CAPTAIN MIKE
Member
I'm about to purchase a new gun safe. It needs room for about 12 long guns and about the same number of handguns plus ammunitions, range stuff, etc.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Any thoughts or suggestions?
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Any Suggeston re: New Gun Safe ???
- Thread starter CAPTAIN MIKE
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PAshooter
Member
Capt,
Do a search and you'll find a bunch of previous threads on this topic. Which is not to say there's anything wrong with starting a new one.
How 'bout a little more info. Big or small? Lots of long guns or mostly handguns? House or apartment? How much space do you have? Do you live in a "relatively" safe area?
Best advice I can give is to buy a safe larger than you think you need. Much larger.
I used to have a smallish AMSEC that I bought when my principle interest was handguns. Got interested in rifles and rapidly outgrew it. When I moved recently I took the opportunity to sell the AMSEC to a buddy who's not as smitten with the collecting bug and buy a new big honkin' Fort Knox.
Stick with the name brands... IMHO Fort Knox, Liberty & Champion are probably the top of the line, followed by such brands as Cannon, Browning, and Granite (Treadlok & Winchester). There are other good brands as well, and all those mentioned provide good security - not knocking any of them.
Oh, and stick with a traditional mechanical dial combination lock - avoid electronic locks. People who have them love them, but I've heard too many stories from people who've had problems... and from locksmiths who make a lot of money from service calls for dead electronic locks... to want one myself.
Happy Shopping.
http://www.ftknox.com/
http://www.libertysafe.com/safegallery.lasso
http://www.championsafe.com/
http://www.cannonsafe.com/
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/safes/index.asp
http://www.granitesafe.com/home.html
Do a search and you'll find a bunch of previous threads on this topic. Which is not to say there's anything wrong with starting a new one.
How 'bout a little more info. Big or small? Lots of long guns or mostly handguns? House or apartment? How much space do you have? Do you live in a "relatively" safe area?
Best advice I can give is to buy a safe larger than you think you need. Much larger.
I used to have a smallish AMSEC that I bought when my principle interest was handguns. Got interested in rifles and rapidly outgrew it. When I moved recently I took the opportunity to sell the AMSEC to a buddy who's not as smitten with the collecting bug and buy a new big honkin' Fort Knox.
Stick with the name brands... IMHO Fort Knox, Liberty & Champion are probably the top of the line, followed by such brands as Cannon, Browning, and Granite (Treadlok & Winchester). There are other good brands as well, and all those mentioned provide good security - not knocking any of them.
Oh, and stick with a traditional mechanical dial combination lock - avoid electronic locks. People who have them love them, but I've heard too many stories from people who've had problems... and from locksmiths who make a lot of money from service calls for dead electronic locks... to want one myself.
Happy Shopping.
http://www.ftknox.com/
http://www.libertysafe.com/safegallery.lasso
http://www.championsafe.com/
http://www.cannonsafe.com/
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/safes/index.asp
http://www.granitesafe.com/home.html
YankeeRebel
Member
PAshooter,
Didn't PreacherMan once post about those electronic combination locks on gun safes? IIRC, he said that in talking with the inmates he found that they arn't worth a dime in keeping them out. In fact they help them get in. As you said, "stick with a traditional mechanical dial combination lock". Thanks for the comments aobut which saft to get as I will be looking in about two months.
Didn't PreacherMan once post about those electronic combination locks on gun safes? IIRC, he said that in talking with the inmates he found that they arn't worth a dime in keeping them out. In fact they help them get in. As you said, "stick with a traditional mechanical dial combination lock". Thanks for the comments aobut which saft to get as I will be looking in about two months.
Ohen Cepel
Member
If you guys are near Frederick MD I would HIGHLY recommend Thompson Safes!
Great guy to deal with, he knows his stuff and will tell you straight!
Aside from that, buy BIG
Everyone told me that, I bought the biggest I could afford at the time and have outgrown it fast.
