Gun Safe Mounting Options?

[Mot45acp]

Gun safe, RSC Vault whatever....that has been hashed out.

The common advise given is to mount the BIG OL FRICKIN LOCKABLE METAL BOX into a corner to minimize access to the sides.

This eliminates an attack from one of the sides and the rear. (unless they go through the wall). While leaving one side and the front open to attack.

My question is, if you place the safe at a 45 degree angle in a corner, would that help in any way?

It does leave the back exposed but space is limited to swing an ax or sledge. If the walls are at a 45 degree angle to the exterior walls wouldn't that limit the angle to swing said big tools? Leaving only the front.

Or am I missing something?

Anyone see one mounted like this?

Of course it will be bolted down, to avoid tipping.

Whatcha ya'll think?

 

[scrat]

i think its fine overall its up to you. Saying to mount it in a corner so no one can get to the side. Well if they did can you imagine what they would have to use to get into the safe. the equipment needed and time it would take the average person. Or burgluar would be way too long. so dont worry about it

 

[hardwarehacker]

Bolts are very strong in terms of pull straight down their long axis, but can snap fairly easily if bending force is applied. When the side of the box is right up against the wall, about all anyone can do is pull on the bolts, which is what they are designed to withstand.

Drive a long deck screw part way into a board, then try to pull it straight out. Very difficult. Now try bending it sideways and watch it break right off. You need to install your vault so that someone with a big prybar can't get behind one edge and twist it around. If they can make it rotate even a little bit, they can probably break the bolts. You need to attach it down both sides so that it cannot be turned at all

 

[OOOXOOO]

One of the reasons you want it up against a wall on two sides is the fact that you can pry the door open. If you mount it at a 45 degree angle a burglar could get the door open without moving the safe. When I installed mine I put four 1/2 inch concrete lag screws through the floor of the safe( one in each corner, as close to the corner as possible). I also drilled through the back and sides of the safe. Then I shot 2 inch long 3/8 inch wood lag screws into the wall behind and to one side of the safe. In addition I located the safe so the door hinge is away from the wall that is lag screwed. This way you only have about 2 inches to work on the weakest part of the safe.

 

[21H40]

The deck screw is hardened differently and won't bend like a 3/8" or 1/2" bolt can.

If you use 1/2" steel bolts with good anchors (or construction epoxy), you ought to be good for 99% of theft risks.

Generally, the intention is to make theft either require big tools or take more than 5 minutes. If you want "impervious" you have to go with 12" reinforced concrete walls or better!

 

[NvTwist]

Mounting a safe at a 45° in a corner would significantly reduce the effectiveness of a pry-bar by reducing it's available work space by brining the walls closer. But in order for that to work the front panel of the safe (the door) NOT the back panel would have to be flush with the two adjacent walls. In order to do that you would have to recess the safe into both walls. If you simply place the safe in the corner at a 45° angle with the back Panel up agaist the walls it places the front panel (door) a good distance away from the walls, also you'd expose all four sides to attack. Security bolts could only be installed into the floor instead of two walls and the floor.
To get the 45° way to work the safe would have to be recessed into the corner. You'll have to reframe and also beef up the walls around and behind the safe. Doing so would provide a bit more protection from thief's with pry-bars and sledge hammers compared to a safe thats installed the traditional way.
Thats a-lot of Money and Reframing of two or possibly four walls depending on what's on the other side of the corner where you want to place the safe.

I would rather take that money and invest it into buying a higher quality safe and installed the traditional way, Bolted to the floor and two walls. Another benefit is if I decide to relocate it to another location it's easily done.

 

[Sean Dempsey]

I dont want to start a new thread, but I have a question:

I have a smaller sized little safe, and I want to bolt it into the concrete in my floor. Do people usually remove the carpeting first when doing this? It's going in a closet, so I can use concrete bolts in the bottom and then wood lag bolts into studs.

Just curious. Can probably tighten the concrete bolts enough where carpet doesn't matter, but I am not sure.

 

[21H40]

Just cut a small hole (or slit) into the carpet before you drill into the concrete. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, unless you've got 6" mohair shag carpet

 

[CB900F]

Mot45acp;

There are a few RSC's designed to be mounted in corners. Basically, they are close to triangular in shape, and being so, they are a very effective use of space. I have not seen a true safe in that configuration. Which is not to say that one couldn't be built.

However: "Or am I missing something?" The short answer is yes.

900F