From AR-15 list archives:
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Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 09:34:17 -0600
From: "Corbin, William J., Ph.D." <william.corbin@vanderbilt.edu>
To: AR 15 List <ar15-l@edward.questra.com>
Subject: [AR15-L] Safes -- my personal FAQ
Safes -- My personal FAQ
Before I bought my safe, I called every manufacturer and dealer listed
in Shotgun News to get brochures and prices. I'm one of those folks
who reads everything he can get his hands on before making a major
purchase.
I ended up buying a Fort Knox safe at the Nashville gunshow. I went
that route because the "show price" was the cheapest I had seen (by
$150) and I didn't pay freight -- I simply took the safe home in my
pickup. One company quoted almost $300 shipping to get a 800 pound
safe to the street in front of my house. Inside delivery would have
added another $100 or more. I rented an appliance dolly and got help
from two of my adult sons. Although it was not an easy task, the
dolly, my sons, and a properly placed rug made it happen. (Yup, you CAN
slide a safe on a rug).
After all reading through brochures and many articles, my take on safes
is this:
1. Most burglars come equipped with a large screwdriver and/or
crowbar. They seldom attack a safe. So, unless you have a rather
expensive collection OR you have advertised the fact that you have a
safe, you don't need the "top of the line" safe with 32 locking bolts.
Mine has 16 and I think that's enough. However, don't skimp on the
thickness of the sidewalls. In my opinion, that is the most vulnerable
part of a safe.
2. You don't need the fancy paint jobs. They simply increase the
cost. However, if you plan to put your safe in a prominent location,
you would be wise to check with the spouse before hauling a big, gray
slab of metal into the room. My wife and I decided on a mid-range safe
with a nice burgundy finish.
3. The electronic lock is worth it! When I picked up my safe, it had
a regular dial lock. I paid for the electronic lock which they shipped
to me directly from Ft. Knox. While I was waiting for the electronic
lock to arrive, I confirmed my dislike of standard dial locks. Most
locks require that you go to the first number three or four times, then
go to a second number two or three times, etc. It takes forever and
one slip up means you start all over again. I would not want to
try it in an emergency situation.
With the electronic lock, I have a master code and can give up to 9
codes to my spouse and sons. If someone enters a wrong code three
times, the safe locks down for 15 minutes (except for the master code
holder). It takes less than 5 seconds for me to get into the safe with
the electronic lock. It was closer to 60 seconds with the dial lock.
There is also a feature that might come in handy for shop owners. It
is a delayed opening that you can program for up to 9 minutes.
4. Don't get a safe that is just large enough for your current needs.
You will very quickly grow out of it. What do you do then? Buy a
second safe or try to sell yours sa you can pay for a larger one?
Neither option is cost effective.
5. I didn't have to sell my wife on the idea of a safe, but if
yours is hesitant, tell her that you will be happy to store her jewelry
and the wedding photos in there. If you have children or
grandchildren, the safety factor is important. I also like the fact
that my ammo is probably not going to explode in case of a fire. You
may also get a reduced rate on your firearms insurance rider (your guns
are insured, aren't they?). I used to hide my guns around the house.
I never felt good about leaving home or the idea that the wrong person
would find one of my guns.
6. Unless you live in a humid area, you probably don't need a
heater/dehumidifier. Just use silica gel and "renew" it occasionally
in your oven. One of the little cards or gauges that tells you the
humidity level is helpful for monitoring purposes.
7. Don't pay $150 for a light kit. Most safes have a small hole for
an electrical cord. I went to Home Depot, got some strip lights,
attached them to the top and sides with foam tape and then used a
refrigerator door switch to turn the lights on and off when the door is
opened/closed. Total cost: about $35. Of course, you have to cut the
end off and re-attached it, if you use an extension cord to get power
into the safe. BTW, don't forget to do that BEFORE you shove the safe
up against the wall (and the help has gone home). Also, be sure to
write down the serial number (if the safe has one) before you shove it
against the wall. My safe's serial number is on a little plate on the
BACK.
