Are your guns safe in a safe?

[Topgun]

All who condemn BRAGGING are on the right track.

When I had the coin shop, it was always the loudmouths who came in whining that their coin collection was gone.

(info) Police do not look for coin collections as they are unidentifiable.

I used to keep my guns in a chest type freezer in the garage. It wasn't plugged in and the chintzy padlock was normal procedure to discourage meat thefts. Had good luck with it. Insulation kept guns (each wrapped) from temp extremes.

Now have a safe. USUALLY a gun safe will be tapped from the SIDE where it is essentially about as strong as a can.

A Johnson bar will usually lift ANY safe. The security is the alarm and neighbors with the intelligence to determine that moving safes at night with all the lights off is NOT normal procedure.

 

[Jeeper]

I think the big lesson here is that:

"ANY safe can be busted into so keep your mouth shut about your collection and get good insurance that covers everything"

 

[Sisco]

I used to keep my guns in a chest type freezer in the garage

A co-workers home was broken into, they missed most of the jewelry, all of the cash that was stashed but what they did get was the TV, stereo, some tools and all the meat out of the freezer in the garage! I guess theives gotta eat too.

 

[pytron]

By the same token, don't leave a ladder lying underneath your deck or near your open 2nd story windows.

 

[Snaps]

I've always figured the safe was for somebody that just happened to break in. Not somebody who actually wanted the guns in the safe. Any idiot can break a window and get in hte house. But not any idiot can get in a safe.

 

[DigMe]

A co-workers home was broken into, they missed most of the jewelry, all of the cash that was stashed but what they did get was the TV, stereo, some tools and all the meat out of the freezer in the garage! I guess theives gotta eat too.

Reminds me of the movie "Out of Sight." White Boy Bob stealing the steaks... Good movie. Bob later illustrated poor gun safety when he ran up the stairs with pistol in hand and blew the back of his own head off.

brad cook

 

[megatronrules]

This is why I don't keep all my eggs in one basket so to speak. I only keep 3 handguns in my house 2 of those are locked in a safe due to little ones,the 3rd is on me all the time. The others are in a safe place I also recommend strongly an alarm systen linked to the police as well. Also the most important thing is TELL NO ONE YOU OWN A GUN!!!! let alone 10 or 20 of them. They can't steal what they don't know is there,I can not stress this enough.

Bragging is the main reason people get nabbed wether it be a crime they commited or getting thair house broken into. For me I had (past tense) a friend who had a real sleeze bag for a boyfriend. I believe this guy would take the sandles off of jesus' feet if it would get him dope. I was ripping when I learned she told him I owned guns,I already had an alarm system so all I needed to do was get my other guns out of my house.

Needless to say I don't bother with this girl anymore haven't spoken to her in at least 6 months. As for my house I feel it is safe I have 2 big dogs a mutt and a pitbull plus the alarm so I feel safer now.

If anyone should ever get passed the alarm and the dogs and manage to get into the safe (all this will take time time they won't have as my house is almost never alone) They will only get 1 gun as I carry one and my brother carries another.

 

[CB900F]

Smoke, Jeeper, RE1973, and all;

Yes, I sell safes. Yes there are safes that are time rated, ie a U.L. listing that states, in minutes, what type of attack will be sucessfully resisted for how long. TLTR type safes can be had for much, much less than the 20K figure I saw in one post. They can be had in a size to hold long guns for under 10K - used but perfectly serviceable.

If you truly want a high quality gun safe, TLTR type safe, a vault, or an actual bank vault, by all means please PM me. I'm more than happy to advise members. No, I don't tell people how to circumvent the common gun safe. What I will do though, is tell you how to compare a Residential Security Container to a true safe.

People, a Liberty isn't a safe, it's an RSC.

900F

 

[Glamdring]

Dealing with a safe? I know of two different schools were some people came in with a large truck (think U haul type) backed up to loading dock and loaded up computers and left.

One was a high school and they did the job on a weekend.

The other was a college and they did it during the day.

In both cases people saw them and figured they must belong. They were not dressed like crooks or anything.

 

[blue86buick]

now i'm scared...

I've only got 3 guns so far...and possibly 3 of my dad's I'll hold onto, and I've been talking to people about them. Well, I've gotten into guns (ownership) in the last month, so naturally I'm excited and gung-ho about it, and have been talking to everyone. Well, after reading all this, it sounds like that's been a bad idea. I'm going to get a safe, but it's an inexpensive, lightweight jobbie by Sentry (all I can afford currently)...and I'm getting worried that that won't be enough. Filling the bottom with at least 200 lbs of shot is going to be someting I do...but I'm still worried that won't be enough. My collection isn't extensive, or expensive, but it'd still suck to have it stolen.

 

[Topgun]

Better would be a decoy GUN...

Molded of plastique....not plastic.... a good long gun so it has to be held in both hands and close to the cheek. Electronic trigger.

Naw, not really....gee. How awful.

 

[sm]

RCC vs Safe

CB900F:
Thank you for jumping in. I hope all will read the definition and difference in RSC vs Safe.

I had to use these expensive jobbies, insurance mandated, plus I could depreciate value on taxes.

 

[Sven]

Any tips on how to bolt safes down better? What are good, better and best practices for security safes - besides having dogs.

