OT moving gun safe.

Paul Shuler · Jan 4, 2017

Any of you guys ever have to move a gun safe up a flight of stairs out of a basement? Moving companies around here will not mess with it. I am meeting a guy from a safe company today to get an estimate for doing it. But is his price is too high for me I am going to have to come up with a backup plan. Its 33" wide 24" deep and about 5 ft tall. Best I can find out is it is about 600 - 800 lbs. This was my father?s safe. He passed away in 08 and now we are now moving mom into assisted living and just don?t want to leave there valuables in the house with no one living there at this time.

Greg K · Jan 4, 2017

Sounds like quite a project. I would lay down a couple 2x12 planks to slide it on and use a couple 4x4 posts as levers to nudge it up 1 step at a time ( if this won't damage the steps). Also having a rope rigged to it to keep it from sliding back in case things slip. Also have someone screwing blocks to the slide as you go up as another safety precaution. They built pyramids with nothing but basic hand tools and thousands of bodies

GordoSD · Jan 4, 2017

Go to a Mom amd Pop store that sells refrigerators. Rent their reefer cart. It has flat back and straps for going up stairs.
Or easier yet put the valuables in a safety deposit box at the bank.

DeltaRed · Jan 4, 2017

Hope the stairway can handle the load.I've known of similar situations. The item is just too big and heavy to get out. It has to stay 'forever'. Like a piano,deep freeze,safe...Can you rig up some kind of a winch system. slide it up on planks?Good luck!

Paul Shuler · Jan 4, 2017

Now that is something that might work.I would love to be able to winch it up the stairs but stairs come out to a hallway and a tight left turn. I think I may get under the stairs and brace them up also. It came down there someway but i was not there for it.

Skyhighballoon(MO) · Jan 4, 2017

Agree - my gun safe is about that same size and weight and I've moved up and down a few stairs but not a whole flight. I have a 800 lb appliance dolly with the tracks on the lower back side for using it on stairs. If it's tall enough, you might need to get a strap like one of those 5 or 6 foot harbor freight lifting slings for guy at the top of the dolly to thread through the frame then wrap around his arms to pull up/hold. Have two guys on the underside of the dolly pushing/holding. It's not as bad as you think. I can basically load, tilt back and roll around my safe by myself and drop it down a single step without help with the appliance dolly. With a couple more helpers I think you should be fine. Are the stairs a straight shot or do you have navigate any corners/landings on the way up? That might complicate things. Mike

BobnUt · Jan 4, 2017

Take the door off to lighten the load

tg in VA · Jan 4, 2017

Our local Southern States Cooperative sells gun safes and has a special hand truck the use for moving the safes.
Why not visit a local store that sells gun safes, explain your situation and see if they have something they use and/or loan to customers who purchase gun safes that they would loan or rent you for this project.

No need to reinvent the wheel if there is a simple solution available.

rrlund · Jan 4, 2017

Outside stairs or inside? I pulled an oil furnace and a 275 gallon fuel tank out the outside steps by putting a tow strap around them and pulling them up with the loader.

merlynr · Jan 4, 2017

My son bought and house and it had a gun safe in the walk-out basement. Two guys came to buy it and they had a special dolly and I was told they were there for 10 minutes and rolled it through soggy grass and up the hill to the driveway. He said the dolly had large wheels and some tilting mechanism.

Rob_Yesterday · Jan 4, 2017

Our local TSC store sells safes and the young bucks that work there brought mine to the house for $60. They had a special dolly, like others have stated. Definitely worth checking with some local retailers that sell safes, they are HEAVEY buggers.

Piano movers might take on the job too. I've used them before and they could handle a safe if they wanted to.

old popper · Jan 4, 2017

As stated, remove the door to lighten the load, and get some carpet to put on the planks. It will slide easier.
It can be done, just takes manpower.

old popper · Jan 4, 2017

As stated, remove the door to lighten the load, and get some carpet to put on the planks. It will slide easier.
It can be done, just takes manpower.

flembo · Jan 4, 2017

This being a tractor sight do you have a tractor with loader. I have moved heavy machinery up and down my cellar bulkhead stairs many times with straps and planks. I have had to fix the lawn after though.

