School me on Gun Safes

[backcountry_hunter]

I can't contribute much but a friend had a cheap lilberty and recently lost nearly everything he owned in a structure fire. Inside his safe were several rifles and 1/2 doz handguns. He lost all of his handguns (all were polymer-framed hanging on the inside of the door) and a few of the scopes on his rifles were smoked. I was amazed however that he didn't lose a single rifle. I was always under the impression that if you actually had a house fire to pretty much kiss your guns good bye even in a good safe. But all of his were salvaged and came out in normal working condition.

FWIW

 

[zion zig zag]

I can't contribute much but a friend had a cheap lilberty and recently lost nearly everything he owned in a structure fire. Inside his safe were several rifles and 1/2 doz handguns. He lost all of his handguns (all were polymer-framed hanging on the inside of the door) and a few of the scopes on his rifles were smoked. I was amazed however that he didn't lose a single rifle. I was always under the impression that if you actually had a house fire to pretty much kiss your guns good bye even in a good safe. But all of his were salvaged and came out in normal working condition.

FWIW

Curious if he lived in a rural area (long response time, water supply issues) or urban and if the house was a total loss.

I think regardless of safe quality, a separate rider on your insurance for guns is probably a good idea. I think most homeowners policies only cover a few thousand on guns.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Lived on the edge (appx 1mi) outside of a small town with a volunteer dept. They were on scene fairly quick but the structure was a total loss. Happened in a blizzard (he and his wife were not there at the time) so by the time it was called in, it was only noticed because it was engulfed in flames already. I went past it the following day andd it was debris on a concrete slab. Safe was in his home office against an exterior wall so it didn't take as much heat but iafter seeing the end outcome I'm still in awe his rifles survived.

Had a rolling chest in the garage full of snapon and found one big melted ball of really expensive steel.

 

[Chico103]

It also matters where you put your safe, exterior wall will put off less heat in a fire than right in the middle of your house under a ton of fuel.

We had an entire town pretty much burn down and the only guns i heard that survived were in Amsec safes.

And one thing to consider on a dial lock. My wife’s never figured out how to spin it the correct way. She’s got no idea what’s in there


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[SuperDUECE22]

from my experience being on a fire department and had a friend lose everything in a large structure fire is that most all safes sold at the big box stores are junk when it comes to structure fires. Like others have stated the location of safe is a big factor but the only guns that come out of the safe looking good are the ones that had socks on them.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Buy a safe heavy enough that 2 or 3 guys can't carry it off. Make sure the fire rating is very good....45 or 60 min in fire temperatures. As others have said, you will run out of room within 15 seconds of using it, so get one bigger than you think you'll need. Keep in mind, the heavy ones are a major pain in the butt to move. My biggest one will go with my house when I sell it because I ain't movin that thing.

The heavy weight is what I thought until I had mine installed. One dude manhandled my 1300 pound safe during the installation.

Buy longer bolts from a safe store and use those instead of the shorter ones that typically are included with the safe.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Another consideration. If you were to actually have a fire that safe is going straight down. I’d suggest having it on the lowest level of the home. I also was working for a couple a few years back. They had several safes in the home. 2 were on a slab in the basement and another on the regular living level. The safe weighed enough it caused severe sagging in the floor. Several drywall joints in the area were popped. They never braced the floor properly and it was causing several issues within the home.

 

[223556]

American Securities or Liberty Safes are great! As others said depending on your space and location, you should buy a safe bigger than what you have. Also look at fire rating too.

 

[jasonhul]

Give the latest Hunt Backcountry podcast a listen... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hunt-backcountry-podcast/id1020880772?i=1000545278858


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[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Any real-world experience with "cool bags" such as Liberty's Cool Pocket? Do they actual help prevent documents and cash from getting torched?

 

[Fatcamp]

 

[Fatcamp]

 

[LookinforDirt]

I have to reiterate what others have said about moving a heavy safe. I just went through a terrible moving experience with my 1000lbs Liberty Colonial 50 gun safe. Steps, hills, tight hallways, corners, hardwood floor strips separating under the weight are all something to consider. But the main thing is experiened safe movers with the right equipment. Jack, ramp. Standard moving companies think any Tom, Dick, and Harry with a jack can do it. They can’t. I watched one guy with the proper jack who knew what he was doing effortlessly move it into my home when I bought it. I watched six guys with the wrong jack who were clueless f it up in all ways trying to move it out when we moved this year. On both ends of the move. Unless you can do it yourself, expect to pay $400-$500 every time you move it. Renting a jack will likely be $100-$200 if you DIY. You don’t muscle a 1000lbs+ safe. It’s all technique and the right equipment. And I think it’s been mentioned but be mindful of the floor being able to support the weight.

 

[Fatcamp]

 

[2rsquared]

I have to reiterate what others have said about moving a heavy safe. I just went through a terrible moving experience with my 1000lbs Liberty Colonial 50 gun safe. Steps, hills, tight hallways, corners, hardwood floor strips separating under the weight are all something to consider. But the main thing is experiened safe movers with the right equipment. Jack, ramp. Standard moving companies think any Tom, Dick, and Harry with a jack can do it. They can’t. I watched one guy with the proper jack who knew what he was doing effortlessly move it into my home when I bought it. I watched six guys with the wrong jack who were clueless f it up in all ways trying to move it out when we moved this year. On both ends of the move. Unless you can do it yourself, expect to pay $400-$500 every time you move it. Renting a jack will likely be $100-$200 if you DIY. You don’t muscle a 1000lbs+ safe. It’s all technique and the right equipment. And I think it’s been mentioned but be mindful of the floor being able to support the weight.

This ^^^ is 100% spot on. I moved 4 times with a 800 pound Champion. Did both the 3 buddies and a case of beer and pizza thing and the professional movers thing. It cost me more to move the dang thing than the cost of the safe itself. I ended up leaving it for the buyers of my last house.

I am now in the camp that a safe is not worth it. No matter how good of safe it is, a house fire is going to ruin them and if someone wants to steal them bad enough, they will.

If you are staying put for a while and want a little peace of mind, get a safe...especially makes sense if you have little ones running around.

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[menhaden_man]

My wife and I are moving into our first home soon and both agree it’s time for a safe. Our budget is no more $1,500. I’ve been around gun safes my whole life, but never really evaluated them or their features. A safe was just a safe kinda thing. We own 5 rifles and about as many pistols, but expect that number to grow over the years.

I’ve down a few searches and am not getting any closer to a decision. What’d you choose and why? What are some things you wish you considered/knew before buying one?

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[bdg848]

Honest Gun Safe Reviews, Trusted Since 2013 - Gun Safe Reviews Guy

Gun safe reviews: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Cold hard facts you won't find anywhere else. Make sure you don't waste your time and money.

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^^^Here is some interesting info on gun "safes".

A lot of "safes" are just thin sheets of metal with drywall sandwiched between them. You could cut through them easily with a circular saw. The link I pasted has some very interesting alternatives.