Your opinion on this cheapo gunsafe

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GrizzlyGraves

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I'm an apartment dweller. I know that my landlords like to come and go as they please to "check on the pipes." I want to get an affordable safe for my guns and other valuables (ammo, gf's jewelry, passports, checks, bank statements etc etc.)
I only have a 10/22 and an SKS but I'm not supposed to have any guns here.

I saw this SentrySafe at wallyworld and its within my budget. Worthwhile?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4244347

Thanks
 
I used two Sentrys for a while. They're good for keeping the curious at bay but not a determined thief. Put one in a bedroom closet bolted to the wall.
 
i have stackon ($120ish?) its not fort knox but a good gun cabnet to stop smash and grab and especialy kids. anything is better than "hiding"
 
It's better than nothing. But it's so light that a thief will just carry it out and drive away with it. Make sure it's solidly anchored to something strong.

A Stack-on style steel cabinet and plenty of insurance might be a better choice.
 
It's a great safe

Not just for the money but in general. I sell them, and have delivered them. Anyone who thinks they are light I want to Hire you.400+ pounds is not light. That is what the fire resistant ones weigh. And they have a great fire rating(1400 degrees for 1/2 hour). Not running down stack on or any other brands(we sell many other brands) but, sentry makes a well made safe.
 
As my friend RNB 65 stated, "its better than nothing".

Unfortunately, in todays world a bound and determined burgular
will find a way too defeat any of the residential security containers
(RSC's) on todays market; if they have enough time. I have my own
Liberty RSC's in a inconspicous place, and I don't allow outsiders
(repairmen, solictors, unwanted guest, etc.) to view it, or its
contents.

Most of the burgular's operating in my area have been in the victims
residence, and put an "eagle eye" on what they wanted to come back
and steal. Heck, I don't even allow my drug addict kin'folk's around
my RSC. But, one thing rest in their minds~! And that is, they know
for a fact that if they cross that line; if caught Ole' Dan will blow
their A$$ off, cuz he is ALWAYS armed.:cool: ;) :D
 
Hey, you buy what you can afford and at that price point it'll work well as a privacy locked box. Like the others have said, bolt it into place really well though as it doesn't weigh much (70 lbs). You might want to hide it well too as it does appear to be just that, a type of "gun safe" and you're not supposed to have them there, right? To a nosy landlord who sees it, the word GUN will jump out at him.;)
 
I screwed up

I didn't see the one you were looking at. Very similar to the Buffalo River one we carry. Buy the biggest one you can afford and have room for. I did the apartment thing for a while and lost six guns:banghead: because I was lazy and didn't want to move it twice. If you want check our store out we have the bigger sentry on our site www.budsgunshop.com
 
Better than nothing and not bad for the price.

I bought the Sentry E5251 model a little larger and heavier for $300 at Lowe's.

When you outgrow it you can still use it for ammo and cameras and such.

I think its a good idea.
 
Stack on makes an 8 gun cabinate for about a $100.00 at Gander Mountain. They are similar and work O'k. to get one that is Fire Proof significantly increases cost. The fireproof ones inherently have better locking systems as well.
 
No Guns ?

What do you mean, you're not supposed to have guns there? Is that actually in your lease? If it is, I've never heard of such a thing. :confused:
 
I'm an apartment dweller. I know that my landlords like to come and go as they please to "check on the pipes."
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First of all, um look for a new place.

Second the cheap safes will probably suffice, you can always put ammo/weights/large amounts of guns etc in it to weigh it down.
 
anything is better than nothing. just dont keep your tool box next to the safe. dont want to make it easy for them. :)
 
First, you best look up your states "Tenants rights". Every state has them, you just have to know where to look. You may find that your landlords are possibly breaking the law!. Otherwise, anything made out of metal with a lock on it is better than nothing at all. I would also invest in a digital video camera so if you do get ripped, you have something to bring to court !
 
I've got a 14 gun Sentry with combination lock which I also bought from Walmart. It seems like good quality. Mine is to keep people from just walking off with my guns, as was possible when they were in a dresser drawer. I live in an apartment too, and that's about all I can reasonably achieve.
 
I don't really worry about hiding my gun safe...


My time would be better served worrying about concealing the umpteen pounds of assorted powder, 1000's of primers, tumbler, bag of walnut\corn, and mil-spec cartons of brass...
 
Not running down stack on or any other brands(we sell many other brands) but, sentry makes a well made safe.
Click to expand...

Many of the Stack On "safes" are produced by the same Chinese company that makes the Sentry "safes". For the money, they can be an OK deal, although you're not buying any real protection from anybody halfway determined to get into it.

Regardless of what you buy, you want to bolt it down. I don't care if it weighs 100 pounds, or 1,000 pounds. There is a lot of leverage to be had on a gun safe, and even my small self (6', 140 lbs) can move a 1,000 pound safe on carpet without any equipment.

Even if the potential theif can't walk off with it, they may try tipping it over to make it easier to beat on. This will cause damage to the contents which could have been prevented with $5 worth of bolts.
 
Another advantage to cheap Stack-On products...

...No gigantic truck in your driveway that reads, "SAFE DELIVERY".
 
If it can be loaded on a dolly and rolled out, it's too small / light. Safes are seldom opened on the premises. Most guns in safes are stolen by removing the entire safe and then opening it at leisure at a safe location.

As a previous poster mentioned, safes in this class must be securely bolted to the wall or floor. Their only real use otherwise is to meet the growing legal restrictions on securing guns.

I thought long and hard about this problem before I got a safe, and the end result was that I built one. I welded it from 12 ga. steel plate & angle iron into two sections, with a door on the front of one section and an open side surrounded by angle iron in each section. Each half is about the size of a phone booth. The two section were primed and painted, then moved into my basement. The two open sides were then mated together and clamped, then drilled for a dozen grade 5 bolts. The two halves were bolted together, the door, a Goldenrod dehumidifier and an internal light installed. When completed, the safe cannot be removed from the basement. It weighs 700 pounds empty, and cannot go up the basement stairway. It must be opened in situ. I know it's not the same as a commercial safe, but if a pro goes after your guns, nothing will keep him out. This is only intended to deter the amateur grab artist.
 
Anyone who thinks they are light I want to Hire you.400+ pounds is not light. That is what the fire resistant ones weigh.
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g876, I think he is looking at the 5-gun gun safe, not the 14-gun or 24-gun ones. The 0135 is only 70 lbs and not fire rated.

Like others have said, it's better than nothing.

It's obviously better to just pass on the "lightweight" models, and wait until you build your next house, and have it built around a vault.
Click to expand...

IMO, better than nothing now and get better later is always better than nothing now and get better later.
 
My Dad bought a toolbox for a truck-bed and ran some long screws through the bottom into the carpeted floor in a closet. Find one at a yard sale and the whole deal may not cost $20. It's not pretty, but it would be a real pain in the a$$ to get inside.

OJ
 
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