10 gun and 36 gun safes

[Jmort1754]

Looking specifically for safes that have combination locks and not electronic ones.

Anyone have any input ?

 

[Rich M]

You shouldn't have any trouble with that.

I'm combination lock challenged. We had a safe's electronics go bad after 12 +/- years and they sent us a key so we could access, after that I looked for one with an emergency key. Keep that at someone else's place.

Go as big as you can - you'll find all kinds of things to lock up once you have it.

 

[mi650]

You shouldn't have any trouble with that.

I'm combination lock challenged. We had a safe's electronics go bad after 12 +/- years and they sent us a key so we could access, after that I looked for one with an emergency key. Keep that at someone else's place.

Go as big as you can - you'll find all kinds of things to lock up once you have it.

This. I started off with a cheap Remington 'safe' from Sam's Club. Worked fine until I outgrew it in a couple years.

 

[Ranger619]

Gun safe capacity is figured by the same people who rate tent capacity…. A 10 gun is about 5-6 guns in reality.

 

[Jmort1754]

I'm just looking for a 10 gun for the house. 2 long guns 2 pistols.

Big safe for the garage.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Looking specifically for safes that have combination locks and not electronic ones.

Anyone have any input ?

Look into "Dakota Safe, Co" in Tulsa, OK.
I have their "Black Diamond" model.
Just like other safe companies, they figure "gun width" at about one inch!
Our safe was advertised as a "20 gun safe".
The ONLY way I could get 20 guns in it was if I disassembled them so they would stack closer together.....or a 20 gun collection of Mossberg, single shot .410's! LOL!

 

[Ranger619]

I just looked at my combo lock safe and it is a Timber Ridge by Liberty. I am not sure if it is even made anymore. I have had it for probably 15 years. No problems with the dial/lock.

 

[keystone112]

I’m told combination ones are hard to get these days. I don’t see any at my local shop.

If I was doing it again, I’d get the biggest one I could fit through the door.

I agree with what’s been said already. Capacity is about 65% of what it’s rated for.

 

[49ereric]

Bought steel water safes and combination locks on both but it seem all electronic now but better than the old days cheap electronic locks.

 

[Amos Keeto]

After about 15 years, the wheel on our safe got "funky"! Instead of a quarter turn to retract the door pins, it may take a turn and a half, more or less! The set screw that held it secure broke.
A call to Dakota Safe and 3 days later, I had 3 brand new set screws in the mail.
No charge!
Should my flour/cornmeal/honey business take off and I need another safe to store my millions of dollars, it will be a Dakota! LOL!

NOTE: Dakota Safes have a S/N, but Dakota "DOES NOT" maintain a file of combinations.

 

[WhatToHunt]

I have a Liberty combination safe (Cabela's branded) and I like it. Would recommend.

 

[Bluefish]

Looking specifically for safes that have combination locks and not electronic ones.

Anyone have any input ?

I got a zanotti armor for my last “safe”. Combo lock, assemble in place, picked up at the factory. Note that most “safes” are not safes. They are really just big steel boxes that slow thieves down. This includes pretty much every “safe” sold at big box stores. I have the biggest one they make and the heaviest part was the door which two people can handle and hang. Assembled it’s weight is on par with most others in that price range, ie sub $2k or so. Would recommend.

inside actually holds close to the advertised #. Maybe down 25%, but not half like my old safe.

a friend had a zanotti and it survived a house fire with no guns lost. Turns out it was at the factory to be reconditioned the day I picked mine up. Later I found out it was owned my wifes dads widow’s boyfriend. Talked to my step brother who helped recover the guns and he was very impressed by how it held up and how the guns survived with no real damage. Note that I don’t believe that they are fire rated.

 

[RockAndSage]

Two important things I can add to the convo:

1) Most locksmith companies can come out to your property and swap out a digital lock for a dial lock. This is a nice option if you find a safe that's perfect for you except for the digital lock part.

2) Think of dial locks as precision instruments - rotate them manually at a moderate speed, keeping your fingers in control of the dial at all times. Just free-spinning them with a flick of your wrist actually puts a lot of rotational energy and momentum into the dial, and this causes the small internals related to the combo to break or fail, sooner or later. Most of them have a special dampening grease that helps prevent that kind of damage, but relubrication of a dial's internals is part of normal maintenance every couple of years. It's also not the kind of grease you can get just anywhere, it actually adds more resistance in a non-linear fashion as the applied energy increases. It's meant to help though, but cannot fully prevent that breakage if someone insists on spinning it freely for years.

 

[doc holiday13]

FYI unless your safe is TL rated, I can probably get into it in less than 3 minutes. Best storage is taking a closet and putting a reinforced door on it. You can make it as fancy or not fancy as you want. You can also get creative by adding a wire mesh and kevlar single layer fabric to the walls inside. Reinforced door can be a metal door with a "regular door" front facade glued on it. A big ole floor safe is an advertisment of "I have expensive stuff I don't want you to take"

 

[MattB]

What is the attraction to combination locks over an electronic keypad?

 

[Sherrif]

I used to be concerned that the keypad lock face would show wear on the keys used in the combination (had seen this on a buddy’s safe), so I got a combo lock for my personal safe.
After owning it for awhile, I decided to get a keypad lock on the safe I purchased for my business. We have multiple people accessing the safe often, and it is faster and easier to open the keypad lock. I haven’t had any trouble with either style lock. Both on Liberty safes.

 

[SloppyJ]

I have a Cannon safe. Not sure how big, but it's not big enough. I have about 12 guns in there and it's maxxed out on rifle room. I would get the biggest I could find if I did it again.

 

[49ereric]

What is the attraction to combination locks over an electronic keypad?

Ever have a friend whose electronic lock failed? I have and then his key wouldn’t work so advised him graphite powder but still the key wouldn't turn. He going to cut it open but tried the key with a vice grip and he got it to open. Then the graphite got in better and key turns easy now,

 

[tuffcity]

Picked up an old Mosler safe from a gov't auction. Paid $200 for it and it was advertised as no combination but when I went to inspect it the doors were open so I knew I could get it re-combo'ed. Ended up being highest bidder and when I went to pick it up I found a piece of paper with the combo in a drawer- it was an old document safe.

I padded the interior, pulled out the document compartments, added lights and a pull out shelf and had a 14+ long gunsafe. The doors on this thing weigh 160 lbs each.