gun safes ???

[hangmans joke]

sorry if in wrong forum .


im looking for a good fire safe for guns , i dont have a million bucks but was looking for a good one . i ran across a sentry safe at walmart for 342 bucks , i like but i do not think that it is fire proof . model is g7311 . i have some long guns , mostly pistols, and would liek to store importan papers in it as well. any suggestions ??

 

[Ash]

Alright, here's the dope.

Most gun safes are not very burglar-proof (you can sledge-hammer into the side). Because of this, don't worry too much about door bolts and the like. A good base-model safe will provide all the door protection you need against thieves. The important part is the amount of insulation found inside. Quite literally, it all involves the number of layers of type X gypsum found inside as well as the fire/smoke seal which will seal the interior from smoke damage.

The point is, some of the most expensive safes are no better, really, than the cheaper ones. The ones at Wal-Mart are not suitable for fire but can make decent anti-theft safes. No, they won't stop a thief who is targeting an expensive collection, but they will do great for smash-and-grab punks. The ones at Sam's do pretty well for fire.

Now, you can increase the fire-resistance of a safe by adding gypsum to the outside (but this will not be easy to do with the door). You can also pick out the closet in which you will store the safe and line it with type x gypsum before installing the safe. That will also help. Also, store the safe on an exterior wall, not in the center of the house, and try not to place it above a basement. Why? The center of the house will burn the hottest and be the last quenched. Also, if the house burns hot enough, it can fall into the basement and no matter how good the safe is, no how long the fire rating of the safe, if it falls into a safe among tons of hot coals, everything inside the safe is toast. Exterior walls help keep the safe from the most intensely hot core of the fire.

Ash

 

[F=ma]

Great post Ash...Thanks.

 

[hangmans joke]

cool thanks ash for response. i also reading up on home sprinkler systems lol. what safe would you reccomend to a noob ??? for like 500 bucks ??

 

[armedandsafe]

Anybody else get a chuckle out of the fact that this very good advice comes from a member named...ASH?

Pops

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

What Ash said.

Also, important papers are better off in a fire proof lock box.

 

[Ash]

Chuckle...chuckle...

I have a Timber Ridge from Gander Mountain that I paid $125 for. However, it had been in a flood and I had to strip it clean - which is how I learned about the Gypsum and effectively doubled the base-line fire resistance.

For $500 you can get a Winchester safe from Sams (around that amount). They will have a 30 minute rating and will be reasonable against smash-and-grab. Just don't put it out in the open where a thief can smash at the sides of the safe with a sledge. And don't waste money on fancy pin-striping or finishes. You really don't want to show the safe off to anybody. Out of sight out of mind is ideal.

I have a pretty good fire-proof safe for my documents that I keep on top of the gun safe. It was a heavy mofo to get up there, but it helps keep the safe put (along with the mounting bolts, of course).

Ash

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Gypsum board is more commonly known as drywall or sheetrock.

 

[Vicious-Peanut]

I got one for Christmas. It isn't fancy, big or expensive, but it works great for getting my firearms out of the foam lined cases where they will rust. Plus like ASH said it isn't super tough, but it is certainly better than nothing and would still be a big pain to get into.

 

[VARifleman]

a1abdj, a poster on this forum runs Zykan safe and vault and has some very good write ups on this site, and you can visit his website: http://zykansafe.com/ and get the other contact info from there. He can guide you to what you need to get to get the protection that is sensible for your collection. He also gives the best prices by far on the AMSEC BF series, which is a good safe for the money.

 

[TXj]

I picked up one of the Winchester safes at Sams for around $550 last year. It has been a good safe so far and has plenty of room.

 

[Ash]

Remember, it has to be TYPE X gypsum to be of any value for fire. The Zykan site offers true safes, but they cost out the nose. If you want a fireproof safe, he has good stuff. But unless your collection is very valuable and your house sturdy enough, they are possibly over-kill. He considers most "safes" to be nothing better than a solid door, which is an exaggeration. However, your Liberty and its cousins aren't real "safes" in the vault definition. But they will do the job for most collections and under most conditions. If you have $50,000 worth of firearms, you're not gonna want a Liberty or Sentry, but then, if you have $50,000 worth of firearms, you're not gonna go to Wally World either. You're probably like the rest of us who bristle at having to spend gun money on something that won't shoot.

Ash

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

It has been a good safe so far and has plenty of room.

For now anyway. When I got my Liberty, it had lots of spare room inside. Now, long guns stacked on top of each other, handguns hanging on the inside of the door and laying on the shelves and still not room enough for another gun.

Buy bigger than "now" because there will always be more "later."

 

[Ash]

That's true. Spend more on size and less on fanciness.

Ash

 

[The_Myth]

lollol

 

[06]

We moved a bank for a contractor who specializes in them. Was asking about a vault door, intending to build my walls. He traded me a horizontal safe with three inch walls that had been discontinued for a beautiful price. Added a new combination knob and was set for under $300. The thing weighs about 3000#s so I sat it on the old breeze way concrete floor(now my pooter/reloading room). Not as impressive as some of the "shiny" ones and folks keep commenting on what a large freezer I have. I painted it gloss white, added some "General Electric" freezer emblems. I do not worry about fire but if you are then the gypsum(sheet rock) ideas will help. We are planning on putting 3/4 sheetrock overhead throughout our home asap. It now is "Celotex" which is highly flamable. Methinks a sheet of steel under the safe and a double layer of 3/4 sheetrock on sides and rear/top would give it a very good fire rating. Set plastic jugs of water(not milk jugs)(use three liter drink bottles) on top of the safe. If it gets that hot then the bottles will quench some of the heat. wc