Gun Safes

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gungeek71

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I work in the banking product industry. When a bank upgrades their safe usually I am asked to scrap the old one. I have been letting my riggers just keep them but just decided to start having them delivered to a buddies warehouse. I am about to convert one to a gun safe for my personal use as I have grown out of the one I have. I am wondering if it would be worth the time and effort to maybe start selling these either as is or converted.

They would not be "show pieces" as most gun safes are but would definitely be a safe and secure way to store guns. I have attached (or attempted to attach) a picture of the safe I am going to be converting.

Do any of you think there would be an interest in these safes as gun safes or ammo safes?

I welcome all comments and thanks in advance.
 

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I also get these smaller lockers from time to time. I was thinking they could be used by reloaders to store powder or supplies or to store pistols or ammo.
 

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Absolutely. You would have to undercut the market to sell it used however. I am actually looking for an ammo safe myself. Shipping to Thi is probably expensive though.
 
A coat of paint or powder coating could turn them into "show pieces". And there's no way to know if people will buy them until you try to sell them. If people will buy the Snuggie (a backwards robe) I imagine you could sell some functioning safes.
 
Contact a local locksmith.
One (locksmith) used to post here on a regular basis.

He did a very good job of explaining the difference between a real safe - like the ones you have - and a residential security container - which is what gun safes really are.

I was under the impression, judging by a lot of his posts, that he had quite a bit of demand for the used safes he came into.

You may be able to turn a quick buck as a middleman.
 
I'm sure a lot of people would be interested, as would I. The deciding factor for me and I assume most others would be the price of said safe and of course shipping costs.
 
interesting...

i know of two people that would buy one (including myself), depending on the price tag you throw on it or the alterations you do to them.
 
Welcome to TFL gungeek.
What state are you located in?
Assuming these are 'somewhat' movable but a guy with a pickup, it's probably a pretty easy sell.
 
That's a good idea for guns, but you should know that storing powder or primers in a safe is a big no-no according to the NFPA rules. Both should be stored in their original containers, in wooden cabinets, never in a sealed metal container that could allow pressure to build up to the bursting point. Bank safes do make outstanding storage safes for firearms and you should do well selling them.
 
Moving a flat bottomed safe is a breeze.

Tip it a few inches, throw 1/2 dozen golf balls under it and you can move it with one hand.

There is a HUGE market for cheap alternatives for security, not just guns. You could easily get 50% of retail for a compareable sized safe, if in decent considition.

A trip to the fabric store and a can of spray adhesive makes short order of remodeling the interior.

An alternative for ammo storage is an old printer stand. I found one on craiglist for $10. Metal, enclosed, two shelf, magnet closure.
 
Moving a flat bottomed safe is a breeze.
Click to expand...

Depends on the size/weight. The heavier the safe gets, the more careful you need to be to protect the flooring. What you can do with a 500lb low end gun safe isn't necessarily going to work with a 1000lb AmSec BF, and if you go to something that's actually rated as a safe (say, TL-15 or better), you might well be putting WAY too much weight on a small piece of flooring with the golf ball method.
 
The safes I have had coming through my office range from a few hundred pound lockers to the heaviest was about 5500 lbs. A typical house foundation won't support the bigger ones or at least that is what I have been told.

We normally move these around with a pallet jack inside of the banks. You might be surprised how well a Uhaul blanket and a sheet of plywood will protect marble, hardwood, and tile floors.

Shipping, well thats another story. A lot will depend on if it is residential or commercial delivery. I can check and provide quotes but have a feeling it won't be worth it.

I am just looking to put a few extra dollars in my pocket to purchase some other guns or modify some of the others I already have.

I am in Mississippi but close to Memphis, TN area.
 
I watched a surplus store sell off some old Fed government secure lockers that folks were redoing as gun safes by adding in racks etc. These things were 2000# and sold for $100 about 25 years ago and were in ROUGH shape, but the dial worked
 
Depends on the size/weight. The heavier the safe gets, the more careful you need to be to protect the flooring. What you can do with a 500lb low end gun safe isn't necessarily going to work with a 1000lb AmSec BF, and if you go to something that's actually rated as a safe (say, TL-15 or better), you might well be putting WAY too much weight on a small piece of flooring with the golf ball method.
Click to expand...

My concern as well. And obviously trying to traverse wood flooring would leave trails.

My safe is 40w x 28d x 60t and is fire rated to 1400* for 90 minutes. Weighs well over 1200 lbs, I suspect.

It went over concrete driveway and garage, a tile utility room and finaly a berber carpeted man-cave.

Just added about a dozen golf balls when we got to the tile floor.
 
You could make money doing so. Shipping costs would be your only limiting factor. Most people are happy with a "safe" which only looks like a safe. To that person shipping costs would kill the deal, but to obtain a real safe the shipping costs would still make deal possible and profitable. It is a niche market but a very, very large niche accesable via the net.
I may very well be interested, but would have to check shipping first.

Please keep us posted.

NukemJim
NukemJim@ y a h o o
 
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