Safe Boltdown Questions

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idoono

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I finally broke down and ordered a new AMSEC BF7240 which weighs around 1550 pounds. My dealers says it does not need to be bolted down since it weighs over 750 pounds. I have not heard of the "750 pound" rule. What do you all think?

Idoono
 
What does he mean by "need to"? I agree that a 750 pound safe full of guns is going to be pretty darned heavy and not likely to be carried off without a fork lift. But if the owner wants to bolt a safe down (or doesn't) it is his choice, no matter what the thing weighs. There is no "rule" that I ever heard of.

Jim
 
I am not up on gun safes, so I cannot say.
I agree that 750 pounds is pretty hefty. I suppose if it is adjacent to an outside door that leads right into the driveway, someone or two with a hand truck may be able to move it, I know it is nothing I could move, unless the guy helping me can do it all on his own. I could handle 50 pounds, he would have to handle the 700 plus weight of contents.

No matter what the weight, if I had one set in place, I would bolt it down for good, just for good measure.

If on a concrete slab, a decent rotary hammer will drill four holes in less than fifteen minutes to anchor the bolts down using an achoring cement in each hole.
 
I bolted it down regardless of the claimed weight. I did an install of four concrete lag bolts into the foundation within a half hour. I think Redhead was the actual mfg at the local supply store. It was the best insurance possible for me... Good luck.
 
bolting it down is just to keep them from tipping it over, where it's easier to put your axe to it.

mine is just shy of 2000 lbs empty and i bolted it. (not that i'm super concerned about it, but i was having some remodeling done anyway...)
 
The magic 750 pound number came from the insurance companies. It is usually suggested that all safes be bolted, but safes weighing less than 750 pounds must be bolted.

It was already mentioned, but bolting is a good idea from the tipping standpoint alone. Even if they don't get into the safe, they will certainly cause damage to the contents if they lay it over.
 
The only reason I'd bolt down a safe of that weight was for "tip-over" if I lived where there might be a bad storm (hurricane) or whatever, that opened up your house. It does happen.

Hope if you're putting it over joists that you check the lbs./sq. ft. rating of the floor first...:eek:

I'd put mine in the garage on concrete.....if I had a garage! :mad:
 
Tuesday, I moved a Fort knox Executive 7241 out of a house and into a box delivery truck by myself in 20 minutes. I'm 5'6" and weigh 165lbs. A Fort Knox Executive has a 3/16" steel body and a total door steel thickness (steel alone not including sheet rock) slightly more than 1/2 ". The 7241 are the body sizes- height by width- similar to your American Security BF 7240 in size and weight. Remember, 20 minutes and by myself. It would have taken 10 minutes if I only had to remove it from the garage and not the house. Bolt it down.
 
I bought a 24 gun Liberty (16 years old model) and unloaded, stood it up, and moved it into my shop <without> a hand truck. My 10 year old son used a come-a-long to drag it to the back of the trailer, I flipped it up, and with both hands I pushed it up enough for him to kick a 2' stick of 1/2" EMT under that side. I rolled it clear across my shop on sticks of 1/2" EMT, just leap frogging them in front of it.

Took about 10 min - WITHOUT a hand truck. Just a $19 cable come-a-long and some conduit sticks.

Bolt. It. Down. Redheads work well. Hiltis are even better.
 
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