Gun Safe

[QuarterHorse]

Needing to get a gun safe but am wondering what you guys are using. I only have two long guns, and will probably keep a total of less than 6, mostly hand guns. I'm not wanting a bunch of small safes as it'll probably be a multi-purpose storage space for say cash etc....

What do you guys have? I'm liking multiple shelf set ups and racks for the hand guns or at least storage to keep the hand guns in their respective cases etc...

Anywho, lets see/hear what you guys got.

Thanks

Dustin

[stargazer65]

I got one of the Stack-On keypad safes at Dick's for multiple handguns. My long guns are on racks with various and sundry locking devices.

[dreamweaver]

liberty has a "no frills" model called "centurion" that is a good buy. i have 2 of 'em and like 'em. plenty of room for other stuff and decent fire rating.
need to add your own dehumidifier. goldenrod 18" works fine. glass bead units are ok too, if you don't mind rotating them out every couple weeks.

[ttheel]

I am looking at buying one myself in the next few months. I am considering several brands like Fort Knox, Browning and Sportsman Steel. American made is the key - harder Steel, as much as 30-35% harder than foreign steel.

[bamaranger]

Whatever you get, get one considerably bigger than what you think you need.

You are likely not done buying guns. You may inherit some. There will be other stuff you will put in the safe, doc's jewelry , etc.

cheaper than buying a second safe, or another smaller one.

[Don Gwinn]

Bamaranger speaks the truth. I am currently doing the long-gun shuffle in my small safe. It is no fun.

[a1abdj]

My opinion of lower priced gun safes is this:

Save your money, and secure a closet in your home. A safe costing a few hundred dollars is not going to provide you any more protection than a closet reinforced with $100 worth of materials.

I am considering several brands like Fort Knox, Browning and Sportsman Steel. American made is the key

I don't know if you're aware, but two of the three companies you mentioned import Chinese safes and label them as their own.

harder Steel, as much as 30-35% harder than foreign steel.

You're assuming two things. First you're assuming that foreign manufacturers are using junk steel. This isn't always true.

You're also assuming that your US manufacturer is using US made steel. This isn't always true either.

You'll also have to assume that the manufacturer isn't lying to you when you ask where there safes and/or materials come from. One of the companies on your list is well known for flat out lying about this, and a quick search on google may lead you to some of those stories.

[robthebuilder]

I love my Liberty Presidential series.

[ttheel]

I don't know if you're aware, but two of the three companies you mentioned import Chinese safes and label them as their own.

I know that one of the brands you are speaking of is Browning. Not all Browning safes are made in China. Their higher end safes(Platinum, Gold, Medalion and Silver series) are all made right here in America. Fort Knox higher end safes are made in America and all Sportsman Steel safes are made in America.

Here is a good blog on the things to look at when buying a safe.
http://gunsafe.blogspot.com/

[g.willikers]

Probably the most important thing with any safe is to hide it so no one even knows it's there.
It will really be burglar proof if the burglar never finds it.

[a1abdj]

all Sportsman Steel safes are made in America.

That's certainly what they say. I would research that a little more in depth.

[ttheel]

That's certainly what they say. I would research that a little more in depth.
Today 08:15 AM

This is direct from their(Sportsman Steel) FAQ website:

"Who makes the best gun safe? America, that's who. Gun safes sold on-line are almost always made in China. The best gun safes are made in the United States. Whether you're looking for a Rifle gun safe, new, used or antique firearms safe, the Best Gun Safe are USA Made. But the Best Gun Safe award goes to the commercial safe. They have 1/4" steel bodies, step system doors, four point sealing doors and fireproofing that's cement or ceramic insulation. The best gun safe is not made with drywall fireproofing. The best gun safe is not sold on-line. You must contact a gun safe manufacturer personally. And make sure it's American. If a on-line company claims to be American, call an American gun safe manufacturer like Sportsman Steel Safes, Fort Knox or Halls. They'll tell you who's American and who is not."

"The best way to figure out who makes the best gun safes is by watching which gun safe the US Government is buying. The FBI, Homeland Security, US Secret Service and LAPD chose Sportsman Steel Safes over all other gun safes. Probably because they offer 2300 degree fire insulation, step-system doors, military and police discounts. Premium Sportsman Steel Gun Safes are American made and offer double locks for maximum security. When the above government institutions scoured the net looking for their gun safes, they were probably looking for gun safes that resembled high-end commercial grade safes. Sportsman Steel Safes, Fort Knox and Halls gun safes offer this level of security."