8. Be careful where you put the safe. The best place is in a dry
basement. However, that may not be very convenient for frequent
access. I put mine on the main floor in the corner where two load
bearing walls come together. Since my house has Poplar supports and a
24" thick stone foundation, I wasn't that worried to begin with. The
basement is best because the safe won't fall through in case of fire.
If you put your safe in the basement and the basement is not very dry,
I would leave it on the wooden pallet and install a dehumidifier. You
can cover the pallet with carpet if you want everything to be pretty.
9. Keep your safe locked! I know that seems obvious but most safes
that are compromised were left unlocked by the owner. That's another
reason for the electronic lock. Once you close the door and turn the
handle, the safe is automatically locked.
Just my opinion,
Bill
-------------------------------------------------------
Dr. William J. Corbin, Assistant Director
Learning Technology Center
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
Email: william.corbin@Vanderbilt.Edu
"When it comes to trading projectiles, it is more
blessed to give than to receive."
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Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 11:18:13 -0500
From: Julius Chang <jchang@alum.mit.edu>
To: AR-15 List <ar15-l@edward.questra.com>
Subject: Re: [AR15-L] Safes -- my personal FAQ
Corbin, William J., Ph.D. wrote:
> I ended up buying a Fort Knox safe at the Nashville gunshow. I went
> that route because the "show price" was the cheapest I had seen (by
> $150) and I didn't pay freight -- I simply took the safe home in my
> pickup. One company quoted almost $300 shipping to get a 800 pound
> safe to the street in front of my house. Inside delivery would have
> added another $100 or more. I rented an appliance dolly and got help
> from two of my adult sons. Although it was not an easy task, the
> dolly, my sons, and a properly placed rug made it happen. (Yup, you CAN
> slide a safe on a rug).
A friend of mine bought an extra-wide, extra-tall Ft. Knox
that weighed close to 1000 lbs. Fortunately, base housing
had only one story. The hardest tasks to move the safe
into his house were 1) tipping the safe over onto the
dolly and 2) getting the dolly over the front door threshold.
To tip the safe over, we first walked the safe off of the
pallet so that the safe was partly on the dolly and partly
on the pallet. Then we used a car jack to tip the safe
up. Finally we slid the safe onto the dolly.
To get the dolly over the threshold, we basically had to
get a rolling start and let momentum carry the dolly over
the hump. The tricky part was steering the safe straight
through the door opening without hitting anything.
Using a three-wheeled dolly was the most important thing
to move this size safe. A regular two-wheeled refrigerator
dolly wouldn't have cut it because it would not have been
possible to control the safe once we had it tipped over.
Once the safe was inside, we were able to slide it around
on carpet.
> 8. Be careful where you put the safe. The best place is in a dry
> basement. However, that may not be very convenient for frequent
I think that the best place is in the MBR where you
can use the open door as hard cover. But a big safe
can be very hard to move up a flight of stairs without
damage. If the stairs have carpet, you can lay the
safe on its back and slide it up. I've done that with
a 700 pounder and a bunch of guys (probably four strong
guys are enough). Ft. Knox told me that their guys
have some sort of "stair walker" to move their big
safes without damaging uncarpeted stairs.
> access. I put mine on the main floor in the corner where two load
> bearing walls come together. Since my house has Poplar supports and a
> 24" thick stone foundation, I wasn't that worried to begin with. The
> basement is best because the safe won't fall through in case of fire.
> If you put your safe in the basement and the basement is not very dry,
> I would leave it on the wooden pallet and install a dehumidifier. You
> can cover the pallet with carpet if you want everything to be pretty.
I think that it is worthwhile to put the safe in a spot
where it isn't visible to just anyone who comes into your
house (people like the cable TV guy, plumber, etc). No
disrespect to any of those professions but there is no
good reason for people you don't know to see your safe.
> 9. Keep your safe locked! I know that seems obvious but most safes
> that are compromised were left unlocked by the owner. That's another
> reason for the electronic lock. Once you close the door and turn the
> handle, the safe is automatically locked.
That is probably true for an electronic keypad lock. You
have to spin the dial for the regular style dial lock.
If I recall correctly, you also have to spin the dial for
the Mas-Hamilton electronic locks used to store classified
information.
-Julius
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LowClassCat
Always willing to calculate my chances
