up at least a size. Maybe two; you WILL find things to fill it up with!
 
Layered protection, in the form of reinforced doors, secured windows and a user installed wireless alarm system can help offset the limitations of a "lesser" RSC.
 
The "safest" gun safe I have ever seen was not a safe at all. An acquaintance of mine has a phony water heater in the basement. It was a real water heater once, but he gutted the inside and replaced it with a simple rotating carousel gun rack that holds about a dozen long guns. He made a panel door of sheet metal that opens on the side allowing access to the interior. He even has pipes hooked up to this thing so that a plumber could not tell the difference by just looking. His real water heater is in the attic. No thief would ever think to check the water heater.

Another really good place for hiding smaller valuables like handguns is behind a phony electrical panel in the wall. Most people are inherently afraid of electricity and will not touch the inside of a breaker box.

ES
 
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It's hard to find any independent data on the "safety" of various brands/models of safes.
Click to expand...

This information is out there, but is usually not made public for consumers to see. A portion of the security your safe offers comes from others not knowing how it works.

I've heard on this site that even some fairly expensive safes are easy to break into - like in under 5 minutes - by anyone who knows a little about it (or finds detailed instructions on web sites).
Click to expand...

This can also be true. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and if you add in a design flaw, it's that much easier to exploit.

Do you know of any data that rigorously tests safes?
Click to expand...

UL tests safes, but the UL RSC rating commonly seen on gun safes means very little. AMSEC is the only manufacturer that I'm aware of that builds a UL burglary rated safe specifically as a gun safe.

If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to explain what I can. Anybody who works with safes on a regular basis will also be able to assist. This does not include sporting goods stores or even general locksmiths. You can look up somebody close to you at WWW.SAVTA.ORG or look under SAFES & VAULTS in your local yellow pages.
 
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