Bolting Down a Smaller Gun Safe

S

SIMP

New member
I have a Centurion 12-Gun safe and decided to bolt it down. I was given 3/8" wedge anchors and a hammer drill to do this task. Once I go the anchors in and tightened, my safe still moves a little. By moves, I mean I can still push on it and shake it ever so slightly. Is it unrealistic to expect a tall, slim safe like this one to be totally still once tightened? It's 16.7" x 11.6" x 59.5" so the actual foot print is very tall and slim. I can see where a large safe wouldn't rock slightly because of much larger footprint and weight.

I appreciate any and all help.
 
I'd make sure it's tight against the wall and floor. You don't want someone able to dry to get a crowbar behind it. Are the anchors you used studs? Add some washers under the nuts.
 
It will always move, because it's not as rigid as most would assume. A 12 gauge safe is 1/10" steel. It is very flexible.
 
Is your safe against a wall where you could drill and bolt it to the wall studs too? It wouldn't rock back and forth then.
 
The anchor bolts going through a bar of metal flat-iron inside the safe would make it much harder to pry away from the wall.
 
Last edited:
To fix my safe's wobble, I added washers to the bolts. The wobble stopped, but I could still feel the steel flex when pulled hard. I added bolts to attach the rear to the wall, and the safe became solid as a rock.

Short version: Bolt the safe down on at least two surfaces.

As is advised in previous post, I did remove the washers and used a steel bar across multiple bolts. This made me feel better thinking about how a crowbar can tear the steel around a washer.
 
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