Stack-On Cabinet and Home Defense--What gauge steel?

wild cat mccane · February 21, 2019, 11:46 PM

Hello,

Might anyone know for a fact, no guessing, what gauge steel Stack-On cabinets are made of?

On the lesser model safes (ie https://www.amazon.com/Stack-Defense...TD4/ref=sr_1_5), what is the gauge on the body of the safe, not the door?

I emailed Stack-On but no response.

Onward Allusion · February 22, 2019, 08:12 AM

14

wild cat mccane · February 22, 2019, 08:30 AM

I don't think this true. But I have seen that posted before. Here's why I don't think it can be 14 gauge steel:

My Ridgid job box at 32x19z18.25 = 11K cubic inches and weighs 77lbs. I know that it is made of 16 gauge for the box and 12 gauge skids

The 18 gun Stack-On cabinet at double the cubic inches weighs only 10lbs more?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3...-300748555-_-N
vs
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stack-On-...binet/19216477

std7mag · February 22, 2019, 01:00 PM

Not sure on the gauge of steel on the body, but i'd be willing to bet it wouldn't take me too awful long to cut a hole in it with a flat blade screwdriver and a hammer.
Noisy, yes, but i'd have whatever you put in it.

I was checking pricing on them a few years ago. Cheap.
Then actually checked them out in person.
Impression... Cheap.

Save up a few more dollars and get a decent Sports Afield or some other manufacturer.
Well worth the money.

2wheelwander · February 22, 2019, 01:25 PM

What 7mag said. If all you want is a lockable box to honest people honest any Stack On will do just fine. But why store thousands of dollars worth of guns in a $399 safe? I had a cheap stack on like safe years ago. Any teen with a pry bay could get into in.

After a house fire and nearly loosing my guns I bought a Liberty and never looked back. I do, however, have a Stack On I built shelves into and store my ammo in.

FrankenMauser · February 22, 2019, 01:32 PM

Cabinets?
Or Safes?

You say "cabinets" but link to a safe.
Then link to a cabinet.

The safes might be 14 ga. I don't know about them.

The cabinets - if the design hasn't changed - are about 16 ga for the bodies and about 18 ga for the doors. I say "about", because thick paint would bump the steel to a thinner gauge. ...But I'm not going to scratch the paint off just to get a better measurement of the steel.

(I measured the two I use for parts storage - one, about 13 years old; the other about 5 years old.)

87 lbs...?
Only if it's full of guns and bolted to a pallet!
I kid. But they are very light for a 'secure' storage container.

wild cat mccane · February 22, 2019, 10:20 PM

I asked for both their cabinets and the less "safes" (ie, not the Elites)

I'm almost 100% sure the cabinets are in no way 14 gauge and might start at 18...

std7mag · February 23, 2019, 10:03 AM

May as well go to a used office supply place and get a metal cabinet.
Save you some money too...

FrankenMauser · February 23, 2019, 01:55 PM

That's not a terrible suggestion.
I have three locking filing cabinets that were formerly used by a state agency. They're probably more secure than the Stack-On cabinets...

wild cat mccane · February 24, 2019, 08:02 AM

Stack-On never got back to me.

I think their cabinets are 18 gauge to possibly 22. I picked one up and returned it after looking at the seams. Easily defeated by hitting the seams with a regular hammer.

Home Depot sells 1/8 steel plates (11 gauge) which I will reinforce the Ridgid jobsite box. I'll line the box with Durock, which adds 1 hour of fire protection vs sheetrock's 1/2 hour which is what safes use. Strange so many expensive safes don't uses cement board with it being so much better than sheetrock for fire protection.

Interesting, my Ridgid box came with a paper still attached that confirms it came from and is made by Knaack, even though Home Depot owns the Ridgid line. To me this means the $500 Knaack boxes are now entirely pointless $$$.

This has been a depressing step of research to only finding how impossible it is to store stuff from my kids who have all the tools any home owner's garage. None of the safes out there are even tested against physical attacks against the body with the simple claw of a hammer or any other sharp edge tool, they are all just attacks on the door without a mechanical saw (like a $40 Roybi sawzal).

If anyone thought for just a moment, no kidding the sides of the safe are easier than the door to defeat. It's just metal that a pry bar could go through.

