Buying a gun safe

Buddy · Mar 5, 2015

You have any suggestions,or thoughts, on make, brand , heat/fire resistance ?
What is a good safe for the money ?
I personally, feel uncomfortable with the electronic combination so , I know I will stay away from that. Thanks for your advise in advance....

David G · Mar 5, 2015

I have one with mechanical combination, no key to get lost or found by someone else.

flhr62 · Mar 5, 2015

I have both. I like the electronic much better.

flhr62 · Mar 5, 2015

I have both. I like the electronic much better.

Mike M · Mar 5, 2015

I bought a cheaper priced one from Fin-Feather-Fur I think they are made by Liberty for them. IIRC was around $500 + ? I can pack about 30 guns in it really tight. I hope I don't have a fire as it doesn't really look very resistant. My main goal was to get something fairly sturdy to slow down crooks. Not always someone home anymore.
It has the dial combination lock. Not good if you need to get in fast. I have never used the electronic ones they might be faster to get into. I think I heard the crooks can get into them faster too ?
If you can afford it get the best fire rating you can. I could not afford much unless I sold all my guns ! LOL , but some are family items that will not be sold. I figured for the price of one gun I could at least offer somewhat better than average protection for them all.

Charles in Aus. · Mar 5, 2015

If the electronic lock is anything like this one I would stick to a mechanical combination or key safe .
This type all use the same design of locking mechanism , I found a locked empty one at the scrap yard and tried this , it certainly does work, although I did need to use a rubber mallet instead of my fist .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWY5ZoAYcSs

Ron-MO · Mar 5, 2015

I also have an electronic lock, but have read about some having issues if the lock malfunctions. I suppose that could also happen with a mechanical combination type. So far no issues, and the electronic is a bit faster to unlock should the need occur which was my thinking when I purchased mine. A little googling safes will give you some stories on how easy it really is to get into some of them (probably mine included). I regret not building mine into the house where it would be hidden somehow and not an obvious target, since in my case anyone that entered would know exactly where to look, and my guess is a cordless angle grinder, saw or pry bar would gain entry in a fairly short time, as most are simply sheet metal with drywall for some fire resistance, and a slab of concrete in the floor for weight. Bottom line is that any of them are simply going to slow down a would be thief, but anyone that is determined can likely find a way even if it meant a chain through a window and drag it out, in which case you would have been better off hiding under a mattress.

farmall300u · Mar 5, 2015

Get a Sentry, mechanical and call it a day.

Dan in North Houston · Mar 5, 2015

Electronic lock can be opened in seconds. Mechanical dial takes a long time. We've had a Browning safe for almost 6 years, no problems with the lock at all. I have a reminder on my calendar to replace the battery each year.
Figure out the biggest safe you can afford and get the next size bigger. The number of guns they advertise as holding seems to be based on single barrel shotguns packed like sardines. And once you get it, you'll want to put important papers and other things in it. Everyone in family that has one has remarked that they wish they would have gotten a bigger one.

Butch(OH) · Mar 5, 2015

Fire resistant or not is personal preference.Weight is a consideration. Mine is big enough that if I had added fire resistance I would have needed a crane to unload it and a concrete block wall under it in the basement. Mine is also old enough that it and most of my brand choices are not around any more. Look for active bolts on the hinge side of the door. Ask about re-lockers. I would not bother with a safe that didn't have both. As for the 15 seconds it takes to unlock a regular dial type lock I will live with it. Id rather not have to depend on elctronics

Ivan in Mich · Mar 5, 2015

I have a Hertage brand and I have the mech lock. I wish it was the electric one. If your nerves are not steady plan on spending some time to get it open. Each one of the little lines have to be lined up perfect or it will not open. Word of advice to any one who has one. If you move it and lay it down on it side or back the lock will quit working. It does something to the tumblers inside and they have to be reset. When I moved I layed it on it back and it was unlocked now it won't lock. I e mailed the company and they sent me instructions how to fix it. Mine holds 50 guns but I don't know how they would get that many in it

D beatty · Mar 5, 2015

In my opion Fort Knox, Rhino,Prosteel(browning),Liberty and American Security make some very good safes. Get a safe with as many locking lug as possible and that they are 1" locking lugs or larger running in steel not plastic sleves. Fort Knox makes safe with locking blabes in each corner that others don't use. As for fire proofing it depends on how much you value you guns and if you really want to save your guns from fire be prepaired to shell out some money. As for the lock I like S&G (Sargent-Green) mamual dial with key lock. Friend of mine is sells and installs security systems and told me to stay away from electronic combination lock because the criminals are using a devise like the one they use to open garage doors to open safes. What you buy for a safe will come down to how bad you you want to protect your guns and other valuables and how much you want to spend.

