gun safes vs gun cabinets

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sauer1911

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while I was at work, my wife texted me that she received notice that our home security system was activated thru the garage sensor. :eek: Sheriffs showed up and searched the surrounding area found nothing out of order.:uhoh:

All the time I was thinking that someone had accessed the garage, gotten into my "steel cabinets" and how feeble an attempt at securing my cache was with Stack-on Steel gun cabinets.:banghead:

I spent 3 hours waiting for my wife to get home to the house to check out the situation. What had happened was one of the sensors had failed in the garage system. Whew! I was exhausted from the thought of violation/theft/adreneline rush that I had from wondering what had happened.:barf:

Now, I had the alarm system installed after my home was targeted years earlier.

I guess my point is, if your gonna swing, swing for the fence. Get the best security that you can afford, then go a little more.

I have ordered a 24 gun safe that is fireproof, heavy, thick and will be bolted to concrete with 4 big alloy bolts.

peace of mind is the goal, gun cabinets doesn't do it. All I could see was these twisted, busted, bent boxes that were now empty. blech

I'll now use the steel cabinets for reloading supplies, after I punch some holes in the steel for venting.

Dont waste your money on half measures, they avail you nothing, except empty pockets.

be safe.
 
Yep, used to have those worries too. Poured form concrete room, security system, video cameras, a Sturdy safe, 3 Dobermans, and a wife that now works from home. No more worries.
 
yes, that is what i said.:confused:

Tell me was your pinky extended while sipping tea and typing your retort?:neener:

I think I exposed the facts for the benefit of others, that would take the time to READ, digest and hopefully learn from my shortcomings.

Thanks for your stunning input.:scrutiny:

be safe.
 
Well, you said your "cache" was in the garage.

Some people have a number of different cache locations with different contents.

Not everybody refers to their overall firearm collection using that term. I sought clarification. I apologize for upsetting you.
 
I'm in Houston, with this humidity the garage is out of the question for firearms or ammunition. That being said, otherwise, if one's garage is more secure than the home (usually not) then that's the better location.

But I can relate to the OP. I had a Stack On cabinet bolted to the drywall in a closet, living in a fool's paradise. I have a 24 gun RSC now.
 
I guess my point is, if your gonna swing, swing for the fence. Get the best security that you can afford, then go a little more.

You aren't kidding.

Nothing says "pick a different house" than 3600 pounds of steel bolted down to reinforced concrete.

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Door thickness;

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Frame thickness;

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Door seam is so tight you can't slip a credit card in.

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For two years or so I rolled without any kind of protection for my guns. Then about a month ago or so I bought me a challenger (champion) 24 gun safe. I bolted it to the sub floor of my laminate floor. Now I don't really worry as much about my guns getting stolen.

If I recall correctly it weighs about 525-550 empty.
 
The more recent use of cameras and sensors and wireless technolgy has raised the bar in terms of defeating your typical home security system. For the most part, all it took was to turn the power off or cut wire to the main control box.
 
Your firearm collection is in cabinets in the garage?

yes, that is what i said.

Wow. With responses like that to a question you aren't going to earn many friends on THR.

I have ordered a 24 gun safe that is fireproof, heavy, thick and will be bolted to concrete with 4 big alloy bolts.

Where are you putting your new safe?

Before you jump down my throat about my question basements usually have concrete floors and in many parts of the country houses are built on a concrete slab.
 
Nothing more than an honest reply to a question that was already disclosed if comprehended in the first reading. Not looking for someone to look down their nose at me. I felt I was being open and honest at my shortcomings. If read and comprehended the first time, what would be the reason for asking a rhetorical question? Other than to take a low road with the reply?

Anyway, basements are few and far between in the southwest of California.

The safe will be attached to the concrete foundation of the property somewhere between the house and attached garage.

My point is do the best you can to protect what is yours and dont suffer fools when being honest.

be safe
 
I'm in Houston, with this humidity the garage is out of the question for firearms or ammunition.

I am in the same area and one of my safes is in the garage. Never a single issue with rust on my guns. Course I also use the huge silica desiccant containers in there.
 
I am in the same area and one of my safes is in the garage. Never a single issue with rust on my guns. Course I also use the huge silica desiccant containers in there.

Do you use the ones you bake dry in the oven/how often does that need to be done?
 
