First gun safe help?

Hank, if you have a Tractor Supply store in your area, the link below shows a great gun safe on sale for $599.00. I looked one the same safe locally earlier this week at my local Tractor Supply, and was impressed with the safe's construction/size, accessories.

It has the inside door storage system with six handgun pockets and several zippered pockets. Ideal for a growing collection.

I had purchased a Cannon safe in similar size three years ago, for the same price, but if this one had been available, it would have came home with me.


http://www.tractorsupply.com/winchester-reg-gun-safe-24-gun-capacity-1043297

Some one will stop by and give you a run down of all the things you need to know that knows far more about safes than I do. I'll toss in my two cents anyway.

You asked about other ways to store guns safely. Besides a vault a safe is your next best protection from fire and theft. At first it may be hard to justify the expense but once you go over the many reasons and perks of one I think you will be sold. Fire, theft, tornadoes, safety, the ability to store other valuables are all reasons to put the time and money into one. Find one that fits your need with a decent fire rating and it will serve you well. Most safes (not security boxs) will have a strong bolting system. The more locking bolts/stronger bolts the better but odds are as long as its bolted to the floor well, burglars wont have time to pry/cut into it. I've always been far more worried about fire than break ins. So just keep looking and you'll find something that fits your needs.

I've been looking at getting a safe as well and have come to find out that hardly anyone sells a safe at all. Most "safes" you see for sale are Residential Security Containers (RSC). An RSC, according to UL, is capable of withstanding 5 minutes of abuse before entry from hand tools such as a hammer & crowbar. Next step up from an RSC is either a B-rate or C-rate safe. B-rate safes look to be an RSC on steriods and are built far better than all but the most expensive RSC avaliable. C-Rate safes are beefier versions of the B-Rate safe, but start out at $6k and go up from there whereas a good BF B-rate safe can be found for $1800.

As far as I can tell and have found out, B & C rate safes are the in between option. They are built heavier than an RSC, but aren't outright safes nor are UL certified as either a safe or RSC. UL certified safes carry a TL-15 rating or better. This means that a safe can withstand 15 minutes of abuse before entry from hand & power tools. The cheapest TL-15 safe I've found starts at $10k and goes up from there.

The two key points I've been looking at in a RSC/safe are fire rating and not being carted off with ease. Even the smallest RSC/safe I've found is far bigger than I need, but some of them are a bit wider than the door I'll have to fit it through so keep that in mind.

Lowe's has a decent one too, stop in and check in the safe/lock area.

ThatGuyHank said:

Went into the local Lowe's they have a 14 long gun capacity "Centurion" safe for 300$ Online it's like 400$. It IS a floor model with some cosmetic blemishes but thats a sweet deal anyway I look at it. Picking it up in two days!

Click to expand...

Those regularly go on sale around Christmas or black Friday for 300 new.

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Find a LOCKSMITH that sells safes and look for a high-quality used one that someone traded in for an upgrade. A used high-quality RSC will do a better job than a cheap imported one with spot welds and thin walls- which most from big-box stores are - even from the better name brands.

AMSEC is one brand that seems to have better build quality than most

There are plenty of pictures and video's all over the internet of safes like these getting broken into in less then a minute.

I suggest 2 alternatives if theft, not keeping the guns away from children, is your main concern.

1) wait and save up money to get something better. Skip your next couple of gun purchases if need be.

2) spread your guns around in various hiding places. It will take them more the 1 minute to find them all versus you putting them in one convenient place for bad guys to access.

Love my winchester safe holds 24 guns rated at 30minutes in 1400 degree heat locks on all four sides and weighs 507 pounds empty add two 5/8 thick by 6in long lag bolts into the 6 by 6 floor joist it ain't movin period.It is the safe in the first post.

Here are some pics of a Winchester, and some other brands, that have been broken into.

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=46&t=319944