School me on Gun Safes

[carsonkeys]

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?

 

[TexEnv700]

Accessories count as a gun when looking at capacities. So a rifle and scope count as two guns, bipod in the rifle would be three guns as far as the capacity goes. Pay attention to weight, hinge construction, and bolts. Some companies advertise bigger bolts but space them out quite a bit (1 bolt top and bottom 2 bolt per side for example). My preference would be more bolts even if they were slightly smaller diameter. With 2 top and bottom and 3-4 either side of the door. On the doors, don’t get caught up in door thickness, pay attention to steel gauge and weight of the door. Some doors look super think but you could tear the steel open with an axe. It’s thin steel over insulation basically. I’d want 11 gauge minimum on the door. I recommend going to a safe store and avoiding big box retailers. The grade of safe you get even within the safe brand is different. My safe is a champion 32 gun I paid $1250 for it back in 2016. I don’t have any regrets other that it being too small now lol.

 

[30338]

Sturdy safe brand is quite good.

 

[Fatcamp]

Sturdy safe brand is quite good.

This is your answer.

 

[h2so4]

Buy a safe that is 2-3x as big as you think you need. They hold way less than advertised.
Figure out where your going to bolt it down and figure out which way is best for the door to swing. You can get them to swing either way. If you can shield the sides in a closet or similar and reduce/remove pry Angles that will go a long way in making the budget safe work.

 

[A382DWDZQ]

Local locksmith seems to like American Security safes. Might want to call a few different locksmiths in your area and see what they like and why. If you can go put hands on the ones you're looking at that helps too.

 

[Moserkr]

Champion brand is good.
Do not get external hinges - cut em off and it is easier to get into.
Do bolt your safe to the floor - what good is it if they drag it off?
Top/bottom needs 2 bolts each on the door, 3+ on the sides - more=better.
Thicker the bolt the better: 1”+. Believe mine are 1.25 or 1.5.
Diamond or glass drill plate to protect the locking mechanism - prevents someone drilling through and working the lock to open.
Plug in dehumidifier inside - prevents rust.
Lights are nice.
Fire ratings I forget about but Im at 45 min or an hour at some crazy heat temp.
Wipe your fingerprints from the electronic lock.
Should be 10-12 gauge steel or heavier.

If someone wants in your safe and is smart enough to do so, its just a matter of time. Thats all you are buying as nothing is impenetrable.

By the time you put ammo and accessories, personal things, and paperwork in the safe, you will wish you went bigger. Your budget should get you enough space with all the important features I think so thats the good news. And I agree, go to an actual safe company, not a box store.

 

[Roksliding]

I have a liberty it’s nice, I would suggest it. I also would suggest paying the money to have movers move it into place..

My recommendation is whatever you get Definitely get the keypad. I got the dial and absolutely hate it.

 

[crich]

Think about the possibility of any moves in the near future. I bought a 1300lb safe and ended up moving 3 times in 3 years. I just moved to AK and sold it to a buddy so I didnt have to deal with it. It was my "forever" safe but I wasnt in my forever home yet. Im probably going to go the secureit route until I retire from the military.

That said...
1. Buy bigger than you think you need
2. Look into rifle rods
3. Number of locking bolts and how thick they are doesnt mean squat if the internal door components are weak. Its marketing...
4. You get what you pay for with a safe.

Id say to really evaluate what you need one for and determine if one in that price range is the best fit. You may want to go lower or higher depending on what you truly need/want. A budget safe keeps kids and smash and grab burglers away from your stuff while providing minimal amount of fireproofing. If you want something that will last in a real house fire that's made with enough material to deter a determined theif it will cost you. An axe will blow right through the side of a 600lb safe. I did it to a winchester 28 gun from tractor supply after my house flooded. Insurance covered the safe since water got it. I was surprised to see that after removing the water logged foreproofing (literally 2 sheets of drywall) its was nothing more than very thin sheetmetal with horrible welds. It then turned into a test subject haha... good luck

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I’m in the same boat as the OP. I want a good fire rating as I’m on a volunteer fire dept route. Not taking away from those guys, but I know they’re not at the station like a dedicated crew. I’d guess by the time they got to my house most fire ratings are over, but I also know the likeliness of the safe being in the middle of it for that amount of time is slim. My bigger issue is the ease of breaking into some of these cheaper safes. I had my mind made up on a liberty 72 gun and after watching how easy it was I decided against it. I did check out a browning the other day, and while it’s about 3x my budget, I feel it’s a much better investment than a cheap liberty or cannon.

