Cheap gun safes: Stack-On?

[gfen]

Hello.

First thing's first: Without even saying or researching, I know that a good safe is not cheap. Its a given. On the other hand, ANY safe is better than no safe. Guess what I've got now?

Let's start by giving facts... I have a "few" firearms, both long guns and hand guns. They're currently all stored in a Walmart-quality "gun cabinet" I inheritated with that first shotgun, effective and keeping fingers off guns, and that's about it.

I live in a cheaply constructed townhouse with a wife who tolerates my hobbies. Second floor placement, ONLY. THis means that weight IS an issue. As much as I'd love one of those swanky, monster Browning safes, it'd look alot worse after crashing through the floor.

I'm not rolling in fat cash, no sir. I am, however, going to be the beneficiary of $550 in Dick's Sporting Goods certificates (don't ask, it ain't important). This means that Dick's is my #1 shopping spot.

And now, the question... I'd like to spend SOME of that money on a safe (the rest goes to, hopefully, a Marlin 39A). Enjoying Dick's selection, they stock several models by Stack-On.

I'm assuming that even the 8 or 10 gun models (priced right!) have some room to lay pistol cases on the ground.

I do believe I looked at some Stack-On units in Cabela's once, and they were flimsy, sheet metal affairs that might upgrade my current security rating from "stops retarded children" to "stops crack-addled pre-teens." However, I believe those were "cabinets," and not "safes."

So, all in all, how do the Stack-On safes rate? Total and utter junk, or will I at least be able to defend against the average criminal who breaks in and finds my new iMac and DVD collection to be better profits than having to smash the Stack-On open? I guess that might be, "stops average-theif-not-on-paranoia-inducing-Discovery-tv-show" levels of security.

Since $550 doesn't buy much more than a Marlin 39A, I do expect to sink some cash into this. If the Stack-On safes (not cabinets!) are complete trash, I guess I'll look elsewhere, but would apprechiate suggestions keeping in mind my requirements (weight and money).

[a1abdj]

Stack On is just a name, not a manufacturer.

There are many safes coming from the same place the Stack On safe does. These include some of the Sentry line, Browning (Pro Steel), Liberty, Cannon, and others.

If you are looking for toughness over fireproofing, then look at their uninsulated safes. The steel in those safe are thicker than in their insulated units.

To give you an idea on weight, we sell a Chinese safe which is 59 x 22 x 16, 10 gauge body, 1/4" door, with a 30 minute fire liner. It weighs 379 pounds.

[Fremmer]

Gfen, one concern that I would have is how the Stack On is secured to the floor or wall. Can it be drilled into studs, or some other method to prevent it from being carried out of the house? I'm not sure that the average thief is going to try smashing/prying open that safe while he is inside your house. Instead, he'll merely carry it outside, load it onto his truck with the rest of your stuff, and work on smashing or prying it open after he gets back to his house. You can ask Tommy Lee about what happens to safes that are not secured to a floor or wall.

[Mikeyboy]

+1 for Fremmer. I have a real cheap walmart gun Locker. It is made with real thin sheetmetal, However it is attached to the wall and floor with a dozen washer and 2 1/2 inch screws, mostly hitting Joist and wall studs. It will not stop a determined thief who has a crowbar and a lot of time to work on it, somehow breaking into my home without setting off the alarm system, but it will stop the hit and run the average thief that breaks into the house and wants to grab and go, and not want to waste time playing around trying to tear out a gun safe. Unless you have a big, expensive collection worth well over $2,000 (max limit on most homeowners policies for firearms) I would not worry about fireproofing or getting a big heavy safe. Stack On is fine, but not the best. Honestly If I had that much in store credit at Dick's I would get a decent Stack On gun safe if your safe is real bad, and blow the rest on maybe a new rifle or shotgun, or at least some ammo and hunting equipment.

[Countertop]

Wal Mart sells some Sentry Safes o their web page.

I'
m not too worried about a thief but rather am more concerned with my 3 1/2 year old son who has suddenly become fascinated with firearms.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good thing, but until I am sure that he understands the four rules of firearms (or even afterward) I just want to ensure he (or his friends) can't access them when I'm not around.

[625]

There are many safes coming from the same place the Stack On safe does. These include some of the Sentry line, Browning (Pro Steel), Liberty, Cannon, and others.

That's news to me. Care to share a link that backs up the claim that all of these safes are made by one company?

[a1abdj]

That's news to me. Care to share a link that backs up the claim that all of these safes are made by one company?

You don't need a link. Go look at any of the lower lines of all of the above mentioned companies. You'll see something similar on all of the boxes:

"MADE IN CHINA".

There are a few manufacturing facilities in China that build these various safes...some are made at the same facilities, some are not.

China is a communist country. Venture to guess who owns the factories?

If you want to surf around the net a little bit, you can find some sites geared towards importers which will show you the products available from China.

This is exactly how I found the Chinese line that I sell. I traced a big name safe backwards, found the facility, contacted them regarding who imports their products, and found a "no-name" company that did.

[625]

Go look at any of the lower lines of all of the above mentioned companies.

Thank you for elaborating. You implied that some safes from all of the companies you listed "come from the same place". You mentioned nothing about the lower end models until now.

[FirstFreedom]

I keep my centerfire rifles in a good safe, but it's full.

So I keep my rimfires, airguns, and some shotguns in two Stack-On 8-gun safes screwed into the wall with sheetrock anchors, until I can get a bigger safe. They might slow down a thief for 30 seconds or more if I'm lucky. Might actually dissuade a non-professional thief from going forward. Handguns are in a Sentry fire safe like you can get at Office Depot, bolted to a very heavy plywood & wood workbench.

[Vitamin G]

I recieved a thief's best friend gun container (I mean, a stack on safe) for Christmas. Its better than nothing in terms of keeping unwanted people off your guns, but my fear is that a determined thief (or a semi-determined one) would just pop the safe off the bolts and use it as the container to get everything in one box.

Still, I'd rather have the stack-on $100 safe than spend an extra $200 on the digital keypad gun container. I'll just save that $200 and put it towards saving for a nice $800 real safe.

[LoadIt]

I was shopping at Dick's earlier this winter and looked at the Stack-on safes and they actually looked okay. I was supprised to see the Stack-on name on something of quality. My first thought was "I wonder whois making those?"

My first safe was a second hand thin sheet metal gun cabinet. I was living in an apartment at the time, second floor, and thought that bolting that thing to the wall was better than stuffing my firearms under the bed.

Now I have two 750 pound Heritage fire-resistant safes and a house.

[Crosshair]

I just have about 150 lbs of lead shot in the bottom of my safe as well as all the guns in there. Makes it darn hard to carry it out and you can't use a cart because of the size of the safe (It is a large 2 door model) as well as the layout of my house.