Here is a link to the entire FAQ page:
http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/gun_safe_faq.htm

[CWPinSC]

"The best way to figure out who makes the best gun safes is by watching which gun safe the US Government is buying. The FBI, Homeland Security, US Secret Service and LAPD chose Sportsman Steel Safes over all other gun safes. Probably because they offer 2300 degree fire insulation, step-system doors, military and police discounts.

Probably because Sportsman either gives them the safes or offers them at drastically reduced prices just so they can get advertising blurbs like this one.

Probably the most important thing with any safe is to hide it so no one even knows it's there.

If you can think of a place to hide it, a burglar can think of a place to look for it.

American made is the key - harder Steel, as much as 30-35% harder than foreign steel.

Not all American steel is good, not all offshore steel is bad. Not all American companies use American steel, not all offshore companies use offshore steel.

[a1abdj]

This is direct from their(Sportsman Steel) FAQ website:

I don't care what their website says. It's full of untruths.

If you would research somewhere other than their website, you might find stories about customers buying chinese safes from them. Of course they spray paint over the "made in china" printed on the box. You might also find many other horror stories.

You can see their "Made in the US" safe with "Made in China" printed on the box (complete with photos) here:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/guns-ran...pany-b957b.htm

Let me go through some of what you quoted from their website:

Gun safes sold on-line are almost always made in China.

Their "American made" gun safes are sold online aren't they? Every other US manufacturer has their products represented online as well. Products sold online have nothing to do with the country of origin.

The best gun safes are made in the United States.

Of course they are. The US is one of the only countries where gun ownership is so common. You don't have a lot of bikini manufacturers in Alaska.

But the Best Gun Safe award goes to the commercial safe.

I agree with them here, but then they go on to prove they have no idea what a commercial safe is in the next sentence:

They have 1/4" steel bodies, step system doors, four point sealing doors and fireproofing that's cement or ceramic insulation.

Those criteria have nothing to do with a "commercial safe".

The best gun safe is not sold on-line.

The best mass manufactured gun safe is the AMSEC RF6528 which carries a UL TL-30 burglary rating. It is commonly found online.

I sell custom gun safes with even higher ratings, and technically sell them "online" as well.

If a on-line company claims to be American, call an American gun safe manufacturer like Sportsman Steel Safes, Fort Knox or Halls. They'll tell you who's American and who is not."

You would be better off actually calling somebody who knows something about safes. Gun safe manufacturers are not high on that list.

The best way to figure out who makes the best gun safes is by watching which gun safe the US Government is buying. The FBI, Homeland Security, US Secret Service and LAPD chose Sportsman Steel Safes over all other gun safes.

This is very interesting. I do a lot of work for the government, and have never seen a Sportsman Steel safe being used by them. I have seen several Liberty gun safes being used.

When the above government institutions scoured the net looking for their gun safes, they were probably looking for gun safes that resembled high-end commercial grade safes. Sportsman Steel Safes, Fort Knox and Halls gun safes offer this level of security."

If the government was looking for safes that resembled high end commercial safes, that's what they would have bought. The government knows all about safes, and has been using real safes long before the gun safe was invented.

I don't know how many government agencies are shopping online though.

[HighExpert]

One thing you can count on, if someone wants it, they will find a way to steal it. Your safe should be heavy enough to slow down anyone from moving it (800lbs?), bolted down (they can cut it out of the floor) and secure enough to stop all but the most determined from getting in. The main thing I worry about is the fire rating. If it can't protect for at least 30min at 1200 degrees, it isn't worth the time. Also get the biggest you can afford and find a place for. I am very happy with my Fort Knox but am also aware that there are other quality safes out there. Work the lock and the wheel and see if it feels tight.

[willrussellville]

I purchased a Cannon safe at Academy. I don't have a clue where the steel was manufactured. I looked at many safes and for the money spent, I feel very confident this was a good purchase for the money.
It has the keypad combination (I tried several with the round tumblers, ugh). It has a 1200 deg/60 minute fire rating. Weighs 600 pounds and it is 5ft tall, 2ft deep and 32" wide. Paid about $800.