FrankenMauser · February 24, 2019, 12:49 PM

Quote:

(...) None of the safes out there are even tested against physical attacks against the body with the simple claw of a hammer or any other sharp edge tool, they are all just attacks on the door without a mechanical saw (like a $40 Roybi sawzal).

If anyone thought for just a moment, no kidding the sides of the safe are easier than the door to defeat. It's just metal that a pry bar could go through.

I believe you may have accidentally omitted the word "cheap" in that statement.
"None of the [cheap] safes out there..."

There are plenty of real safes designed to handle physical attacks on the body.
This is a bit of an extreme example, but... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWSWXUrNc2Q

You are very correct, however, that low end cabinets and "safes" are often marketed with all of the hype on the door and/or materials - not how its put together, or what protection is offered.

wild cat mccane · February 24, 2019, 04:08 PM

Even the expensive Liberty can't withstand a fire ax blow.

Google

DukeConnor · February 24, 2019, 06:21 PM

grinder and a wafer wheel will get through a stack on or any other rsc.
at least with the stack on you aren't out an additional thousand.

2wheelwander · February 24, 2019, 07:26 PM

Stumbled upon this this afternoon. Great info and perspective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltK-bDbADa8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRPz6IKdiK4

2wheelwander · February 24, 2019, 08:22 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RlwGkO0hxE

"Security on sale"

wild cat mccane · February 25, 2019, 08:18 AM

Yep.

No "safe" on the market would hold up for 1 minute with a sawzall blade placed on any corner of the safe.

No safe would hold up to a claw hammer to the body.

But RSCs are all tested by door attacks. Makes zero sense. Makes you realize they spend so much time on the door and bolts looking good, it's all just to make the consumer feel good.

Ugh.

wild cat mccane · February 25, 2019, 08:32 AM

Even those videos are kinda silly.

If a person had a battery powered sawzall, it wouldn't require any effort to get in, without knocking the safe over.

FITASC · February 25, 2019, 09:38 AM

How much are your guns worth? If your total collection is worth $500, then no need to buy a $2K RSC

FAS1 · February 26, 2019, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wild cat mccane

Stack-On never got back to me.

I think their cabinets are 18 gauge to possibly 22. I picked one up and returned it after looking at the seams. Easily defeated by hitting the seams with a regular hammer.

If anyone thought for just a moment, no kidding the sides of the safe are easier than the door to defeat. It's just metal that a pry bar could go through.

Never buy from a company that is embarrassed to disclose what their "safes" are made of. "Heavy Steel Construction" doesn't do it. If they were proud they would be bragging about how it is constructed.

Safe placement is something to consider. If you can bolt is down and protect the sides with walls, etc. it will buy you a little more time no matter what safe you choose.

Onward Allusion · February 27, 2019, 10:52 PM

Their gun cabinets are 20 gauge. The safes are 14.

February 21, 2019, 11:46 PM	#1
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	Stack-On Cabinet and Home Defense--What gauge steel? Hello, Might anyone know for a fact, no guessing, what gauge steel Stack-On cabinets are made of? On the lesser model safes (ie https://www.amazon.com/Stack-Defense...TD4/ref=sr_1_5), what is the gauge on the body of the safe, not the door? I emailed Stack-On but no response.

February 22, 2019, 08:12 AM	#2
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	14 __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

February 22, 2019, 01:00 PM	#4
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	Not sure on the gauge of steel on the body, but i'd be willing to bet it wouldn't take me too awful long to cut a hole in it with a flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Noisy, yes, but i'd have whatever you put in it. I was checking pricing on them a few years ago. Cheap. Then actually checked them out in person. Impression... Cheap. Save up a few more dollars and get a decent Sports Afield or some other manufacturer. Well worth the money. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

February 22, 2019, 01:32 PM	#6
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Cabinets? Or Safes? You say "cabinets" but link to a safe. Then link to a cabinet. The safes might be 14 ga. I don't know about them. The cabinets - if the design hasn't changed - are about 16 ga for the bodies and about 18 ga for the doors. I say "about", because thick paint would bump the steel to a thinner gauge. ...But I'm not going to scratch the paint off just to get a better measurement of the steel. (I measured the two I use for parts storage - one, about 13 years old; the other about 5 years old.) 87 lbs...? Only if it's full of guns and bolted to a pallet! I kid. But they are very light for a 'secure' storage container. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 23, 2019, 10:03 AM	#8
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	May as well go to a used office supply place and get a metal cabinet. Save you some money too... __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