Ultradog MN · Mar 5, 2015

Forget the safe.
Hide the guns.
Build secret panels, false floor tiles, a secret brick in a chimney, in a register, behind the baseboard, a flip open stair riser, a spring loaded door jamb, under the sink, false double outlet, etc, etc. If you need one you are never more than a few feet away from one.
Are you going to run into the den and fuss with a combination when your head and nerves and hands are all aflutter?
Not me.

Hobo,NC · Mar 5, 2015

If you are not to far away take a ride to Roxboro NC... Drake Safe Co 877-677-safe.... He builds custom safes he also has some of the normally seen good safes at his place that have been broke into... It will shock you how easily they were broke into...

The one I brought weighs over 2K,,, (44MAG) 72x44x26... If I had the room he makes a 3X4' ... I don't think he has a fireproof rating the one I brought is 1/4" plate, 5/8" fire board, 1/4" plate and 5/8 fire board... You will need a case of cutoff wheels and pack a few meals to get into it... Fire is the least of my worry's I want it extremely difficult to get into and you are not going to drag it away...

Back to the combination lock... On the displayed broke into safes none were able to gain acess by destroying the lock even when beat completely off... On one they were able to cut the single lock latch off... A good safe has a fail-safe that will trip you would have to know zackly were to drill to release the fail-safe... They easily cut into the side with a cutoff wheel... They then could pluck a few guns out threw a 12X12 hole.. The door would be the last place I would attack a good safe after seeing what he had on display...

ditchwitch · Mar 5, 2015

I have a Liberty it holds 12 long guns, fire rating is good i cant remember the exact degree. also has adjustable shelving on left side for pistols ammo and such. i give 800 for it new bout 5 years ago.

magpiene · Mar 5, 2015

I have over the years bought 4 Liberty safes. All very good quality. It is possible to register the safe with Liberty. So in case of a stressful time, the persons that are on the registration can call and get the combination. This has happened to me. Personally I would stay away from any type of electronic lock, I DO NOT TRUST BATTERIES. At least look at the LIBERTY brand.
Also the advice about buying a little larger than you think is good. You will be surprised at what you think you need to keep in it.

Traditional Farmer · Mar 5, 2015

You need two a cheapie in the house with not much in it and a very good one in a location thats well hidden and looks like a safe with valuables would be the last thing there.

parisspringstom · Mar 5, 2015

I have a winchester gun safe. I agree with others to get the biggest you can afford. Everyone will want to put something in the safe. It may not be burgular proof but it sure beats a cookie jar and it took 4 of us to get it in the house and it might take more to get it out.

504 · Mar 5, 2015

My brother is a locksmith. Change batteries twice a year, and hide the paper you wright the combination on, somewhere else besides the inside of the safe. He makes a good living from people who do not do these things.

TimV · Mar 5, 2015

Buddy: Rather than typing a huge post, I'm attaching a link to a page with tons of information. You may not agree with everything the guy writes, but there's lots of solid information there and it's well worth your time to look through it. Though they're hardly the only people to do it, Gun safe manufacturers make so many inflated, misleading and/or unverifiable claims that it takes a lot of digging to get through them, and even more to properly compare one safe to another, especially if they are by different manufacturers.
Gun safe reviews

old · Mar 5, 2015

Only reason I would ever own a gun safe would be to protect my guns when I am not home. ALL other times it would be open. Why you may ask well a locked up gun does a person no good when a bad guy wants to hurt you. Had one happen tonight where a person got lost and rove in to my place. Mile long driveway so he had to be lost. If he had been up to no good a locked up gun would not have helped me. As it was he walked up to me and my son with his hands in the air and a flash light in his face. And no he NEVER had a gun pointed at him

Dean · Mar 6, 2015

I bought a Browning about twenty years ago.

It weighs about 1,500 lbs. and has a mechanical combination. No issues to date.

Of course, I do not keep every gun in the safe.

Dean

dhermesc · Mar 6, 2015

Unless you spend a some very serious money a cheap $150 sheet metal safe is about as good as a $3000 safe - for fire proofing just add some sheet rock to walls.

If you look at most mid range safes they have a pretty impressive looking door with plate steel but the sides and backs are sheet metal (14 gauge on a decent Liberty Safe). Rather than go through the door theives with any plan at all will use a sawzall or a metal shear and cut the front of the safe off (door and all) in a few minutes. What's worse is even without a plan they'll probably find what they need to break into the safe in your garage.

If the walls of the safe are 11 gauge plate or thicker you have a real deterent unless they are a self taught safe cracker (its amazing what people learn on YouTube).

bill mart · Mar 6, 2015

video
prying open a safe

Buying a gun safe

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