Gun Safe Questions

[turbo36]

I want to buy a gun safe to store my tractor manuals so after much searching I have narrowed it done to a Liberty Safe "Lincoln" Model. Liberty Safe - Lincoln
It seems to offer what I want at a reasonable price and the local dealer will deliver it and move it (775 pounds) to my basement concrete "safety room".

Any opinions on this brand or model?

 

[Podunkadunk]

Turbo,

Liberty makes a great safe. I don't own one, but my FIL does. He has nothing but great things to say about it.

I have 2: A Heritage and a Browning. The Heritage is a 30wx66hx26deep, 680lbs empty, the Browning is the same, but weighs about 40lbs more at 720lbs empty.

A good friend of mine just bought a safe over the Xmas holidays from Tractor Supply Company. It's a Bighorn model. It's like 39" wide...a really nice one. It's pretty darn heavy too. Fire rating is right up there with the "big guys" and the price was right at $899.00.

Here's a link to the Bighorn safe maker, Rhino: http://www.rhinosafe.com/bighornclassics.html

Podunk

 

[George2615]

Dick's sporting has similar gun safes much lower priced than the Lincoln and have the same fire rating and size you are looking for. A friend of mine bought a 36 gun safe from them on sale for under $800. It might be worth looking into.


Stack-On Total Defense 28-Gun Safe - Dick's Sporting Goods

 

[Sigarms]

Don't think you can go wrong with a Liberty, as well as a host of others out there.

That said, just remember that the maximum amount of long guns the safe specs says it will hold rarely ever reaches that number in "real life" (scopes, slings, bi pods, mags, handguns, some ammo, and anything of else of value that you may want to store in the safe really takes a bite out of space).

People have mentioned here that when looking for a tractor, you always want to get something a "little bigger" than you actually need for future use. I think the same can be said for a gun safe.

Or you just buy another safe down the road.

 

[Dargo]

I had to go look and see, but I have that exact safe in their gloss black "50" model out in my office. It seems like a really nice quality safe from what I can tell. I got a real deal on it from a store that was closing them out. My other safes were beyond full. Even though they were more expensive safes, I don't see anything that leads me to believe they are of better quality. The advice about going bigger than you think is good advice.

Some of the safes out there are just plain junk though. I don't know if they make different quality models, but the Stack On safes at my local Rural King are nothing but glorified single door file cabinets. I wouldn't put anything of value in them.

 

[RollTideRam]

I went safe looking a couple days before Christmas. I found a place an hour away that only sells safes. I was real close to buying a Big Horn safe, but decided on a brand that they just started selling. It is a Western Winchester made by Granite Security. I think they are in Texas, China. It is rated for 1200 degrees for 1 hour and weighs in at 600 pounds. It came with an electronic lock that I did not want, but has an option of a 10 year lock warranty for $50. The size is 59"x28"x22". I wanted bigger, but to get it in my bedroom this was all I could get. And for $600 I may be able to get a new rifle to keep in it. It was easy to unload with fork on the tractor, but it took me a half a day to get it off the deck into my bedroom by myself. JC

The electronic lock is easy and pretty fast, but my 4 year old was on the bed watching me demonstrate to my wife how to open it. He got off the bed and punched in the six digits and showed me how to open it. Now he is mad because I changed the code and will not tell him what it is.

 

[CurlyDave]

It was easy to unload with fork on the tractor, but it took me a half a day to get it off the deck into my bedroom by myself.

The right tools for moving a gun safe inside are a lever dolly ($50 from Northern Tool), and a pallet jack ($150 on sale at Harbor Freight). Outside, the FEL is great. Mine has a threaded hole on top for a 5/8" eyebolt. A great lifting point.

The lever dolly lets you lift it up onto 30" long 2x4s, until you can get the pallet jack under it. Roll it where you want it, set it back down on the same 2x4s and remove them with the lever dolly.

The only problem is where to store the safe moving equipment, since it is also excellent safe stealing equipment.

 

[weldingisfun]

People have mentioned here that when looking for a tractor, you always want to get something a "little bigger" than you actually need for future use. I think the same can be said for a gun safe.

Very true,very true. When my Dad and FIL died, I was given their long guns. My once adequate gun safe is no longer adequate. Trying to remedy the problem by giving a few rifles and shotguns to my two sons.

 

[Sigarms]

Trying to remedy the problem by giving a few rifles and shotguns to my two sons

If your sons don't want to help you resolve your problem, I'll gladly help!

 

[AMR]

I have had a liberty similar to this one for about 14 years now, no issues, I guess I can't imagine what could go wrong with a safe, unless somebody broke in sucessfully. My father has had browning safes for 30 years and they have been great as well. I have about 18 long guns and maybe 10 handguns in my 25 gun model and that is tight. I got it into my basement, through a bulkhead and down concrete stairs, all alone with my B3030. Once it was on the floor I tipped it back and slid a furniture dolly under it, moves around like a champ on that, just need to think a little about what you are doing, if it goes over you will have a problem. Also, I left mine on the pallet it shipped on, it is color coordinated with the safe so it disappears and it makes it easier to move around and I like keeping air flow around the safe.