Janicholson · Jan 4, 2017

As below with buffered planks. If the loader is too jerky, use a come-along attached to the loader or tractor, to pull it up. Jim

FBH44 · Jan 4, 2017

Remove the contents to another site and leave the door open, so thieves won't tear things up? That's how businesses leave the cash registers at night.

Hayfarmer · Jan 4, 2017

when I got my gun save I set it through my front door with my tractor loader then rolled it into place using 3 pieces of conduit underneith. Put boards down on carpet and with conduit safe rolled like it was on wheels. If you go to internet there are some pictures of guys moving gun safes. Up stairs they used a "climbing" dolly. Have seen those at some furniture places.

rustyfarmall · Jan 4, 2017

(quoted from post at 09:24:03 01/04/17) Any of you guys ever have to move a gun safe up a flight of stairs out of a basement? Moving companies around here will not mess with it. I am meeting a guy from a safe company today to get an estimate for doing it. But is his price is too high for me I am going to have to come up with a backup plan. Its 33" wide 24" deep and about 5 ft tall. Best I can find out is it is about 600 - 800 lbs. This was my father?s safe. He passed away in 08 and now we are now moving mom into assisted living and just don?t want to leave there valuables in the house with no one living there at this time.

800 pounds? 3 good sized men weighing in at 250 each is 750 pounds. That much weight on a typical staircase should not be a problem. Like another poster mentioned, lay a couple of 2" planks on the stairs, place some old carpeting on the planks and then lay the safe down on the carpet. The carpet will prevent scratches and also assist in sliding. Get some rope and 2 or 3 friends and that gun safe will be out of there in time for supper. I've used that method a time or two with deep freezers.

ed will · Jan 4, 2017

Hi, maybe make an A frame to aid you with a come-along to lay the safe on its back on a couple of planks on rollers then drive it to stairs and just pull it up with come along. You worry to much, me thinks. Ed Will Oliver BC

Paul Shuler · Jan 4, 2017

I have called all over my area looking for a climbing dolly. Only one place has one and theirs is not rated for that much weight. I am getting a lot of good ideas here though.

SDMike · Jan 4, 2017

Paul, I recently had to help the folks with a jukebox, same situation, as soon as you were to the top of the stairs, immediate left hand turn. We used an appliance cart, 2 guys on top and 2 guys below. We didn't have the one with the 2nd set of wheels, but that would have helped once we got it to the top.

Mike

Dan in North Houston · Jan 4, 2017

find out who delivers the safes for the local retailers, and contact them directly.

1130Leo · Jan 4, 2017

I would check prices of a replacement safe, buy a new one, save your back from trying to bring it up out of the basement.

seriously, may be well worth it, there are usually sales this time of year. I would never even consider moving mine.

ss55 · Jan 4, 2017

Please post the estimate to move the gun safe. When I sold a pool table the buyer paid more to move it than he did for the table. My two biggest concerns would be to make sure no one gets hurt moving the gun safe and that your mother's house and woodwork do not get damaged.

What are your plans for the gun safe? If no one will be using it, there is no big hurry to move it. Why not empty it and store it where it is now? Maybe raise it on blocks in case the basement floor gets water. They are easy to rock side to side to put blocks under them. There is very little chance any thieves will go through the trouble to haul an empty gun safe out of a basement. If another relative has a claim on the safe, let them worry about moving it.

Paul Shuler · Jan 4, 2017

The safe was given to me. I have some of my better guns in it. My brother and sister care nothing for the guns that dad left. They are more interested in the cash where I care more about dads tools and things he touched and worked with are my treasures. They could have asked that I sell the guns and spilt with them or buy out there share but the folks left them to me in the trust and they are good with that. Sister and brother are getting other collectables that they had. So at some point the safe was going to come to me anyway. Might as well do it now that the house is empty. Also other family have some papers and coins and such in the safe and they asked that I move it to my place also. I will post the price I am quoted to move it and what my decision is tomorrow. It breaks my heart to see mom and dad?s stuff all still here and there gone or soon to be. I guess my kids will have the same problem with all of my stuff one day. I hope they don?t fuss over any of my junk. Mom and dad were both very good over the years to make it very clear who they wanted to have what. And mom had a very good trust made up about 6 years ago. So don?t see any fussing or fighting here. I would give it all up for one more day spent with dad in his prime.

