Warranty exclusion
First post, I'll introduce myself more later maybe.
I'm on the precipice of buying a gun safe / RSC and have been reading these various threads (and occasional near-peeing contest type tangents) with interest.
I was leaning toward Sturdy given their impressive videos, but the many comparisons to the AmSec BF series on THR had me looking at them in particular in the sea of previously-perceived-to-be-homogenous choices. I've seen a Graffunder in person and was very impressed (love that noise they make when you try to close them fast; you can't slam them closed!), but it's just a bit more cash than I ought to be spending on this right now. I would love to find a used one, but I know that's not likely.
I entertained the idea of and am somewhat still considering a Zanotti so I can relatively easily put it in my finished basement, but the leadtime (~8 months) and material thickness (or thinness, relative to the other ones I'm considering) are drawbacks in my view. Also they are farther away from me, so the shipping cost compared to a traditional safe from the west coast is double. I suppose if they were as-thick as the regular safes, I would choose it quite easily. I also considered building a vault and putting a door in, but I'm trying to reel it back to what's most likely to actually happen here.
I like thick metal and an generally a fan of overkill when it comes to most things. I spent about a day so far thinking and researching the option of buying a used jewelry safe (TL-15, TL-30) and fitting my own interior. I thought I could fab up a nice fire blanket to drape over the exterior if I wanted to have some fire protection. I had the idea of building a furniture-like wooden cabinet around it, lined with some type of fire/heat resistant material. I may still go the used "real" safe route, if I don't just bite the bullet here soon and "press the easy button."
I'm currently leaning heavily toward an AmSec BF6636 (satin black with black nickel hardware), bought from out of state and shipped to a local dealer who would charge me a few hundred to install (locate) it. I called the dealer who mentioned having a 20 year old (pre-Liberty ownership) National Security Magnum with some impressive features but a dated interior configuration and color, for about $500 less than the new BF6636.
I seriously considered the used NS Magnum, but then became convinced that the extra money for the new BF6636 is worth it to get the lifetime warranty, better interior, better fire and theft protection (I tend to believe any later of concrete, even with perlite in it, is going to be more of a hassle for a potential "wannabe pro" thief who's willing to try to get in than a few layers of sheetrock or ceramic textile type material would be. By the way, I imagine the ceramic material Sturdy uses does a good job for the purpose.)
I guess this post is my chance to comment on all the stuff I read.
I think if I wasn't as concerned about fire then the decision would be more of a slam dunk in Sturdy's favor (or even more likely, a used jewelry safe or similar, made of thickish plate steel for cheaper if I can find one), but when you add back in the fire insulation it's a much closer call. The greater cu.ft./$$ with closely equivalent steel thickness and IMO superior fire protection with added burglary resistance of the solid composite material has got me leaning the way I am, toward the BF6636. If it wasn't such a pricey upgrade or if it were free, I might opt for pearl white, but the black nickel on satin black sounds nice too.
ANYWAY
, the actual point of my post was to point out something about the warranties being discussed that I didn't see mentioned. The AmSec warranty is pretty specific when it discussed the types of burglar attacks that are covered, "drill, pry, punch," while the Sturdy warranty just reads "burglar attack." (not verbatim necessarily) I heard from the Zanotti guy that they have had only two breaches ever and they were both with a torch. That to me seems the more likely type of successful attack (or plasma cutter, etc), since it's a bit quieter than a skilsaw with a grinder blade or something similar. It seems to me that the Sturdy warranty doesn't differentiate between the breaching methods and exclude torch attacks like AmSec does. Did anyone else notice that, or is it a non-issue?
I do think a torch attack is pretty hardcore and it is arguably unlikely. However, I think between the various constructions methods that the BF series comes closest to what would be needed to thwart or at least delay the thieves' progress with that type of attack. Well, except for the stainless that Sturdy offers as an extra cost upgrade, that is. There is a youtube video of the U.L. certification test of a Meilink TL-15 safe that seems to show the efficacy of such a layer of concrete. Actually, I just had another thought, if the Drylight layer in an BF safe was reinforced with chicken wire or something similar, that might be even more of a problem. Or maybe not because it would just add a matrix of weak points where it could more easily fracture.
Okay, that's enough for now.
