Buying a safe in the near future? You'll probably want to see this.

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While I was watching it, I thought I saw that one of the safes was already done, like where the pins in the door were. Was it the same safe that they used in the demo, and was it a before or after pic?
 
Paying massive amounts for safes is a bit ridiculous imo.

I mean seriously. It's like people who put rims that cost more than the car. What Criminal in their right mind is going to spend hours ripping out sheet rock, prying open a safe at an average joe's home? People keep money in a bank anyway these days LOL.

For the money spent on a safe I'd rather spend it securing my home.
 
I don't think anyone would question that you get what you pay for. I bought the 350 dollar Brinks safe from Costco. The thing weighs about 400 pounds empty, you can add another 100 to that with the guns and ammo inside. My guess is, unless you go advertising to everyone that you have allot of guns or a safe, most thieves are more than likely not going to be coming to your house with a 5 foot long crowbar or a dolly to move the safe. I feel that even though it is a 350 dollar safe, it definitely beats hiding the guns under the bed or wherever.
For added security, buy a 100 dollar do it yourself alarm system with motion detectors that when triggered, dials a preprogrammed number such as your cell phone.
 
Paying massive amounts for safes is a bit ridiculous imo.
In my personal value system, it is worth a fair amount to know that one of my guns was not stolen and two months later used to kill a three year-old girl in a drive-by across town. The primary purpose of the safe is not to protect the monetary value of my firearms but to help insure a greater peace of mind.
 
Thermal lance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMKBOoAOR7I

Fingernail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kqm4S9-m9Y

CA DOJ Approved! Takes two seconds and the trick is as faster than dialing the combo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0uFipsjqXw

Paperclip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPcmZ7zIqfo What a man won't do for a beer.

Robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPcmZ7zIqfo and a similar device can be made for use on push buttons, the time out delay makes this less appealing than the thermal lance.
 
Point Blank any safe can be breached by a professional as can most Vaults if the have the time and know how. I worked in Banking until quite recently at numerous different branches and although my background is commercial lending I also got roped into being in charge of Bank Security for a small bankgroup as one of my past duties. I can tell you that safes and vaults are their to keep out amateurs not experts. Honestly the best reason for a gun safe is to keep kids out and protect your guns from fire.
 
What Criminal in their right mind is going to spend hours ripping out sheet rock

Very few, and thats the point. Most don't realize that the RSC they have can be ripped open in less than 10 minutes with just hand tools. Less than two minutes once its on the floor, and we'll say 5 minutes to get it off the bolts and knocked over.
 
Most don't realize that the RSC they have can be ripped open in less than 10 minutes with just hand tools.

True, but I mean now days lets see. Most homes have Home Theater Systems, Plasma TV's, High End PC's, High End appliances. Now I may be smarter than most criminals. But if I had 5-10 minutes to spend in a House I was robbing. I'd go for the open visible items that are high $$ items instead of wasting 10 minutes HOPING that by chance when I get the safe open there is something worth more than a Plasma TV, Home Theater System, Computer, Jewelry in there.

I mean don't get me wrong. Yes go out buy expensive safes. But I'd rather put those resources into makeing my house in penetrable.
 
I don't know that my safe is any better than the one tested, but it does have locking bolts on the top and bottom.

If someone had a pry bar that big, I doubt anything short of full blown anchor bolts into the foundation are going to help.
 
any safe can be breached by a "pro" but almost anybody can break into a "RSC" or "safe" like 95% of the ones on the market that one can breach with a fire ax or a sledge hammer. Why waste time attacking the door, when you can attack the sides. To get the "rsc" cert, (residencial securit container) only requires that someone with a hammer and a screw driver is detered by 5 minutes! there are members here that sell safes (real ones) for a living that have writen books about this subject. I am no expert by any means, but i have read a lot bout safes or "rsc's" and i would not trust my guns to one. I am saving my pennies for a Graffunder or a TL30 rated American Security safe. a REAL safe not a Cabellas special RSC. Any "safe" can be breached, but a real safe like a graffunder or a TL30 rated Amsec is much harder. just my thoughts.
 
Quote:
Paying massive amounts for safes is a bit ridiculous imo.

In my personal value system, it is worth a fair amount to know that one of my guns was not stolen and two months later used to kill a three year-old girl in a drive-by across town. The primary purpose of the safe is not to protect the monetary value of my firearms but to help insure a greater peace of mind.

