I just ordered a new gun safe from Brown safe mfg

[98f150]

I just ordered a C-com 6056 double door gun safe from brown mfg out of California. It is fire lined with 2 1/2 inches of fire lining concrete. I upgraded the security of the doors with bolts that come out of the top and bottom. The safe will have 1/2" plate on the body and 1 inch plate door. I also added a electrical outlet to be placed on the bottom right. The safe will weigh 4600 pounds and the outside dimensions are 66 X 62.5 X 37 so its large enough for the future firearm purchases.

I was hoping to get feedback from people that have owned a Brown safe. I have looked online on most of the gun forums and I don't find much about them. I hope I'm not disappointed with my decision I spent $8500 for this safe.

 

[a1abdj]

You probably won't see a ton about them online, as I don't believe there are a ton of them out there. I have seen a total of two in person since 1990, and I see a lot of safes.

I did have the opportunity to get a good look at one of them, as I was hired to move it into the house. It was a smaller B rate with a jewelry interior. Overall, I wasn't impressed. It didn't look like it was primered, there were grind marks and welding spatter than were painted over, some rust popping through the paint at the bottom, and features that should be on a safe of that cost that were absent (like bolt detents). With that said, the interior was very nice. This was several years ago, so it is very possible that things have changed with them.

I have a big TL-15 double door ready to retrofit. I believe it's 84" x 84" x 24", and about 6,000 pounds, but it's not fire lined.

A C rate safe is very well built compared your average gun safe. The cast fill they use is without a doubt, the best type of insulation you can get in a safe. It will give you great security and fire protection.

 

[Ultra]

I have a B rated Brown with out the fire protection. I purchased it a little less then a year ago. I think it's ok for what it is, a simple no frills safe. I'm much more impressed with the build quality of my Sturdy Safe.

 

[a1abdj]

I'm much more impressed with the build quality of my Sturdy Safe.

Well that's not exactly a glowing review of Brown. Not much different than saying I was more impressed with the build quality of my Jennings than my Sig.

 

[Ultra]

Here you go again...Why is it that anytime anyone says something good about Sturdy you take it as a personal insult?

 

[Mike1234567]

Wow, nice safe!! Heck, for that kind of money I could afford to have every firearm I own (16) stolen or otherwise lost and still have cash left over. I feel so... so... so... inadequate now. *sniff-sniff*

 

[a1abdj]

Here you go again...Why is it that anytime anyone says something good about Sturdy you take it as a personal insult?

Who's talking about Stu**y here besides you? I'm not insulted at all.

We're talking about Brown Safes. Your opinion of your older Brown seems to match my observations of an older Brown that I have seen. For a safe that is suppposed to be a higher end unit, neither of us are impressed.

 

[98f150]

Is it correct to have the fireproofing cement on the outside of the safe

I was doing some reading at the brown website and see where the fire proofing material is on the outside of the main steel 1/2" plates on the body and the outer steel is only thick enough to support the cement while its being poured. This seems backwards to me but I bet someone reading this will know.

 

[a1abdj]

I have seen it both ways, although I'm a bigger fan of the thick steel on the outside.

Most modern day composite safes have thin steel on both sides, as it's the cast fill that provides the bulk of the protection. Cladding also used to be very popular up until composite safes started getting more common. A cladded safe was usually a heavy steel burglary rated safe with a cast fill poured around it, and a thin skin on the outside to contain the cladding.

So long as all of the important stuff is connected to the heavy steel box, I wouldn't worry about which side the fill was on.