Safes come in only one size.......too small. Get the biggest one possible. Recently discovered Rifle Rods. Safe is still too small, but holds more with them. And stay away from those damn e-locks.
OFG
OFG
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- Thread starter Hippy_Steve
- Start date
I have had many "safes" that are not safes. Amesc, Stack on total defense... Went with a used TL30 (weighs 4600 lbs) and never looked back. It cost about the same as a fort know or other higher quality residential storage container (safe???), and is night and day different. Look around and you will find one also.
If your weapons / valuables are insured.... I'd suggest getting some input from your Insurance Agent. Don't leave a loop hole open and have them deny a claim because your safe was not up to their requirements.
Hobo
Hobo
I built a sword in metal fab class.
Lets see a kid do that today.
They probably build and paint Rainbow signs.
Liberty. I think most are dependable. I chose Liberty because they are local.
Sargent and Greenlee
I had to buy a new one recently. We had the fire storm run through our city here in the North Bay Area. Don’t get an electronic lock. My buddy was in a hurry to get the kids and animals out of the house which started to burn. The battery was dead and he couldn’t get in to grab his valuables, documents, guns, jewelry, etc.
My point of emphasis on a “safe” was fire rating, construction and a mechanical lock. I ended up getting a smoking deal on a brand new Browning Hell’s Canyon 65 for a $1000. I was on a budget of less than $3000. It checked all my boxes and so far I’m happy with it. Top that off with other safety and security measures and it should work out fine.
My point of emphasis on a “safe” was fire rating, construction and a mechanical lock. I ended up getting a smoking deal on a brand new Browning Hell’s Canyon 65 for a $1000. I was on a budget of less than $3000. It checked all my boxes and so far I’m happy with it. Top that off with other safety and security measures and it should work out fine.
You gonna need to pay to advertise or
@MarinePMI
Or
@lowlight
Gonna ban ya
Also
Do you do torture test videos on your safes ?
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When giving advice about gun safes it’s like the same as giving advice about optics. When people ask about building a rifle or buying a scope the advice is always “get the most expensive scope you can afford”.
As for safes I say get the biggest you can even if you don’t think you’ll need it because more times than not…..you will!
I bought a 60 gun safe which let’s be honest…….none of them hold nearly as many as they claim unless it’s a bunch of .22 rifles with no optics on them. It was great at the time but since I’ve really packed it tight and now find myself needing something bigger.
You hear people always say they’re easy to get o to with the right set of tools and yadda yadda yadda. That could be true but if you buy a decent quality one it will really take a lot more than a crowbar to break it open and my personal opinion is I mainly want it for the fire protection. That’s the other reason why I chose a safe and not a fake closet or hideaway storage box in my wall. I live in a fairly calm neighborhood and they would have to get past my dog first which is damn near impossible. Lol. I’m more concerned with protecting all my high end firearms in the event my house catches fire.
At the time (2016) I went with a Rhino 60 gun safe. Has a great fire rating and pretty sturdy. Cost was appropriate for what I was looking to spend.
As for safes I say get the biggest you can even if you don’t think you’ll need it because more times than not…..you will!
I bought a 60 gun safe which let’s be honest…….none of them hold nearly as many as they claim unless it’s a bunch of .22 rifles with no optics on them. It was great at the time but since I’ve really packed it tight and now find myself needing something bigger.
You hear people always say they’re easy to get o to with the right set of tools and yadda yadda yadda. That could be true but if you buy a decent quality one it will really take a lot more than a crowbar to break it open and my personal opinion is I mainly want it for the fire protection. That’s the other reason why I chose a safe and not a fake closet or hideaway storage box in my wall. I live in a fairly calm neighborhood and they would have to get past my dog first which is damn near impossible. Lol. I’m more concerned with protecting all my high end firearms in the event my house catches fire.
At the time (2016) I went with a Rhino 60 gun safe. Has a great fire rating and pretty sturdy. Cost was appropriate for what I was looking to spend.