The cost of the safe you describe approaches infinity. With even the most expensive safe, all a bad guy has to do is coerce you to give him the combination.

Or have - what? - 8 hours alone with the safe? Do you ever leave your house and safe for more than 8 hours? That's a long time. And there are a lot of neat cutting tools available at Home Depot. And a lot of safe-cracking tips on the internet.

The bottom line is that THE BAD GUY is the bad guy, the bad guy is NOT the victim from whom the BAD GUY stole the gun, the money, the car, the knife or the baseball bat to commit another crime.

Heck - by the argument of stopping further crime, we should all lock up our whiskey and our chainsaws every night.

How can I ever afford a big enough safe?
 
a1abdj,
I appreciate your sharing with us again.

We have another member in the Safe/Lock business as well, I apologize for forgetting his user name.

Folks,

As one that grew up and have all my life dealt with Security, including Safes, and Professional Safe/Lock/Alarm folks, some valuable information in this thread and others that have been posted.

-What are you getting for the money?
-What are your needs, and projected needs?

a1abdj, shared some information and pictures.
I agree and support him-

-Professional Safe Persons know these things
-Folks like me are aware of these things being Professional Users if you will
-Professional Thugs, already know about these things.

We cannot let ideas get into some "wannabe's" head to become more a criminal, than they already are.

Visit with a1abdj, or folks like him, explain your needs, and budget.
Listen, pay attention, and and questions. If can , plan ahead.
Be patient, as sometimes some used safes are coming available, and if you have discussed beforehand, then these Safe/Lock/Alarm folks will have you in mind, or be looking for something to fit your needs and budget.
 
A thief lazy by nature. They want to get something without having to work for it. If you make your place harder to break in to, they will simply move on to an easier target. Fences, dogs, exterior lighting all deter theft. So does an alarm system. But really, all you need is the alarm companys warning sign out front where it is visable to cars passing by. Another great deterant that will only cost a dollar or two is a "beware of dog" sign. It is really irrelivant if you have a dog or not, just the sight of the sign will disuade most would be theives from further investigation. Little things like this will go a long way towards not having to rely on physical barriers like a safe door to secure your valubles.

OS
 
There's been a lot of good information on this thread, and I appreciate all the posters that have shared.

It is clear that there are different levels of security afforded by different qualities of safes, RSCs, whatever.

But I do think we kinda miss something in this discussion. We have the tendency to discuss things of what is "absolutely the best." We speak like anything but the best is worthless.

We see this often in Rifle Country when discussing "What Caliber is best for....?" and in Handguns where we see the "What is the best handgun for....?" And it just goes on and on.

Nothing wrong with that per se. We learn a lot about things as we discuss them. We learn about the strengths of our choices and we learn their weaknesses.

So, in that spirit, I submit another perspective on Gunsafes. I use the term "Gunsafe" as a catch-all term to encompass all RSC's Gun Safes, Safes, Industrial-strength safes, Commercial-grade safes, cabinets, etc. It’s just easier to type.


We've had posters discuss bolting down to make it harder to get into them. We have had posters discuss placing it in areas where it will be harder to get into such as a closet or corner. Probably both really good ideas. Of course, those points have been countered as well.

The reality is that there is NO safe that is theft-proof. We should not buy one with that expectation. We have to balance security with affordability. The most secure safe in the world does no one any good if they have to cash out their 401(k) and get a second mortgage to get it.


As I see it, Gunsafes serve three primary purposes:

1. Keeping unsafe hands from having guns in them. I grew up in a home that had one of those beautiful wood and glass display gun cabinets. It did NOTHING to prevent theft, but the lock DID keep me from playing with Dad's guns. My mother's father had his guns on a rack in the living room. ANYONE could handle them and they were always loaded. It’s no coincidence that all of my mother's brothers had a horrible view of gun safety.


2. Dissuading the average "smash-and-grab" thief from getting your guns. Most home robberies are the guy coming in for a quick steal. They aren't bringing the serious tools to get into a gunsafe.

3. Delay factor. This is the best feature of a gunsafe. You want them to take time to get into it.



Most homes these days have monitored ALARM SYSTEMS. If you don't have one, you need to have one. They are not expensive and are likely the BEST theft deterrent you have. As I see it, once the thief gets in, the clock starts ticking. The cops are on the way.

