How do you move a big gun safe into a house?
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Hoxviii
Member
I've moved one that size, took 3 normal sized people, a safe dolly (same as a refrigerator dolly, just more HD), a wrecking bar, and two hump straps.
It isn't too tough with the right gear and people with a postive mindset.
But it's good to see you were thinking harder than you were working. Walking it up those steps like that is definitely a darn good approach.
It isn't too tough with the right gear and people with a postive mindset.
But it's good to see you were thinking harder than you were working. Walking it up those steps like that is definitely a darn good approach.
briangsxr600
Member
I will be buying one thats 1000 pounds going to put in in the basement This threat game me a few ideas.
leadcounsel
member
Bottom line, spend a few hundred dollars to hire a professional so that someone doesn't get seriously hurt. I've witnessed a close call where a safe almost crushed some guys off the back of a truck.
I've moved my large safe at least 4 times. The first two times it required the help of 4 or 5 very strong friends and a strong moving dolly rated for as much as the safe weighs.
The first time we had to go up only a few stairs and it was very difficult and took at least an hour to move it only 100 feet total.
The second time we had to move it across town in a moving van, and go down a few stairs and then up a few stairs in the new house. I learned from moving it the first time and we used the dolly and some metal dowels to roll the safe. We also drug it across hard wood on a large piece of carpet. I've also read that some people use A LOT of golf balls. That seems like a good idea.
However, I've had Army contracted movers to move it the third and fourth times and I've watched them. One set of movers had a home made dolly that I thought was a good idea. It was a 4 short 2x4s nailed/screwed together in a square about 2'x2'x2'x2'. On the bottom of the square were 4 strong wheels (like large heavy duty casters). The movers simply laid the safe down and rolled it on it's side/back.
My last move required the safe to go down a flight of stairs so I had a subcontracted safe mover with a hydraulic safe-moving dolly/lift and straps move it, and even that took 3 people.
If you think of the damage or pain a 1,000 lb safe could do if it fell on someones' foot, leg, arm, hand, or even the destruciton to your floor, the $300 to move it is minor, especially when you are gonna spend $100 in food/drinks for your buddies anyway.
I've moved my large safe at least 4 times. The first two times it required the help of 4 or 5 very strong friends and a strong moving dolly rated for as much as the safe weighs.
The first time we had to go up only a few stairs and it was very difficult and took at least an hour to move it only 100 feet total.
The second time we had to move it across town in a moving van, and go down a few stairs and then up a few stairs in the new house. I learned from moving it the first time and we used the dolly and some metal dowels to roll the safe. We also drug it across hard wood on a large piece of carpet. I've also read that some people use A LOT of golf balls. That seems like a good idea.
However, I've had Army contracted movers to move it the third and fourth times and I've watched them. One set of movers had a home made dolly that I thought was a good idea. It was a 4 short 2x4s nailed/screwed together in a square about 2'x2'x2'x2'. On the bottom of the square were 4 strong wheels (like large heavy duty casters). The movers simply laid the safe down and rolled it on it's side/back.
My last move required the safe to go down a flight of stairs so I had a subcontracted safe mover with a hydraulic safe-moving dolly/lift and straps move it, and even that took 3 people.
If you think of the damage or pain a 1,000 lb safe could do if it fell on someones' foot, leg, arm, hand, or even the destruciton to your floor, the $300 to move it is minor, especially when you are gonna spend $100 in food/drinks for your buddies anyway.
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TexasRedneck
Member
What I think we need to bear in mind here is that a LOT of the folks reading this string will be like many of us years ago - trying to do a lot of things with limited finances. So I think it's only right that we pass on some of the tricks we used over the years to save OUR money, even though we might look at it now and say "no way!" It's kinda like how I used to do my own brake jobs, and look at those who hired the work done as wasteful. I can now appreciate the fact that I drop off the vehicle, go about my business and return to pick it up ready to go.
Shovelhead
Member
Rent a Stair-Climber hand truck.
I rented one for ~60 for a day and moved my 800lb safe down 8 steps to my basement by myself.
http://www.lectrotruck.com/index2.html
I rented one for ~60 for a day and moved my 800lb safe down 8 steps to my basement by myself.
http://www.lectrotruck.com/index2.html
My basement stairs go down 7 steps to a landing, then reverse 180* down 7 more steps, and I wouldn't bet any amount of money on the strength of those stairs to hold a large safe and several people. I'll be a-buyin' one of those safes that come unassembled, in pieces, and you put 'em together in place after you tote each piece down separately. Most likely a Dakota, the Zanotti's are twice the price and there's a waiting list.
Byron Quick
Moderator In Memoriam
I've moved several safes and several pianos. I'm all for letting professionals with the proper knowledge, training, and equipment do it...even if I have to scrape up the funds to do it.
Guns etc every where?
Well, Isher, I rather agree with TMrb---stashing stuff all over the house is risky, but for me it wasn't robbers. I have a tendency to forget where I put the stuff! A few times when I was in a big hurry and didn't want to take time to open the safe I put one clip here,one there, the gun somewhere else, etc. One place I like to leave a magazine was in a coat pocket in my closet. And then my wife would move the coat---presto---where did the mag go? Result is I usually now take time to properly put stuff in the safe!
AS for moving the big safe, was it bigger and heavier than my refrigerator? Several times I saw a household mover handle a big refrig all by himself. He said it was all in knowing how. I wouldn't try it!
Well, Isher, I rather agree with TMrb---stashing stuff all over the house is risky, but for me it wasn't robbers. I have a tendency to forget where I put the stuff! A few times when I was in a big hurry and didn't want to take time to open the safe I put one clip here,one there, the gun somewhere else, etc. One place I like to leave a magazine was in a coat pocket in my closet. And then my wife would move the coat---presto---where did the mag go? Result is I usually now take time to properly put stuff in the safe!
