AMSEC BF6030 weight discrepancy

[sandust]

After reading the many Safe threads on this forum I decided that the BF6030 was the right cost vs value safe for me. The discussions from all the posters and dealers/experts here was invaluable in this decision. Thanks to all that posted.
My my new Amsec BF6030 just arrived. I am more than pleased with the results. Beyond my expectations after buying site unseen on the internet.

The Palletized packing slip weight was 1012 pounds.
I looked at the weights posted in the AMSEC catalogue 2009 was 885 pounds. That is what I thought I ordered. There is no way the pallet weighed that much. My guess was 30 pounds total.
Surprised when I looked a the new AMSEC website and the new listed weight is 976 pounds for the BF6030.
That is an almost 100 pound increase.
Does anyone know if this is an upgrade in the steel thickness, or drylight or both?
I have to assume that more is better but is this an upgrade to the old model? What is the difference?
Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[a1abdj]

There was an upgrade made in 2010 that changed the weight. The steel was actually reduced from a 10/14 gauge to a 11/16 gauge shell, but the fill material was changed to a stronger/heavier mix.

 

[sandust]

Thanks for the response.
A heavier mix sounds good, but too bad they went with thinner metal.
Does AMSEC list the metal thicknesses anywhere?
The bottom where you bolt it down to the floor is made of at least 1/8" material single layer.
Do you know if the new mix adds anything to fire rating or security?

Hard to figure that they went thinner on the metal on the sides, since the door is a massive 1/2 inch. Looks & feels formidable.
I wonder what the difference in real life is between 10 gauge and 11 gauge.
Still a great safe for the money.

 

[heeler]

The difference of 10 gauge vs 11 gauge is about 1/64.
Not much to worry about especially if they beefed up the concrete type mix.

 

[a1abdj]

A heavier mix sounds good, but too bad they went with thinner metal.

Many modern day bank vault doors have thin steel skins with a very nasty cement mix inside. You could build 5,000 pound gun safes, and some companies do, but they can't go into a normal house due to the weight. Something has to give somewhere. If you're going to gain weight through one process, you need to reduce it somewhere else.

Does AMSEC list the metal thicknesses anywhere?

The only place I have seen it listed is on a sales sample.

Do you know if the new mix adds anything to fire rating or security?

The fill material used in the AMSECs is probably the best material found in any gun safe currently in production. It also adds to the security.

I'm curious. Where did you buy your safe that they couldn't answer all of these questions for you? I don't think I've ever sold one of these safes where all of this wasn't discussed prior to the purchase.

 

[sandust]

yes, I know too well about the weight. And it was a consideration in the purchase.
(Definetly OUT of my price range but I would love to have the AMSEC HS. But at 4000 +- lbs. You would have to rebuild your house if it has a wood floor just to get it to the spot you need it.)
I work in construction so I can do a lot of the preparations myself.
I got under my house and added 2 precast concrete piers and 4x4 posts where I was going to install the safe since my house has a wood floor.
When the safe arrived we transfered it from the delivery truck lift gate to the back of my pickup. I was able to drive it to the back of my house. From there I used the neighbors backhoe to lift it off my truck and over the six steps. I actually was able to extend the boom so the safe went right thru my rear door.
A bit of work but worth it in the end.

Good to know that the mix they use is better for security. They must mix it with steel fibers or something like that, since plain cement/concrete does not offer much security if it is not heavily reinforced. Any one know what the AMSEC mix is?

I bought the safe from Safe and Vault store. They were good to deal with. No problems.
I am sure they would have answered my questions if I had asked them right questions. Although I think this forum gets a lot more technical that most safe sellers care to get into. And just sorting thru all the mis-information from safe companies, this forum sorts thru that. There are so many good ideas on this forum. Just read all the safe posts here. That is why I asked the question here.
I researched the safes a lot. Looked at all the classic safes like Liberty etc. When I made the decision on the AMSEC BF. I was convinced it was the most bang for the $ you could get. I needed Fire since I am in a fire area. I needed security since my house is rural. I wanted USA made. (important to me). I also had a a very limited budget.
I appreciate all the feedback from all the contributors here. It is a great asset.