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location for gun safe

A

alan98

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 11, 2008
560
18
44
Pennsylvania
Hello, Dicks has a sale on their Field and stream gun safes built by stack on. They have the 36 gun one orig 1200 on sale for 800. Seems to be heavy and well built. Anyone have any problems with these??

As far as location I was thinking about in the garage bolted down. Only thing is its unheated in winter and gets hottt in the summer. Get some big Dessicant cans?? Is there any problems with the temperature fluctuations like this??

Thanks for any help, just seeing if this is worth buying and trying to figure out a location.

Alan
 
Re: location for gun safe

I am not sure about the field and stream safes buy I have had my Cannon bolted to my floor in my garage for 6 years now gets hot and humid in the summer not as cold as you guys in the winter just make sure you get the back as close to the wall as you can so a rope can't be slipped around it you should be fine.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Garage will be the easiest place for you to put it and also the easiest place for someone else to remove it from.
 
Re: location for gun safe

I was thinking that also. There is not really any crime where I'm at now, but you just never know. Right now I dont have any safe and have a lot of $$$ in my reloading room in just gun cases and sitting out so something needs done.

I was thinking either the garage or the room leading from the garage into the house...the breezeway as we call it lol. Only problem there is its two sliding glass doors so the safe would be very visible. I think the safe is 650 lbs unloaded so with all my rifles, etc. it would weigh a lot. Any other opinions before I go buy this thing. It would be too hard to get into the house through the doors. It would barely fit, if at all.

Alan
 
Re: location for gun safe

If you have the clearance to get it in your door you can use 1" sched.40 pvc to move it arround. Cut 4 or 5 pieces slightly wider than the safe and let it roll on them. As one pops out the rear place it back in front and repeat. Put a couple of layers of cardboard on the floor to prevent scratches if you have wood.

This did the trick for an 1100 pounder.
 
Re: location for gun safe

I kept mine in the garage for 4 years in a bad neighborhood. Had them bolted to the floor and also kept a can of Damp-Rid in them. Never had an issue with the temp fluctuations (and this is Texas). Also kept a large blanket over them for when I had the garage door open.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Mine are in the garage...bolted...dehumidifiers inside and a motion detector linked to the house alarm in the garage. If you put it in the house be sure and put a stiff knee under it....they are heavy loaded with guns and gear. Never a problem using the cans of dry dehumidity beads...and I live in very humid Eastern NC.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Good boltdowns and keep the box it came in. Ask for it before they try to dispose of it. When you are away, slip the box back over the top of it. Mark "Old Freezer to Dump" in big letters on the outside.

On mine, under the "to Dump" part, I added, "Si mueve o sacude esto en cualquier manera, va ESTAMPIDO!"
 
Re: location for gun safe

I would go with the garage if it was secured with alarm maybe put one of those dryer curtains in front of it so it looks like a washer dryer deal to the un trained eye.
 
Re: location for gun safe

I have a golden rod dehumidifier in mine. I also bought a really heavy Security Products Safe.
When I was in Clarksville TN I had the safe in the garage. I had the garage wired to my alarm system.
 
Re: location for gun safe

<span style="font-size: 11pt"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">
A tow strap wrapped around the safe, hooked to a chain and then to a truck will certaintly make a mess of something. If the garage is the only place you've got, maybe you could put together a 3 sided cabinet with a front door to put around it. Splash some paint on it to make it look like a paint locker. Also I would lag bolt it to the wall as well as the floor. Good luck.

Bob
</span> </span>
 
Re: location for gun safe

I just spoke to a coin dealer who told me that there are a lot of used commercial safes on the market that can be had for around $800 used. He said the safe dealers buy them back if a business fails. A cheap safe that won't open is not fun to deal with.
 
Re: location for gun safe

You can find some deals on commercial safes but you can get bitten as well. Never buy one locked up. If it's open with no combo that can be handled but if it's a large commerical job and the door is locked shut with no combo, your looking at at least $300 on up to even get someone to try to open it.

Also, just because a safe looks big and bad doesn't neccessarily mean it is. Their are a lot of larger commerical "media" or "fire" safes floating around the used market that look just right for storing guns. These media/fire safes were <span style="font-weight: bold">NOT</span> designed to withstand and attack from a determined thief, they were simply designed to protect paper and documents from a fire. The door face can often be peeled back with simple tools gaining access in minutes. Look at the UL(Underwriters Laboratories) listing of the safe(google safe UL rating). It should be on a small metal placard inside the door. This will tell you what the safe is rated to defend against.