Now, where I live, a call will not produce a cop in less than 20 minutes. That's a fairly long time and I use that as my baseline.

While they are robbing your house, the alarm is SCREAMING. I've set off my Dad's more than once. It's not enjoyable. This has 1.) A deterrent factor where a thief is likely to abandon his efforts and 2.) The noise makes concentration far more difficult and adds a level of stress to the endeavor.

But let's say the he wants to proceed.

As I said, the alarm is going crazy with ear-piercing noise. Now he has to go through your home for goodies (They're always looking for me Lucky Charms! :what: )

If you have a gunsafe in a less-than-obvious place, that takes time. Remember-- the cops are on the way. Now that he finds it, he has to get into it. More time. Remember-- the cops are on the way.

In my case, I have my safe in a room that has a 100-year-old 1.5 inch heart-pine door with a deadbolt installed. The hinge pins are on the inside. Just getting through that door takes a bit of effort. More time. Remember- the cops are on the way.

Now they find the gunsafe. They have to get into it. Using what has been said on this thread, making use of bolting down and walls as obstructions adds time to the effort. In my case, I don't think it’s the sheetrock that they have to worry about. It's the 1x4's my walls are made of UNDER the sheetrock that will stop a lot of leverage attempts. But I recognize that this isn't the construction technique of houses today.

At any rate... They get to the gunsafe and now they have to get into it. As I figure it, they have already wasted a lot of time. Remember-- the cops are coming.

As I see it, they likely have burned their 20 minutes before they get the goodies out of my house.


Therefore, the safe HAS performed its function.


Now, in my home and lawn I have additional measures that burn time and make the life of a crook excessively difficult. I've been restoring a home built by my Great-Grandfather since Feb. Throughout this entire process, I've been cognizant of security even though I've had to work with the original design of the house. Obviously, I won't go into details on a public forum, but let’s just say that there is a LOT you can do to burn time and add a deterrent factor you a multi-layered security design without spending a tremendous amount of money. (And not talking about booby traps, broken glass, or other questionable practices.) Will what I've done work? Dunno. Nothing is fool-proof. But I feel better knowing I did.

When I got broken into last December, I paid a LOT of attention to how the thief did it. I paid attention to his obvious route and priority targets. (It was obvious that I was cased.)


This brings up another point. Be VERY cognizant of WHO you have EVER let into your home. In my case, I can count on ONE hand the number of people who came in over the time I was living in that location-- close family excluded. All of those were workers such as plumbers or electricians. The likely suspects were a tree-surgeon business from out-of-state (who disappeared when questions arose.)



Anyway...that's my thoughts.


-- John
 
mixed ramblings....

The problem with ANY safe is that it obviously contains valuables.

The absolute safest way to hide things is to disguise them as something else.

I lean strongly in this direction. A safe brings unwanted advertising that there is something valuable to be had. Seeing a safe, an otherwise smash and grab burglar might be tempted to pull a stunt like the two bums-turned-monsters in CT who bludgeoned the dad, coerced the mom into making a bank withdrawal and tied up, raped and burned alive the young daughters.

I really like creative ideas like the hot water heater and breaker box ones mentioned earlier.

the problem with that route is that the owner must exercise discretion as to who he tells about his "secure" hiding places.

Only a problem for people who feel the need to brag and show off their wealth in order to make themselves feel significant. Keeping secrets may be a lost art in this “Oprah generation”, but it’s an important and valuable personal “skill” worth developing.

Most homes these days have monitored ALARM SYSTEMS.

Man, what planet do you live on?

Now to wax philosophic....

from the perspective of a home owner in small town USA, with a family who works a day job (not a business owner with receipts and valuable merchandise).

I don’t brag about my guns or tools, nor do I drive a vehicle that shouts “More money than brains”. If I won the lottery tomorrow, a year from now I’d still be driving an eight year old Ford Ranger with >100k miles on it. No fancy gold chains. No giant rocks on my wife’s fingers. We live a modest life and seek out the treasures that money can’t buy. Those treasures eat a lot of groceries and are best defended by mom and dad's discretion, dad's CCW (and hopefully some day soon, mom's) and not having television (other than approved videos)

If loose lips sink ships (which they really do) our society…with it’s freedom of any sensitive gov’t info. laws … but absolute security about whether or not Skippy is allergic to peanut butter… is doomed. What’s that blub, blub, blub noise I hear?

and why not go out on a big box rant.

