Buy A Safe

[Aaryq]

Ladies and Gentlemen,
BUY A SAFE. I just came back from a 7 month tour in Iraq and I'm starting to settle back in. During my pre-deployment leave I put all of my guns at my Folks' House in ND since I didn't have a safe and he does. After the post-deployment leave but before the deployment, I bought an M44. I didn't want to leave it in my empty house so I left it with a friend who didn't have a safe but was in a really safe area. So now I'm back and we move on to 2 days ago. The Dish Network Guys stopped by. 2 gentlemen age 20-24ish. There's me, my wife and my 2 kids. I wasn't expecting these guys for another day. My alert mode goes to red and I'm looking for weapons of opportunity just in case. I don't like the odds. The gentlemen are speaking spanish to each other and I Habla only a very small bit of espaniol. All there is in my house on the firepower side was a Mosin Nagant M44 with Ball Ammo and I'm in a highly residential area. I was nervous. Nothing happened. What could've happened? A lot, a whole heck of a lot could've. I'm looking into a safe to order in the next few days. Get one so you don't have to be at Condition Red and make your wife (or husband) severely anxious about your reaction to 2 men in your house. Get a safe. Seriously.

 

[scrat]

Already have 2 of them. 1 at my parents and one here at my place. In fact i am in need of another safe. As i am out of room again. So as soon as i figure out where to put it. Then i will be getting another.

 

[45Badger]

Mayb a bit over reaction? Safes are great, I love mine. It will be worth jack squat in a SD/HD situatrion.

"Oh, excuse me. Could you guys wait a minute for me to open this thing up so I can get out my Mossy870AR15GarandM1AAK47Benelli and even up the odds?"

A CCW worn around the house, or when strangers who make you feel uncomfortable are around (why let them in if they make you uncomfortable is another good question) will better serve your needs or anxiety.

 

[Ala Dan]

I already own one RSC (residential security container), known as a "safe"
too most of the inexperienced crowd. Who really knows, I may be in the
market for another one shortly; as my "accumulation" of relics has grown.

 

[Packman]

Mayb a bit over reaction? Safes are great, I love mine. It will be worth jack squat in a SD/HD situatrion.

I think his point was, if he'd had his own safe, his guns would have been at his house, and therefore accessible to him. He could've gone to get a sidearm instead of worrying about the mosin.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

If you aren't sure of the difference between a true safe and an RSC, please use the search function. There's a ton of information on this site about the differences. Most of the hard information coming from either A1abdj or myself. Or, go to www.corneredcat.com & read the article about "Securing Firearms In The Home".

If you want a real safe, not an RSC, please feel free to contact me via PM.

900F

 

[guntotinguy]

Owning a safe or 2 is,of course a very good idea...the wife and I also have gotten to the point of 'carrying' around the house and ,yes,we even answer the door (ours is a security door,always locked).

Own a safe?Great idea!

 

[ImARugerFan]

Get one a lot bigger than you think you need. I wish I had a double door model myself. There's enough room for my guns in there, but it gets very tight, and I have to meander a bit to get some of them in and out of the back.

 

[pyle]

Get one a lot bigger than you think you need. I wish I had a double door model myself. There's enough room for my guns in there, but it gets very tight, and I have to meander a bit to get some of them in and out of the back.

Now these are words to live by! I have a pretty big one and it's way overloaded at the moment. I'm in the market for another one at this time. I'm also looking at the small biometric (fingerprint) ones. Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[jakemccoy]

I'm sorry you had to learn the semi-hard way.

 

[ColinthePilot]

I had a similar experience last time I moved. I didn't have a safe and had just returned to town from a 2 week pre-move trip. The only gun I had was my heirloom Beretta 1934 sans suitable holster; my (then) other two guns were secured with a friend during my trip, and I had just picked up my beretta from home during the trip. The movers show up and the two older gentlemen were very polite and efficient, but the younger guy sketched me out for some reason. I was packing concealed the whole time but I was nervous without a holster. had no issues, but I feel the OP's discomfort.

 

[leadcounsel]

Thank you for your service. I'm in Iraq now.

