Need a gun safe!

[Zangetsu]

I hate posting topics that have been beaten to death, but I can't find a nice, concise, definitive list anywhere of what brands to look for, and which to avoid.

I would be looking for a safe that can easily house a few pistols and maybe 6ish long guns without any problems. I would want this safe to be very secure, and by secure, I mean downright impossible to steal out of my house, or smash into, or break into, or burn into...unless you have like, 12 men and hours and hours of free time...you get the picture. If I'm going to protect my collection I'm going to do it right.

Anyway, from what I read, there are two major types of safes; RSCs and actual safes, the former you buy at wal-mart, and the latter you buy at safe dealers for 4x the price. My questions are as follows...

To what degree do you get what you pay for?
Anyone here ever have their gun safe broken into?
Just what makes a safe a safe and a RSC and RSC?
What are the name brands I should look at?
How about the names I should avoid?
Anyone know of a good place to buy from?
Just how much security do you think is really needed vs what's available?
If I get one used, how do I go about getting the combo changed?

That should cover it for now...I'll ask more questions as they come up Also, money is a non-issue...the way I see it, it costs what it costs. I just want something that's going to do what it is supposed to do; protect my irreplaceables, which to me are priceless, so really, I'll spend what I have to. The problem is, I don't know what I have to spend, or even on what. Help??

 

[takhtakaal]

I would want this safe to be very secure, and by secure, I mean downright impossible to steal out of my house, or smash into, or break into, or burn into...unless you have like, 12 men and hours and hours of free time...you get the picture. If I'm going to protect my collection I'm going to do it right.

First off, let's be realistic. Given enough time and enough people, a safe merely slows professionals down.

Talk to these guys: http://www.zykansafe.com/

With any luck, their principal might just pop onto the thread any say hi.

 

[a1abdj]

With any luck, their principal might just pop onto the thread any say hi.

Like a moth to a flame.....

To what degree do you get what you pay for?

This depends on who you're dealing with. There are certainly people out there that will take full advantage of somebody with limited knowledge.

Anyone here ever have their gun safe broken into?

I've never had one of mine broken into, but a few guys here have. I see burglarized safes fairly often, including gun safes.

Just what makes a safe a safe and a RSC and RSC?

RSC is actually a UL certification, although it means very little. The RSC test involves a safe which keeps out a UL tech with a hammer and a screwdriver for 5 minutes. Some RSCs are better than others. There are a lot of safes that don't have the RSC label that are just as good, or better than those that do.

UL's safe testing against burglary begins at TL-15. For most insurance purposes, a safe begins at a B rate. A B rate safe uses a 1/2" door and a 1/4" body. A C rate safe uses a 1" door and a 1/2" body. A steel plate TL-15 using A36 steel will have a 1.5" door and a 1" body.

What are the name brands I should look at?

This really depends on what you're looking at.

How about the names I should avoid?

If you're wanting a real safe, I would stay away from anything with a name commonly associated with gun safes: Liberty, Browning, Champion, etc...

Anyone know of a good place to buy from?

I sell a variety of new and used safes. Member CB900F is a Graffunder dealer.

Just how much security do you think is really needed vs what's available?

I use safes that are rated for $500K in cash to store items worth less than $5,000, but just because I can. The safe is worth more than the contents.

The choice of a safe really depends on the value of the items, any insurance requirements, the type of protection you want, and your budget.

If I get one used, how do I go about getting the combo changed?

If you buy a used safe from a dealer, they will set the combo for you. If you're buying used from a third party, you would probably want to pay a safe tech (locksmith if no safe tech available) to service the lock and reset the combo.

 

[GLOCK45GUY]

I bought a base line stack-on gun locker. The quality was far better than the pucture lended. Thick steel, good lock, and able to be bolted to the floor and wall.

I'd like to have a fire rated one, but this at least keeps my toys safe while I'm at work, and it was only $85.00.

 

[moooose102]

me too. i can not afford $3000 clams for a real safe, but mine is bolted to the floor studs and 2 sides of wall studs, has 2 differnt keyed locks, and is just a cheapie. it keeps my kids out of them, and if a REAL PRO knows and wants you guns, they are going to get them. period. oh yes, my pit bull will probably add some level of deterant as well. if they break in while i am home, well, sorry about your luck chuck...........chuck, meet 45acp!

 

[xcop]

safe

I would say to think long and hard about where you think your gun collection will end up and what other items you intend to secure. I started with small closet size Cannons and every couple of years sold it and bought a bigger and I felt better unit. After a few years I realized that the value of what I had acquired was greater than what I felt a gun safe was really capable of protecting/securing and purchased a Graffunder safe..........a true safe. It would have saved me a lot of money over the years if I had just purchased the Graffunder originally rather than moving up in steps. I also learned over time the large difference in security between an RSC rated gun safe and a true safe made into a gun safe. Go take a look at a real safe such as a Graffunder or the Amsec HS series safes and compare them to gun safes you have seen. That will give you an idea of the difference both in price and security.

 

[Zangetsu]

Well, I already know what size I need, and will need in the future. I'm more worried about getting the right type of safe than right size of safe. That being said, it sounds like I should take a look at the following brands:

Graffunder
Amsec (particularly the HS series)


I mean really, I just want something that won't be able to be easily carried out of my place, or broken into without making a ton of noise and spending a ton of time. Protection from fire is a plus, but not the primary goal. So that being said, is there a big, heavy (maybe 1000+ lbs) safe that weighs a ton and is very difficult to open forcibly that won't cost me the soul of my first born? If not, I'd really hate to be that guy right about now...

 

[a1abdj]

So that being said, is there a big, heavy (maybe 1000+ lbs) safe that weighs a ton and is very difficult to open forcibly that won't cost me the soul of my first born?

True burglary rated safes start in the $4,000 range.