Stack-On Fire Safe

[ks_shooter]

I am looking to upgrade my firearms storage. Currently I have an inexpensive Homak 8-gun cabinet. This has worked fine for keeping small hands off my firearms. I have two problems with my current cabinet: it's too small and it isn't fire-resistant. I am looking for a larger storage unit that is fire-resistant. Burglary is not my main concern. I have beem looking at the Stack-On 14-gun fire-rated safe. This one is rated for 1-hour at 1400 degrees F. This seems better than most other safes that I have seen (even some of the really expensive ones), most are rated for 1/2 hour at 1200 degrees. This safe would also offer better security than my present cabinet. Dick's Sporting Goods is selling them for $499. They have a larger 20-gun safe for a little more but it has a 1400 degree rating for 1/2 hour instead. Any experience with either model? Thanks.

 

[Valkman]

You really have to watch those fire ratings and see who did them and how. One place was trying to sell me a safe I'd never heard of and telling me how great the fire rating was. I figured if this safe was so great I'd of heard of it and left.

Some ratings are done by local places and they'll lay the safe down - since heat rises that's not an accurate way to do it and gives a longer rating than the safe will actually protect. Ask questions about this - it's important!

 

[robspmc]

My 2 cents

Here's where I stand on gun safes...

Find out what size you think would be best for your needs, then buy one
twice the size. I currently have a Browning (Sterling, i think). I paid about $1500 or $1600 for it. I'm not a rich man buy a long shot and $1500-$1600 for a safe took some major budgeting/saving. Now that I put 6 scoped rifles a few shotguns and a few open sight rifles along with some knives, handguns (in a pistol rack), ammo, a few legal papers, and a camera, my safe is FULL! Now I find myself looking for a Safe at least twice as large and tring to find a place/way to sell my current/small safe (it's 60"H x 29"W x 27"D). I'm obviously not going to double those demintions but I double those capasities at the very least. I'm 30 and I'm of the mindset that my collection will only grow and go to my children. To many guns are sold only for the seller to regret it later. Now as I shop for a new safe I'm in the $2500 range. I wish I would have saved my $1500-$1600 and saved for the safe I need. You can always "grow" into a larger safe. I know my way of thinking isn't for everybody but I thought I'd share. Like I said it's just my 2 cents.

Good luck and let us know what you pick up.

Rob

 

[CB900F]

KS;

I'm a locksmith & I sell safes for a living. I recently had some experience with Stack-on. They are made in Red China. Immediate parts availability is not the importer's ability. I was quoted 3 - 4 months. Check the weight of the door in comparison to the rest of the container. On the one I had in my shop, the door was at least 1/2 of the weight of the safe.

Imagine those little hands reaching up & grabbing the top of the door to chin up & look at what's on the shelf. That's how the one in my shop got damaged, the open door caused it to fall over. If you do go for it, BOLT IT DOWN.

The lockworks are not very good. The unit initially looks good, but mine was an overall negative impression after getting into the guts of the thing.

900F