Best Gun safe, ahem, excue me, RSC for $2000

[ScottsGT]

Best Gun safe, ahem, excuse me, RSC for $2000

OK, I'm going to call it a safe, not a Residential Security Cabinet. Why? Because I'M spending the $2K, and I can call it what I want to!
Anyhoo, I just sold an old Mustang, came into about $2K and for once the wife is not demanding money be spent on bills and what should be done. Seeing how my "collection" growing by leaps and bounds, it's time to get a safe. Local gun shop has a really big cabinet, Oops,Safe, that is about 6.5' tall, about 4' wide for around $1800. For the life of me I cannot remember the brand. I do know that I read here on THR to stay away from Liberty. What are the better brands in my price range at these sizes?

 

[eagle45]

I'll avoid the terminology feud too and just call it a safe and qualify my response with the fact that I am not an expert of any kind on the subject.

That being said, I purchased a Heritage safe a few years back that I am very pleased with. Got it this time of the year too, in an inventory reduction sale for a few hundred less than your $2000 limit.

Here is a link with the model I have:
http://www.heritagesafe.com/centennial.html
Mine is the CX3660. It does not have the fancy finish, but since it sits in the workshop anyway I wasn't too concerned about that. Mine came with a door upgrade (thicker) too. The inside shelves can be modified to suit your own needs.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Spend your money on the metal and NOT on a pretty paint job. You should be able to get a decent one with 10 gauge construction for that much.

I have a couple of upper end fort knox units that I'm very pleased with. My dad has one identical to one of mine, EXCEPT: His cost 700 less because he went with a crinkle finish instead of a pretty paint job.

 

[vynx]

If you can find a good RSC that is 78" tall by 48" wide by say 24 or more inches deep for ONLY $2000 please let us know because I want one!

I think you need to spend closer to $3000 with tax & shipping.

I don't consider 10 gauge to be good unless it has some kind of fireproofing to back it up a little.

IMO the best 72" x 48" x 24" rsc is the sturdysafe.com model with fireproofing price is almost $3000 though.

AMSEC makes a 72" x 40" x 29" (maybe 27 or 28) but it costs more than $2000 + tax + shipping.

If I wasn't going to spend the money on those 2 I would buy the Winchester safe at Sam's club for $581 smaller size but at that price you can buy 2 - sort of the don't put all your eggs in one basket approach (that is the you pick it up price).

I have heard that Cannon makes a 72 x 40 for close to $2000 but it uses fire rated sheetrock for the fireproofing so its not much better than the winchester in my opinion.

 

[bosshoff]

Member CB900F sells AMSEC and Graffunder models. These are both pretty hgh end. I do not know whether they are under your $2,000.00 limit. Shoot him a PM if he doesn't pop his head in this thread.

 

[vynx]

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

Here is a link to the gunsafe buyers guide - someone else originally linked to it on another thread - great info.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Why 78" tall? My 60" tall models will hold anything up to a 32" barrelled shotgun. Heck I've got my yugo sks in there with the bayonet extended. How much more height do you need?

As far as fireproofing you should be able to get plenty for 2 grand with 10 gauge walls.

You're right at a breaking point. $2,000 with wise choices will get you a pretty good RSC. To go better, the price really starts to jump.

 

[ScottsGT]

Why 78" tall? My 60" tall models will hold anything up to a 32" barreled shotgun. Heck I've got my yugo sks in there with the bayonet extended. How much more height do you need?

I want to keep more than guns in the cabinet. Insurance files, wedding/family photo almbum or two, important papers, etc... up on the top shelf area.

 

[JohnBT]

From the reading I've done on gun safes and RSCs over the years, my understanding is that paper, computer disks and similar delicate items need to be stored in a fireproof container inside the typical gun safe if you want them to survive a fire.

My answer to the question about which safe is pretty much whichever one you can get delivered and placed inside the house. Every one I looked at on line included shipping to the curb in front of the house and some wouldn't even take it off the truck for you.

John

 

[atomchaser]

My answer to the question about which safe is pretty much whichever one you can get delivered and placed inside the house. Every one I looked at on line included shipping to the curb in front of the house and some wouldn't even take it off the truck for you.

Almost any of the shipping companies offer liftgate service. You just have to pay an extra 50 or 75 bucks. I've had a safe and a number of large woodworking tools delivered this way and the delivery guy was always willing to put it in the garage. They already have it on a pallet jack to get it off the truck so pushing an extra 30 or 40 ft into the garage is no big deal if you are there to help them. Myself and a delivery guy pushed an 1100 lb AMSEC safe up my slighly sloped driveway an into the garage with no problem. I moved the safe off the pallet and into its finally position (about 10 ft) with a purpose built plywood ramp and some of those furniture sliders they sell at home depot by myself. A little bit of planning goes a long way. Just never get yourself in a position were it can fall on you.

 

[JohnBT]

Garage? I have 10 steps up to the front porch. Heck, with my luck there would have been cars parked bumper to bumper at the curb and the driver would have left it at the corner or in the middle of the street.

I was very happy to pay a $150 delivery charge to the guys with a stairclimber and all the right equipment.

John

 

[a1abdj]

Contact your local safe company (not any company that sells safes as a sideline to other products). For $2,000, you can probably find something big and nice that's used, which will provide a fair level of protection compared against most gun safes.

 

[ScottsGT]

Actually, I think I've decided to go with the Sams Club Winchester (Granite) safe, oops, RSC. The car I sold to buy the safe was given to me by a close friend to restore. I was already in the process of restoring a '66 Mustang, and won't have time to do the one he bought me for probably 10 years, and the one he bought me had to go due to storage constraints. Since the buddy that bought it for me is also my hunting/shooting buddy that owns the farm I hunt on, I have decided to purchase two of the Sams Club safes. One for me, and one for him. I'm picking them up tomorrow morning in the mini-van one at a time and delivering mine home first, then dropping his off in his driveway (out of view from the road) while he is out to church and lunch with his family, and putting a big red bow on it. I know it is not the best for the money, but where we live, we are practiaclly across the street from the fire dept. and burn time is not as important as a semi strong box to keep neighborhood punks out if they get in the house. I could never afford anything that would keep a pro out anyhow, so this should do, but won't have room for as many of the papers and photo albums as I would like. But at this price, I can keep buying them! I'll probably upgrade the lock to a nicer S&G though.
Almost forgot: After buying two of these safes, I still have enough left over to buy another gun with! Or at least a down payment on the Python I've been wanting for so long now.....

 

[carnaby]

Heck, I just got a $300 safe-style rsc and it's fine. That, and for an extra $24/year added a firearms rider to my renter's insurance. Seems cost effective, and no RSC will keep a good, er, criminal out anyway.

 

[Ala Dan]

I bought a Liberty Colonial RSC with that "pretty forrest green" paint job. It
keeps my two year old grand-daughter, and the "smash and grab crowd" out;
and thats really all I need, as there is always someone at home too protect
the valuables inside~!

 

[jdl357]

Buy 2 of these and bolt them down. They are "real" safes, 1/2 steel doors, 1/4" steel body.

Outside Dimensions: H:37", W:23", D:24"
Weight: 425 lbs.
Lagard Group II combination lock
(5) 1 1/4" chrome plated solid steel locking bolts
Interlocking steel plate on hinge side of door
1/2" solid steel door, 1/4" solid steel body
Drill resistant hard plate
Spring loaded active relocker bolt
(4) Pre-drilled anchor holes