Inexpensive Gun Safe?
- Thread starter KCabbage
- Start date
Sounds impressive, but means nothing. There is only one organization in the US whos fire rating means anything, and that's UL. There is currently no gun safe manufacturer that builds a UL fire rated gun safe.
Sentry, one of the largest fireproof safe manufacturers, uses ETL ratings in addition to UL ratings on their products. This includes gun safes with ETL ratings. His claim that Cannon is the only company to be ETL rated is false.
Cannon is a gun safe manufacturer. AMSEC is one of the largest safe manufacturers in the US, that happens to have a gun safe line. We joke that AMSEC probably sells more safes each year than any of the gun safe manufacturers has sold in their entire time in business. Cannon is pretty comparable to all of the other name brands as far as their construction is concerned. The AMSEC BF safes are built much better than the sheet metal/gypsum board construction most other companies use.
Playboypenguin
Moderator
I have a friend that is a fire loss specialist for a major insurance company. He tells me that fire safes and their contents seldom, if ever, actually survive a fire. He said they almost never stand up to the extremes they claim and even then those extremes are usually surpassed in a fire anyway. I get the same story from most firemen I have asked.
It is just a game of averages by the company. If you warranty a cheap product for life, knowing most people will never return it or keep the paperwork, it will increase sales but cost little in actual replacement issues. Same with safes. The companies know 99% of the safes will never see a fire. Manufacturers of surge protectors do the same thing.
So I cheaped out and just bought what was affordable but would stop the average prowler/smash and grab burglar. Two Sentry gun safes. I did have to remodel the interior of one to fit my needs but they have served me well so far.
Safe interiors
Before and after of remodel
It is just a game of averages by the company. If you warranty a cheap product for life, knowing most people will never return it or keep the paperwork, it will increase sales but cost little in actual replacement issues. Same with safes. The companies know 99% of the safes will never see a fire. Manufacturers of surge protectors do the same thing.
So I cheaped out and just bought what was affordable but would stop the average prowler/smash and grab burglar. Two Sentry gun safes. I did have to remodel the interior of one to fit my needs but they have served me well so far.
Safe interiors
Before and after of remodel
hihosilver
New member
I recommend safes made by Granite Safes in ft worth. they make Redhead and winchester safes. I would go with the Silverado, which has thicker doors, and rated for 1hour fire. The Winchester safes in Sams are only rated for 30 minutes. These are going to keep out the smash and grabs. A professional probably isnt going to waste his time in my neighborhood. He will probably be in the high end neighborhood to make it worth the risk. PlayboyPenguin is alot braver than I am. I wouldnt let anybody know that I had a collection like that. And his contents puts mine to shame. I paid $800 Get the biggest you can afford, we store ever everything and anything value in ours.