Do I need a gun safe?

[recoilguy]

Wobbly,

Right on...?.I wouldn't like my son telling me what to do but if all I had to do was get a safe to make him (or his wife) happy then how hard is that?
Real Easy and done in a minute.

RCG

[Igrlik]

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

[Wobbly]

Right on...?.I wouldn't like my son telling me what to do, but if all I had to do was get a safe to make him (or his wife) happy then how hard is that?

Real Easy and done in a minute.

And if you think about it, unless she works in a jewelry store or bank, then she doesn't know a good safe from a sardine can.... as long as it has a big combination lock on the front door she'll be really happy.

So start cruising Craigslist for a used no-name safe with a working combination lock. You can easily move those with 1 person and a light duty hand truck.


I think the best thing about this idea is that you can 1) be proactive, which allows you to 2) set a high level of expectation. Call your son one evening and just mention that you had done some shopping, and decided to "invest in a nice gun safe". (Do not mention a brand name or price.) "Nice gun safe" will filter down from your son to "The War Department" and your wife. Both ladies will be very pleased and happy.

"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." 

[steerclr]

Enjoyed the music video.  Thanks for posting.

[DJK11]

Yes a "real" safe can be cut open.  My local safe guy showed me a door from a cash vault with a 1" thick laminated steel door that a hand size hole was cut with grinders.  Estimates a 6 hour job. Don't forget a Stihl will cut through in 3 min.


Offline SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM
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Re: Looking for a safe
? Reply #8 on: May 21, 2018, 05:01:39 PM ?
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Quote from: DJK11 on May 21, 2018, 04:21:42 PM
Whatever you purchase, bolt it to the floor with LARGE bolts or lags.  I have an 1100lb. AmSec secured to the floor.  The number of locking bolts and the distance they extend is important but equally important is the frame around the door opening the bolts protrude past.  That is the weakest part of the frame for a pry attack.  Most gun safes have a large gap between the door and frame, makes it easier for a pry attack.  Bad guys topple the safe on its back for good crowbar leverage.  That's the reason for bolting it down.  I paid big bucks for mine new but I don't worry about a theft.  Funny , I have a T-20 UL rated safe with only 3 locking bolts but the door to frame gap is so small a butter knife barley fit in.  Mine came with an S and G electronic lock but swapped it for a solid brass rotary dial.  Electronic are fast and convenient.  I had an S&G crap out at about two years, so no more for me.  Safe guy tells me that some bad guys remove the key pad and brake the ribbon cable.  I could go on and on.  Good luck with the search.

Gun safes provide enough security that the average "doper thief" can't get in. My 2 stroke STIHL with a metal blade will get in to pretty much any gun safe in 3 mins or less. Gun safes look pretty but they just ain't that secure. They just are not bank vaults by any means and really they are just heavy tool boxes with stronger doors.
? Last Edit: May 21, 2018, 05:07:42 PM by SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM ?
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[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

I don't think anyone disputes that any safe even a good one can be breached by the right talent. The average smash and grab drug addict probably won't be able to do it quickly or cleanly. That Stihl can go through the side of most regular gun safes pretty easily as I posted before but will the thief have one and will he be able to use it in your home without being heard or setting the house on fire from the sparks?
My safe is bolted down and protected on all sides and the rear and it's anchored heavily to concrete from the rear as well.  A crowbar won't get it done and knocking it over and dragging it away ain't happening either. It'll take a smart guy with time to breach it and that's the best you can hope for is that the thief doesn't have time or the talent.

[Luger Fan]

You can also get a steel toolbox, the kind used on job sites. They are VERY thick steel and a lot cheaper than a safe. I have a friend who uses one.

[Walt Sherrill]

You can also get a steel toolbox, the kind used on job sites. They are VERY thick steel and a lot cheaper than a safe. I have a friend who uses one.

That can prevent theft, but doesn't protect against fire -- which is the reasons that my BIG gun safe is also fireproof.

My "BIG" safe  is only 5.5' x 3' but it holds all of my valuable guns, important papers, and some jewelry.  (I wish I had gotten a larger one, but just finding space for a larger one can be an issue.) My other two smaller safes are bolted own, but could be smashed open.  They're there to keep the casual interloper (or kids) from getting their hands on two loaded weapons.

[Luger Fan]

You can also get a steel toolbox, the kind used on job sites. They are VERY thick steel and a lot cheaper than a safe. I have a friend who uses one.

That can prevent theft, but doesn't protect against fire -- which is the reasons that my BIG gun safe is also fireproof.

My "BIG" safe  is only 5.5' x 3' but it holds all of my valuable guns, important papers, and some jewelry.  (I wish I had gotten a larger one, but just finding space for a larger one can be an issue.) My other two smaller safes are bolted own, but could be smashed open.  They're there to keep the casual interloper (or kids) from getting their hands on two loaded weapons.

I have a friend who put two $100 bills and a bottle of Jack Daniels on top of his safe. His theory is that a 'smash and grab' thief will grab the cash and booze and make a hasty exit. ANY safe can be broken into you just want them gone without much damage.

I have a 1573 pound Johnson safe but even that can be accessed with a Sawzall and time.Don't forget the locks, alarms and dogs.

There is also a pretty cool toy you I use if you go out of town. www.faketv.com

[Walt Sherrill]

I have a friend who put two $100 bills and a bottle of Jack Daniels on top of his safe. His theory is that a 'smash and grab' thief will grab the cash and booze and make a hasty exit. ANY safe can be broken into you just want them gone without much damage.

