Long gun safes... need one nothing crazy any advice?

displacedPA · Jun 17, 2012

Im in need of a long gun safe... I know some of ppl around is know i hunt and have guns just from them seeing me going on outings.. I really want the safe so that the guns are locked up when im at work and the wife is home alone... I have under ten guns currently at this residence and maybe only have 18 total... I have been looking at Cannon safes and Champion safes. Home depot has cannon safes on sale. The local gun shop carries champion safes and swears buy them... i dont know what to do i dont want to break the bank but i dont want a chepo safe either. any advice would be appreciated...

thanks

Cat_Driver · Jun 17, 2012

I got the stand up vault from Costco a few years ago and it was $600.00. I use it for everything, pictures, documents, guns, camera gear, hard drive back up of my computers etc.

Is it a cheepie - who know, all I know five guys won't be able to budge it. Can someone get into it, sure but I think that goes for all safes. If man built man can break it.

Lineman North Florida · Jun 17, 2012

You will probably only ever buy 1 so get one that is big enough to accomodate additional guns that you may purchase in the future, and read the fine print on the warranty as they are not all created equal, hopefully you will never need it but a 1000lb block of steel that wont open and can't be fixed by the local locksmith is hard to deal with, you want a company that will repair or replace and pay for the shipping if you ever need it. I purchased a Fort Knox safe years ago and I haven't ever had a problem with it. Good luck.

Raspy · Jun 18, 2012

It's pretty easy to determine a good safe from a cheap one.

First look at the fire safety information on the inside edge of the door. The more fire time rating the better. Fire can break in too. And fire protection adds a lot of weight to make it harder to steal the safe for opening later. However, the more fire rated it is the less interior space it has for a given size. Get a big one! You'll find a lot of stuff that needs to go in there over the years, like more guns and more papers and more hand-me-down heirlooms.

Look at the integrity of the case near the bolts on the opening side of the door. Can it be pried open with a big pry bar? Some are very thin sheet metal and some are 3/16 plate.

Forget paying hundreds of extra dollars for a fine paint finish! This is not a showpiece! It's a security item that should be out of sight and not celebrated as fine furniture. The more hidden it is the less it gets noticed and the less it's likely it is to be attacked.

Can it be bolted down easily?

Ones with inside lights often have a plug on the back. This might be a problem if you bolted it down with the back against a wall. Seems like a poor option to me.

Pick the kind of lock you want. Both have interesting advantages. Some safes have a re-locker system and that is good during a safe cracking event. But that's unlikely to actually happen, I think.

Consider putting the safe where it is not easily seen and not easily moved. In the garage might be a bad choice because someone could just dolly it out or use your tools to break in to it.

Simply liking one because the dealer likes it or because it has a warrantee is not the best reasoning. Look deeper. Consider your location and installation technique.

Finally, don't be in a hurry. Safes are always going on sale here and there. They are not in short supply. I'm casually looking for one for my new house and I'm not ready to buy, so I can really take my time and see the real good deals on quality safes. There is a lot of hype. Meanwhile I have two others to get me by and keep my guns and stuff locked up. They are both reasonably good ones with combination locks and are in obscure places. Good enough that I don't worry. The next one will be virtually impossible to move, very fire proof, installed in the center of the house and built in. it will be a very large one ready to accept years of stuff and still be easy to extract a gun from in an emergency.

rtimgray · Jun 18, 2012

I've got a scratch-and-dent Cannon safe from TSC that I've had for several years, and I'm pretty happy with it. It is bolted down to the floor and would take some considerable effort to move. Of course, anyone who is determined enought with the right equipment can get into almost anything, given enough time, but I would say that most safes that can be bought at TSC/Lowes/HD/Etc. will greatly deter the "smash-n-grab" thief and will also keep firearms away from small hands.

Good luck and take care.

Storm56 · Jun 18, 2012

Do not forget to add a Golden Rod to whatever safe you purchase!

Sidwuffler · Jun 18, 2012

ProVault by Liberty are a new line that Cabela's are now promoting 12/18/24 gun variations. In fact I am just about to order one after a look see at the safes over the weekend, made in the USA too. ProVault Safes by Liberty, Gun Safes, Furniture, Home & Cabin : Cabela's

MotorSeven · Jun 18, 2012

The new cheaper one's like TSC, Sam's & Costco/etc sell are not safes...they are "Residential Security Lockers". A real safe will cost around $2k. That being said I bought a 36 gun Cannon at TSC on sale for $700. It will keep out the idiots and some day it will be inside a concrete "safe room" so it will have double protection.

murphy1244 · Jun 18, 2012

double whatever size you think you need. I use mine to store papers and lots of ammo. I have a Liberty Big Boy.

wrooster · Jun 18, 2012

Read the following thread, and pay attention to the details and pictures I posted on pages 2, 9, and 10:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/217701-gun-safe.html

On page 9 of the link above here is a nice picture of a Winchester "safe" pried open with a Hi-Lift jack. Then there is a picture of a Remington "safe" opened up with two big screwdrivers and a prybar. :confused2:

Summary: most of the RSC's listed so far in this thread can be opened with little more than a pry bar, and in addition they use cheap gypsum board for fireproofing.

Wrooster

ps:
From that same thread, there is a picture which demonstrates precisely why buying an RSC based on the number of locking bolts around the door is a dumb idea. If the bolts are not properly supported, the bolts simply bend out of the way. In fact, actual tool-proof safes use very few bolts because the door is so stiff it can not be deformed. More moving bolts also means a more complicated closing mechanism, which in turn becomes less reliable.