I am looking to update both my gun safe (it resides at a different location) and my residential safe, which is one of those common Sentry units. Right now i am looking for feedback on the residential safe. I would be using this safe for jewerly, passports, cash, and handguns. I was thinking of a small Brown model but I was wondering if I could do better for my money?
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Residential Safe
- Thread starter Btn
- Start date
You certainly don't want to use a document safe (most likely what your current Sentry is) for anything you listed short of the documents.
There are a number of good commercial safes (new and used) on the market that will offer decent levels of burglary and fire protection.
What type of budget are you looking to spend within?
There are a number of good commercial safes (new and used) on the market that will offer decent levels of burglary and fire protection.
What type of budget are you looking to spend within?
With that budget, the first thing I would do is call around locally and see what you can find used. Specifically, ask if they have any small, composite, TL rated safes.
We sell a number of used safes like this in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. They have good fire ratings, and true burglary ratings.
New, the types of safes that you would be looking at would be B rate fire/burglary safes. A B rate safe would be a few steps down from a TL rated unit, but there are some decent options for those as well. Don't be swayed by price alone, as in many cases you get exactly what you pay for, but there are some decent imported units that run less than the US made offerings.
I tend to prefer the mass produced commercial type units over the more "custom" types offered from some of the smaller companies.
We sell a number of used safes like this in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. They have good fire ratings, and true burglary ratings.
New, the types of safes that you would be looking at would be B rate fire/burglary safes. A B rate safe would be a few steps down from a TL rated unit, but there are some decent options for those as well. Don't be swayed by price alone, as in many cases you get exactly what you pay for, but there are some decent imported units that run less than the US made offerings.
I tend to prefer the mass produced commercial type units over the more "custom" types offered from some of the smaller companies.
Whatever safe you decide upon, keep in mind the following:
a. get it at least 50% bigger than you think, if posible, twice as large. Jewelry boxes, ammo boxes, hadgun cases, papers, ext take up a lot of space and it will fill up very quickly,
b. keep the safe out of sight. If a burglar don't see the safe its much better. This can be done in as many ways as you can imagine.
c. keep the sentry safe in plain vew as a decoy with a small ammount of cash and fake jewelry
d. if in plain vew, anchor the safe to the floor. Actualy, anchor it anyway.
a. get it at least 50% bigger than you think, if posible, twice as large. Jewelry boxes, ammo boxes, hadgun cases, papers, ext take up a lot of space and it will fill up very quickly,
b. keep the safe out of sight. If a burglar don't see the safe its much better. This can be done in as many ways as you can imagine.
c. keep the sentry safe in plain vew as a decoy with a small ammount of cash and fake jewelry
d. if in plain vew, anchor the safe to the floor. Actualy, anchor it anyway.
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Thanks for the responses. It's going to be in a long narrow very cluttered closet. The Sentry will be before it, and there will be alot of junk before, and on top of it.
How are the Browns? I know you like the Graffunders better but I haven't been able to find a price on their small burglary and fire safe's ( I should have a price on Mon or Tues.) I'm considering one of the small Browns, b-com 1414 or 1818. It seems they only sell direct. Is that true? Of course who know what shipping will cost...
http://www.brownsafe.com/features_Fire_&_Burglary_Safes/F&B_sizes_small.html
How are the Browns? I know you like the Graffunders better but I haven't been able to find a price on their small burglary and fire safe's ( I should have a price on Mon or Tues.) I'm considering one of the small Browns, b-com 1414 or 1818. It seems they only sell direct. Is that true? Of course who know what shipping will cost...
http://www.brownsafe.com/features_Fire_&_Burglary_Safes/F&B_sizes_small.html
I have installed two Browns locally, and I felt that the buyers were ripped off. Not only was I not impressed with the "safe for the money", but the fit and finish were worse that what you see on commercial units.
For a B rate, or B rate fire/burglary safe, you're going to be hard pressed to beat a normal commercial production unit. Browns and Graffunders are more geared towards the "nice" market. Since you're hiding it in a closet, I wouldn't pay the premium price.
For a B rate, or B rate fire/burglary safe, you're going to be hard pressed to beat a normal commercial production unit. Browns and Graffunders are more geared towards the "nice" market. Since you're hiding it in a closet, I wouldn't pay the premium price.
I did what most people do. I went to Sam's and bought a Winchester gun safe thinking it should be made in America. When I got the sucker home I noticed that it was a "made in China" special. I have since looked at Pro Bass and found the exact same safe painted green with "Redhead" painted on the front. Also, I found it in the mountains while on vacation with Remington painted on the front. I am not as concerned with the fire rating as I am with keeping out the common thugs that are breaking into homes in my area. They spend 5-10 minutes in a home and take the jewelry and guns and leave most everything else.
Any brands I should look for
I'm a fan of AMSEC products. Although they do import some of their models, many are US made. They are one of the largest US based safe manufacturers, have been in business for a very long time, and stand behind their products.
They have a BF series safe that is smaller than their gun safe line, and built a little heavier as well. Most of these also have real UL fire ratings. Most of thier smaller units run $1,500 or less plus shipping new.