 

[Doc Holliday]

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[LuvDog]

I'll go against a couple of the suggestions. I like the external hinges because it allows the door to swing all the way open. Also, it may allow you to lift off the door to make it lighter to move.

I also prefer a manual dial lock. I hate battery powered locks for their potential to fail.

Definitely get a bigger safe than you need right now. The capacity rating is always less than half of what will actually fit. However, getting multiple smaller safes may be a better option for people too.

 

[Flyrodr]

I'd call or e-mail a place like Dean Safe, which offers several brands, allows you to sort/look at them by capacity, fire rating, etc. And most are happy to answer calls or emails about particular questions you might have. Check on whether shipping is particularly expensive, or free!

And has been suggested earlier, buy larger than you think you'll need, bolt it down, and find a local company (ask a gun shop) that is experienced in moving safes. I've seen it done badly (strained backs, chipped steps, messed up floors/carpet), and amazingly well (step machines, gliders for hardwood floors or carpet, etc.) The latter is worth paying for.

 

[journeyman713]

There's been a lot of "buy the biggest" comments. I'll disagree with that.
You mentioned this is going in your first home. Chances are, this will not be your last home.
Buying the 'Biggest' means some special planning, and expense, each time you move.
You are better off buying nothing bigger than a 24-30 gun safe. If you need more room in the future, buy another. A pair of those mentioned, is way more manageable than one huge one.

Liberty makes a good product, I have a pair. One thing to watch for when comparing, is the minutes at high temperature it can withstand. The more minutes, the more it weighs, and more money.

Here's a link - Liberty Gun Safes

 

[Maki35]

Get a bigger safe if you plan on adding more guns. And just because the mfg say it holds 20 guns, it will be less if your guns have scopes. But make sure you consider where you're going to put it (will it fit through the door? will it be too heavy for the floor joist? if it's going in the basement, is it damp? will it fit going up or down the stairs?)
Fort Knox safes

 

[Sccritterkiller]

If you want it for fire protection stay away from all the drywall lined safes..yes they have fire rating but they will steam cook everything inside it in the event of a fire.

If you just looking for a safe place to keep then a locker will save you some money and keep them secure.

Whatever you get bolt it to the floor.

 

[browning2480]

These guys make some sexy safes. I can’t speak for how good they are, but Iove the rough look of them.

Protecting & Securing America | American Made Gun Safes - Rhino Metals, Inc

Rhino Metals, an American maker of long lasting, hand-crafted gun safes. We offer the best option to store your arms and valuables. Visit Us Now!

rhinosafe.com

 

[rootacres]

Man this topic could really get your head spinning.

There are so many options out there but there a few features that I looked for. Inevitably you are going to wish you went a size or two bigger but it is what it is. Personally I valued a few features more than size. My budget was also around $1500. You can go bigger and sacrifice fire ratings, locking mechanism, build quality etc. Or go smaller and everything else gets better.

I bought a Champion T21 with electric key pad lock and a custom motion activated LED light kit that the company I bought it from installed.

The fire rating on this unit was slightly better than some others around the same price point.

I have 6 rifles and about as many handguns in it. Theres reasonable room for a few more rifles then it starts getting pretty tight (when using 1 side for long guns and shelves on the other). I keep most my ammo, most my mags, many accessories, among other things in there.

Hope this helps.

 

[missjordan]

Costco has gun safes we went that route when we wanted a 50 gun safe. However i will say the finish on the inside is subpar, it wasn’t our intention for it to be fancy long as it was big enough for our needs. And the price was better than some other ones we looked at.


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[Sixgunz]

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.