[ttheel]

If I were buying a Sportsman Steel safe, I would not be buying their lower grade safe as I wont be buying anyones lower grade safe. Sportsman Steel makes their higher quaility safe's here in America and that is why they are on my list and yes it does matter that it is made in America, at least to me it does.

Edited - after reading some folks reviews of Sportsman Steel, I may stay away from them. I had heard some really good things about their safes but some reviews I have stumbled accross really has me wondering at this point. Maybe my list just shrunk a bit.

[a1abdj]

I understand buying American.

I can't believe so many people trust their security to a company that is so blatantly dishonest. To me honesty and security go hand in hand. I'm not going to single them out, other than as it relates to this thread, but there are other safe companies that engage in similar behavior.

[NBryan]

I haven't seen anyone mention American Security Products (AMSEC). They have a high quality U.S. made line of gun safes that is well worth exploring. These safes offer 90 minutes of fire protection, double steel body and a 1/2" steel plate in the door. Excellent quality at a reasonable price.

Check out the BF Series:
http://www.maximumsecurity.com/safes...Series-c28.htm


_________________________________________
http://www.maximumsecurity.com

[rtpzwms]

I have a Cannon T-36 safe I bought it just a couple of years ago. Its too small now..... Someone posted that the were thinking of putting money in the safe with the guns. you don't have enough guns! Someone else was going to secure a closet... that doesn't stop a fire. Things to think about. Don't store ammo. powder. or primers in the safe. Think about it.... There was a guy in Reseda CA that stored powder in a contran box in the back yard and it exploded! granted that the safe may hold together but do you want to find out the hardway? get the biggest safe that you can afford it will be to small but its a start.

[robthebuilder]

I've always heard storing ammo in the safe is ok, but just put it towards the bottom where there is less heat during a fire.

[rtpzwms]

robthebuilder i'm not going to tell you never do it but think about what you're doing a box or two of ammo is not the end of the world. but if you're putting 5k of this and 20k of that you're building a bomb.... add a couple of pounds of red dot and 8k of primers and you have a disaster waiting to happen. store you ammo in a place that breaths so the pressures don't build up. your safe does not breath so the pressure will build until something blows. i just don't think you need or want to find out the hard way. it's just my thoughts and nothing more. my close neighbors know if my house goes up in flames keep everyone away including the firemen. there is nothing here worth loosing a life for; ever. all I want of my safe is to keep honest people honest its the best thing I can hope for.

[jal5]

I like the Centurion by Liberty, nice features for the money. But I think I would get the next size bigger in the Liberty line if I had to do it all over again. Mine is pretty full and I am sure I am not done buying firearms in my lifetime!

Joe

[ISC]

I know I'm repeating some of the things already mentioned, but they deserve repeating.

1) A safe that is out of sight is more secure than one in the open.

2) Any safe can be gotten into by a determined thief with time if he knows you have it. Your best security is being discrete about your collection.

3) Cheap safes have no fire rating, which is the one thing you can't hide your guns from.

4) you can secure a closet pretty easily, even adding a degree of fire protection fairly cheaply.

5) If you don't anchor your safe to the deck the thief can just leave your house with the guns AND the safe.

I don't like or trust digital electronic entry safes. Batteries die. Electronics short out. EMP or lightning strike can fry it.

[ET.]

I purchased a Winchester Gun Safe at Sam's. It weighs 600 lbs. empty & over 1000 lbs with all the stuff in it. It was made in China. It is exactly the same safe that Pro Bass is selling as their Redhead $899 model. I also found the exact safe with Remington painted on the front for $799 on sale in the mountains while on vacation.

I really would have perferred buying a safe made in America, but the ones that I thought would have been made here are all made in China. We are destroying this country by sending all of our manufacturing over seas to China. They have all of our technology and money and all we have is a bunch of stuff that has been made in China. Hang on to your guns, we are going to need them.


...Oh, and yes, my ammo is stored in my gun safe. If my house goes up in flames then my safe goes boom! I am not protecting my guns and ammo from fire. The chances of my house catching fire are far less than some one breaking into my house to steal my belongings. Here in Savannah we are seeing a high number of home burgleries and very few house fires. I'll take my chances...