WARP NO worries, I accept your apology fully.;)

It's just that sometimes people say things that can be taken the wrong way, like "cache" or "you'll not make friends with that attitude". I have many guns in different places, but the majority of them are now in a gun safe, not a steel locking cabinet.

I have respect for those I can converse with and make amends, that is conversation. That is good.:D

Take the High Road, choose to be honest. I apologize if I came off as brash, I just dont like keyboardists who try to dictate to me how to behave. :mad:

If you cannot stay on the subject, why post? So you can hear yourself type?:banghead:

The small dustup was between you and myself, it is over. No need for others to jump on the bandwagon and spout their opinions that are off the topic of the post, which is "GUN SAFES VS GUN CABINETS"

be safe.
 
Do you use the ones you bake dry in the oven/how often does that need to be done?

Yes, probably averages to about 4 times a year that I bake them. I replace them every couple years, because they do start to rust a little.
 
Fella's;

If you are contemplating getting an RSC, do watch the Youtube video "Security On Sale". It's been out a while, but still will give you good information.

Bolting your RSC will triple or quadruple the time it takes to pop a typical RSC as is shown in the video. A layered defense will up your odds of having your collection survive intact a serious home burglary attempt. I would strongly suggest having an alarm system specifically address thermal protection in case of a serious home fire. Regardless of the time/temp figures given by the various RSC makers, none of them truly offer good enough thermal protection. A home sprinkler system in the RSC area at a minimum is also a good idea.

Also take a look at the cost/benefit ratio of an RSC, alarm system, sprinkler, pedigreed Dobermans, vet bills, dog food, time spent scooping, and wife complaining about that danged dog hair on her clothes. You might be surprised at how cheap a true safe, not an RSC, actually is.

900F

And yes, some of that last paragraph is kinda tongue-in-cheek.
 
The safe will be attached to the concrete foundation of the property somewhere between the house and attached garage.

Might I suggest a corner of the foundation? My house is on a slab, and our safe in the corner of a downstairs room which is also the outer corner of the house. If there is a house fire or flood, or anything else that can effect the structural strength of the house etc... having a safe at the corner of the foundation with the most house frame support around it seemed like a good idea to me.
 
Trent, when I win the lotto I have to get one of those, may be two. WOW!!!

CB900F, no worries, I got the humor. No issues with the wife, probably why I married her. We used to run Doberman rescue, had as many as 15 at one time, so 3 is easy, lol.
 
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I started out with one of those Stack On metal cabinets. After purchasing a safe, I converted the Stack On to an ammo cabinet. I lined the inside with plywood and screwed angle metal to the plywood then placed heavy gauge sheet metal on the angle for shelves. I liked the way it turned out so well that I purchased another cabinet cheap at an auction and made a second one.
 
The problem is that there is no such thing as a fire proof safe or a 10O% secure safe.

A wad of cash will discourage petty burglars and buy you a few hours in a house fire. But professional will get thought it, a fire that destroys the whole house will get through it and the water from the fire dept will get through.

Gotta do what otrman did and even then your still at risk of major fire.
 
Out of sight and well thought out areas for those Stack On security cabinets is a good plan. No such thing as 100% protected and it is a cost vs benefit thing. When I built my house there were several locations they were built in. I will take my chances in a break in if there is one found. Also if you have the insurance for full replacement coverage and up to date that helps. I am more concerned about the neighborhood teenagers than a hardened criminal. Not a lot of things that make someone think that my house is worth a second look.;)
 
A friend hides his good guns in several places inside the house, and leaves a couple of cheapie throwaways racked on the wall as decoys, in the hopes that the bad guys will grab them and go.

Good strategy or not?
 
If they use the cheap decoys and something bad happens with those guns, i.e. a kaboom, or assault or robbery, SOMEONE will try to sue YOU.

Whether its the local LEO's or the people who stole it in the first place. It is a misdemeanor to have un secured weapons where I live, within a certain distance to an elementary school and middle school.

gotta be locked up, with quick access like a finger combo box.

be safe
 
Perhaps I'm looking at it different, but it looks a though the safe in the picture is so heavy that it is bowing the floor although I know that isn't the case as the post says it is sitting on reinforced concrete.

Just a thought, the floor of a standard residence should have extra bracing/support as the weight if the safe could be considered a load bearing area. I'm not contractor, but I would think 1000 +lbs would put undue stress on a standard floor.

As for decoys, it might work for an opportunistic crackhead, but it won't work for someone who watches you load and unload your collection every range trip.
 
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