Need opinions - Browning Gun Safe

[cryptomon]

Hello all,

My primary gun safe is a Browning Buckmark safe that was made in the early 1990's. It weighs 806 pounds empty. I have always thought of it as very secure (so much so that I dropped my insurance rider) but after reading some of the posts here I have began to wonder. My Browning is so full I need to purchase another safe as soon as possible. I have to get a smaller one that I can fit down my basement stairs. I want the best possible quality in a smaller 22-24 gun safe (with a weight of 500-600 pounds). Your opinions on the security of my current Browning and what I should buy next will be greatly appriciated. Thanks.

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

I don't trust my safe anymore after seeing a youtube vid of guys busting a safe open in under 5 minutes. It looked like the 600 pound 24 gun variety. I just don't keep those kinds of tools around my house. I still love my safe though. I would guess that a junky would not bring those large pry bars without knowing about the safe beforehand.

 

[heeler]

Not sure what thickness of steel your Browning has or for that matter if it's a plate steel door(doubtful) or is a composite type door.
I will say though most safes in the size you are thinking of getting are usually made of 12 gauge in the body and usually are door weak due to the door being made of light steel that sandwiches sheetrock which in the world of gun safes is called a composite door.
Ft.Knox will allow you to upgrade to thicker steel but I am pretty sure it will be heavier than 500-600 pounds.
Amsecs smallest BF model gun safe weighs 810 pounds.
Sturdy might have something you are interested in.

 

[DADS357]

BROWNING No!

What ever you do...don't go with a Browning unless you want sheet rock for fire proofing and sagging interior carpet...and this is on a high end model...also their engineers suggested stapling the carpet in place....what a joke!

 

[a1abdj]

The definition of "secure" is relative. A deadbolt on a closet door would be secure against the vast majority of home burglars, whereas a safe with a real burglary rating would be required to remain secure from a professional safe cracker.

Some of the older Brownings used heavier steel. If this is the case, it is on par with any other new safe using heavier steel.

The problems with most gun safes is that they offer a limited amount of protection, yet are large enough to hold assets much more valuable than they are designed to protect. I usually suggest splitting the contents into multiple lighter safes. This isn't much different than what most jewelry stores do. Instead of having one large safe capable of storing $1,000,000, they get four that are capable of storing $250,000.