GUN SAFE QUESTION

[johnny blaze]

I am going to buy a Winchester gun safe. I know alot of you will probably reccomend another brand, however, I like this safe and I am getting a really good price on it.
The safe is 60 inches tall, 30 inches wide and 24 inches deep.
My questions are - With the 550 pounds of weight and the size, does this safe really have to be bolted to the floor?
Is a internal heater (dehumidifier) necessary, or are there other means?
Do you think that an interior light is necessary?
And lastly, what do you think of the push key locks?
Any info would be appreciated.

 

[jon1996]

I have the same black and gold winchester 24 gun safe you mentioned I think, I love it, Yes I would bolt it to the floor, the main reason the door is the heaviest part, when you swing it open it could tilt over hurting you or a bystander, I do not use a humidfier or interior light, I have had mine for 2 years now and I see no problems, The only thing I can recommend for you is but a pack of the small 6" bungees, when you put guns on the back row, put the bungees across the barrels to hold them or they will fall over on you, it is tough to get it full I have 27 guns in mine right now and when you place them be sure to put your shooters to the front or you will be cussing,
later,
jon

 

[johnny blaze]

Jon, thanks for the reply. I appreciate the information as I am new to gun safes.

 

[HankB]

My questions are - With the 550 pounds of weight and the size, does this safe really have to be bolted to the floor?

Bolting it to the floor will supposedly deter bad guys from hauling it away or tipping it over if they can't get in. IMHO if someone is prepared to haul it away, they'd probably be prepared to break in, too.

Is a internal heater (dehumidifier) necessary, or are there other means?

I keep a couple of cannisters of silica gel (available from midwayusa.com) in my safe. The disadvantage is that every once in a while I have to "bake" them in the oven to drive off the moisture they've absorbed. The advantage is, no electrical wiring inside the safe.

Do you think that an interior light is necessary?

No. Odds are, it won't light up the whole safe anyway.

And lastly, what do you think of the push key locks?

The electrical ones? I've heard of them failing and requiring the services of a professional to get in, but this is second or third hand (or fourth?) hand info. I prefer a regular S&G dial.

I suggest you put your safe in an inconspicuous location, so casual passerbys, service technicians, etc., don't see it. "Out of sight, out of mind."

 

[1KPerDay]

I haven't bolted my Fort Knox to the floor, and it's extremely stable even with the door open... and me pressing down on it. It's a pretty big/heavy safe, though. I also don't use dehumidifiers as it's very dry where I live; you may need one if you live in a humid locale.

My $.02

 

[BigFatKen]

My Treadwell touch keypad failed and I had to drill the door.

 

[Husker1911]

I love the can-'O-silica, mentioned above. It has a sight window, when the particles turn from purple to pink, bake the can and restore the absorptive properties. I prefer the 750 gram can, available from Brownell's here:
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=6944&s=

As for lighting, I keep a small maglite flashlight on the top shelf of my safe. Works like a champ.! Good luck, you truly won't believe the amount of good old simple peace of mind you'll enjoy the first weekend you leave your house after you install your vault.

 

[Ala Dan]

I have a Liberty 23 gun Colonial Series safe that is not bolted to
the floor. It weighs 565 lbs unloaded, and is prefectly stable; even with
it contents in it. I like it a lot, but one has to understand the limitations
of these residential security containers; better known as (RSC's). My
friend a1abdj is an expert on these containers, and I'm sure he
will be along shortly too give his expert advice.

On the subject of dehumifiers. I have a 18" Goldenrod that I haven't
even plugged up, cuz my central AC unit regulates the temp (and
moisture); and I haven't had a problem. However, I do store all of my
weapons in "Sack Ups"~!

 

[Yakko]

I use a Remington Mini-Dehumidifier that I bought from Cabelas. It uses the silica jel and is a self contained unit.

 

[aguyindallas]

I have a similar safe that you are talking about and mine has the touchpad. Its new, so who knows what the future will bring with that.

I live in a house that has a post tension slab, so I am not going to be drilling into the floor with it.

With regard to golden rods etc...I was told by my safe manufacturer that if the safe is stored in a climate controlled environment (as oposed to a basement, garage etc...) that its not really needed. The safe will assume the external climate on the inside anyway. I left it at that. Rods or drying agents are cheap, so do what you think is best.

Like it has been discussed 2.98 million times, these types of safes (RSC's) are just to slow down/stop the snatch and grab type people, not real professional thieves.

I got what made sense for me, my home, and my collection. To some its not enough, to others its a dream.

 

[saddenedcitizen]

Aguyindallas

You can drill holes into a post-tension slab, just make sure you don't hit a cable ( you can find them by looking for what appear to be round 'patches of concrete' on the outside of the slab )
The holes for bolts won't really weaken the slab and you can use lead anchors to hold them in place.
Have done this myself, all the way up to installing a floor safe in one house ( 'bout and 18" by 18" hole ) with no problems.
The floor safe is where I learned not to hit one of the cables with an electric jackhammer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cacique500]

Mine is a 35 cu. ft Liberty and it is not bolted. I do have a goldenrod dehumidifier and it's worked like a charm for years...no rust whatsoever even in humid climates.

Just remember the cardinal rule of safes - if you think the one you're looking at is big enough, it's not. Get the absolute largest safe you can...you *will* fill it up eventually.

