Why Don't You Own A Safe?

[gb0399]

Guns stolen by thieves are generally not sold to honest people, they are used to commit more crimes. Crimes involving firearms turn public opinion. The public elects people who make laws. You see where I’m going with this, If your guns are stolen and used in a crime it hurts all of us as gun owners. Be responsible and lock up your guns.

 

[wankerjake]

I think safes are great and if you can afford a good one and it makes you feel better then all is well. But a lot of people would be spending more on a safe than what their guns are worth. Also, a gun collection can be built up over time, but a good safe is a much bigger purchase generally.

As far as my opinion about responsibility...let's not shift the blame to the "irresponsible gun owners" who don't keep their firearms locked in Fort Knox safes that are bomb-proof. The blame, in my opinion, should be placed squarely on the shoulders of the filthy thieves who break into people's houses and steal what doesn't belong to them. It isn't safe-less gun owners making guns look bad, it's criminals commiting violent crimes with them. Do we look down on people who don't park their vehicles in the garage? They are worth more than the average man's firearm collection, and they are stolen by illegals and used to traffic bodies and drugs into the country. Happens all the time here in southern AZ, you can find the abandoned vehicles all over the sonoran desert.

Obviously a good safe is a valuable tool to protect your property, but I don't believe I have a moral obligation to spend a large chunk of change on a fancy safe because there is an off chance that my guns will be stolen and make gun owners look bad. In a few years when I can afford it, I may very well get one, but for now I have an el-cheapo.

 

[a1abdj]

I think safes are great and if you can afford a good one and it makes you feel better then all is well.

And here is the problem.

Many people buy safes because they think they will do things that they won't. In turn, they feel good that they have one, but the reality is that they are living with a false sense of security.

People tend to think that there are two types of burglars. The smash and grab variety, and those that will get into any safe regardless of what it is.

The truth is that most home burglaries are smash and grab, and the safe is rarely touched. In this case, any secure method of storing your firearms will be equally as effective. I mention dead bolts on closet doors on a regular basis.

There are also professional burglars, who are probably not going to be breaking into your home. Of course they also make safes designed to thwart this group as well. Yes, given enough time anybody will get in. However, if you slow them down long enough, they will probably give up.

There is a group that most are forgetting though. That's the group in between these two. That's the group of amateurs who will touch your safe, and may very well use tools located in your home to touch it. Keep in mind that most gun safes are only rated for a period of 5 minutes with a small hammer and a long screw driver. If you have a sledge hammer or 4 foot pry bar laying around, your safe may very well be vulnerable.

Gun safes are also called gun safes for a reason. They are built for guns. They are not designed to protect documents, photos, computer media, or valuables. Don't believe the manufacturers when they tell you their safes are good for these uses, because chances are good that they're stretching the truth a bit.

Each person has to look at their situation, determine what they expect to accomplish, and come up with the right tool for that job. In some cases it's a $15 dead bolt, in some cases it's a $600 gun safe, and in some cases it's a $50,000 walk in vault.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I have built false walls before and worked out perfect. The only drawback is not telling anyone you have a secret room.
I could get a safe but I will enlist the use of my German Shepherd. She is better than a safe any day.
If someone wanted your firearms they can get to them through any safe. Even if it means using a portable Oxygen Acetylene torch kit.
Thereby that GSD I have will do the talking. Damn alert and a damn good guard dog.

 

[easyg]

let's not shift the blame to the "irresponsible gun owners" who don't keep their firearms locked in Fort Knox safes that are bomb-proof. The blame, in my opinion, should be placed squarely on the shoulders of the filthy thieves who break into people's houses and steal what doesn't belong to them. It isn't safe-less gun owners making guns look bad, it's criminals commiting violent crimes with them.

Well said.

 

[chaim]

Teacher, if you have $800 handguns, I can't understand doing without one of them and equipping yourself with a good safe. But have at it. Enjoy. If you taught in NY, you would have plenty of money, but that is another subject.

So, I see you ignored the rest of my post other than costs. Cost is really the least important reason for me not to have a gun safe right now.

Handguns are the most likely to be stolen and used in a crime (long guns if stolen aren't easily concealed and as a result are rarely used to commit a crime). I do have an office type safe that I can (and do) keep some of my handguns in. The guns that are not are the guns I want to have accessible and keep loaded for HD purposes (I may buy a quick access 2 gun safe or two, though these aren't exactly hard to break into).

The biggest reason for me not to own a gun safe is that I live in an apartment. They are big and heavy- I really don't want to have to spend the rather large amount of money that it would cost to pay a safe mover to move it to a new rental unit every couple years. Also, I only have a 700ish square foot apartment- I have a small living and dining room, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a small bedroom (and no where near enough closet space- I do not even have a walk-in closet in my apartment). Where exactly do you suggest I keep a decent sized gun safe? When I buy a house or townhouse I will have more storage and I will be staying put for quite a while- I will buy a gunsafe at that point.

The cheap lightweight gun cabinets and safes that would work for an apartment I don't trust to provide any real protection. Not to mention, there is still the issue of where to put it. If I had a kid, or if I was regularly visited by friends with kids, I might buy one of the cheap cabinets, but I don't. For the occasional visit by someone with kids, what I already do for security, plus some trigger locks, suffice.

As for NY teachers, not to get into an off topic side conversation, but they aren't exactly rich either. They do make a bit more than the national average, but consider it takes about $70K to live a comparable lifestyle in NYC that you would have in Baltimore for $40K. The absolute numbers don't tell the whole story (also, keep in mind that teaching is a profession, many/most teachers have graduate degrees- so when comparing the salaries to other professions you should look at CPAs and other similarly educated professions, not secretaries and mechanics who we are paid more comparably to). Sorry for the off topic bit there- he just touched on one of my pet peeves.