I'm lost... what does a safe have to do with not having a gun handy? You're wife has the kids and she's been UNARMED for your entire tour in Iraq???? Not so much as a handgun? Not even something so that you have something when you come home on leave or redeploy?

No offense but I think that's a tad bit irresponsible if that's the case. No way in HE!! I'd leave my wife and kids defenseless like that. Best case is she would have a CCL and a weapon she knows how to use and also keeps a handgun in the house for me when I return. Worst case is that she at least has something she knows how to use in the house...

I'm not married, but with deployment I faced a simillar dilemma and here's what I did. Stored most of the guns with the Army contracted movers. Watched them inventory and wrap them. Best case b/c then I can drop most of my insurance and they are covered by the Army. I kept a few choice pieces out and in my rental until the night before my flight. Then I stored them with a VERY trusted friend in his safe. These are covered under my a very small and cheap renters insurance (~$1 a month) and the NRA free $1,000 insurance program. I don't need a contract with him, but if I didn't fully trust him I would have had him sign a receipt. I would trust this guy with my life though, so not a problem. So within hours of my return I'll have the essentials (Glock .40, AR15, 12 gauge) so that in the several weeks it takes to get the remainder of my stuff, I'll be protected when the cable guy, electric guy, prowler, whoever comes a knocking.

Friend, seriously, there are other options. Rent a lockbox at a bank. When I was at Benning I couldn't keep my pistol in my barracks so I rented a lockbox at the bank for $3 per month! I had to plan ahead, but I had access almost any time I needed it and would check it out over the weekends and stay off post with my girlfriend and then check it back in on Monday.

 

[Aaryq]

Thank you for your service. I'm in Iraq now.

I'm lost... what does a safe have to do with not having a gun handy? You're wife has the kids and she's been UNARMED for your entire tour in Iraq???? Not so much as a handgun? Not even something so that you have something when you come home on leave or redeploy?

No offense but I think that's a tad bit irresponsible if that's the case. No way in HE!! I'd leave my wife and kids defenseless like that. Best case is she would have a CCL and a weapon she knows how to use and also keeps a handgun in the house for me when I return. Worst case is that she at least has something she knows how to use in the house...

I'm not married, but with deployment I faced a simillar dilemma and here's what I did. Stored most of the guns with the Army contracted movers. Watched them inventory and wrap them. Best case b/c then I can drop most of my insurance and they are covered by the Army. I kept a few choice pieces out and in my rental until the night before my flight. Then I stored them with a VERY trusted friend in his safe. These are covered under my a very small and cheap renters insurance (~$1 a month) and the NRA free $1,000 insurance program. I don't need a contract with him, but if I didn't fully trust him I would have had him sign a receipt. I would trust this guy with my life though, so not a problem. So within hours of my return I'll have the essentials (Glock .40, AR15, 12 gauge) so that in the several weeks it takes to get the remainder of my stuff, I'll be protected when the cable guy, electric guy, prowler, whoever comes a knocking.

Friend, seriously, there are other options. Rent a lockbox at a bank. When I was at Benning I couldn't keep my pistol in my barracks so I rented a lockbox at the bank for $3 per month! I had to plan ahead, but I had access almost any time I needed it and would check it out over the weekends and stay off post with my girlfriend and then check it back in on Monday.

Hard Charger,
My wife wasn't in the house. She was at her momma's place. That's why I left the guns out of the house. I am also in a unique situation. My wife thinks my guns are cool but she's not a full shooter. She told me she thinks it's fun shooting, but she can't hurt someone else. She can only hurt paper with a gun...but yeah, she was out of town.

 

[neviander]

I would LOVE to have a full size gun safe, but alas, finances do not allow at the moment, so the 9mm is next to my head on the nightstand when I sleep....not that I would have it in the safe if worse came to worse.

 

[mr.72]

you can buy a pistol safe for as little as $20. I don't get why someone would want one, and not have one. even if you are not concerned about theft of your own firearms, if you have kids around the house or may have them as guests then there is ample cause to lock the guns up.