Why Don't You Own A Safe?

[Phydeaux642]

If you own a number of firearms and don't keep them in a safe, is there a good reason for that? I know folks will say that they may not have the money and that's understandable, but other than that what is your reasoning.

A friend of mine has a lot of firearms and doesn't have any of them in a safe. He believes that that would be putting them in one convenient location for the skilled thief to concentrate on.

I'm just curious what others think because I just bought a house and am thinking about getting a safe but can't decide.

 

[CTGunner]

Based on what I have read here unless you are going to spend a lot to get a true safe then it's probably not worth wasting your cash. From what I understand, even the 'best' safes can be opened by someone with the correct tools. Depending on where you live, and police response times, I would first spend my money on a monitored alarm system. This video shows how easy it could be to open a safe. Personally, I'm saving for a Graffunder.

http://www.graffundersafes.com/products/safes-weapon.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhOjWHbD6M

 

[boatme99]

A good safe is a must have.
I think your friend is using flawed logic here.
A "determined" thief would have a hard time moving it if it's properly bolted down, and it would take quite a bit of time to break into it.
If your guns are scattered around the house, a thief is at least going to take a few of them with him if he's only in the house for a few minutes.
Good safe prices start around the same price point of a good quality gun.
Go for the safe!

 

[matrem]

I see no reason to not get a safe or rsc, assuming one can afford it.
If your friends logic were true, he could always leave it empty to let the bg concentrate on something besides any of his guns.
My guess is, if he had one, he'd put em in it.

 

[CTGunner]

he could always leave it empty to let the bg concentrate on something besides any of his guns

Ah yes, the decoy safe.

 

[essayons21]

#1 Reason is money.

#2 Reason is the transient nature of my residence due to work. I rarely stay in one home for more than a year or two at most, and the idea of moving a 1k lb safe that often is daunting.

That being said, my next gun-related purchase will be a safe just large enough to hold a few of my higher dollar long guns and handguns to deter a smash and grab burglar.

 

[RDCL]

I don't have a safe. I live in an apartment. Any thief would have a difficult time breaking in as I am well above ground level......not to mention they'd (or HE) would have to break through "security-doors" in the downstairs lobby first.

Yes, I realize NO dwelling is completely secure.....but still....any thief would be MUCH more highly visible breaking in here night or day than say a darkened house.

In any case, I have implemented a halfway decent security measure for my modest gun collection. My extra bedroom has a big walk in closet. As apartments go I have to say the closet is VERY big......so behind the clothes rack I've constructed a false wall behind which I store guns & other valubles. Don't have to worry about humidity either. Place is climate controlled and the cool dry air finds it's way back there. Only giveaway is the seams in the corners and at the ceiling but a thief under "get-out-quick" stress would have to be pretty quick witted to spot it in the dark.
Also, the closet cannot be lit unless you know where the switch is


A REAL pain in the butt to pull the false wall to access thiings but it does give me piece of mind when I'm away. I only shut things up during the work week though. During the weekends the false wall is down.

Russ

Oh...forgot to mention. A very inexpensive .22 rifle and shotgun are always stored OUTSIDE of my hiding place in a different closet. The idea is that these serve as decoys so any possible thief would think he found his booty and leave.

 

[Gik-tal]

If you do buy a safe be very careful of where you put it. We had a case a few years ago where bad guys backed up a truck to the side of a house used chain saw to cut thru the wall and pulled the safe out onto the truck and where gone before anyone saw anything. THe best place is an inside load bearing wall, and if you should live in a mobile home build the floor supports up with some concrete before you put a big safe in one of those. That said they are a great investment, and about the cost of a single good rifle or handgun now adays.

 

[Walkalong]

Years ago when I passed 5K worth of firearms (Doesn't take much), I bought a nice RSC to replace my cracker box one. (Very nice compared to much of what is out there today) Looking to buy another one these days. Anyone who does not have something is taking a big chance, and IMHO, being careless and irresponsible with their firearms.

Buy something, bolt it down, start saving for a better one.

Something like a Sturdy or AMSEC or top grade Pentagon (and others) bolted down will not be opened or stolen intact by any run of the mill thieves looking for quick loot.

A pro will get your stuff. He will scope out your place, come when you are not there, and get it, but if we don't advertise that we have a bunch of guns in a safe at our house, that is unlikely.

 

[sigchick88]

I do own a safe, it's a small personal safe and can fit 3 hand guns 6 clips and has a tray for papers and that. We keep 1 of the hand guns in it but for the most part my Sig stays with me throughout the house and my hubby keeps his on him unless he's home. At night they go into the nightstands. We got it bc we have an 18mo old but he doesn't care about them. We keep them up and out of reach (out of sight out of mind).

Personally had I realized the guns wouldn't be in the safes I wouldn't have wasted the money.

 

[NoAlibi]

I have several friends who are known to have firearms (They, like me, shoot in their backyards, go to the shooting range and also compete.) whose houses were burglarized and the ONLY things taken were their firearms. In short, these people were targeted for their guns.

These were not high-dollar guns and if they were in a solid bolted to the floor safe (Not a Homak type) I’d make a reasonable bet that they would still have them. It would be highly unlikely that a safe cracker would have shown up at their homes for the guns that were taken. Even a Homak safe could have thwarted the theft.

