Bolt your safe down! Here is why...

I recently helped a friend move some weight lifting machines around their gym. Three of use were able to move a piece of a machine that was taller than any gun safe I've seen and had about 1000 Lbs of weights plus the rest of the metal machine. With a crappy hand truck it really wasn't even that hard. I'd figure my gun safe weighs at least 800+ LBS loaded, so I'm sure someone could move it if ( it were not bolted and) they had a hand truck and a few a guys. After all it got into the house in the first place.

Any security measures can be defeated. However, an alarm and a hard to move safe will probably thwart a lot of burglars (who in my professional experience tend to be drug addicts looking for a means to pay for their habit).

My guns are insured.

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An insurance check would do very little to comfort me from losing my grandfather's hunting rifle, my father's deer rifle, the first guns my Dad gave me when I was young, and various other family heirlooms. I'm not super sentimental about most stuff however I'd be pissed to lose those guns, and I could easily afford to buy equivalent (make, year, model) guns of all of them tomorrow.

To steal mine, you would have to steal a room out of the center of my house, thats after fighting off the dog...........

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I have had dogs. I love dogs. I can tell many stories about what a powerful deterrent a big dog can be. However, dogs can actually be dealt with in number of ways.

wrap your left arm in a white towle, when dog grabs it, stab him in lungs with hunting knife.

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I take it you are not too familiar with dogs. Considering a large powerful breed of dog (GSD, Rottie, Dobe, etc) can easily break bones when it bits that towel might be of fairly limited value. And as has been mentioned what is to guarantee the dog goes for your arm? Not all trained dogs are trained to target an arm. As to untrained dogs, I've seen in a number of cases of dog bites and many were not to the hand or arm. Even if you tried to offer up the arm as a target its no guarantee that's what the dog will hit or that it wont redirect very quickly. Untrained dogs tend to chain bite and redirect, if they bite. I think many folks would be surprised by the speed, agility, and power of a some dogs. If the thing hit your head or neck, or knocked you down while snapping your arm you may never to a chance to stab. I'd much rather just spray the thing in the face with hornet spray (a tactic that's been used by farm invaders in S. Africa), bear mace or the like. I've seen a taser used with very good effect on an attacking rottweiler.

Of course none of this means they are not a deterrent they are. Even a very friendly dog that would just want to play with the burglar can be a powerful visual deterrent. They may be a measure that can be defeated, but many random burglars would just as soon look for yard where they don't have to deal with this:

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As others have said, layering security, maximizes your chances but even then is not fool proof. Securing and concealing a safe does seem like a worthwhile additional layer, at least to me.

I don't own any long guns and was interested in a smaller, handgun and ammo appropriate safe that is heavy and strong enough to deter burglars. I'd appreciate any links to companies that have such a safe.

vito said:

I don't own any long guns and was interested in a smaller, handgun and ammo appropriate safe that is heavy and strong enough to deter burglars. I'd appreciate any links to companies that have such a safe.

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If you never plan to own any long guns and only plan to secure handguns or documents or whatever then I would look for something along these lines. The link being just an example. Just keep in mind that any HSC (Home Security Container) of this type needs well secured. Large ones can easily be carried away weighing in at less than 300 pounds. Again, the link is just a basic example.

Ron