Inexpensive Gun Safe?
- Thread starter KCabbage
- Start date
There really aren't any cheap gun safes of any quality. The Sentry "safes" are really locking cabinets made to look like a safe. If you buy one do plan to bolt it down because they are plenty light enough for thieves to carry off. It happened to one of my friends. Five-ten minutes with a crowbar and they have it open. What they are good for is keeping the kids out and if that's all you need then it's a good choice. Just bolt it down good and maybe add 100lbs of bricks to the bottom.
For a real safe you are looking at $800 plus. Costco has a pretty nice Canon for that price. At 450lbs the thief isn't taking it anywhere. Given enough time and beefy men with 6' steel bars they might get in but most are going to give up pretty quickly - if they bother to try at all. You really get what you pay for.
For a real safe you are looking at $800 plus. Costco has a pretty nice Canon for that price. At 450lbs the thief isn't taking it anywhere. Given enough time and beefy men with 6' steel bars they might get in but most are going to give up pretty quickly - if they bother to try at all. You really get what you pay for.
Thanks guys!
This is more for my kids sake. Oddly enough I wouldn't even put any guns in it for a while. For now this is for my ammo, parts, and other supplies. I currently use a footlocker but i'm starting to run out of room.
I'm not too worried about thieves. Although if I keep increasing my collection it would probably be a good idea to buy a beefier safe. I don't see how people get those in and around their house, especially a basement.
Someone on AR15.com suggested to look at Dicks sporting goods and sure enough I found a Stackon double door model for $250-300. Best of all, no shipping involved. It probably wouldn't keep a determined thief out, but like I said, i'm not concerned with that right now.
I did see a brand called Diamond Safes or something like that that had nice heavy safes for $600 something shipped. Not bad.
Thanks for the help!
Take care
This is more for my kids sake. Oddly enough I wouldn't even put any guns in it for a while. For now this is for my ammo, parts, and other supplies. I currently use a footlocker but i'm starting to run out of room.
I'm not too worried about thieves. Although if I keep increasing my collection it would probably be a good idea to buy a beefier safe. I don't see how people get those in and around their house, especially a basement.
Someone on AR15.com suggested to look at Dicks sporting goods and sure enough I found a Stackon double door model for $250-300. Best of all, no shipping involved. It probably wouldn't keep a determined thief out, but like I said, i'm not concerned with that right now.
I did see a brand called Diamond Safes or something like that that had nice heavy safes for $600 something shipped. Not bad.
Thanks for the help!
Take care
You get what you pay for. Look past the paint job and carpeting, and make sure what you get is fireproof, and has a tamper-proof locking system. Heavy weight is a real bonus, since it pretty much makes the thief lose interest in hauling the whole thing away, which might be a tough thing to do without attracting attention. You only want to buy (and move) one of these once, so go for the quality. It will serve you better in the end.
ElectricHellfire
New member
Id check at Academy and Wal Mart. Ifyou can bolt it to the floor you will be better off. If you want to spend a little more (1k) you can get something a little better. I have a new Champion 24 gun safe to be delivered tomorrow! They had one in the showroom that some burglers had worked on for 6 hours and still couldnt get in. 
This is one heck of a sales tool, and usually one very made up story. There are a few gun "safe" dealers around here that pull the same crap.
I can assure you, there's nothing that Champion (or most any other gun safe manufacturer) makes that will keep somebody out for anywhere near 6 hours.
The lowest UL burglar rated safe is 15 minutes, and these are safes using 1 inch plate walls and 1.5" plate doors. Most gun safes are using 1/10" or 1/8" steel, which should reduce that 15 minutes to around the 2 minute mark.
Shane Tuttle
Staff
I just picked up a Liberty/Centurion safe from Sam's Club for $434. It's nothing fancy. I just wanted something to put my rifles in and have some kind of weight to it. It isn't anything to brag about, but for the price I couldn't resist.
It weighs 520 lbs. and it resides in my basement. It has the SG electronic lock. I personally don't like them. They seem to be made by the same/similar Chinese companies and makes me a bit nervous that it's run by a 9v battery. Besides, my taste is the old school combination/dial. It looks like a nice safe, but once you look on the inside the corner cutting is apparent.