Or he might just grab the cash and booze on his way to the other stuff he would've grabbed anyhow, ignoring the safe.  Like TVs, computers, small fireproof safes, etc.

I have a 1573 pound Johnson safe but even that can be accessed with a Sawzall and time.Don't forget the locks, alarms and dogs.

I wonder how many home invaders come into a house with a Sawzall?  I know they CAN, but is it really that common?   That approach assumes a level of planning and probably a bit of fore-knowledge of the home being burglarized -- as anything you carry IN  (like a Sawzall) has to be carried out, and that gets in the way of grabbing loot! 

Nearly every break-in that I know about personally -- based on information from folks I know or members of their families, and a couple of neighbors -- involved one or two people breaking in to grab what was easily found and quickly taken.  (One exception was a co-worker, some years ago,  who had a team of folks back a big truck up to his house -- which was out in the country with no neighbors nearby -- and take nearly everything.  He wasn't particularly well-off, so the stuff taken was not high dollar stuff -- but it was still taken.)

If you live in an area where you can expect a relatively quick response from the local LEOs, a monitored home security system makes sense. 

.

[dragon813gt]

Bring the sawzall w/ them, not likely.  Use one that?s in the house, more likely if they know they have the time.  A sawzall is a common tool.  But I?m in the trades so most of the people I know have lots of tools in their house like me.  Thieves have literally pulled safes out w/ straps and a truck.  I don?t put anything by them.  Which is why my tools are nowhere near the safes.

[badwrench]

OP,
Sounds to me like you need a safe..But, before buying do some research, there are some wondeful videos on youtube put up by some lock and safe people that show how good/bad some safes can be. Most safe manfacturers today, have a cheaper Chinese made line they sell, try to avoid these, as they usually offer little protection.One example of that was on youtube, where, at one lock and safe company, they took a safe that many of us have probably seen, and may even own, it was a green safe, with a "Winchester" logo in the door.They locked it up, and using nothing but common pry bars, timed themselves, and pried the door open in 6 minutes.. The lesson here, is not how thick the composite door was, but how thick the plate in the front of the door was, in many cases this plate is less than a 1/8" thick.. Good quality safes by Amsec, Liberty, that are made in the U.S.A. are a good place to start, if you have a place where you live that sells safes, go talk to them, ask questions, if they show you a safe with a composite door, ask how thick the plate is in the front of the door, ask how thick the safes body is, do they offer moving for you after the sale?

Other things to consider, if you're planning on  going away for a couple of days, do you have any tools laying around that could be used to attack a safe? Tools like right angle grinders, die grinders,  electric chipping hammers, drills, pry bars,sawzalls, you might want to consider locking them up in the safe if you're going away for a few days.. No sense in making it any easier for them...

Any safe can be broken into if one is given enough time and has a few tools, Do some rescearch, talk to some people in the business, I'm sure there's something in your price range.. kinda goes with the old addage "buy once cry once" a good safe won't be cheap, but it's an investment that pays for itself with security it offers..

I myself bought the store safe from a local dept store that was going out of business, the safe I bought is perfect for handguns, has a 2hr fire rating @1850 degrees, it weighs 620lbs..The safe itself has a thin sheet metal outer shell the walls are made from some concrete like material that is 2 1/2" thick all the way around with a inner steel liner. One would have to  cut a large hole in the outer liner, chip away the concrete like material and chip enough away to get the grinder in to cut open the inner liner.. not impossible, but,that's going to take some time, time most theives aren't going to spend on it.. at 620 lbs they're not walking off with it either..best of all, I bought this for $315,and paid a couple guys $50 to move it for me..

[OMCHamlin]

I'd say YES you do, for several reasons;
Protection against theft.
Protection against fire.
Ability to store other valuable things in the safe, provided it is fireproof (most are these days).

The only reason I would NOT get one is to protect somebodies liberal sensitivities against being exposed to icky old guns...

If you only have pistols, some makers offer smaller safes suitable for that, you might want to bolt it down to keep someone from walking away with it. Be sure to check that it has a good fire rating. I have Cannon, Liberty is well spoken of as well.

[dubbltap]

Bought a cheap $600 Bighorn safe from Costco and slid it into my Den closet and bolted down.  Keep some of my rifles, pistols and documents in there, but keep a lot of pistols/rifles hidden thru out the house in areas that most thieves wouldn't look at.  Agree with a previous poster, keep something sacrificial out that the common thief would be happy with and not spend the time hacking up the safe or rooting thru your posessions.   Another thing is to not stack your dozen empty gun cases by your safe or maybe the thief will try and spend the time to carve it up or come back with proper tools to get in.  Also put a notice on my safe that says it contains multiple containers of black powder...."Cut at your own risk!"    A safe should be just one level of security!

[ernie_h]

Rather than start a new thread.......am looking at safes and trying to figure out how much room I need (including possible future purchases). Right now it's almost exclusively handguns. Have to ask a dumb question (never stopped me before :-)...is there anything 'wrong' with storing handguns in the original plastic boxes inside the safe.....seems to me there would not be an issue other than consideration of space inside the safe. Handguns in 'daily' use.....i.e., in the rotation or home defense would, of course, not be kept in this particular safe. Thanks!