Whats better in a safe wood or plastic

[jcramin]

OK so I want to put some trays with compartments in my safe.

In a fire what would be better in a safe wood or plastic trays ?

Would plastic melt and ruin everything stored in it ?

Would t he wood get hot enough in a safe to catch fire ?

Thanks,
J

 

[Jeffreii]

my first guess would be wood over plastic, in that if your safe is air tight, the damage would be by excessive heat. The wood would turn to charcoal with out air, the plastic would turn to a drippy mess over everything. I guess if would all depend on how air tight and anti-o2 measures would be in effect on your particular safe. However, in that case, i would suppose the same would have happened to the synthetic stocks as to the plastic and the wooden stocks with he wood so maybe your guns would be ruined in either case anyway if it got that hot, so in that regard it wouldn't matter then. But I doubt it would matter much if you have a decent anti-fire (heat) safe anyway. Best would be to keep hot burning substances far from the safe, encase the safe with asbestos and then with fire brick to blockade it in from all that heat in the chance your home burns down.

 

[a1abdj]

Would plastic melt and ruin everything stored in it ?

It's possible.

Would the wood get hot enough in a safe to catch fire ?

It's possible.

Most gun safes offer very limited fire protection when compared to a real safe designed to protect against fire. In a severe fire, it probably won't matter what you use, as the contents will be damaged anyways.

 

[RyanM]

Depends on if you've got an actual safe, or a residential security container (RSC). Safe thicknesses are measured in inches. RSCs in gauge. RSCs are rated against attempted entry by a single person with hand tools only, for 10 minutes. A real safe can pretty much only be accessed by a professional safecracker. Difference in fire resistance is similar. General rule is that an RSC should be used to protect stuff with a total value not exceeding the cost of the RSC itself.

In either case, if the inside of the thing gets to the temperature where wood burns, your guns will probably have their temper damaged. At temperature where plastic melts, any polymer guns in there will be ruined.

 

[Starter52]

I decided on wood when I bought my safe.

 

[jcramin]

Thanks for all the help. I have some plastic containers for now since I cant find wood ones to fit.

J

 

[CB900F]

Jcramin;

There are two salient facts you haven't provided us. One: What's the fire rating of the storage container, ie, "safe"? Two: What kind of plastic or wood?

Ignition points vary widely for either broad medium of material. Balsa is much easier to ignite than oak for example. The range is almost certainly wider in the plastics category.

Then, as was stated earlier, the typical RSC cannot provide the thermal protection of a U.L. one hour fire rating found in better true safes.

We need more information in order to provide you with good advice.

900F

 

[jcramin]

My Safe was purchased more for protecting my guns and items of value from kids and friends and psycho in-laws.


My Safe is a Stack-On Elite Fire Resistant Safe.

45-Gun, Convertible, Fire Resistant Safe with Electronic Lock

All full-sized fire resistant safes are ETL fire rated to manufacturer’s specifications for 30 minutes up to 1400°F.

UL classified Gypsum Wallboard and Palusol® door stripping are used in the construction of these safes to ensure each safe performs consistently to it’s ETL fire rating.

Palusol door stripping Expands to seal door when exposed to high heat

J