What safe to keep my XD(m)9mm in for SD/HD?

[Freezebyte]

Hey all, need the advice from the gun guru's in here. As most of you may know, I secured my first handgun, the beautiful XD(m) 9mm. I live in an apartment complex and my building is a two level design. My neighborhood is pretty safe but I want to take no chances. I'm stuck trying to figure out the following:

A: Exactly what am I looking for in a gun safe that can keep it out of harms way and store it safely? I do not have kids in this home, just me and my girlfriend.

B: Can I use a fireproof safe? This would be nice as it will save my expensive firearm from fire and keep the bullets from going off vs traditional safe in the event of a fire

C: One of the intended uses of this firearm is for self and home defense. I'm confused as I want to protect the gun, yet I also want it accessible in the unlikely event I must use it to protect my home and loved ones. It won't do much good to have my gun locked away in the dark in the next room, but I also wanna keep the gun safe. What are my options here? I can't afford/ justify buying one of those huge ass safes nor would my landlord allow it in home, so thats not an option. I also cannot drill/attach safe to the wall or floor as well. I want the budget for the safe to be around $50 max

I went around town and took some pictures of some safes I was looking at. Can you give me feedback on what would work best for my scenario? Thanks all!

 

[CoRoMo]

I'd suggest the keypad or fingerprint type of entry (no keys to lose or kids to find), and a box small enough to mount up under the bed. That is at least what I prefer, others will soon tell you why I should be bound and gagged.

 

[nutter]

I highly recommend you find a way to secure the safe to the floor.

If a bad guy should get in while you're not around, an unsecured safe is obviously the thing to grab'n'go with. Its got your most valuable stuff, and he'll have all the time in the world to pick/hack/drill it open later.

 

[shadowalker]

I'd suggest the keypad or fingerprint type of entry

I'd stay FAR away from any kind of biometric access control for a safe intended to have ready access and for anything meant to save your life. Finger print scanners are unreliable. It is also pretty normal to have to scan the finger more than once to open the box.

The GunVault Mini is a good choice, it is fairly sturdy, and very quick to get into (if you know the proper key sequence).

Push button access is better than keyed for fast access without leaving the key in the box.

None of the handgun boxes including GunVault will keep a determined thief out for very long.

 

[RoostRider]

I have a single gun safe disguised as a clock/radio next to the bed. It has a keypad and a key override (in case of power loss and back up battery failure)

This is almost ideal in my opinion because it does not look like a safe, or even a valuable item (not likely to get grabbed) and it sits on the table next to the bed (right where a clock/radio should be). It is also pretty handsome with a wood case that fits most bedroom motifs.

On the bad side.... it isn't the most secure (a good whack with an axe would open it up like a can of tuna) and repeated beating with a hammer would surely tear it to pieces... so anyone who knew what it was would be able to get into it... but not without leaving obvious traces they had been in it... (as noted, no safe will keep the determined out anyways)

I bought it at a gun show many years ago and have never seen one since... It was called the "Lock Around The Clock" and manufactured by Thousand Oaks of P.O. Box 2148, Irwindale CA 91706

I think its best to have it close by, easily accessible and pretty decently disguised as opposed to locked into some fireproof 'invincible' container that can be focused on or simply removed and opened off scene...

 

[Treo]

I'm going to suggest a slightly different approach. I assume you only have one gun ( need to work on that dude) In that case I reccomend that you get a CHP and carry the gun W/ you from the time you put your pants on till bed time ( you just did away W/ any concern of your gun getting stolenwhile you're not home) at night you simply put it on the night stand.

 

[RoostRider]

<edit> removed by poster.... you covered that

 

[bryanchuckles]

I don't see why your landlord should have any say over weather or not you have a large safe... No more than any other type of furniture you have in your home. I mean, it's not like we're talking about a water bed. I too live in a second floor apartment. I keep my guns in a standing safe. It's not bolted but it's far from a grab and go item at about 300 lbs. (that's less than a lot of dining sets, entertainment centers, or tenants for that matter so your landlord really doesn't have any cause to not permit you to have it so long as you don't bolt it in). As far as your $50 budget: I would start out with a locking security bag (A. Rifkin makes good ones) and a rifle cable plus lock. You can lock your gun to a sink drain or to a sturdy piece of heavy furniture. Then plan to upgrade in the very near future. You're going to be spending at least $50 a month shooting that gun if you want to stay proficient enough to defend yourself with it. I'm sure that you've discovered by now that safes that actually provide a degree of security start at about $100 and go up sharply from there.

If the gun is for home defense, then carry it when you're at home. When you go to bed, put it on the night stand and lock your bedroom door. If you are leaving your home (and don't have a CCW) then lock it in your safe with all the other guns you have or will be buying in the near future. I personally prefer a safe with a dial lock. Biometric safes will always fail when you need them the most and keys get lost too easily. (The price you pay is for the quality of the fingerprint reader and the software that runs it, so you're looking at about $350 for a good-security biometric safe that can be mounted and be expected to open when you need it)

Also, everyone's home defense strategy is different. The one thing the good ones have in common though is a thorough, well-thought-out, and well-rehearsed plan. Focus on escape routes, rally points, and fall back positions. Then train with your weapon. When you've done all of that, repeat the whole process, trying to improve it.

Best of luck in your search.

 

[Freezebyte]

Interesting, any other thoughts?

 

[a1abdj]

Do not keep guns in document style fire safes, especially inexpensive versions such as Senty, Sisco, Honeywell, etc.....

The insulation is wet, and can cause high humidity inside the safe. This can obviously lead to rust issues.

Fire rated safes will also not keep ammunition from cooking off. These safes are designed to have interior temperatures raise up to 350 degrees. Although this is below the flash point of paper, it is above what is required to light off ammo.

Although fine to keep children out, these "safes" are also nothing but a fire box with a privacy latch. They offer very minimal security. Most of the Sentry line is half plastic.

 

[Big B]

Would you get in trouble if you mounted a small box to the wall w/ wood screws into the studs? The holes from that wouldn't be much bigger than that of a picture on the wall, and can be patched easily.
I went with the lock box in pic #1 to store my HD pistols. It's in a closet bolted to two walls and the shelf it sits on. One key is with me at all times until I get home, then it goes in the lock and stays there.(unlocked position)
We have a small fire safe like the ones in pic #2, but I don't want to use it since it can be carried away so easily. Besides the lock box is easier for me to open in a hurry.
As far as fire goes I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed until I can afford a quality fire rated gun safe.

 

[Freezebyte]

Yep, no wall drilling either

 

[ojibweindian]

I second what Treo said. Get a good holster and CCW your pistol from the time you wake up until you hit the rack.

 

[Freezebyte]

Went and got the Sentinel gun box. Will do the job fine for now. Decided not to deal with having weapon lying around ready for a night intrusion, im not comfortable dealing with all the angles of that yet. So for the meantime, it stays in the safe when not in use in the closet out of direct sight

 

[shadowalker]

I agree when awake carry it on your hip, I typically carry 16+ hours a day, but it isn't always practical and for that reason a GunVault makes a lot of sense.

Even in a closed GunVault my access is far faster than it would be if it were in a night stand. If you want to you can leave the GunVault door open at night and have immediate access.

 

[RoostRider]

You made the right choice.... never do something you're not comfortable about with a gun....