Gun Safes - Opinions Sought

[Anthony]

Hello Everyone,

Does anyone have any opinions on the various brands of gun vaults on the market?

Do any of them stand out above the others in security and fire resistence?

Are there any good sources for researching the various brands?

I'm going to be buying a very very large one to house my beloved collection in the foreseeable future and would like to gather as much information as possible.

Thank you for your input.

- Anthony

[XavierBreath]

Anthony,
I don't have the info you desire, but let me put an idea in your head. Consider more than one standard sized safe. Trying to steal or bust open three standard sized safes is more of a chore than one big one. Also consider where you will put the safe. One of the neatest set ups I ever saw was the guy that had the Colt safe, the S&W safe, and then the "other" safe.

[BillCA]

Many people buy one safe to hold long guns & handguns. Others buy a smaller safe for handguns and a tall skinny one for rifles. Some, like you, buy a "mammoth" model and store everything in it.

Think about where you'll put it first. I've seen folks put safes in places only to find out that they can't open the door past other furniture or while standing in front of the safe (closet). Another item is it's weight versus the weight limit the floor will support (or the stairs into the house). I've heard of people having to knock out a wall to get a big safe to the desired room.

If everything will be in one safe you'll want to buy the best you can afford. Otherwise, if someone gets it open they'll strip it clean if they can. Be sure the safe company guarantees the following;
1. If the lock is destroyed, they'll pay for a locksmith to open & replace it.
2. If the safe is damaged by theft attempts or fire, they'll replace it.
3. A minimum of a 10 year warranty but some have lifetime warranties.
4. Content warranties for fire damage if shorter than the rated time.

If you're putting a safe in a closet, pay attention to which way the safe door opens. You may have to close the closet door to open the safe. A friend did this deliberately by ordering the hinge on the left side so when in the closet, the safe door opened towards the closet door and became an armored shield!

[johnbt]

www.brownsafe.com/gun_safe.html

There's a lot of good info on this site. The Brown safes are actually rated as safes and not as Residential Security Containers like most so-called gun safes. The trouble is they cost $5k to $10k.

Look at the thickness of the steel in the walls and door, and your bank account, as well as the type and number of relockers among other things.

John

[utaherrn]

in that I have several safe manufacturers close by. Made shopping easy. Also have several "factory outlets" competing locally.
Shop around and compare price vs. protection offered.
I went with a factory second, has a flaw in the paint on one side. Put that side up against the wall, and saved several hundred dollars (actually I just got a bigger safe for the price of a smaller one :D ).
Whatever you decide upon, if it's a 36" or wider model, consider paying for delivery inside your home. The $100 I spent on delivery into the room was cheaper than back surgery and spinal rehab would have been.

[shooter22]

I have a Browning Medallion that holds 48 guns. I love it. But when you think you have found the one you like that is big enough, buy the next bigger size!


I have filled what I thought would be partiallly full for a while.


Oh yeah, Get the Seargent & Greenleaf electronic lock. We have one on our safe and it had been opened so much that the face and the #5 started shorting out. Well, I had set three different combinations to open, when the 5 shorted out I could still get the safe open. I then called S&G and told them the problem and they next morning air shipped a replacement electronic lock. Problem solved within 18 hours. the Browning safe is great, because the S&G lock and service is the best.