Re: 1st safe
My accountant told me that if tax returns are stored in the safe, a portion of it is tax deductible. Up to a certain dollar amount. It was a while ago. I don't remember exactly.
I looked at US manufacturers. Liberty, Fort Knox, Cannon were my main considerations.
It all boils down to how much do you want to spend. What is your price range? A few hundred, a thousand, three thousand?
Once you get past a sheet metal box with a locking door, think stack on gun cabinet, you get into the lower end "safes" or residential security containers.
I found that generally around 2 thousand you got into a good safe with good fire protection, lock, locking bolts and metal thickness.
Look at the features. Some have external hinges that allow the door to open past 90 degrees. Some have internal hinges. Some have 12 gauge bodies, some have 3/8" plate bodies. Some have locking bolts on all four sides of the door, some don't. The options are vast...
Once you get past a locking gun cabinet, and your safe is properly secured to the structure (bolted to the walls or floor) chances are that it will survive most smash and grab robery scenarios. It all depends on what options you are looking for, and how much you want to spend.
A few years ago I bought a higher end Liberty. While I'm happy with my safe, I most likely won't be buying another liberty. Their prices have gone through the roof and the quality of components in each line has been decreasing. The price of my safe has gone up at least 50% in the past few years.
If I was buying another safe right now it would be a Summit. My buddy bought one right after I got my liberty. We paid about the same amount for them, but the materials used to make his were much nicer than mine. Thicker steel, more locking bolts...
I have no affiliation with summit, but I recommend them without hesitation.
http://www.summitsafes.com/