One more thing, some of the larger "TL" rated cash/jewelers safes can weigh up to 5000lbs. Get ready to doll out some dough if you want to get it moved. Tow companies can sometimes help you out, but it pays to hire professionals. And if your on pier and beam, your screwed!
 
Re: location for gun safe

No garage for me, mine is in my living room.
laugh.gif
 
Re: location for gun safe

I built a fake room around mine with 2 air filter grates showing and an air duct coming out at the top. I painted it to match the rest of the outside walls and bought a little sign that reads "Electrical Closet" and stuck it on the door.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Put mine in the Garage bolted down, rolled it around on golf balls and had to hold onto it to keep it from rolling away from me where there was a slight slant to the garage. 1100 lb safe and I could move it one handed.
 
Re: location for gun safe

I plan on putting a safe in the bedroom closet. Using the corner of the closet will cover 2 of the 4 sides. It would be easy to open and access, but a real pain to try and break into. Make no mistake, if someone is determined, they will get it. However, the majority of thieves are lazy, and look for a quick score. If you make it something they will have to earn, they will most likely be discouraged. But there is always the determined thief who may like the challenge.
 
Re: location for gun safe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The338LM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Garage will be the easiest place for you to put it and also the easiest place for someone else to remove it from. </div></div>

I agree with this.

Mine will probably be going in the basement of my new house we will be moving in to or current bedroom of our house if I get it before my birthday.

Major things you have to think about is if the spot will support it. Most homes depending on the size need to be braced due to the weight. If nothing like this is an issue, put it somewhere that someone trying to steal it would have the fight of his life getting it outside.
 
Re: location for gun safe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skinnypitt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Put mine in the Garage bolted down, rolled it around on golf balls and had to hold onto it to keep it from rolling away from me where there was a slight slant to the garage. 1100 lb safe and I could move it one handed. </div></div>

Now that's usin' your noggin or copying the egyptians...either way clever.
 
Re: location for gun safe

The garage is not the ideal place for a safe.The changing weather conditions are not good for your firearms,it is easier to steal in the garage,and is more visible.If there is no other choice,you have recieved lots of good ideas.I would probably build a utility closet around it,and I would bolt it to the floor and wall, with no gap between it and the wall.
Mine is in my loading room,which has a lockable door and an alarm system.I really like mine being inside the house,in a controlled inviroment. Pete
 
Re: location for gun safe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Forty-One</div><div class="ubbcode-body">LOL. Happy Birthday. Tell them Duke boys I said "hey." </div></div>

It was actually "HaZZard County" GA...But we can't all be witty.
 
Re: location for gun safe

<span style="font-style: italic">"The CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard got its name from Hazard, Kentucky. To avoid legal problems, the producers added an extra "Z" and set the show in a fictional county in Georgia. In 1981 many of the stars of the show, Catherine Bach, James Best, Sorrell Booke, and Rick Hurst visited Hazard, Kentucky during the Black Gold Festival.[2] Soon afterwards Tom Wopat, John Schneider and Sonny Shroyer made appearances in Hazard."</span>

No, we can't. But I applaud anyone that puts forth an effort, no matter how many times they fail.
 
Re: location for gun safe

I went with 3 smaller safes rather than one heavier one. They were easier to get upstairs that way, and spread the load across more surface area. The ammo in them weights more than the safes themselves. Still plenty of room for rifles.

All of them are bolted to the floor and wall, and located at strong points of the upstairs.

Good humidity and temperature control, and no one can see them even when they come indoors. Another advantage is I can keep it open at night for quick access if needed, since one is right next to the bed.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Most home gun "safes" are actually "Residential Security Containers".

They won't defeat a determined attack. The point is to delay until law enforcement can arrive.

Placing one in a garage is a poor idea. I almost went that route, but we keep kids bikes in there and the door is always up/down. I am in and out of my safe on a regular basis, so inside the house makes more sense. The right tools make all the difference in moving.

