Good deal on gun safes?

[Mooseman]

I live just outside Philadelphia PA and the time has come to invest in a decent gun safe. The best deal I've seen so far is the 8.2 Cubic foot one from Lowe's for about $400. Any better deals you folks are aware of? I need something better than a heavy sheet metal cabinet but I can't afford an uber expensive bank vault either, in fact I really don't want to go higher than the $400. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[AJ Dual]

My best advice is to look for business or government auctions/liquidations, where the business or facility is shutting down and everything is being sold. (Not a "going out of business sale", but the one after that, where the office furniture & fixtures are up for grabs...)

You might be able to find a "real safe". They're heavy and cumbersome, and because of that, the liquidating business is anxious to get rid of it, and other bidders/buyers don't want them. So with a little luck, you might get one for a song, as long as you can prove you can handle it and transport it yourself.

The gun safes that you regard as "too expensive" (over $400) aren't even really "safes", either by the locksmithing industry or Underwriter Laborotories. They're considered RSC's, Residential Security Containers.

So if you hunt around, you might find a large/tall safe that's actualy rated as a real safe, and is way tougher than even a retail $1500 gun (RSC) "safe". You just have to line up a few strong buddies, get a truck, and rent a piano or refridgerator dolly for a day.

The other possibility is to check all the locksmith or safe dealers in town. They may have used safes or trade-ins availible.

The two downsides are that depending on the model of safe, you may have a locksmithing bill to get the combination changed if it's not user selectable. (Only buy a safe if they can provide the combination, obviously.), and the safe will obviously not be set up for guns inside. However, making some padded plywood racks, should be pretty simple, and hopefully the locksmithing bill will still be minimal as compared to the price of an inferior consumer product.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I live just outside Philadelphia PA and the time has come to invest in a decent gun safe. The best deal I've seen so far is the 8.2 Cubic foot one from Lowe's for about $400. Any better deals you folks are aware of? I need something better than a heavy sheet metal cabinet but I can't afford an uber expensive bank vault either, in fact I really don't want to go higher than the $400. Any suggestions appreciated.

I have the one you are talking about. It works pretty well. I posted a pic of it in the "I think I have cossed into "GUN NUT" territory" thread.

 

[k_semler]

WALMART.COM!!

http://www.walmart.com/guns?path=0:4125:4155:170080

Search for gun safe Pretty good deals, but shipping will rape you

 

[a1abdj]

As somebody who sells safes, I can say that there are good deals to be had on used safes.

However, a good deal for me may not be such a good deal for you. If you buy something that's too heavy for you to move, needs the combination changed, etc..., that used safe will probably cost you a lot more than you are expecting.

We get calls all of the time from people who buy a safe at an auction and the safe can't even go where they want it (due to the weight they were unaware of). They also spend about twice as much as they paid for the safe to have us move it. Also, because it's used, you want a locksmith to go over it before you use it to make sure it's in proper operating condition.

Sometimes it's just cheaper to buy a new safe. In the sub $400 range, you're not going to find much. The Sentry safes in that price range aren't bad for the money.

 

[1 old 0311]

Gander Mt. has a sale going on now.

Kevin

 

[Seven High]

I suggest you run a wanted to buy advertisment in the sporting goods section of the classified ads in your local newspaper.

 

[Braden]

I bought a Sentry safe from Lowes for $386 or so. In fact, it may be the same one you're talking about (14 long gun slots with a little shelf and a little lockable box in the top portion).

For my needs it works just fine. It is bolted to my wall and your average burglar isn't going to take the time to try and break into it. The only thing I would change if I bought another one was the fire rating. The one I have isn't a fire safe. I'd like to have at least a 30 minute fire rating (which could be accomplished by adding a layer of drywall and fire caulk to the inside of the safe, but I haven't gone to the trouble of doing that).

 

[loumarch]

Try Dick's Sporting Goods in Plymouth Meeting. I got a Sentry 16 Gun safe for $366 on sale. It is not fireproof. It was easy to move because it only weighs around 240 pounds.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I personally do not care if it is firesafe.

I know that I personally do not care if my gun vault is firesafe. Insurance would cover them all at replacement cost if they were destroyed in a fire. That would mean I would get to go out and buy all new guns. The only gun I have of sentimental value is in a safe deposit box for the last 12 yrs and not in my home. My only reason for a safe is to keep the average burglar from taking them and using them on an innocent.

 

[cidirkona]

I know it's sad to say, but W*lm*rt still has the best prices I've seen on the non-fire-safe-safes I've seen... (The others are out of my price range and haven't really looked,honestly)

-Colin

 

[The_Antibubba]

After it went on clearance at Wallyworld, I got a Sentry 10-gun safe for under $100. It'll stop the tweakers and crackheads, and they're going to be 99.9% of the problem.