Wal-Mart and Home Depot invaded my area (it was only a matter of time) and the old feed mill/hardware store got made over into offices, half of which stand empty. We also lost a fine old family-run lumber yard to the HD store, and at least 2 other long-time local hardware stores to the Wal-Mart.

Ah, but look at how many $7/hr part time jobs with no benefits you gained! All so us Average Joe consumers could buy kids toys with lead paint and pot metal tools.
 
Well said. Which is why I say imo that it's better to spend more $$ on securing your home as a whole than to buy a super expensive safe.

Placement is also important. I don't know how many times I've driven by houses that have gun safes in their garage. Thats just getting it half way onto the truck right there lol.

Solid doors on your house with good Door Frames are crucial. Metal reinforced door frames is a pluc. That alone will take a thief some time to breach. Strong windows, plexi would even be better or some other plastic type thats not breakable.
 
UL tests safes for burglar ratings. No need to see the test, you can look for the little metal UL tag riveted to the safe. Insurance companies world wide recognize those tags.

Not sure if it is the same, but I work in the electronics industry and having a UL tag basically means UL extorted a lot of money from you. They rarely seem to "test" for anything truly meaningful. But they are expert at making the government and public think that a UL tag is required. And they're even better at getting cash out of manufacturers.


Would you buy a new Cadillac from Walmart, or from the Cadillac dealer? What if the dealership charged a little more?

If I wanted a Cadillac I could buy it from Costco! Not sure I would get any less service than a Cadillac dealer. As a side note I have bought cars from buying services and didn't miss the dealer "help" one bit.
 
There are a lot of good points brought out by the membership in this thread, and I agree with much of it.

The point I'm mostly trying to drive home is that there is no simple single solution to your security needs. Anybody that calls me on the phone is well aware of this.

The biggest problem I see is people taking measures, such as buying a safe, that will do little or nothing to solve their actual problem. People are using gun safes to store everything except guns, and that can be disastrous. If you need protection, you need the proper protection. Without the proper protection, you're living with a very false sense of security.

If I wanted a Cadillac I could buy it from Costco! Not sure I would get any less service than a Cadillac dealer. As a side note I have bought cars from buying services and didn't miss the dealer "help" one bit.

So when your new Cadillac needs some warranty repair work, did you take it to Costco or back to the Cadillac plant? I'm a Costco member myself, and I understand buying services. The Cadillac still comes from a dealership, those services are stricly a price negotiator.

The safe situation is very similar. You need product information that only professionals have. You'll very possibly need services that only the professionals provide. Why not deal directly with the professional, especially when the prices are the same.
 
You need product information that only professionals have. You'll very possibly need services that only the professionals provide.

I doubt that there is very much "product information that only professionals have" anymore. The web has changed all that - you have a massive filtering issue (of course), but there is very little in information that is not available. At the very least, some other professional usually has posted it on their site.

So the advantage of dealing with a professional safe company is related to the probability that you are going to need their services, the difference in purchase cost, and the cost of the service for a safe purchased from the service provider, and the cost of service if purchased from somewhere else.

For example, if I can buy a safe for $1000 from Discount-Safes-R-US, and $1500 from Professional-Safes-R-Us, and a service call costs $200 more from Professional-Safes-R-Us if I don't buy from them, unless I expect to need his services more than twice in the next 5 years or so, Discount-Safes-R-US is a better deal.

I also don't have the much vaunted "sense of security" - I expect my safe to keep by guns away from my kids' friends, and to provide some delay to a single burglar with nothing but a screwdriver. Not much else.

So give us some hard numbers. Give us an apples-to-apples comparison between what we would pay for the same safe from a discount store, and what we'd pay from a "professional"?

Mike
 
I once "made" a gunsafe with 625 Inconnel .063 sheet and a Challenger crew entry door latch. Built it into a closet.
You should have seen the look on the guys wife's face when they were looking at the house to buy. It was a deal maker.
I firmly believe that a good safe it only as good as the location it is at.
Yeah, Inconnel is pricey, but it was just kinda lounging around the shop after a project...........:rolleyes:
 
Seriously, What kind of SERVICE could POSSIBLY need done on a safe that would be the decision breaker for you. You'd probably pay 300.00 extra for some "special grease".

Please. Thats like going to Home Depot and buying their warranty on a Metal Hammer in case you need repairs LOL.
 
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