But, like I said, it will do the job that I want for now until we get things settled here at home. Then, I'll be hitting this site: www.zykansafe.com for a good entry level one...
It weighs 520 lbs. and it resides in my basement. It has the SG electronic lock. I personally don't like them. They seem to be made by the same/similar Chinese companies and makes me a bit nervous that it's run by a 9v battery. Besides, my taste is the old school combination/dial. It looks like a nice safe, but once you look on the inside the corner cutting is apparent.
But, like I said, it will do the job that I want for now until we get things settled here at home. Then, I'll be hitting this site: www.zykansafe.com for a good entry level one...
I'm going thru a situation with a Liberty with the SG electronic lock. The safe would not reopen. Call Liberty, wait and wait, told to change batteries. Did that, call back, wait and wait, try stuff, told to buy different brand of battery. Did that, call back, wait and wait, try stuff with pushing buttons again, wiggle handle ect. Told to call SG, they warranty the lock. Call them, wait and wait, do same buttons thing over and over, told the lock was on time out, call back later, too late.
Call back Monday, wait and wait, try stuff, told the "code" was changed from following instructions from Liberty. Maybe there "side pressure". Bounce safe around, follow instructions to re set code, fail try again. Hooray, safe opened! Try again with door open, nope. Hey it's not the lock, call Liberty for side pressure. Call Liberty, told I should argue with SG.
Get dealer involved, call back, told they would send locksmith. Closest locksmith they have is a 400 mile round trip, they don't want to pay for mileage, although "in home" is part of the warranty.
Finally, I offered to settle for a Combo lock instead of the extra cost Electronic which has a solonoid with a 9 volt battery that won't work the lock. Liberty promised (and suggested) overnighting the lock, told we still need a locksmith, too hard to install if I've never done it. Four days later, no lock. Call back, wait and wait, told the supervisor would not approve overnight. It was $30! but it was "on the way". Locksmith won't call them back.
Next week I am supposed to get the cheaper combo lock. No one at Liberty is surprized that the electronic does not work, or that SG won't change it. Liberty says "side pressure" is BS.
I've got 5 hours of time in this and I have to take off work because it's in the middle of the day.
On the bright side, a machinist friend says he can break into the safe in just a couple of minutes if it happens again and I don't want to wait.
Call back Monday, wait and wait, try stuff, told the "code" was changed from following instructions from Liberty. Maybe there "side pressure". Bounce safe around, follow instructions to re set code, fail try again. Hooray, safe opened! Try again with door open, nope. Hey it's not the lock, call Liberty for side pressure. Call Liberty, told I should argue with SG.
Get dealer involved, call back, told they would send locksmith. Closest locksmith they have is a 400 mile round trip, they don't want to pay for mileage, although "in home" is part of the warranty.
Finally, I offered to settle for a Combo lock instead of the extra cost Electronic which has a solonoid with a 9 volt battery that won't work the lock. Liberty promised (and suggested) overnighting the lock, told we still need a locksmith, too hard to install if I've never done it. Four days later, no lock. Call back, wait and wait, told the supervisor would not approve overnight. It was $30! but it was "on the way". Locksmith won't call them back.
Next week I am supposed to get the cheaper combo lock. No one at Liberty is surprized that the electronic does not work, or that SG won't change it. Liberty says "side pressure" is BS.
I've got 5 hours of time in this and I have to take off work because it's in the middle of the day.
On the bright side, a machinist friend says he can break into the safe in just a couple of minutes if it happens again and I don't want to wait.
That "6 hour" claim is only valid if the burglars in question are dumb as stumps..... granted, many of them ARE, but not the ones that do it for a living.......
1/10" or 1/8" steel plate can be cut thru with an angle grinder and a couple of metal cutting wheels........ a 1 inch thick plate might require a torch. Cut the top off or cut throughthe side and you have whatever is in it. There ARE countermeasure for this, (some nastier than others!) but all a safe buys you is a little time. And if you have a $10,000 dollar safe, the BGs will no doubt believe you have something REALLY good inside it. If they think it's good enough, they'll just schedule their visit when you are home to open it for them........ at gunpoint.
