Secure gun safe for $1000 a reality?

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slabuda

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Read many threads in the past on gun safes. So MANY suggestions on what you need to spend and what models are good etc.

But seriously do I need to spend thousands on a gun safe?

At this time I dont need a 40 gun safe, it will take SEVERAL years before I could hope to fill that.

My inventory right now consists of:
Two pistols
3 bolt action rifles
2 Shotguns
2 "Assault" rifles.

And none of them cost more than $1200 each (shotgun, rifle and a pistol) maybe all total $4500.



I would also keep my medieval/roman/celtic coins and artifacts (couple of grand in value?) in there and maybe some camera gear ($4000 to $5000) plus passports etc.

Im thinking a 24-36 gun safe rated at 45 min at least but would prefer 1 hr for fire protection.

Im actually in a very low crime area too.

Right now $1000 is the best I can afford. Id love to be able to spend more but its better than lying on the bedroom closet floor.
I guess what I am asking is what I should look for in design...thickness of locking rods, plate steel, wall thickness, weight, manufacturer etc


Not to mention I can get a GSA approved classified lock for the safe instead of the standard one at a good price from my friend who is a locksmith.
 
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Security is relative.

Any "gun safe" (yes, even expensive ones) can be quickly breeched through the body (drill/sawzall, etc.).
A "gun safe" door is easily opened - but only if drilled by someone who knows a thing or two.
If you can mount the "safe" bolted down and recessed in masonry, except the door, you're way ahead of the game.
Now you need an alarm.....
 
Keep in mind the number of guns a safe can hold is incredibly optimistic. I have a "14 gun" safe and I can barely fit 6 in it. They must use baseball bats to simulate a gun when seeing how many fit.
 
Drew is right, I have no ideal how they obtain their "will hold" counts, same way computer makers determine laptop battery hours I guess.

I think you can get a good safe for under $1000 for your use. Mine cost less than that and it serves it purpose. If someone breaks into my hours with power tools then I am in trouble, not sure if that would not be true if I had a more expensive safe.
 
A safe will hold its rated number of long guns provided they don't all have scopes (or handles like an AR). You have almost 9-10k worth of stuff. A $1K RSC should be obtainable if you shop around
 
For $1,000 I would buy a smaller safe that offers a better level of security and some real fire protection for your valuables and passports. I would then save a few hundred dollars and purchase an entry level gun safe for the guns.

Not to mention I can get a GSA approved classified lock for the safe instead of the standard one at a good price from my friend who is a locksmith.
Click to expand...

Overkill for a gun safe. I don't know what locks your friend has, but the current Kaba locks can run up into the $2,000 range for the lock alone.
 
I started off looking at steel cabinets and ended up with a Liberty "Fat boy" which was substantially more than I thought I'd spend. That being said, I do think it's remarkable how few real long arms will actually fit in a given safe. Anything other than a collection of single shot shotguns will likely take upwards of four spaces per normal rifle.
 
Yes the number of guns listed is very optimistic. I am looking at 60"x36"x24/28" safe.

Id like to keep it in my bedroom (29" between the door jams minimum) but if its too deep to get through I can put it in the computer room at approx 36" wide door.
 
Anyone here use "Heritage" safes? I am looking at their regal series. Its an Idaho company and if possible I like to support local companies.
 
Here's what I use:

2048-os.jpg
 
I think it depends on where you live. I live in a small gated communtiy, I know my neighbors, and I have an alarm tied to every opening. It is LOUD. It has a battery backup, hidden, and locked in a steel strong box even if they find it. If the power gets cut, the alarm still sounds.

My safe is a 72" high, 36" wide, 24" deep Cannon from Costco. It was $1400 delivered with tax, and I paid another $280 to have it bolted to the slab. it weighs over 700lbs empty, well over 1000lbs loaded with stuff that is none of your business. It is not the highest quality, but with the alarm blaring I am not concerned about a BG taking the time to get into it.

If I lived in the boonies, I would DEFINATELY invest the $5k + in a Liberty or Browning safe of higher quality.
 
