Need suggestion for small gun vault.

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marchboom

marchboom

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I'm looking for a small gun vault to store my CCW gun while I'm in the house (the gun goes with me when I leave). Been thinking about the Stack On Mini Storage Vault. It gets pretty good reviews from Cabela's and Amazon customers.

Does anyone have any experience with this vault or can recommend another vault?

Thanks.
 
For what you are suggesting, I would not go with that cabinet. It sounds like you would be entering the combination quite frequently, which would cause wear on the keys and might help curious, intelligent people figure out what your combo is. Also, that sounds like a real pain. I would suggest one of the inexpensive stack-on cabinets that holds like 8 rifles. They are key operated, inexpensive, and should offer reasonable security if screwed to something substantial. Plus you can store other stuff in there, too.
 
If I were to get another safe it would be one that I could take apart and move it to where I wanted. The ones I have now are very heavy and required a rigger to put in place.

Safes like the Snap Safe, Zannoti and others.

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www.snapsafe.com
 
Dr. Sandman said:
It sounds like you would be entering the combination quite frequently, which would cause wear on the keys and might help curious, intelligent people figure out what your combo is.
Click to expand...

OK, so assuming you notice THREE of the number buttons on my safe's keypad are worn, and keeping in mind that the wrong combination entered three times will lock the safe down for 15 minutes, how many hours do you think it would take to figure out the combination and open the safe?

I think you've been watching too many cheesy movies.
 
OK, so assuming you notice THREE of the number buttons on my safe's keypad are worn, and keeping in mind that the wrong combination entered three times will lock the safe down for 15 minutes, how many hours do you think it would take to figure out the combination and open the safe?
Click to expand...

Well, it depends on the length of the password. If your code is three digits long, then it won't take very long at all- 3^3 possible combinations, meaning a maximum of 45 minutes assuming they guess wrong for the first 8 attempts.

For a six digit code, it's 3^6, that's 729 possible combinations, resulting in ~2.5 days worth of attempts (assuming they guess wrong for the first 728 attempts). So it matters! When you're buying a safe with keys, get a safe with a longer passcode.
 
marchboom: I have the "Stack On Mini Storage Vault" you asked about. There are a number of safes of different brands that all look nearly identical (in particular the molded plastic keypad bezel), so my guess is that they're all made by the same factory in China.

I've had mine for about six years. It's still using the original set of Duracell batteries I put in it. It's been entirely reliable. It's fast and easy to get into. I've got a six-digit code programmed into it (I think you can choose anything between 6 and 8). There is no sign of the numbers rubbing off the buttons, but I only get into it a few times a month, so it's gotten very light usage over the years.

It's heavy and sturdy, but you bolt it down (it has holes for this) it can be easily picked up and carried away. I got it just to keep the kids and their friends out, not to thwart burglars. It's worked fine for this.
 
Atom Smasher said:
Well, it depends on the length of the password. If your code is three digits long, then it won't take very long at all- 3^3 possible combinations, meaning a maximum of 45 minutes assuming they guess wrong for the first 8 attempts.

For a six digit code, it's 3^6, that's 729 possible combinations, resulting in ~2.5 days worth of attempts (assuming they guess wrong for the first 728 attempts). So it matters! When you're buying a safe with keys, get a safe with a longer passcode.
Click to expand...
Ah, very good. Most people assume, and the assumption is very Hollywood, that because three numbers are worn, the password will be three numbers long. As you said, not too tough to figure out if you're methodical. Three numbers in a six digit password complicates things tremendously. :cool:
 
What are you planning to use it for? Just to keep the kiddos out? A little bankers box on the top shelf of your closet will work for that. You can probably even get one with a combination if you don't want to keep up with keys.

Other than kids, I'd usually recommend you not keep it locked up. It may keep you from getting access when you really need it.
 
This will be for my carry gun that leaves the house with me. I will be accessing it 6-8 times a week. I just want something that will keep the gun secure when I'm not within eye sight of the safe but not a hassle (for me) to get into. The Stack On unit gets pretty good reviews but I wanted to get the opinions of those on this forum.
 
You might try to find one of those safes made for cruise ships or motel rooms - pretty sturdy and really hard to try and steal or break into. Another place to look is a local locksmith who sells safes - he might have a lightly used one from someone who upgraded and you could get a good deal
 
I like the ones that use a mechanical pushbutton lock instead of an electronic one that needs electricity of batteries. They will cost a little more, but this should be a good weekend to buy with all the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales.
 
As lpsharp88 said, a small box with a Simplex combination lock is quite secure. You can get a similar one from http://www.amsecusa.com/ It has holes in the bottom and can be mounted to a shelf or drawer with carriage bolts. Of course your drawer/shelf can be hacked off, side of house bulldozed apart, etc., but for the original posters stated purpose, this is excellent. Kids will find a way to get access to keys if they want to get into something badly enough. You just have to remember to give the combination to a trusted friend as backup in case you forget it.
 
I use this for my home defense pistol. A different gun than my carry piece, so I dont open it daily, but I wouldnt have a problem doing so. To combat key pad wear I just made sure to set a sequence that uses all of the buttons. Even if someone were to notice a wear pattern it would be tough to decifer as muliple buttons can be used simultaniously as part of your code. Its not rock solid but will do a perfectly fine job of keeping curious family or freinds out. I have it mounted in an inconspicuous yet easily accesable loction.

http://www.amazon.com/Gunvault-Spee...=UTF8&qid=1385840364&sr=8-4&keywords=gunvault
 
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