Gun Safes: tell me more....

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navajoRN

New member
So, I'm slowly building a little collection of firearms and am thinking a safe might be a good idea. No children in the house or any concerns of that nature. Have thought about getting a fireproof safe to also store jewelry and valuable documents in it along with my guns. Thoughts? Suggestions? By the way, I don't own my home, I rent, so no built-ins.
 
I realize that this is not all that helpfully but buy as much as you can afford and any thing is better than nothing. I like the Liberty safes but can afford one myself.
 
Re: Liberty Safes

I like the Liberty safes but can afford one myself.
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I was looking at those. They actually are on the more affordable side. I started by googling "gun safes" and looking at some reviews of different ones covered. Whew! Some of the recommendations started between $1000-2500. Now, that's pretty steep for me to swing.
 
If you are renting, ask the landlord if you purchase a heavy 400-800 pound safe if the flooring will support it. Get a digital keypad for more combo options. Make a deal with landlord to put it in the garage and pay extra to drill some bolt holes that can be patched later. If there are stairs involved, make sure they can handle the weight as well. Any safe not bolted down can be drug out and taken. Cheaper safes not bolted down can be knocked over and a pry bar will gain entry in a few minutes. Even a great safe bolted improperly can be knocked over. Buy an alarm system that will call you cellular. There are 250-350 dollar systems that are reliable http://shieldtechsecurity.com/ makes a decent one. Don't forget humidity control and fire ratings.
 
Wow! That's a lot to think about!

I'll have to give all that some thought. I live in NM so humidity is less of a factor than when I lived in Washington state. I do only have 4 handguns, so I'm not sure I really need THAT big of a safe at this point....
 
If you are planning to keep documents in the safe, pay close attention to the UL rating. Many gun safes will not be fire rated for documents.
 
While you're thinking it over, go to WalMart & buy one of their fire safes. It will hold your documents & four handguns easily, & for about a buck fifty! If you ever need more gun storage, the smaller safe will still be useful for important documents, cash, jewelry, etc. I have one of these: http://www.walmart.com/ip/SentrySafe-Model-SFW123CS-Combination-Fire-Safe/17126623,
in addition to gun safes, the smaller safe is quite useful, & IMHO, will survive a fire better than most gun safes.
 
Im also looking at safes right now and here is what I have learned...

-make certain the location you need to put he safe can support its weight and be bolted down. This may not be an issue for a handgun only safe but anyways
-always buy a safe much larger than what you think youll need, you cant go too big...
-the garage is a poor location for a safe
-regarding security, the heavier the better. The thicker the sheetmetal body the better.
-this one is just my personal preference but I prefer electronic entry over dial, ive used both and no longer consider the dial unless a good price. Nothing wrong with the dial,but electronic entry is more efficient.
 
The small fire box will come handy down the road as well if you choose to go that route as you can always place it inside the bigger gin safe down the road for extra fire protection of the documents.
 
When buying a safe that says say 10 guns remember that those are fictional guns. Bare bones long guns like a single shot shotgun or basic lever action.

Any other bells an whistles on a gun removes the amount of guns that fit in a safe. So if you had a bolt action deer rifle with scope it takes up the room of 1 1/2 guns. Making that a 7 gun safe.

Pistols are a different story but always buy double of what you want because what will do today won't fit tomorrow.
 
The small fire box will come handy down the road as well if you choose to go that route as you can always place it inside the bigger gun safe down the road for extra fire protection of the documents.
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Well, I think I did well and got something more than a small fire proof document safe (although I think that's a great idea to still get one and, as suggested, put it in the bigger safe for more fire protection of documents - in particular, I happen to have a relatively old :) birth certificate from a military base in Germany... can't get a certified duplicate of that baby!). So, while some might object to Wally World, I did a lot of pricing around and got a slam of a deal on this Stack-On model, 14-gun capacity, fire-resistant for 30 minutes up to 1400 degrees, shy of #300, with 4 shelves, and combination lock system instead of electronic - didn't feel those might be too reliable. And, they were on sale for $200 off the regular price! The 8-gun safe was more expensive!! If you're in the market for a safe, I think this one fits the bill. Got great reviews, too.:
 
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Fwiw I have a browning with axis shelving and dpx on door rifle racks. Pound for pound it holds more rifles them Any other safe I looked at. Extremely well made (not shipped well) but can be pricey. Check gun broker.
 
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