Moving... where to put the safe?

[antsi]

I am making the move from apartment dweller to home owner and trying to decide where to put my gun safe.

My new home has a massive gigantic two-car-plus-workspace garage, connected to the house via breezeway. If I put the gun safe in there, it is more convenient for loading and unloading to and from the range, and for grabbing the house gun when I get home and putting it back when I leave (no CCW in my state nor likely to be soon).

I am going to have my reloading press and gun workbench in the basement. The downsides of putting the gun safe down there are 1) dragging it down the bleeding stairs to begin with and 2) extra distance for daily arming/disarming routine.

Another factor would be climate changes. I can keep the humidity down inside the safe wherever I put it, but in the garage it would get hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Don't know how much to worry about that one.

I'm not sure how long I will stay in this house, because I may want to leave the state when I get the chance. If I leave in three years, I will really regret having the safe at the bottom of the stairs.

Any other factors I am not considering? Any advice or suggestions?

 

[Bob F.]

I'd probably opt for the garage for convience. My cabinet is on ground floor, loading set-up inbasement along with accessories and supplies. Wish it were all in the garage, but we have 4 seasons here, sometimes all in the same week. Have to go with beefed up security system and concealment in the garage, though. Might put the safe behind a sliding/swing-out tool storage wall or workbench.
Stay safe.
Bob

 

[gunslinger387]

Stick with the garage. I had mine in a garage for 3 years that got extremely hot in the summer with no problems including some ammo stored there. I have moved it twice. I don't know how big or how much yours weighs but I could'nt imagine going up or downstairs with mine. Whatever you do keep it off a second floor. This is most important if there is ever a fire, it could fall straight down on the guys trying to save you and your stuff. To move mine I find it is easier to take the door off to move it seperatly and I use an appliance dolly.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

For starters, don't be so cagey about your location.

There are four no-issue states: Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Each has a cold enough winter that I'd recommend against the garage.

If you live in a may-issue state, if you're in California or Hawaii, the garage is fine. If you're in Iowa, or one of the northeast states, again, no.

It's too darned cold. When you pull out your cold gun and bring it into a warm room, condensation will form, inside and out. That way lies rust.

As far as convenience for the daily arm/disarm, how about a small speed safe in the bedroom seperate from the big vault-o-guns?

Bite the bullet (heh) and pay some professionals to move the safe into the basement.

Then practice good humidity control.

 

[larry_minn]

IMO the Garage. I hid mine in plain sight. Put a refrig box over it and nobody looks twice at it. Just a old refig box in garage. Get a small vault (as others posted) for carry gun. I do plan to move it inside. The floor was/is plenty strong but I put in some extra reinforcements but have not gotten the stuff moved/carpet changed that I want done BEFORE I install it.

 

[Blue Line]

Either place is fine, if you can get it to the basement then great(outta sight outta mind) but just get some buddies and an applinace dolly for stairs to do it. I've had mine in the bedroom, great place for the TV, and now its in the garage in this house. I keep an old sheet over it that I've used as a drop cloth with all kinds of paint stains and such on it. Great camo, I showed my Deputy neighbor and he thought it was just a shelf w/stuff on it covered.
2nd - get yourself a Golden Rod to keep the humidity down in the safe. I've been using mine for 7 yrs now and no rust. It has dried out the "O" rings on my 1100 although. Its just like a fat girl, keeps em warm in the winter and dry in the summer. Its electic rod that generates heat to keep the inside of the safe dry.

Don't forget if you have it in an area like a breezeway or garage be sure to bolt it to the ground.

 

[tc300mag1]

Im with Matt Payne on this espically the get soem movers to do it when ya move.. Im in same boat dont know how long ill be here in this house etc etc but thats where my safe would go.. I dont have a basement but i have samller than std doors so i have to take them off to get in anything in and out ohh the joy:banghead:

 

[AJ Dual]

The one downside to grarage placement of the gunsafe is that it makes it easier to steal the safe "ATM style". i.e. Throwing a chain around the safe and pulling it off the wall and the floor with a truck. Then they just winch it into the bed, drive off and can work on the safe at their leisure.

I'd go with the basment. Assuming you don't move for a few years it would be worth the effort, IMO.

 

[Poodleshooter]

Bolt it into the concrete to avoid the "winch" issue.
I'm currently contemplating a similar question of safe placement.

 

[1A271]

I recently moved and found some rust on the bottom of my safe . I keep it in the garage against the outside wall in an attached garage. It could have been rain seepage or maybe condensation.... either way I have to remove the rust and repaint the bottom. I had it bolted to the floor but now I think I might put it on 2 X 4 supports to keep air between it and the floor.... anyone else have this problem with garage placement of their safes? Anyone ever check theirs?

 

[grnzbra]

Mine is in the upstairs master bedroom closet. When something goes "Bump" in the night, I want everything in the safe roome where my family and I will be, not somewhere else where the "Bumper" will be.

 

[manyironsinfire]

If you store your safe where humitity is an issue invest in a goldenrod dehumitifer. it's a small rod that plugs in to an outlet and it keeps the safe dry..Your firearms will possibly rust without it..

 

[Moparmike]

Another vote for the basement.

But this is from a person that plans to build a vault in his basement when I build my house, years from now.

 

[Norman Dog]

If you put your safe in the garage, do not store your oxy/acetylene cutting torch there, too. You might be surprised to know how many people know how to use those things!

 

[Blue Line]

In order to keep the safe off the floor I found some small plastic(pvc) rings and sat the safe on them. There not tall enough to get a hand in there to cut the bolts but high enough if there is any water on the floor. If someone wants to go knock my garage door down, lasso my safe and try to haul it out of there they better have thier insurance paid up, cause all the hardware ain't in the safe

 

[Hook]

H'lo antsi,
I agree with Matt. The basement would be a lot better where your located.

JMHO


Hook

 

[WalkerTexasRanger]

Mine is in my home office. Nothing like putting my feet up on the desk with the safe door open and spending a little quality time with my friends...

 

[AJ Dual]

Bolt it into the concrete to avoid the "winch" issue.

Those had better be some big bolts, as that's why they just drag the safe out, to rip the bolts out.

 

[Blue Line]

Maybe that big crash when they knock in the garage door and then push the car/truck outta the way then lasso it and start dragging it down the street might just wake me or the neighbors up. Its a one way in one way out development and afterall the bolts, alarm, the safe, etc etc is just to delay someone. If anybody wants anything you got, they can get it with just enough time. Remember not all the hardware is in the safe!! Its better to have it bolted than not but AJ if you don't thats OK with me. Also I'm glad being a life member of the NRA I have that insurance to fall back on and also a rider on the homeowner policy in case of fire/theft/ and such.