I "inherited" my safe from my Grandmother. We had to move it from her place across town to mine. We rented a motorcycle trailer and a "real" furniture dolly. Not a refrigerator dolly. Those are light duty compared to this thing. The dolly I rented has an extra set of wheels, so when you get the safe levered up you kick out the wheels and it will sit on it's own. You don't have to hold it up. This proved just the ticket for pushing the safe up my 45* driveway.

The "stair climbers" on the back made short work of the front steps. As did thinking it out first and using the safe's weight to lever itself up. Cardboard allows the dolly to slide pretty easy.

Out safe was only 800lbs empty, so me and a friend were able to move it without incident. Once it was close, you can just pull the dolly out and "walk" the safe by rocking it into final position. Once it's settled and I am sure it's going to stay where it is, it will get bolted to the floor.

The safe came with a dessicant box that I can renew in the oven. I stuck a magnetic battery powered LED light in it so I can see what's in the back of the shelf.

I do keep the safe unlocked when I am home because the dial is NOT fast to open. When I leave it's real easy to just spin the dial.
 
Re: location for gun safe

when I got my safe we cut down a pallet and used a pallet jack. Walked it right thru every door to where we wanted it and off the pallet. Used boards for ramps over the front steps and had it licked.

Seekers
 
Re: location for gun safe

when I got my safe we cut down a pallet and used a pallet jack. Walked it right thru every door to where we wanted it and off the pallet. Used boards for ramps over the front steps and had it licked.

Seekers
 
Re: location for gun safe

I personally feel the garage is a bad place. However any location even if it's bolted down any crook with a body grinder equipped with a hard wheel can be in most if not all the top end gun safes on the market in less than 30 seconds simply by going thru the exposed side. Someplace inside the house is a better bet. The harder to find and access the better.
 
Re: location for gun safe

one thing no has mentioned, try to place it against an outside wall. It will put part of the weight on the footings and also keep the contents cooler in the event of a fire. You might get lucky and have it fall out backwards away from the house instead of into the house when the floors collapse.
smile.gif

JH
 
Re: location for gun safe

+1 for the Gold Rod, I have one and they work. Having it in the bedroom makes a great tv stand. It looks so great next to the wall with my big flat screen on it. I dont know if anyone has done this but a little metal tray someplace near the door filled with gunpowder works great if they ever drill it(boom) not to much just some to make them think not blow the safe. Also a 4 point screws in a houses slab that thing is not going anywhere. If they do get a chain or something behind it and start pulling someone is going to see that sht.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Just remember that in any aspect of life a layered defense is the way to go. If the gunsafe is your only defense against thieves, you may have a problem.

Alarms, dogs, neighbors and police all make theft a little more difficult. Not to mention the armed homeowner.
 
Re: location for gun safe

I put it on living room. (2nd Floor) Very hard work during deliver!!!
 
Re: location for gun safe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ketchup</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In the fallout shelter, next to the ammo can storage room. </div></div>

Same here.
 
Re: location for gun safe

My Cannon went in the master bedroom.
We had just built a new house and had all floors done in tile. I was worried about breaking the tile;so we put down cardboard and slid the safe into the room. I also put down a piece of 3/4 plywood and carpet for the safe to sit on.The safe is 72"x40"x23" and around 800lbs.
 
Re: location for gun safe

Master bedroom bolted to frame of the house and floor

Multiple screamers located near the safe as well in case of a break in... its unbearable to stay in the room for more than a few seconds without feeling the need to vomit
 
Re: location for gun safe

Also in case of fire you might want to locate the hot spots in your house and keep away from these areas.
 
Re: location for gun safe

LoneWolfUSMC , if you don't like leaving it unlocked while you are home do what i do- just dial the first 2 numbers and close to the third. If I need in all I need to do is dial the last number and open. When I leave I just spin the dial.

Jim
 
Re: location for gun safe

Contemplated wiring up a HE nade ready to behind the safe just incase someone decides to break in pry it off the wall/floor...

But then im likely to forget about it and in 10 years time when i decide to move into another house, i go and blow myself up when i move out...

mmmm
 
Re: location for gun safe

I'll be building a new house next summer. Probably gonna be building a vault right in. Have a high end bank vault door built right in.

For a safe, I would suggest moving it to the toughest point in the house you can get the delivery men to move it to.
 
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