One of the things to consider is the locking lugs. Does your safe have them on one side, two sides, three sides, or all four?
The higher end the safe is, the more sides protected.
The Liberty series are not bad for around $1000.
Just make sure whatever safe you get, attach it securely to your house so they don't just steal the whole safe.
 
A lock smith can correct me, BUT

Locking lugs and fancy paint is not close to the deal, the question isn't how pretty the RSC (this is not a SAFE, its a painted gym locker)

BUT rather can it resist two guys with a HAMMER AND SCREW DRIVER, let alone a halfway knowledgeable bugler with a fire ax or saw, the difference between a safe and RSC is that a safe is made from plate metal, and a RSC is bent, just like your computer case, in some safes, the metal is THINNER than your computer case.

Just a little prospective, you can have chromed live bolts on all sides, that don't do anything because they either tear out the sheet metal, or the "frame" bends.

SO know what you are buying and the more you pay, doesn't really mean that it's any better.
 
I work in a store that sells gun safes. I have taken some training on safe and their construction. One of the best deals on the market are Gander Mountain branded safes that are made by Liberty. They have all of the same features as the Liberty safes in the same fire-rating class but are less expensive. For around $1200 you can have a beautiful, functional safe that most people can not break into and will not attempt to break into.
 
...what I am asking is what I should look for in design...thickness of locking rods, plate steel, wall thickness, weight, manufacturer etc.
Click to expand...

I consider body thickness and weight to be the two most important aspects of a safe. The third would be a better door in respect to a non-pry-able gap and also steel gauge thickness. I don't want a small safe that a couple guys could cart out of the house on a dolly. I also don't want walls so thin that a power tool would make quick work of getting in. If the safe isn't heavy enough, the body will be of thin gauge steel, and it won't matter too much that you lagged it into the floor. A couple guys could pry it right out of place. If the safe is light enough to get moving, the lags could either rip out of the floor, rip through the thin gauge safe, or simply break.

One of my employees was asked by his neighbor to get into a safe that they lost the key for or forgot the combo. I don't know which of his power tools he used, but he said it only took a few seconds to get inside. That pretty much speaks to thin gauge steel.
 
Ultimately, it depends on one's definition of "secure". If you're looking to keep the kids out, there are a number of secure options. A safe of any type will work. A steel sheet cabinet, or a fancy wood cabinet with glass doors will also work. A $5 padlock and a $5 hasp on a closet is also effective.

If you're looking to define "secure" by the ability to keep a bad guy out, then that's a different story. The truth is that most smash and grab burglars will not invest the time to break into anything. They are looking to get in and out in a short period of time. I would say just about everything that holds true for the kids above would hold true for this type of burglary as well, with the exception of the cabinet with glass doors.

If a bad guy is going to go hands on with your safe, most gun safes are not going to be as secure as the manufacturers led you to believe.

work in a store that sells gun safes. I have taken some training on safe and their construction.
Click to expand...

Not picking on you, since you're fairly new here. What type of training have you had, and from who?

I consider body thickness and weight to be the two most important aspects of a safe. The third would be a better door in respect to a non-pry-able gap and also steel gauge thickness. I don't want a small safe that a couple guys could cart out of the house on a dolly. I also don't want walls so thin that a power tool would make quick work of getting in. If the safe isn't heavy enough, the body will be of thin gauge steel, and it won't matter too much that you lagged it into the floor. A couple guys could pry it right out of place. If the safe is light enough to get moving, the lags could either rip out of the floor, rip through the thin gauge safe, or simply break.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much everything in a nutshell.

Security = Strength & Resistance = Material = Weight = Cost.
 
I Agree going heavier and thicker steel! As far as fire rating all that is, is sheet rock. you can always had more sheet rock. Bolting it down is very important. If the bad guy can flip it on its back they can use a pry bar on it and be in it in less than 2 minutes no matter how many bolts there is. I'll look to see if I can find the video I seen where they did just that!
 
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