 

[johnny blaze]

Thanks everyone for the information.
I know that a professional can probably get into the safe, but this is going to secure my peace of mind of a grab and run, which most of the break ins are in this county.
I know that I may out grow this one, so who knows, maybe a second one in the future if this happens.
Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[4v50 Gary]

If the contents are worth keeping...

Bolt it, lest the entire safe is hauled away and opened at their leisure elsewhere.

 

[cz75bdneos22]

i'm beginning to look for a safe myself after i had my firearms stolen...:banghead: should have bought a safe before they got stolen, but anyways...i don't need to be told twice i was in the wrong... now, my needs are storage for upto 10 handguns, 3 rifles and various gadgets/accessories..no need to be fireproof, must be heavy enough to not be carried away, no electronic lock mechanism , no more than $700, floor standing. any suggestions?...i will get a safe before i start replacing my stolen firearms collection...

 

[a1abdj]

As far as bolting a safe down:

You are purchasing a gun safe to protect your guns. Since you're going through the effort of purchasing the safe, you should spend the few minutes it takes to bolt it to a floor or wall.

I have seen 5,000 pound safes "walk off". Myself and my delivery manager (270 pounds combined weight) can slide a 1,000 pound safe across carpet, tile, and wood floors without any equipment. Keep in mind that a theif isn't going to care if he scratches your floors or walls. I have seen safes thrown down stairs and out of windows to get them out of a building.

Even if the person doesn't get the safe out of your house, what type of damage would happen to your firearms if they tipped the safe over?

It's just another layer of protection that's easy to add. I don't understand why so many people don't bolt them down.

 

[hoghunting]

I would bolt the safe down.

I use a golden rod in my safe and have not had any rusting problems. I live in TX where we have too much humidity and it's easy to put the rod in and it's cheap insurance.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

Johnny Blaze,

Get that safe. It is "good enough"...There's another thread already on safes, and I posted a picture of a Liberty safe that got ripped into in about 90 seconds using an axe. No "gun safe" is safe from a determined burglar. So spending 2x as much money will give you ZERO increase in security.

NOW, in my area, the vast, vast majority of thefts are smash and grab. Usually teenagers or young guys looking to break in through a window or backdoor, grab a DVD player or something of value quickly then leave fast. This safe should deter or stop these types. That is the goal.

As for humidity. I don't have a humidity problem (even though I'm in Florida) because I run the AC pretty cold. I do have a few little bags of silica gel in the safe. I don't know how well they work, but it hasn't been a major issue. No matter what, the proper care of firearms requires that you take them out and clean them or inspect them every once in a while. If you've left them unattended long enough to where they've rusted, that is neglect. Again, this is assuming your safe isn't in a sauna type environment.


I'd bolt it down. Not because someone is going to haul it off, but even at 550lbs, a stupid irritated teenage thug can tip it over out of spitefulness. That can break the handle or destroy the combination pad. That will be a pain in the butt to get fixed, regardless of the warranty. A destroyed lock will leave you no access to your firearms. To haul it off, one would need a appliance dolly and a truck, and possible a strong friend to help. With all the guns and ammo I keep in there, it is no doubt over 800lbs.

 

[arthurcw]

My Brother in Law and sister were broken into several years back. The thieves took a bunch of stuff but not the guns because they were in a VERY HEAVY gun safe that was bolted to the wall.
2 days later the thieves returned and cut it from the wall and walked off with it.

Bolt it to the floor AND blot it to the wall. Make it as big a Pain in the @$$ for the bastages to move.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

WOW.


That's determined. Now I know what to put in my safe if I am ever burglarized...

 

[mmike87]

My Brother in Law and sister were broken into several years back. The thieves took a bunch of stuff but not the guns because they were in a VERY HEAVY gun safe that was bolted to the wall.
2 days later the thieves returned and cut it from the wall and walked off with it.

That really, really, REALLY sucks. Talk about bad luck.

 

[LOST SOUL]

I have two of the same Winchester safes, And love them and have been yery happy with them.

 

[2400]

Do you think that an interior light is necessary?

I use Coleman tent lights in my safes. They're small, magnetic, cheap(under $9.00) and will stick anywhere in your safe. I've got 3 in each safe, 1 on the top and 1 on each side.

 

[a1abdj]

No "gun safe" is safe from a determined burglar. So spending 2x as much money will give you ZERO increase in security.

Technically no safe is safe from a determined burglar. Anything that one man designs, another can defeat.

However, there are some gun safes that are more secure than others. AMSEC and Graffunder are two companies that come to mind. AMSEC builds the only UL burglary rated safe that I'm aware of, and weighs in at just under 3,500 pounds. Graffunder also build very heavy safes using substantial steel.

Even staying in the lower price ranges, there are safes that offer better protection than others. The AMSEC BF series uses a 1/2" plate door, and composite body construction. The AMSEC is priced the same as other big name safe companies using much thinner steel, and more primitive fire linings.

As far as stopping smash and grab theives, you don't even need a safe. A little $50 sheet steel cabinet will stop somebody in a hurry just as much as a $10,000 jeweler's safe. Many of these gun safes are no more secure than a nice filing cabinet, so if you're just looking to stop the smash and grab theif there's no sense in wasting a lot of money on a safe that you don't need one.
This is especially true if you don't have an extremely valuable collection.

If you do have a valuable collection, then it doesn't matter whether it's guns, coins, jewelry, etc... The higher the value of your collection, the higher safe rating you need. Once you exceed $5,000 to $10,000 worth of stuff, you should get it out of a gun safe, and into a real safe.