There is no such thing as burglar proof home or safe, but there is great value on slowing the burglars down and causing them to make noise. Since time at the scene and noise ups the chance of detection most burglars won’t bother with it. Kids on the other hand who are not cognizant of this are the ones usually apprehended.

Now if you live in the boondocks where burglars can work unobserved and/or unheard, you’ll have other avenues to explore.

 

[jhansman]

Since I cannot afford a "real" safe, I have opted for what I consider the next best thing. I have locked steel gun cabinet, bolted to a concrete floor and and wall below my house, Clearly not the most secure solution, it does a) keep the half-dozen guns I have out of the hands of the casually curious or immature, and b) puts my spouse's mind at ease that they are not just lying around. Like the previous poster, I do not advertise that I am a gun owner. One other note: I asked my home insurance agent if firearms were covered under my current policy. Answer: No, and I'd need a separate rider (not cheap) to do so, and then coverage would NOT be the replacement cost, unlike the my other possessions. I passed on it and am taking my chances.

 

[DeepSouth]

I currently live in a mobile home and I'm short on room, and I'm not sure the floor would handle a large, heavy one like I want. I will be building a house in about 3-5 years if all goes as planned, it will have a large safe built in.

Not to mention, every time I get enough money to buy a small (starter) safe, I buy another gun.LOL

 

[preachnhunt]

I have a safe and keep the most expensive stuff in it while the cheapies are in a gun cabinet in the den.
While it is true that a determined and or skillful burglar can always find a way, I believe the average run of the mill thief would not have the skill or determination to QUICKLY defeat the safe with the dogs barking and the alarm blaring. It's not a perfect plan, but better than nothing.

 

[redneck2]

There is or was a show on TV that showed an ex-burglar and how easily he got into the average home. He also managed to find stuff that homeowners thought was well hidden. He wanted to be in and out in under 5 minutes.

The argument that anything other than a bank vault is worthless is totally absurd IMO. By far, the largest number of break-ins are smash and grab punks. Typically they aren't gonna mess with anything resembling a safe.

Now, if I were buying again, I'd get something better than my Liberty. Still in all, it's WAY better than most alternatives.

 

[22-rimfire]

If you consider the cost of firearm insurance, a good safe is a reasonable precaution and will pay for itself rather quickly relative to the cost of insurance. But a safe is still not insurance; only a deterent to burgulary but not a fire or flood.

 

[sigchick88]

in reguards to insurance any one who has USAA can get Gun insurance really cheap like $2 per $1000 or something like that... just a thought

 

[wishin]

I guess with some it hinges on whether it's important to look at one's guns without having to dig them out. I've never owned a safe because I'm one of those people that really enjoys the beauty of handguns and long guns and enjoy seeing them out. I like the idea of immediate accessibility too, but I don't have any young children around. I keep my 11 weapons in a gun rack, by the bedside, in my truck and in other strategic locations throughout the house. They're insured at a cost of only $46.00/year.

 

[LouisCipher777]

two reasons...

ONE... I live in a 3rd floor apartment.

TWO... if something crazy happens, it's a whole lot easier to put my elbow through the glass door of my gun cabinet than it is open a safe.

 

[22-rimfire]

cheap like $2 per $1000...

Is that per month or per year? Tell me where you can buy real insurance for a price like this. I have gotten quotes that you could pay for a new safe every two years.

 

[orionengnr]

I know folks will say that they may not have the money and that's understandable

No, it's not. It is merely an excuse.
If you have enough guns to worry about (in my mind, more than five or six) then you have enough money invested in guns/ammo/holsters/etc. to invest in a safe.
The safe will be there forever, and will protect your investment forever.

And you will add more guns to your collectoin. Yes, it is a PITA to move, but there are safe movers out there for local moves, and long distance movers will move your safe as well (although I would probably put it in a refrigerator box because I have some issues with trusting human nature).

I also carry insurance on my modest "collection"...about $100 per year. That is the cost of one range session plus ammo..which I can afford easily...or, more properly, cannot afford not to do.

 

[12131]

I know folks will say that they may not have the money and that's understandable

No, it's not. It is merely an excuse.
If you have enough guns to worry about (in my mind, more than five or six) then you have enough money invested in guns/ammo/holsters/etc. to invest in a safe.

Exactly.

 

[Mags]

If money is a factor get what you can afford and work your way up. When I owned 3-5 guns I had a Stack-on gun cabinet. When I got more guns I went out and bought a 400lb Sentry safe and of course bolted it down in a well hidden spot because Sentry safes are really just a deterrent or delay. When I get more money, space and guns I will probably get one of the 1500 dollar Cabela's or Browning safes in the distant future.

If you can't have it all at once I guess something is better than nothing.

 

[HOWARD J]

I have had a safe since early '60.
It's made by the outfit that makes Browning safes--about 600 #
Their best bet is to cart it upstairs & take it away--but--they need at least 4 guys & a good dolly so they need to know that it is there to start.
The class of people ( in this county) that burglar homes does not have the intellegence to think of something like that... they are the fast grab & run folks..............

 

[Tony50ae]

Even a decent RSC is better than nothing. Like many have said, it will deter most smash and grab thieves. Lucky for me the condo I live in is a somewhat secure building. You need a key for the elevator and also each floor has a security door that you need a key for. Then of course the main front door. And I also live in the top( 10th ) floor. And I still own a decent "gun safe"

If someone were to break in and steal my firearms I don't think it would be a random burglary but a targeted one. I try to minimize that by not advertising I am a gun owner.