Gun Cabinet vs. Entry Level Gun Safe

[Homerboy]

I have a Homack 8 gun (yeah right. I can get 3 in there max) gun cabinet that I bought about 4 years ago for $89 bucks. I feel the need to step up my security since there is $2000 worth of guns and ammo in it. I know you're going to say "Get the biggest and best you can", but we have a kid on the way and I cannot justify spending $1000 or more on a safe right now. We're gonna be moving within the next few months, and since the movers are gonna be doing the lifting, I don't mind buying it before the move. Sentry makes a 16 gun safe for about $400. Way more secure looking and feeling than the gun cabinet, not to mention heavier. It is not fire rated, and the fire rated ones are $200 more, plus bigger and I don't think that one would fit where it's going to go in my current place. I know an experienced burgular can get into to any safe if he wants to, but the Homack can be defeated with a crowbar in about 30 seconds. While it's obviously a step up, is it worth it to get the Sentry? I'm sure at some point when things level off, I'll be getting a super duper nuclear blast proof safe, but for now I just wanna feel more secure with something better. Anyone have any experience with these safes and can give me some advice?

[RsqVet]

Save your money now and buy a safe once, if you want a temprary boost in securuty buy a knack job box to put the homark in and then at liest you will have something usefull when you get a real safe.

The Sentry is a POS, it has more the look of a safe than the function of a safe.... poor quality locking mechanism that frequently breaks, and honestly defeating that safe is not much harder than defeating the Homack 8, I know because we use them at work for a lock box, owner gets them someplace where they have a lifetime warranty... well we are on number 4 or 5 in as many years and when they break by locking themselves closed it is no biggie to breach one and we are NOT pros.

[BobK]

There is another thread or two on Sentry safes. Please stay away from them. It may take a little looking around but a decent size entry level gunsafe can be had for under $700.00.

[Dwight55]

I have a Sentry, . . . bolted to the floor, . . . and the walls. Yes it probably can be breached, . . . but it will take substantially more to do so than to breach my buddy's glass fronted gun case.

Sentry is what I can/could afford, . . . Sentry is what I got, . . . and when I do go up to a better one, . . . I will still keep it to keep other stuff in that I don't want a casual, . . . walk through burglar just picking up and walking off with.

Taking it the other way, . . . I wonder how many SKS's, . . . High Point, . . . RG11, . . . and Jennings guns are stored in a $2500.00 Browning safe?

The Sentry will do its job to keep your weapons far more secure than a gun case, . . . think about it!

May God bless,
Dwight

[ConcealCarryNY]

I too own a Sentry cause its what I can afford. You can find really really good deals on them if you watch Walmart. I got mine at 75% off cause they were trying to get rid of it. I don't know if its a specific thing but both me and my dad got them probably 3 years apart at the same price it was during the spring. They were probably trying to clear stock or something.

[skeeter1]

Well, I have a Stack-On, which I consider to be bottom-of-the-barrel. Not fire-proof, but the biggest thing I could get upstairs. Holds 8 longguns and about 6 handguns.

http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus...y/gc-8rta.html

Better than nothing, and I think I only paid about $108 for it. I didn't want a safe in the garage, too much humidity variations. Maybe someday I'll get a proper gunsafe, but this one will have to do for now.

[Travismaine]

A good safe is the way to go. Save if you have to. A good safe will protect your firearms from the environment, thieves and fire. You invest good money in your firearms invest a little more to protect them.

[5whiskey]

I noticed on midway they have stack on safes for right at 400 dollars. Anyone know how well these work? I'm beggining to amass over the 3k point in various guns and optics, not including antiques, so it's getting about time. I would be SICK to my stomache to see some BOD (bag of dueche) steal what I've been shot at in Iraq and Afghanistan to earn. I've thought about making a heavy built lock box myself, which would be fine except I haven't figured how to make a very sturdy locking mechanism. I'm interested in the best entry level safe myself. I obviously don't want a sentry but is stack on a decent safe security wise? I don't even care too much about finish, just want it to be secure. If not stack on then what else? Thanks

[The Canuck]

You can get Remington and Liberty safes for between USD$600-800. Not the top of the line, but it would take a few hours and lots of noise to get into one.