When buying a gun safe most people look at price vs. size, fire rating and theft deterrence. A lot of times people end up overspending by going with all the higher ratings. There are other more realistic things to consider.....
1) The construction of your house, condo or apartment
2) Fire Dept and police response times IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
3) Monitored alarm system.
Take your house first. Is it an older house? Good, they burn slower than newer homes. Then again not by much. An older wood home will be completely engulfed in flames in 4-5 minutes and come crashing down in about 16-minutes. Newer homes are built cheaper with more combustible materials. They burn even quicker. Video:
It is critical to DETECT a fire before it develops into a flamer. Once flames get going, it's over in minutes. Anything over 30-minute safe protection is overkill, maybe you could use more if you live in an apartment or condo.
If you are home and the fire alarm goes off, and if the sensors are properly placed, the alert will come on in the very early stages of the fire (smoking not flaming) and will allow you to get out, or you might be able to extinguish the fire. Of course accessible fire extinguishers of the RIGHT kind for the fire are a must have.
Police response is also critical. The crooks know exactly how long it takes for them to get there, best case. If it is very quick, say under 5 minutes, then you don't need a 4,000 pound safe. All of this assuming you have a good, monitored alarm system. If you live in the boonies you are on your own so best thing to do is to hide the safe as much as possible, disguise it, or have a decoy.
The best of the best strategy against theft is to get TWO smaller safes for the price of a big one. Make one the "decoy". Make it readily visible like say in the garage, with important papers, less valuable guns, etc. Hide the other one in a closet. Even if they find both it takes twice the time or twice the crooks to open them both
.
I live in an older concrete home on an island on the west coast of Florida with about 2500 homes and condos. We have a fire station on site 3-minutes away and sheriff presence 24/7. That said, without and alarm system that's all moot as well.
I use the Ring system and love it. No wires, you install it yourself, and monitoring is a lot cheaper than the competition. I have multiple fire detectors, multiple cameras (outside), multiple motion detectors (inside), including one on top of the safe, and entry sensors everywhere. I get alerts on my cell phone from everything that happens, 24/7. All this said, I'm in hurricane country and if the big one hits here the house will flood, so the safe is moot at that point too. Oh, and I make it a point that everyone that comes to do work or repairs knows that I have cameras and an alarm. And it helps to have an alarm company sign out front - huge deterrent.
I ended up buying and AMSEC with a 60-minute rating, just because it was on sale. And it's hidden in a closet bolted down, with no access to the top or back. The safe door is a much harder entry point for crooks.
1) The construction of your house, condo or apartment
2) Fire Dept and police response times IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
3) Monitored alarm system.
Take your house first. Is it an older house? Good, they burn slower than newer homes. Then again not by much. An older wood home will be completely engulfed in flames in 4-5 minutes and come crashing down in about 16-minutes. Newer homes are built cheaper with more combustible materials. They burn even quicker. Video:
It is critical to DETECT a fire before it develops into a flamer. Once flames get going, it's over in minutes. Anything over 30-minute safe protection is overkill, maybe you could use more if you live in an apartment or condo.
If you are home and the fire alarm goes off, and if the sensors are properly placed, the alert will come on in the very early stages of the fire (smoking not flaming) and will allow you to get out, or you might be able to extinguish the fire. Of course accessible fire extinguishers of the RIGHT kind for the fire are a must have.
Police response is also critical. The crooks know exactly how long it takes for them to get there, best case. If it is very quick, say under 5 minutes, then you don't need a 4,000 pound safe. All of this assuming you have a good, monitored alarm system. If you live in the boonies you are on your own so best thing to do is to hide the safe as much as possible, disguise it, or have a decoy.
