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Old June 15, 2009, 12:50 AM   #2
a1abdj
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 28, 2005
Location: St. Charles, MO
Posts: 496
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I'd prefer external hinges and a dial/combination lock.
You're on the right track here.

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1. Are Cam drive bolt locking systems necessary?
Almost all safes will have some sort of cam/gearing that operates the locking bolts.

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2. Are slip clutch handles necessary?
Almost all safes will have something like this also. This prevents a theif from using the handle to force the boltwork into the lock, breaking the lock. The theory is that the handle should give way before the lock does.

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3. Do I need to have bolts in all four sides of the door?
In a residential setting, this feature is more important on safe with thin steel than it would be on a safe built of heavy plate. Since the thinner steels will flex when prying, the additional bolts will buy you some time during a pry attack.

On the downside, it's one more moving part that has the potential to break. There are many burglary rated safes that only have live locking bolts on the opening side.

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4. How much more resistant to break in or brute force is 10 gauge over 12 gauge? I saw the picture somewhere of the 12 gauge safe that was broken into with a sledge hammer. How much tougher would 10 gauge have been?
10 gauge is roughly 1/8", and 12 gauge is roughly 1/10". It will buy more time, maybe a few minutes.

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5. How important is it to have the CA DOJ or UL RSC rating, or do they even matter?
They don't really matter.

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6. How important are re-lockers?
Most of the guys that would attack your safe in your home don't know much about safes. It is very common to see a burglar knock the dial of a safe off in order to attempt entry. This is where a relocker is important.

If a safe doesn't have a relocker, it is not that difficult to punch the lock and gain entry to the safe. If the safe is using a UL rated lock, there will be a relocker internal to the lock as well.


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I looked at the Liberty Centurion 20. It's 12 gauge steel, 445 lbs, and has internal hinges but it's available at Lowe's for only $697.00 so no shipping charges. I don't know if this is a decent box or not.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...-BK&lpage=none
http://www.libertysafe.com/safe_centurion.php
The photo you have seen of the safe with the hole in the side is a 12 gauge Liberty Centurion.

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I looked at the Diamondbacks at the Zykan site. I liked the ZES-28 and ZES-24. I liked the 10 gauge steel on both and the 1/4 inch door on the 24.
http://www.zykansafe.com/diamondgunsafes.html
I don't actually sell the Diamond Backs anymore due to some security concerns with how that distributor is conducting business. I do however sell the same safes sold through different distributors with their own names attached.

You mentioned seeing other safe with different names having the same specs. This particular manufacturer sells these safes under a variety of names, so it's very possible you're looking at the same safe.

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I've actually learned alot from reading Mr. Zykan's posts. (thanks for all the info)
You are more than welcome. No need to call me Mr. though.

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They claim to be a Class B Residential Security Safe. But they only have a 1/8 inch body and 1/4 inch door. I thought Class B was 1/4 body and 1/2 inch door. It seems well made but what do I know? They sell them on ebay, free shipping.
Technically, his claim is correct. A B rated safe is any safe using "up to" 1/2" plate in the door, and "up to" 1/4" plate for the body. Commercially, most of us in the business don't consider a safe to be a B rate unless it's using the full thickness.
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