Russ from MN · Jan 4, 2017

My exact thought! Rent an appliance moving cart, buy or rent a come-a-long. Get it on the cart and lay the cart down on the stairway to spread out the weight. Keep your helpers off the stairway when the safe is going up, no sense in overloading it. I used to be very good at moving large objects it tight places. How did they get it down there? My son put a washer and dryer in his basement before the house was built, that is going to pi$$ somebody off someday!

Bob in SD · Jan 4, 2017

Some of the more expensive gun safes have relockers that jam the bolts in if you drop it too hard. Just something to keep in mind. I've heard claims that tilting it wrong will engage these (requiring drilling the safe). I'm not so sure about that, but do know somebody that toppled one over and was unable to get it open without a locksmith and some $ to replace the relockers (which break on purpose in that situation).

D beatty · Jan 4, 2017

If its a good safe you should be able to take off door. A door on a 800 lb. safe would be in around 300 lbs. that would bring body of safe to 500lbs. We moved a 800lb. safe down a stair way with door on. We were lucky stair was across from outside door.We used the winch on a garden tractor with frig cart and nylon straps to get it to basement.

jimg.allentown · Jan 4, 2017

Is that weight actual weight from a reliable source or just a guess? Are you SURE that the safe weights 800 lbs.??
Many times weight is just a guess. Taking the door off to lighten the load seems like a logical thing to help with the moving. For the most part, most stairways should be able to handle the weight if it is spread out as it would be on its side. An appliance dolly can be your best friend. I have handled many large appliances by myself with the help of an appliance dolly, but not anything as heavy as 800 pounds. Going up stairs, there is no substitute for manpower. You are basically lifting the safe up the stairs. One man alone cannot do that.
I would say that with 3 or 4 men to help you, it should not be difficult to move. Keep in mind that it had to get to where it is some way. I suggest that it came down those very same stairs. That would seem to indicate that they can handle the weight.

Dell (WA) · Jan 4, 2017

Paul.......always knew you gunnys was crazy. Went to a school where gunsmithing was taught. Most popular class was leather working so they could make "quick-draw" holsters fer their 6-shooters. One of the gunnys gott a 50-cal machine gun barrel that he made a rolling block action (what ever that is?) and mounted on what I called a railroad tye. Had built-in handles on the side and took 2-persons to carry it out to the plains and arroyos east of town where we'd watch fer a poof of dirt 1/4-mi away. 1-shot and then a brass rod down the front of the barrel to push out the spent case. And yer worrying about an 800-lb safe? Gittin' down the stairs would be EAZY 'cu ya got gravity helpin' ya. Up the stairs is 'nutther problem. 2-men anna 4-in web strap up top and sumbuddys strong shoulder on the bottom. Case of barley pops fer when its over, eh?.......HTH, the amazed Dell

RWK in WI · Jan 4, 2017

Another place to look for a climbing dolly would be a place that sells and installs indoor wood burning stoves / corn burning stoves. OR a place that installs and removes old heating boilers in commercial buildings. Just thoughts.

JoeM(GA) · Jan 4, 2017

Helped a friend and his Dad move one years ago. We used a furniture hand truck, several sections of 1x12 to keep under the truck to spread the weight out. Then his dad blew my mind, but he wrapped a piece of 4x6 wider than the door in many wraps of scrap carpet then hooked a come-a-long to that and up she came. The only hard part was the last several feet that took 4 of us pushing and two pulling when we got as far as we could go with the come-a-long.

SDE · Jan 4, 2017

Could you knock a hole in a basement wall and then repair the wall after the removal?
My first thought was to try to use a winch, but that might need a few pulleys anchored to a solid structure, in order to pull it up the stairs.

Mogster · Jan 4, 2017

Strap it to a furniture dolly. Make frame at the top that will hold a block and tackle about 6 feet away from door. I have been the bottom man on moving safes that heavy up stairs with three others. Don't go that route.

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