The best of the best strategy against theft is to get TWO smaller safes for the price of a big one. Make one the "decoy". Make it readily visible like say in the garage, with important papers, less valuable guns, etc. Hide the other one in a closet. Even if they find both it takes twice the time or twice the crooks to open them both
.I live in an older concrete home on an island on the west coast of Florida with about 2500 homes and condos. We have a fire station on site 3-minutes away and sheriff presence 24/7. That said, without and alarm system that's all moot as well.
I use the Ring system and love it. No wires, you install it yourself, and monitoring is a lot cheaper than the competition. I have multiple fire detectors, multiple cameras (outside), multiple motion detectors (inside), including one on top of the safe, and entry sensors everywhere. I get alerts on my cell phone from everything that happens, 24/7. All this said, I'm in hurricane country and if the big one hits here the house will flood, so the safe is moot at that point too. Oh, and I make it a point that everyone that comes to do work or repairs knows that I have cameras and an alarm. And it helps to have an alarm company sign out front - huge deterrent.
I ended up buying and AMSEC with a 60-minute rating, just because it was on sale. And it's hidden in a closet bolted down, with no access to the top or back. The safe door is a much harder entry point for crooks.
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gunsafereviewsguy.com Determine if fire, theft or both is your concern, go from there...
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A lot of good info in this thread but proceed with reason not false marketing. Most if not all insurance companies will not cover a container that was not bolted down and pried opened, few are aware of this requirement till too late.
A person can get into any TL rated safe given time, tools and knowledge. Plan accordingly.
A person can get into any TL rated safe given time, tools and knowledge. Plan accordingly.
Safes – Luxury Home Safes - Brown Safe Manufacturing, Inc.
The top manufacturer of luxury safes, jewelry safes, and vaults. We also offer a wide range of standard and custom built safes.
www.brownsafe.com I run a TL30, all my old RSCs have been sold. The sad part is a used TL30 costs less than a RSC.
Went down this rabbit hole a while ago, and still don't have a safe. Still looking and considering different options.
Like others have said the fire rating is a moot point because they don't use a true standard. They look impressive but really aren't much of a fight for a determined individual(s). Which is what makes things hard when looking at the "secure" looking safes are stupid expensive for what you get. Then you look at safes like the Secure It units. Would be easier to hide after bolted to a wall, and provide some resistance to a scum bag in your house.
Like others have said the fire rating is a moot point because they don't use a true standard. They look impressive but really aren't much of a fight for a determined individual(s). Which is what makes things hard when looking at the "secure" looking safes are stupid expensive for what you get. Then you look at safes like the Secure It units. Would be easier to hide after bolted to a wall, and provide some resistance to a scum bag in your house.
For the people just reading through:
If not looking to get a real safe, I've become a fan of SecureIt for quality lockers. In their videos they break down what a real safe is, what's actually on the market being advertised as a real safe [but aren't], and why they merely sell higher quality lockers.
www.secureitgunstorage.com
Otherwise, you really want to drop $4k+ for something approaching a "real safe" for actual security and fire ratings.
If not looking to get a real safe, I've become a fan of SecureIt for quality lockers. In their videos they break down what a real safe is, what's actually on the market being advertised as a real safe [but aren't], and why they merely sell higher quality lockers.
Best Gun Safes for Home Gun Storage | SecureIt Gun Storage
Defend your entire home with the best gun safe systems, offering secure firearm storage with fast access and customization. Shop now.
www.secureitgunstorage.com Otherwise, you really want to drop $4k+ for something approaching a "real safe" for actual security and fire ratings.
For $500 + $800 shipping from the safe warehouse in NJ to TX I got a used Schwab FireGuard 2557 document vault with a UL 350⁰ 1 hour fire rating, Sargent & Greenleaf Group 2 lock with a relocker should it ever be drilled. Its from the 80's I'm sure, but last I checked safes/vaults don't have an expiration date. It's 1300# empty. You can find them new for about $5k. Called my insurance company and told them. It satisfies all their requirements for both security and fire.
Here's the current iteration of my safe.
Here's the current iteration of my safe.
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