[acfemf]

Skeeter1
Have a question for ya. I have that gun cabinet as well, and bought some boxes of silica gel to keep it dry, but as you may know it is NOT airtight, so even though I've tried to seal all the holes in the cabinet the silica has to be dried in about 2 weeks. In another post they said better to leave the cabinet open if you can to let the air move around, but that kind of defeats the purpose. What do you do to keep your cabinet dry?

[CCMO]

I bought this safe http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus...es/gs-410.html I purchased from Stack-On primarily because this was the only model that fit the "hole" I wanted to mount it in. It is not fireproof, but I'm not dissatisfied with it otherwise... and the price can't be beat. Of course, my gun collection is not worth many thousands of dollars either! (yet)

[a1abdj]

Not the top of the line, but it would take a few hours and lots of noise to get into one.

To put it in perspective:

The lowest UL listed burglary rating is for 15 minutes against common hand and power tools. This includes hammers, prybars, axes, drills, electric grinders, etc...... The steel version of these safes are commonly found to have 1" A36 steel walls, and 1.5" A36 steel doors.

Gun safes built of 12 gauge steel use 1/10" A36 sheet.

How could 1/10" sheet steel keep somebody out for hours when 1" solid plate is only going to keep somebody out for 15 minutes?

The simple answer is it is not. Anybody who thinks a gun safe is going to provide hours of protection against somebody capable of swinging a sledge hammer is kidding themselves. Most gun safes can be breeched in less than 5 minutes by brute force.

As far as the original posters question:

If you have a collection worth thousands of dollars, or heirloom pieces, you may want to consider a safe. Otherwise, I think some insurance and the cabinet you are using will suffice.

The cabinet will keep the kids out, and it will slow a theif down almost as much as a $400 safe.

[skeeter1]

acfemf--

I have a pair of these in my gun cabinet:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP186-63643-2836.html

Mine are labeled Remington 350 Mini Dehumidifiers, but they're the exact same thing. No, you're right, the Stack-On is hardly moisture tight. These dehumidifiers keep it dry for about 3 months and then you plug them into an electrical outlet for 12 hrs to recharge. It helps that I live in an air-conditioned house, so the humidity in here rarely gets too high.

[RNB65]

Insurance. Make sure you have enough firearms coverage (replacement value) to cover your gun collection. An experienced thief can get into any safe/RSC/cabinet you buy, so make sure you have insurance protection as backup.

[acfemf]

Thanks Skeeter! I'd been thinking about those little dehumidifiers myself. Probly will go that direction for now. Cheaper than all those "so easy" to break into safes these guys are talking about.

[wayneinFL]

rsgvet, what do you do to open them? I drilled one once and it took forever, even with my cobalt bits.

Sure, it would be fairly easy to open it with a Sawzall, but that would destroy it, and besides it's still harder than just prying it open with a big screwdriver, like the cheap cabinets.

[skeeter1]

This thread kind of got me to thinking. Many years ago, I had my heart set on someday getting a nice walnut or mahogany gun caninet with glass doors to display my toys. Now, I wouldn't have one even if I got it as a gift. I retrospect, I guess I saved myself about $1K for something that would have been really pretty, and pretty useless at the same time.

[Caimlas]

Once a person gets into your house while you aren't home, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get into a safe as long as they can do it before you get home. Most burglaries are going to be snatch and grab, unless they know you've got a large quantity of highly valuable materials which they can easily float.

The best thing you can do for security would be to make sure the outside of your house is secure, and that your neighbors (if you have any) know who should and should not be snooping around. Nice, big safes only give the impression of security which - let's be honest - is more than you're going to need in the event of anyone who came in looking for some quickly acquired valuables.

If you're moving into a house you own and/or bought, this is what i would do: if you've got an extra area in the basement you could wall off, do so with cinder blocks and rebar, and put a metal frame door (ie prison door) in place with a good deadbolt. It'll be more secure, partially fire proof, and you'll be able to use it to double for valuable storage and/or a safe room. Hiding a safe, or making it look stronger than it is, might also be of value... you could do those both for a lot less than $800.

[tegemu]

I did pretty well with a Liberty safe - it pleases me.

[Olive Drab]

zanotti