A locked cabinet will keep the "dumb as stumps" crooks out, and protect children from their own disobedience, w/o spending thousands of dollars.
This is one of my beefs with many of the gun safe manufacturers. Many tout their warranty, and then refuse to take care of it when you have a claim. Another problem that you have is that most people selling these safes are not in the safe business.
When one of my customers has a problem, I can take care of it myself. The best most of these other places can do is tell you to call a locksmith.
They would not only have to be dumb, but also be void of arms and legs. Simply swinging a sledge hammer on light gauge steel will rip a hole into it. Again, it wouldn't take anywhere near 6 hours. I have seen a hole large enough to remove the contents of a 12 gauge safe beaten open in less than 5 minutes.
Most consumers don't know that there are $10,000 safes out there, let alone your average burglar. When a burglar sees your safe, he is going to assume there is something worth a lot inside. He won't know a good safe from a bad safe. He's either going to put a gun to your head, which will open either one, or he's going to attack it. He'll get into the cheap one. He won't get into the $10,000 one.
This is true, and I often suggest a simple dead bolt installed on a closet door if this is what you're wanting to accomplish.
The problem is that many gun safe manufacturers make their safes out to be something that they aren't. Most consumers don't know any better, and buy these safes thinking that they are getting real security.
They aren't putting any safes on the sales floor that "kept children out for 6 hours", they are putting out the safes that "kept burglars out for 6 hours".
grey_pilgrim
New member
FIgured i'd bump this rather than start a new thread!
So those in the know, if one was on a budget, and mostly wanted to keep guns away from prying eyes and hands, if there are the following options:
Thin Metal Cabinet
eg
http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/gun_security/gc-908-5.html
Thin metal fire safe
eg
http://www.zykansafe.com/diamondgunsafes.html
Is the extra cost of the fire safe going to get me any more criminal protection? My thought is that either of these safes would be small enough to fit into a closet. . . making it harder to find the safe in the first place.
So those in the know, if one was on a budget, and mostly wanted to keep guns away from prying eyes and hands, if there are the following options:
Thin Metal Cabinet
eg
http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/gun_security/gc-908-5.html
Thin metal fire safe
eg
http://www.zykansafe.com/diamondgunsafes.html
Is the extra cost of the fire safe going to get me any more criminal protection? My thought is that either of these safes would be small enough to fit into a closet. . . making it harder to find the safe in the first place.
Nate Haler
Inactive
Inexpensive gun safe, try an old refrigerator
Fire resistant to an extant because of all that lovely insulation. Incognito (disguised) to boot. Put a locking hasp on it, in the garage, and most would-be thieves would expect it to contain nothing my Hamm's or other crummy beer.
Fire resistant to an extant because of all that lovely insulation. Incognito (disguised) to boot. Put a locking hasp on it, in the garage, and most would-be thieves would expect it to contain nothing my Hamm's or other crummy beer.
I also am in the market for a decently built gunsafe.
Desired features:
1 to 1.5hr fire rating
space for 20 - 40 long guns, 20 handguns
something in the 500 to 1000 lb range.
If anyone has any thoughts towards that end, please let me know.
I have read a lot of the suggestions and stories that have been posted in this thread and would like to get more feedback.
Alan
Desired features:
1 to 1.5hr fire rating
space for 20 - 40 long guns, 20 handguns
something in the 500 to 1000 lb range.
If anyone has any thoughts towards that end, please let me know.
I have read a lot of the suggestions and stories that have been posted in this thread and would like to get more feedback.
Alan
Kreyzhorse
New member
+ 1 for Stack-On. My buddy bought a stack-on handgun safe and I'm pretty impressed. It is electronic keypad operated, but it also has a hidden key access. I haven't seen their long gun safes in person, but if they are made any thing like the handgun version, I think it's a good deal for the money. I wouldn't story my Van Gogh in them, but they'll do the job for keeping them out of sight and out of the hands that aren't too motivated.