New Toy or Box to keep Them In?

C

citizen

New member
How does anyone feel about the right time to buy a safe? # of toys? Location of toys? Level of paranoia, fear, or other issue? Kids and friendlys not an issue, just appropriateness for safety and security. Neighborhood's good; house is wired and monitored for armed response. No immediate concern, just what's the right time?

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NRA LIFE MEMBER
Better to have it and not need it; than need it and not have it
 
That depends on if you feel safe. Would you be more comfortable knowing your guns were locked up? I have a cluttered house, my parents, and have plenty of stuff to hide a foot locker or something with. Then keep a handgun and shotgun I am willing to lose as home protection. My parents bought their "retirement" house and have too much stuff to just unload this one, so I get cheap rent and take care of things. If you live in a neat house where there is no where to hide things, a safe that would be unable to just be carted off would make me feel a lot better. I plan to get a house in a year or two, and when I do a big safe for everything valuable will be installed. But for now I don't have the money nor the place to put such a thing. It all comes down to you. Obviously if someone wants your guns they can bypass your alarm, so a safe is something I always plan on needing. I just can't afford anything decent right now.
 
Last year, there was talk of Ohio passing a law that would have made it a felony to have a firearm accesasable to a minor. Although there was an exemption for stolen firearms, we all know how those manage to disappear over time. I figured once the idea started, whether the law was passed or not, that it was the right time to beat the rush and the price increase. The way I looked at it was, eventually I was going to get a safe, so why put it off until the prices went up due to a requirement. At first it stung a bit to drop a grand on a safe rather than a gun, but in the end, the safe turned out to be a kinda neat toy by itself. ;) I like the mechanics of firearms almost as much as shooting them. The safe itself with it's mechanics is neat in it's own way. If I had it to do over, I would have spent a few extra $$$ on a safe with one of those "ships wheels" unlocking handles, instead of the little bar mine has. Best advice I can give you here is to say if you're thinking about getting one, it's probably the right time to get one. Oh yeah, when you do get one, get the next size up from what you think you need.
 
I finally broke down and bought a safe, years after I shoulda, after the Columbine incident. I have 3 teens, and we had planned to leave town on vacation in early June. My kids are popular and extroverted, so I presume many folks knew we own guns and would be out of town. I rest MUCH easier now, even tho' I coulda bought 3 or 4 guns for the price of the safe. Buy the safe, you'll never regret it. Just be sure to get one bigger than you think you'll need.
 
My safe purchase was not a knee-jerk response to anything, but rather I just started thinking about "what if's." I live in a very rural part of the world...I see horses out every window, and can barely see the light in the sky from town...even on perfectly dark nights. Several neighbor's have kids, and they'll come down to my house to play with the dog (radio fence---the kids come to play with the dog, not the other way 'round). One neighbor has a teenage girl, and her boyfriends and friends are a little annoying. Loud music blasting from their cars in the middle of the night once in a while and stuff. I'd hate for one of those kids to get high one day and decide my house is a good place to break in while I'm not there. Also, I wanted to remove the "guns lying everywhere" thing that was definately going on at my house. If someone were coming over, we'd have to pick all of them up and put them away! I'd saw that 99% of the time now, if you walked into my house, you would never see a gun. You would see gun-things, like my press in my reloading room, gun magazines (paper type, not ammo type) and stuff, but no guns. Why? #1 I don't want to advertise what I have. My friends know, and that's fine. #2 If there's a possible gun control fence-sitter coming over, I'll engage the situation my way, and that's not by him/her seeing a gun on my coffe table. #3 Security. If someone comes over that I can't trust, I'll carry concealed. I'm not supplying a gun to the stranger. I want the upper hand (if possible) in my own home.

When I leave for worlk in the morning, my pistol goes from between my matress and box springs to the safe. I have an electronic lock, so it's 10 seconds in and out. Even if I'm running late for work, I still have no excuse to not put my pistol away, like I would if I had a dial combo.
 
I've always enjoyed having a place to keep all the toys. The wife likes it (makes it easier to get a PO approved). Makes it easy to take a quick look and see that every thing is there and in ship shape. Put in a de-humidifier and help with the anti-rust battle.
http://www.gunlocker.com/rlocker.htm

Here's one that's kinda neat and won't break the bank as bad as the Wells Fargo vaults.

In any case I highly recommend the electronic locks. At one time I had a 'cheapo' that used the barrel key only. What a pain to get in and out of. Making it simple to put 'em away and get 'em back out is high on the list.
 
For what a good safe would cost me, I could afford to buy several "toys". And I often did just that.
Eventually, I reached a point where I was no longer comfortable leaving my firearms unsecured. I purchased the biggest safe Liberty makes and I now consider it one of the best investments I ever made.
I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner.
 
The time to buy a gun safe is NOW! Because #1-You're giving consideration to doing so,is there a little voice in the back of your mind telling you to "Wise up and be responsible?" #2 The legal climate these days is going to put more emphasis on reponsible storage. #3 You will feel much better when no one is home, alarm system or not.
As far as what to buy, that's easy. Just get one at least 50% bigger than you think you need and the the best quality that you can afford.
If money is an issue then consider Sportsman Steel Safe Co. Thier line of "affordable" safes are the best box for the least bucks. Probably at least 75% as good as the top of the line name brands. I wouldn't buy anything cheaper.
If you can afford better, do so. Some of the extra money will go for asthetics,nice paint and interiors, but some will go for more secure systems that make unauthorized entry harder.
When you bring it home, try to move it in after dark, with the help of some one who won't blab about it. Put it in a back room(HIDE it), and then don't tell anyone it exists. Burglers who get past your security system but without the tools to open a safe are no threat. If they know it's there, your insurance company will be your only solace.
That's my 2 cents
Don Ohio
 
:D

Don't be like me....

I bought my Liberty safe back in July '97, less than a week after my home was broken into. Lost a custom built $2000+ 1911, nib Sig 229 with 2 hicaps that had no paper trail and a semi-custom Sig P220. I eventually got the P220 back but that was all.

Also insured my firearms after that incident.

<sigh>

safes are a helluva lot cheaper than new guns!
 
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