The govt sells a ton of surplus ones, if they work for you they are a great deal.
The bottom line I found was you almost have to deal with a local dealer. The shipping/delivery eats you up otherwise. If you order one the usual deal is curbside delivery, that's it (and they couldn't confirm the time it would get there). If you can handle it from there then that may be an option for you.
Hope that helps some.
Great guy to deal with, he knows his stuff and will tell you straight!
Aside from that, buy BIG
Everyone told me that, I bought the biggest I could afford at the time and have outgrown it fast.
The govt sells a ton of surplus ones, if they work for you they are a great deal.
The bottom line I found was you almost have to deal with a local dealer. The shipping/delivery eats you up otherwise. If you order one the usual deal is curbside delivery, that's it (and they couldn't confirm the time it would get there). If you can handle it from there then that may be an option for you.
Hope that helps some.
HABU
Member
What? Preacherman, your gonna have to (please
)expound on this. Ripping the lips off the key pad cannot help them, so do they have some electronic gizmo that runs random numbers or what?HABU
Member
mainmech48
Member
If you're planning on a DIY or if you're likely to be moving in the forseeable future, check with Zanotti Armor. Their design is modular, so even their largest models can be wrangled upstairs, into a basement, etc. and set up by one or two reasonably healthy adult males.
Believe me, this is no small consideration if you live, as I do, in an older home and want to put it anywhere but the main floor.
Not the cheapest option, but by far the most convenient and practical if self-installation and/or a degree of portability are desired or necessary.
My $0.02. I own one and consider it a Godsend. Even a whole gang of movers couldn't have wrestled a conventional design of anywhere near the capacity that I needed down the stairs and into my basement.
Believe me, this is no small consideration if you live, as I do, in an older home and want to put it anywhere but the main floor.
Not the cheapest option, but by far the most convenient and practical if self-installation and/or a degree of portability are desired or necessary.
My $0.02. I own one and consider it a Godsend. Even a whole gang of movers couldn't have wrestled a conventional design of anywhere near the capacity that I needed down the stairs and into my basement.
Settle for Nothing Less Than S&G Spin Dial
Electronic locks are bad news. At work we have top-end Mosler X07 & X08 electronic spin dials die on us on a regular basis. We even worked with the manufaturer to improve their locks, but they still fail.
When I write "fail," I mean the lock is broke & you need to call a a body with a high-speed drill to drill the puppy out. What a mess.
I have never had a mechanical Sargent & Greenleaf spin dial fail on me. They are quality mechanical locks. They beat out Mosler & all the other brands.
I've spent too much of my time & my company's time/money fiddling with electronic locks to even consider them.
When I get a safe, it will sport a S&G spin dial.
Electronic locks are bad news. At work we have top-end Mosler X07 & X08 electronic spin dials die on us on a regular basis. We even worked with the manufaturer to improve their locks, but they still fail.
When I write "fail," I mean the lock is broke & you need to call a a body with a high-speed drill to drill the puppy out. What a mess.
I have never had a mechanical Sargent & Greenleaf spin dial fail on me. They are quality mechanical locks. They beat out Mosler & all the other brands.
I've spent too much of my time & my company's time/money fiddling with electronic locks to even consider them.
When I get a safe, it will sport a S&G spin dial.
PAshooter
Member
I quite agree, jfruser.
Mine's a Fort Knox 7241 with an S&G Group II lock. Good stuff.
BTW - anybody in the VA/MD/PA area - can't recommend Steve's Services highly enough. Mine was a very difficult delivery / installation and it didn't phase Steve a bit. Great guy... great safe.
Mine's a Fort Knox 7241 with an S&G Group II lock. Good stuff.
BTW - anybody in the VA/MD/PA area - can't recommend Steve's Services highly enough. Mine was a very difficult delivery / installation and it didn't phase Steve a bit. Great guy... great safe.
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