Kid-proof rifle safe

[mainecoon]

I have a small collection of rifles (less than 10) and want to get a safe that even a smart 7-year old will not be able to get into. Any recommendations?

 

[troy fairweather]

Lock it.

 

[mainecoon]

Just adding to the above post that I don’t have a 7 year old yet, or any kid. But if it can pass the smart kid test I figure it’s pretty bulletproof.

 

[Mike .45]

Budget?

 

[Obturation]

I like this one, it's a decent price well made smaller safe. They're about 500 lbs empty I think. I got one for my basement with a dial lock for about $750 a couple years ago

https://www.thesafekeeper.com/champion-model-t-21.html

 

[Varminterror]

Combination, not keys or cards.

 

[BigBL87]

Any decent gun safe should fit the bill. This is what I have for 5 long guns and 8 handguns. It is pretty full, might be able to fit 1 more long gun if I got creative. To be fair to the safe, all but one of the long gun does have an optic. It's no high end gun safe but for my small collection I really don't need one. It's enough to keep kids out and deter all but the most determined thief.

https://www.ruralking.com/gettysburg-fire-resistant-14-gun-safe-black-fs14e-j

As a rule, don't trust safe capacity numbers. With optics, at best you can usually halve the number if you don't want them leaning on each other. They do have a 24 gun one that might better fit your needs.

https://www.ruralking.com/gettysburg-24-gun-safe-with-electronic-lock-and-door-24fgs

 

[Mike .45]

I only get about 1/2 to 2/3 advertised capacity out of my safes.

 

[Obturation]

Plan to keep documents, jewelry and precious metals ect in any safe you get. Bigger is never enough. That's how I ended up with 3...

 

[dh1633pm]

No such thing. You have to consider at some point security will be compromised. If its a key, the key will be left out. You might forget to lock it. If its a combo lock you might accidentally leave that out as well. Or you might never. Just something to consider. I keep a lock on the room door as an added measure.

 

[mainecoon]

Kids know where to find keys

Budget?

$1000 plus or minus. Leaning toward a dial-type combination lock door with the ability to bolt the safe to the slab.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Best to teach your 7 year old that every gun is Loaded and not to touch But I would get a dial / combination type safe you could also use a trigger lock in the safe too also if a bolt gun or AR take out the bolt

 

[CapnMac]

Plan to keep documents, jewelry and precious metals ect in any safe you get.

And, there is an excellent argument that such items ought to get their own, dedicated, "document safe." A document safe hold internal temperatures lower (or is meant to) which is more important with documents and things in plastic envelopes. A "regular" fire-resistant RSC typically can get to ±300-350ºF on the inside, which is getting to "char" temperatures for paper products. Reading documents that have gotten to a café au lait color is complicated, as is if the toner print has melted and bled on the page.

But, I am guilty of stashing documents in my Liberty instead of a more secure place. Mea culpa.

 

[edwardware]

Best to teach your 7 year old that every gun is Loaded and not to touch.

Yup. This has been our approach, just like kitchen knives, bleach, outlets, and the woodstove.

 

[ericuda]

You can pick up an economical stack on safe at local walmart for under 2 bills. Not fireproof and only key lock bet way better than a closet.

 

[George P]

I only get about 1/2 to 2/3 advertised capacity out of my safes.

If any of your guns have scopes, AR-type stocks or similar, 1/2 the capacity is doing good.

 

[Varminterror]

Plan to keep documents, jewelry and precious metals ect in any safe you get. Bigger is never enough. That's how I ended up with 3...

I hate opening multiple safes when I mis-remember or flat out forget which safe houses my desired firearm, but...

I absolutely abhorred moving the 72 gun Canon I had at my last house. That’s why it didn’t make the trip to this home! Moving multiple safes sucks, but the big guys are super awkward, even the lighter models.

 

[Varminterror]

Leaning toward a dial-type combination lock door with the ability to bolt the safe to the slab.

At my last home, I built stands/cradles for my safes. This helped elevate the safes to a more accommodating height for viability and access, but also added some flood protection (in event of natural or mechanical failure flood, or flooding from firefighting efforts), and gave the opportunity for some additional theft protection. I worked for an auctioneer in high school for a while, our technique for removing safes which couldn’t be opened was to slip the blade of a sawzal under the safe and cut the anchor bolts. 15 min and the safe was on the dolly. So for my cradle bases, I built angle iron cradles which wrapped around the safe, with the lip edge under the safe for bolting, then at the floor, the bases had another welded angle iron skirt which flanged outward along the floor. The anchor bolts were then 10” withdrawn from the edge of the foot flange, and the safe was sitting 6” (less the cut out for the door) down into the cradle at the top, protecting those bolts. A thief could get in, naturally, but they’d have to attack the safe itself, not simply cut 4 bolts and run off to cut into the safe elsewhere.

 

[Obturation]

I hate opening multiple safes when I mis-remember or flat out forget which safe houses my desired firearm, but...

I absolutely abhorred moving the 72 gun Canon I had at my last house. That’s why it didn’t make the trip to this home! Moving multiple safes sucks, but the big guys are super awkward, even the lighter models.

I got mine the accidental way. they have a funny way of filling up.

 

[Varminterror]

I got mine the accidental way. they have a funny way of filling up.

My wife and I are about to break ground building a new home - the “varminterror room” was a topic of high discussion during the design. We both agreed having a poured vault room made more sense than conventional safes, however, my wife was savvy enough to contend the size I promoted... “what are you going to do when you get more guns than that holds?” Good point honey - better blow out that wall another 6 feet.

 

[cdb1]

If any of your guns have scopes, AR-type stocks or similar, 1/2 the capacity is doing good.

This. And an AR with a scope mounted takes up a serious amount of space. If I had a bunch of ARs I’d go 3 for 1, e.g.: 48 gun safe for 16 ARs.

 

[Obturation]

My wife and I are about to break ground building a new home - the “varminterror room” was a topic of high discussion during the design. We both agreed having a poured vault room made more sense than conventional safes, however, my wife was savvy enough to contend the size I promoted... “what are you going to do when you get more guns than that holds?” Good point honey - better blow out that wall another 6 feet.

Well Mrs. Varminterror sounds like a real fine woman, smart too.

 

[George P]

At my last home, I built stands/cradles for my safes. This helped elevate the safes to a more accommodating height for viability and access, but also added some flood protection (in event of natural or mechanical failure flood, or flooding from firefighting efforts),

Same here in several homes; whether the garage, or inside

 

[labnoti]

Stack-On security cabinet -- $140 and holds "18 guns" which means 6 rifles with optics without banging them. Buy two, buy three. You can get four the same price as the cheap-o import sheet-rock lined "safes" they sell that won't hold 10 guns unless you pile them up.

They do have a key lock, but a good combination lock would cost more than the cabinet. So just keep the key in a Fort-Knox handgun safe along with your EDC.

A good alternative for more guns is made by Sandusky Lee. Wardrobe Cabinets. You'll want to put a rubber mat on the inside bottom and add barrel rests, but they're 36" wide and can hold more than safes that wide because they don't have the gypsum and carpet lining. I figure they'll hold ten to twelve rifles, but gun safe makers would claim 48 rifles for something that big.

 

[Mike .45]

Kids know where to find keys

$1000 plus or minus. Leaning toward a dial-type combination lock door with the ability to bolt the safe to the slab.

I have 2 Liberty safes and 1 old steel locker/cabinet. I have been real happy with them. There are a few options in the + or - $1000 range.

Get one twice as big as you think you need. LOL. They fill up fast.