Winger Ed.
Member
'Gun safes' vs 'real safes':
First: I'm not a locksmith*
*
If the safe or vault door is open, I can change a finicky lock quicker than most, but not 'fix' the old one.LOL
**
Anyway:
Although not a locksmith, I do work for a 'real' safe company.
I work out back, in the shop; fixing, painting, repairing, rebuilding, restoring antique safes/vaults, and fabricating parts or installing locks & such for special orders and new instalations.
From what I've seen as a shooter, firearms and homeowner, that has had, and worked on or with both types of safe:
Most of the 'gun safes' you see on the market are a 1/8th inch or so thick steel box with a big heavy door and fancy lock. And you can pick them up and move them around like a unusually heavy refrigerator unless they are bolted to a concrete floor.
Sure the specs. on the door, bolts, and even the lock are impressive. But, attacking the sides, top, or backside with a even common fire ax will usually result in about a 6" gash with each stroke. The average size guy can rip open about a 5 foot by 2 foot pannel in what? 5 minutes or so? But,,,, a 'gun safe' does keep almost all the High School kids, junkies, and your children out..........
Oh, and if your 'gun safe' is fire resistant, that normally means you paid a extra hundred or so dollars to have 1/2" sheetrock glued to the inside before the manufacturer laid in the carpet against the outter walls.
///////////
A 'real safe'? Yeah, you can get into it too,,,,, eventually.
But, the difference being:
They usually have a 1/8th inch or so outter shell-- like the walls of a 'gun safe', and a 2 inch or so gap between that and thier inner wall, which is made with between 1/4" and 1 inch steel*** (ya get what ya pay for). This gap serves as a mold, and is filled with concrete that should have a agragate of Carborundum 'rocks' (sort of a cheap, man made/synthetic diamond) instead of gravel.
***
See above posts refering to TL-15 and TL 30 ratings
***
The Carborundum rocks used as a filler in the concrete are what they make grinding wheels and grinder discs with. They eat drill bits and saw blades as fast as you touch them with one. Plus this concrete mix insulates against fire real well too--- at least as good as a 1/2" piece of sheetrock.
////////////////
The only other difference between a 'real safe' and a 'gun safe' is about $3-5,000 (make your best deal with the salesman) dollars and 4-6,000 pounds (plus shipping).
First: I'm not a locksmith*
*
If the safe or vault door is open, I can change a finicky lock quicker than most, but not 'fix' the old one.LOL
**
Anyway:
Although not a locksmith, I do work for a 'real' safe company.
I work out back, in the shop; fixing, painting, repairing, rebuilding, restoring antique safes/vaults, and fabricating parts or installing locks & such for special orders and new instalations.
From what I've seen as a shooter, firearms and homeowner, that has had, and worked on or with both types of safe:
Most of the 'gun safes' you see on the market are a 1/8th inch or so thick steel box with a big heavy door and fancy lock. And you can pick them up and move them around like a unusually heavy refrigerator unless they are bolted to a concrete floor.
Sure the specs. on the door, bolts, and even the lock are impressive. But, attacking the sides, top, or backside with a even common fire ax will usually result in about a 6" gash with each stroke. The average size guy can rip open about a 5 foot by 2 foot pannel in what? 5 minutes or so? But,,,, a 'gun safe' does keep almost all the High School kids, junkies, and your children out..........
Oh, and if your 'gun safe' is fire resistant, that normally means you paid a extra hundred or so dollars to have 1/2" sheetrock glued to the inside before the manufacturer laid in the carpet against the outter walls.
///////////
A 'real safe'? Yeah, you can get into it too,,,,, eventually.
But, the difference being:
They usually have a 1/8th inch or so outter shell-- like the walls of a 'gun safe', and a 2 inch or so gap between that and thier inner wall, which is made with between 1/4" and 1 inch steel*** (ya get what ya pay for). This gap serves as a mold, and is filled with concrete that should have a agragate of Carborundum 'rocks' (sort of a cheap, man made/synthetic diamond) instead of gravel.
***
See above posts refering to TL-15 and TL 30 ratings
***
The Carborundum rocks used as a filler in the concrete are what they make grinding wheels and grinder discs with. They eat drill bits and saw blades as fast as you touch them with one. Plus this concrete mix insulates against fire real well too--- at least as good as a 1/2" piece of sheetrock.
////////////////
The only other difference between a 'real safe' and a 'gun safe' is about $3-5,000 (make your best deal with the salesman) dollars and 4-6,000 pounds (plus shipping).