 

[CB900F]

Blue86;

My advice, don't bother with the shot. Up to about 800 - 1000 lbs what they do is use a refridgerator dolly & just tip it & roll it away to the truck. 200 lbs of shot isn't going to help with 3 guns & a sheet metal storage cabinet. Frankly, getting real creative about hiding either the cabinet or the guns is going to work better.

There are limits to what works with the bolting idea also. If what you are bolting is sheet metal, it's highly likely that two good sized guys & a 6 foot bar are going to be able to tear the metal or shear the bolt. Or pull the bolt from wood.

With a low number of guns, go stealth. A big part of the problem today is that a large number of 'safes' aren't. They are Residential Security Containers. See the thread I put up titled safe information. I put a link in there that does a good job of explaning all this.

For the record: Liberty, Browning, Natl. Security, Paragon, and MOST others sold as gun safes, are not safes. They are Dr. Feelgood protection at best, and very poor fire protection also.

900F

 

[JohnBT]

Agreed, but an RSC is still better than the closet. Around here the major threat is crackheads or teenagers running through grabbing what they can carry.

Anybody else is going to have to work a little bit and my neighbors would likely hear the noise since our antique houses are only 3 feet apart - the width of the sidewalks between them.

I looked at some nice TL-rated safes for $5k and $10k IIRC, plus options and delivery and stuff, but decided I needed to eat this year.

John

 

[TheOtherOne]

The Jackal

I always liked what Bruce Willis' character did with his safe in The Jackal: Hook a fishing line to a grenade inside the safe that pulls the pin if it's not unhooked before the door opens more than 3 inches. If I can't have my guns, then neither can some scumbag!

But that's probably one of those situations where the thiefs family would sue you and win... or worse, you would forget about the booby trap yourself.

 

[CB900F]

JohnBT;

Granted, an RSC is better than nothing. However, you don't need to go to a TL rated safe in that price range either. A good 'B' rated burglary/fire safe can be had for much less than the price you mentioned. Good grief, I can even sell used TLTRX6 safes for less than you mentioned.

The biggest thing that irks me about the upper end RSC's is that they cost so very little less than a decent B. But profit margin to the marketing dept. beats protection 'most every time.

900F

 

[JohnBT]

See, that's what happens when I post something from memory.
You're right, I was thinking B-rated and up. The figures I had in mind were from the Brown Safe site:

www.brownsafe.com/gun_safe.html

Wholesale for a 36 cu.ft. model 6048 (60x48x22) is:

B - $2096
C - $2992
E - $5569

Plus shipping to VA and $200 or more for shelves.

And then there's the list of options:

Key Locking Combination Dial
Glass Plate Relocking Device
Three way Bolt Work W/Anti-Drive
Silent Holdup Alarm Lock with optional hookup to either an internal or external alarm system.
Internal Locking Compartments
Deluxe Finish (Pin stripe & gloss paint)

I know I would've wanted some of these.

And then there's the dealer's profit margin and I have no idea what that would typically run, but let's just say that I couldn't find any deals locally.

John

 

[HBK]

I checked those out too, I only have 1000K. Has anyone checked with the Fort Knox safes?

 

[blue86buick]

Heh...wow, only 1000 thousand? Geez, i suppose you WOULD be looking into buying "Fort Knox" (safes) if you've got juuust that much cash.

 

[telewinz]

I am fortunate in that I have a small room in my basement (dry) that is lined with concrete block. The only weak point is the metal lined door but it has served me well for 20 years. A safe is almost always a good investment but most good ones go for the price of a couple of guns or more and I can't shoot the safe. Having a loud indoor dog that barks at everything helps also

 

[JohnBT]

Yeah, but for the price of 5 years' worth of dog food and vet bills you could buy a good safe.

And you don't have to clean up after a safe.

John

 

[Tango7]

JohnBT - Agreed, but an RSC is still better than the closet. Around here the major threat is crackheads or teenagers running through grabbing what they can carry.

Has anybody considered "hardening" an interior closet? Saw an article in Poular Science / Home Mechanix (whatever they call it nowdays) a few years back about using some reasonably priced materials to make a "safe closet" - Metal clad solid core door w/ deadbolt, hardened screws into reinforced strike and jambs, 1/2" rebar horizontally through studs, and doubled 3/4" plywood as interior paneling with doubled 5/8" drywall on walls, floors, and ceiling. Option (if house construction allows for extra weight) is dampened bags of plaster or concrete in stud spaces around rebar.

Saw this reprised in a "tips of the trades" book a few years ago... contractor claimed it protected his stereos and valuables within.

Just a thought, for those with the construction ability.

 

[Jeeper]

900F

What is usually involved in making a vault room? I am just curious what thickness walls and cealing usually are. Any explanation would be cool.

 

[CB900F]

Jeeper & Tango 7;

What is involved in making a safe room? It can be anything from the suggestions that Tango provided, which are good, to a full-fledged bank-type vault room, & anything in between. The first thing you have to provide me with though is a reasonable scenario. What type of situation & structure are we dealing with? New construction, price is literally anything goes or - single working mom in one bedroom rent control flat in a bad part of town? Give me something to work with here please. Otherwise I'd have to write a book - for free.

900F