 

[Guns and more]

We had a case a few years ago where bad guys backed up a truck to the side of a house used chain saw to cut thru the wall and pulled the safe out onto the truck and where gone before anyone saw anything.

You're not supposed to tell the crooks where the safe is. That had to be someone who knew the layout of the home. I don't think my neighbors even know I have a safe.

 

[bsctov]

If it was brought in on a dolley, it can be removed on a dolley....

 

[Walkalong]

My bosses nephew just had all his guns stolen by the smash and grab crowd. He did not bother to even put them behind a dead bolt. Stupid and irresponsible in my mind.

 

[Ledgehammer]

IMO even a all steel gun cabinet bolted to the floor is better than nothing. 90% of thieves go the route of least resistence. I'm damn sure going to make them work to get my guns. No I don't have a $1200 safe that came on a pallet but I have a steel standing gun locker that is bolted to my floor and the studs of my house. I think the only thing worse than leaving your guys unlocked while your at work is leaving them in your car unlocked overnight when most car burglaries happen. I bet most guns on the street today are there because people left them in their car overnight.

Sure having a glock sticker on your car may seem cool at first, but it also let's petty thieves know you probably have a gun in there.

 

[brotus2]

Back in the mid 80's I bought a huge Fort Knox from Orem, UT and had it shipped to Ft Lauderdale. Safe weighs 1300 lbs. Have moved it 5 times since. Was the best money I ever spent that wasn't a firearm.

 

[easyg]

opps.

 

[mcdonl]

I have a gun rack. My neighbors have gun racks, except for the fancy neighbors... they have gun cabinets with a picture of a deer on the glass. I do not know anyone with a safe, and no one I know does not own guns.

 

[CoRoMo]

If it was brought in on a dolley, it can be removed on a dolley....

True.

And if it was brought in at a snail's pace using hydraulics, a winch, and horsepower... it's here to stay.

 

[Grey Morel]

I could get a safe but I will enlist the use of my German Shepherd. She is better than a safe any day.

PLEASE!

Is your dog trained to attack strangers? Is your dog a "pet", or a trained attack dog? If not, then the worst 99% of family pets are going to do is growl: even that can be nipped in the bud with a tasty dog treat, which your pet will readily scarf down - just pray they aren't the malicious sort who will soak it in anti-freeze before hand.

If your dog isn't TRAINED then its no better than a person who isn't trained: a piece of steak, a blow with a crow bar, posibly even a stern voice will put that big bad Shepard/pit bull/bulldog in its place.

JUST GET A SAFE.

If it was brought in on a dolley, it can be removed on a dolley....

It wasn't bolted to studs in two walls and the floor when it was on that dolly was it? No. Take 10 minutes to install the safe properly, and you wont be foiled by such ameture antics as dollys, or pushing the safe over to gain leverage.

 

[Guns and more]

I never regretted buying a safe.

 

[CoRoMo]

Your first safe gets most of it's use in those first few weeks after you put it in place. You'll undoubtedly visit it at least once or twice a day, just to open her up, smile, and then lock her back up.

 

[Justin Holder]

Your first safe gets most of it's use in those first few weeks after you put it in place. You'll undoubtedly visit it at least once or twice a day, just to open her up, smile, and then lock her back up.

Been there.

 

[Maverick223]

^Done that (though I don't lock mine unless I leave the house).

 

[Lee Roder]

Doing that now. Working the combination on my Sturdy is a bit strange still.

 

[Nokin3D]

Will never go w/out a safe again. Had a home burglary 10yrs ago. Was on the fence for a long time about safes but as my collection grew again, I had to make sure a repeat of what happen didn't. So bought my first safe in a few years back (mid level liberty), now currently own a Graffunder F.Series and it weighs over 5k lbs empty! My old safe is now my ammo inventory storage. We've had a few breakins in the past years in the neighborhood already so i'm thinking my stuff will be fine. Hoping they would get frustrated and go to the next home.

 

[Packman]

I bought one when I graduated high school and left home. I had to leave my guns behind.

Now, I'm living in a 3rd floor apartment, and I have about half of my guns here with me, and about half of them back at my folks still in the safe.

I've been contemplating moving the safe here. However, I'm in a 3rd floor apartment and the one at home is bolted down. Not to mention, where it is, I don't relish the idea of taking it out. It was hard enough to get it in.

I was thinking of buying one of those metal locking cabinets to keep them in here. It's not a safe, exactly, but it might do for the time being. My biggest concern is the complex maintenance guys coming in when I'm not home. At the least, the cabinet keeps them from being nosy, even if I can't bolt it down.

On the other hand, my safe back home is pretty much at capacity...I could use a second one, or replace it with a bigger one.

 

[Maverick223]

On the other hand, my safe back home is pretty much at capacity...I could use a second one, or replace it with a bigger one.

I would get a moderately sized mediocre second safe and keep it in the apartment; a nice one is simply too heavy and likely too large as well. Diamondback makes a few decent safes that might meet your needs and budget.

 

[makarovnik]

Unless the safe is well hidden it says "open me up and take what's inside" to cops and thieves alike.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

How do you get a 1000 lbs safe upstairs? I don't want to keep my guns downstairs. I don't have tens of thousands wrapped up in firearms. The better thing to do is build a false wall and not tell a soul.