AS for moving the big safe, was it bigger and heavier than my refrigerator? Several times I saw a household mover handle a big refrig all by himself. He said it was all in knowing how. I wouldn't try it!
chuckusaret
member
Get a mover that has safe moving experience. It is well worth the bucks. Will the floor support the weight of the safe?
If you don't need some super safe with 12" armor plate or fire protection, try a Zanotti modular safe. You can build it where you want it.
They are about as good as most safes but the construction rules out the bulky asbestos that provides some fire protection.
Jim
They are about as good as most safes but the construction rules out the bulky asbestos that provides some fire protection.
Jim
Guns and more
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My advice is: Buy from someone who delivers. Once you see them in action, you'll see they earn their money. Steel plates to the porch, ramp to the door (on pallet dolly). Then lay Teflon coated wood strips like railroad tracks on my floors. Slid right in. Then take off the door to the room it's going in, take off the handle of the safe, clear by 1/4" but didn't scratch anything. Position and level the safe so the door swings freely, and connect the dri rod. God bless them.
thebaldguy
Member
Three guys and a heavy duty appliance cart worked well on moving a 600 lb. safe. I think anything bigger might be better done professionally.
jnyork
Member
Go to your local gunshop that sells gunsafes. Hire the guys that deliver for him. Simple as that.
Lumpy76
Member
Don't forget that the doors come off. My door probably weighs 200#.
doubleh
Member
As already mentioned: golf balls.
I visited with a local manufacturer (anything within 150 miles of here is local) at a gun show last winter. They had some BIG safes on display and they were well built and HEAVY. I asked him how they installed them and he replied "Golf balls, you wouldn't believe how easy they are to roll around on golf balls." I didn't question him about basements and stairs.
I visited with a local manufacturer (anything within 150 miles of here is local) at a gun show last winter. They had some BIG safes on display and they were well built and HEAVY. I asked him how they installed them and he replied "Golf balls, you wouldn't believe how easy they are to roll around on golf balls." I didn't question him about basements and stairs.
TexasRedneck
Member
LOVE it!
I have to agree about using professionals if you can.
That being said, for people (like me that are too stubborn), I don't think the dowels will work well if you have to rotate the safe to get it around corners. Golf balls is something I never tried, but I think if you indeed has a LOT of them it should work.
I also layed down some thin plywood over the floor so that it would not scratch tile, damage wood floors or get caught in carpeting. Just three pieces was enough.
What I did was build a pallet using wheels that I could find at Home Repo or Lowes. It was because the furniture dollies they sold would not take the weight. I think I used something like 10 wheels that were each rated for 250 pounds each. They all could swivel so it was easy to move around corners.
I got a few of those round furniture sliders and was able to tilt it up using a couple of 2x4's and a hydralic jack to put the sliders underneath the safe and the shipping pallet. I was then able to match the wheeled pallet height with the pallet the safe came on using some 2x4's again and slide the safe from the shipping pallet to the wheeled pallet. The tricky part was immobilizing the wheeled pallet so that it did not move while I was sliding the safe on to it. I found that jamming the wheeled pallet against a cinder block wall worked well.
I built some wood ramps to get the thing up over some small door lips. It only took two of us to get it in using this method - but the RSC was under 1000 lbs.
That being said, for people (like me that are too stubborn), I don't think the dowels will work well if you have to rotate the safe to get it around corners. Golf balls is something I never tried, but I think if you indeed has a LOT of them it should work.
I also layed down some thin plywood over the floor so that it would not scratch tile, damage wood floors or get caught in carpeting. Just three pieces was enough.
What I did was build a pallet using wheels that I could find at Home Repo or Lowes. It was because the furniture dollies they sold would not take the weight. I think I used something like 10 wheels that were each rated for 250 pounds each. They all could swivel so it was easy to move around corners.
I got a few of those round furniture sliders and was able to tilt it up using a couple of 2x4's and a hydralic jack to put the sliders underneath the safe and the shipping pallet. I was then able to match the wheeled pallet height with the pallet the safe came on using some 2x4's again and slide the safe from the shipping pallet to the wheeled pallet. The tricky part was immobilizing the wheeled pallet so that it did not move while I was sliding the safe on to it. I found that jamming the wheeled pallet against a cinder block wall worked well.
I built some wood ramps to get the thing up over some small door lips. It only took two of us to get it in using this method - but the RSC was under 1000 lbs.
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Enginetech88
Member
Had to do this more than once. Doors off hinges. Get a hand truck. Strap the safe to the hand truck. Lay down some pieces of plywood. Deliver safe to location in house following pylwood trail. Plywood distributes weight, and makes a nice smooth surface to roll the hand truck on.
The smaller safes (under 800 lbs) are pretty easy if you don't have a lot of stairs. I've just used two or three people and refrigerator dolleys. We use low boy trailers and lay the safe down on its back. Once it gets to the 1000 lb plus/6ft safes I'm all for getting a professional involved.
moooose102
Member
one inch or larger wooden dowels. buy at least a dozen of them. place at least four of them under the safe (more is better) and push. every six inches or so add another dowel. pick up the ones from behind and place them in front. repeat until the safe is in the house or basement. if you have to go up or down stairs, i really do not know what to tell you, other than check the rating of the stairs first. if the safe weighs more than the stairs can hold, you will have a big mess on your hands fast! if you have to go across the lawn, buy at least two sheets of 3/4" plywood. then, start rolling! oh yeah, at least three buddies to help, especially if there are any up or down hills.
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