February 22, 2019, 08:30 AM	#3
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	I don't think this true. But I have seen that posted before. Here's why I don't think it can be 14 gauge steel: My Ridgid job box at 32x19z18.25 = 11K cubic inches and weighs 77lbs. I know that it is made of 16 gauge for the box and 12 gauge skids The 18 gun Stack-On cabinet at double the cubic inches weighs only 10lbs more? https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3...-300748555-_-N vs https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stack-On-...binet/19216477

February 22, 2019, 01:25 PM	#5
2wheelwander Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2018 Posts: 539	What 7mag said. If all you want is a lockable box to honest people honest any Stack On will do just fine. But why store thousands of dollars worth of guns in a $399 safe? I had a cheap stack on like safe years ago. Any teen with a pry bay could get into in. After a house fire and nearly loosing my guns I bought a Liberty and never looked back. I do, however, have a Stack On I built shelves into and store my ammo in.

February 22, 2019, 10:20 PM	#7
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	I asked for both their cabinets and the less "safes" (ie, not the Elites) I'm almost 100% sure the cabinets are in no way 14 gauge and might start at 18...

February 23, 2019, 01:55 PM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	That's not a terrible suggestion. I have three locking filing cabinets that were formerly used by a state agency. They're probably more secure than the Stack-On cabinets... __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 24, 2019, 08:02 AM	#10
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	Stack-On never got back to me. I think their cabinets are 18 gauge to possibly 22. I picked one up and returned it after looking at the seams. Easily defeated by hitting the seams with a regular hammer. Home Depot sells 1/8 steel plates (11 gauge) which I will reinforce the Ridgid jobsite box. I'll line the box with Durock, which adds 1 hour of fire protection vs sheetrock's 1/2 hour which is what safes use. Strange so many expensive safes don't uses cement board with it being so much better than sheetrock for fire protection. Interesting, my Ridgid box came with a paper still attached that confirms it came from and is made by Knaack, even though Home Depot owns the Ridgid line. To me this means the $500 Knaack boxes are now entirely pointless $$$. This has been a depressing step of research to only finding how impossible it is to store stuff from my kids who have all the tools any home owner's garage. None of the safes out there are even tested against physical attacks against the body with the simple claw of a hammer or any other sharp edge tool, they are all just attacks on the door without a mechanical saw (like a $40 Roybi sawzal). If anyone thought for just a moment, no kidding the sides of the safe are easier than the door to defeat. It's just metal that a pry bar could go through.

February 24, 2019, 04:08 PM	#12
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	Even the expensive Liberty can't withstand a fire ax blow. Google

February 24, 2019, 06:21 PM	#13
DukeConnor Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2016 Posts: 224	grinder and a wafer wheel will get through a stack on or any other rsc. at least with the stack on you aren't out an additional thousand.

February 24, 2019, 07:26 PM	#14
2wheelwander Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2018 Posts: 539	Stumbled upon this this afternoon. Great info and perspective https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltK-bDbADa8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRPz6IKdiK4 Last edited by 2wheelwander; February 24, 2019 at 07:53 PM.

February 24, 2019, 08:22 PM	#15
2wheelwander Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2018 Posts: 539	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RlwGkO0hxE "Security on sale"

February 25, 2019, 08:18 AM	#16
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	Yep. No "safe" on the market would hold up for 1 minute with a sawzall blade placed on any corner of the safe. No safe would hold up to a claw hammer to the body. But RSCs are all tested by door attacks. Makes zero sense. Makes you realize they spend so much time on the door and bolts looking good, it's all just to make the consumer feel good. Ugh.

February 25, 2019, 08:32 AM	#17
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	Even those videos are kinda silly. If a person had a battery powered sawzall, it wouldn't require any effort to get in, without knocking the safe over.

February 25, 2019, 09:38 AM	#18
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	How much are your guns worth? If your total collection is worth $500, then no need to buy a $2K RSC __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

February 27, 2019, 10:52 PM	#20
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	Their gun cabinets are 20 gauge. The safes are 14. __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying