-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Best Gun Safe?
- Thread starter Nomad Farrier
- Start date
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I have a Sportsman Steel safe, they are not cheap but have been very happy with it. They will custom build a safe to fit your needs.
http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/
I have a Sportsman Steel safe, they are not cheap but have been very happy with it. They will custom build a safe to fit your needs.
http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/
Re: Best Gun Safe?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: inode</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ft. Knox. </div></div>
+1
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: inode</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ft. Knox. </div></div>
+1
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Mine is a Champion Triumph Series T-60. I've had it for several years and its a great safe. When I buy another one, it'll be just like the one I have now. http://www.championsafe.com
Chad
Mine is a Champion Triumph Series T-60. I've had it for several years and its a great safe. When I buy another one, it'll be just like the one I have now. http://www.championsafe.com
Chad
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I would definitely recommend Fort Knox as one of the top end safes. They are expensive, but very well built. I recently did a lot of looking and reading and bought a Fort Knox. Here is a link to a good article about buying gun safes from 6mmbr http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html
I would definitely recommend Fort Knox as one of the top end safes. They are expensive, but very well built. I recently did a lot of looking and reading and bought a Fort Knox. Here is a link to a good article about buying gun safes from 6mmbr http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html
Re: Best Gun Safe?
We have a 68 gun Ft. Knox, and its nice, but my safe dealer just went to Utah to look at Browning safes at their factory. Says they are stepping their game way up and offering a much thicker steel safe than the Ft. Knox. Will be made in US and about a grand cheaper. Im anxious to hear what he thought of them. He is getting fed up with Ft. Knox over their prices. Ill pass along what i hear from him.
We have a 68 gun Ft. Knox, and its nice, but my safe dealer just went to Utah to look at Browning safes at their factory. Says they are stepping their game way up and offering a much thicker steel safe than the Ft. Knox. Will be made in US and about a grand cheaper. Im anxious to hear what he thought of them. He is getting fed up with Ft. Knox over their prices. Ill pass along what i hear from him.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I own a Ft. Knox safe (Titan Model) and I am very happy with it. The people at Ft. Knox safes are very nice and they make a very nice product. The distributor I bought the safe from was nice to deal with the first time around but when I went back to purchase two more safes they left a LOT to be desired.
Due to my dealings with the distributor I decided to take my business elsewhere. But let me emphasize the safe is perfectly fine, at least no one has broken into it yet.
However, during my research into purchasing another safe(s), I came to the conclusion that I would not buy another Ft. Knox safe. But, that's my opinion and you will need to reach your own conclusion after hours of research.
I did a lot of research and I will offer some points below that may be helpful to your search:
1)Whatever safe you decide on buy a model bigger than you need because you will find a way to eventually fill it up.
2)Decide what you will store in there and add up the value and decide on the burglar rating/fire rating.
3)Decide where you will store the safe. (Consider the weight of the safe, delivery charges increase for stairs, bolt down and overall appearance of the safe). You may not need a glossy finish if it's in your garage. You may not want to bolt it to a nice tiled or wood floor, etc.
During my search for another safe I found some very helpful information here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/
You can Google
"the high road sturdy safes" and
"the high road amsec safes"
You will see a lot of discussions about this subject and you will learn more than you probably wanted too.
I am now looking at these two safes for my next purchase:
1) Sturdy Safe
2) Amsec Safe
Here are some more helpful links:
http://www.sturdysafe.com/ - The owner is a very nice man and his safes are fairly priced and secure. His daughter is the model on the site so bear that in mind when you call. You may even get her on the phone
http://www.zykansafe.com/ - Frank is a very nice man to deal with and he loves what he does. He offers Amsec safes and you will see his posts on the highroad mentioned above. His handle is "a1abdj"
Well good luck and I hope this helps,
Evan
I own a Ft. Knox safe (Titan Model) and I am very happy with it. The people at Ft. Knox safes are very nice and they make a very nice product. The distributor I bought the safe from was nice to deal with the first time around but when I went back to purchase two more safes they left a LOT to be desired.
Due to my dealings with the distributor I decided to take my business elsewhere. But let me emphasize the safe is perfectly fine, at least no one has broken into it yet.
However, during my research into purchasing another safe(s), I came to the conclusion that I would not buy another Ft. Knox safe. But, that's my opinion and you will need to reach your own conclusion after hours of research.
I did a lot of research and I will offer some points below that may be helpful to your search:
1)Whatever safe you decide on buy a model bigger than you need because you will find a way to eventually fill it up.
2)Decide what you will store in there and add up the value and decide on the burglar rating/fire rating.
3)Decide where you will store the safe. (Consider the weight of the safe, delivery charges increase for stairs, bolt down and overall appearance of the safe). You may not need a glossy finish if it's in your garage. You may not want to bolt it to a nice tiled or wood floor, etc.
During my search for another safe I found some very helpful information here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/
You can Google
"the high road sturdy safes" and
"the high road amsec safes"
You will see a lot of discussions about this subject and you will learn more than you probably wanted too.
I am now looking at these two safes for my next purchase:
1) Sturdy Safe
2) Amsec Safe
Here are some more helpful links:
http://www.sturdysafe.com/ - The owner is a very nice man and his safes are fairly priced and secure. His daughter is the model on the site so bear that in mind when you call. You may even get her on the phone
http://www.zykansafe.com/ - Frank is a very nice man to deal with and he loves what he does. He offers Amsec safes and you will see his posts on the highroad mentioned above. His handle is "a1abdj"
Well good luck and I hope this helps,
Evan
Re: Best Gun Safe?
My opinion and the criteria that I used is to buy the thickest steel you can afford in whatever brand you find it in. Forget about fire rating as there is no single industry standard. I'm trying to protect my stuff from theft. If my house burns and the temp is 1200 degrees around the safe for 20 minutes I figure everything in there is gonna be somewhat screwed if not destroyed. All that said, I ended up with a safe made of 10 gauge steel and although I'd like to have 1/4" I'm pleased with what I have for the money that I could spend. YMMV
My opinion and the criteria that I used is to buy the thickest steel you can afford in whatever brand you find it in. Forget about fire rating as there is no single industry standard. I'm trying to protect my stuff from theft. If my house burns and the temp is 1200 degrees around the safe for 20 minutes I figure everything in there is gonna be somewhat screwed if not destroyed. All that said, I ended up with a safe made of 10 gauge steel and although I'd like to have 1/4" I'm pleased with what I have for the money that I could spend. YMMV
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Check out Granite Security. When I was shopping for a safe I ended up going out their company here in Ft Worth and was impressed in how they made them and customer service. They make the Winchester safe you see at Sam's as well as their own line.
Check out Granite Security. When I was shopping for a safe I ended up going out their company here in Ft Worth and was impressed in how they made them and customer service. They make the Winchester safe you see at Sam's as well as their own line.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
When I get ready to upgrade I'll be getting a Ft.Knox. One of cousins had one when his house burnt down, and everything inside survived. I mean pictures papers and the guns. The safe fell from the first floor to the basement sometime during the fire, and everything was fine. That was about 8 years ago. He owns 2 now if that says anything.
When I get ready to upgrade I'll be getting a Ft.Knox. One of cousins had one when his house burnt down, and everything inside survived. I mean pictures papers and the guns. The safe fell from the first floor to the basement sometime during the fire, and everything was fine. That was about 8 years ago. He owns 2 now if that says anything.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Also, where is the safe going? In a small room with little space for a thief to attack it is best. Alarm system? Good. Monitored? Better. Quality locks/deadbolts on house?
Security is best if you take a layered approach.
Good neighborhood.
Good locks on house.
Good safe, properly installed.
Monitored alarm system.
Adequate insurance.
And make sure you lock it.
Also, where is the safe going? In a small room with little space for a thief to attack it is best. Alarm system? Good. Monitored? Better. Quality locks/deadbolts on house?
Security is best if you take a layered approach.
Good neighborhood.
Good locks on house.
Good safe, properly installed.
Monitored alarm system.
Adequate insurance.
And make sure you lock it.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I have a Cannon and I love it. but sylvester stallone endorses Ft. Knox so if it's good enough for rambo, it's good enough for me.
I have a Cannon and I love it. but sylvester stallone endorses Ft. Knox so if it's good enough for rambo, it's good enough for me.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Take some time and google safe failure, break ins, defeat safe, safe fail, and the like. You will be surprised at how weak a safe really is, even a Fort Knox. It just depends on what you expect from the safe, how much you want to spend and what kind of threat you are trying to stop.
Also think about where you are going to put it. I have moved a large quality safe. Pay to have it moved unless you have a football team at you beck and call. If you put it in the basement and you have a house fire it will be sitting in a foot of water in your basement for who knows how long.
Take some time and google safe failure, break ins, defeat safe, safe fail, and the like. You will be surprised at how weak a safe really is, even a Fort Knox. It just depends on what you expect from the safe, how much you want to spend and what kind of threat you are trying to stop.
Also think about where you are going to put it. I have moved a large quality safe. Pay to have it moved unless you have a football team at you beck and call. If you put it in the basement and you have a house fire it will be sitting in a foot of water in your basement for who knows how long.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
My $ .02 try to avoid the electronic locks as they make it easier to break into any safe. The fire ratings mean nothing you really don't need it anyway, think big, heavy and thick as you can afford.
My $ .02 try to avoid the electronic locks as they make it easier to break into any safe. The fire ratings mean nothing you really don't need it anyway, think big, heavy and thick as you can afford.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
+1 for the Liberty Safes, I didn't have the coin at the time so I went with the Franklin not to mention my local dealer had a heck of a deal on it at the time and delivery was free thank goodness. I will say by the biggest that you can afford and or have room for. I made that mistake to begin with and it didn't take me long to realize that a 22 gun safe couldn't keep up with my gun buying habits. Also, like someone above mentioned pay someone to move it as mine was over 1000 lbs and they had to use some pretty handy equipment to get it in the house. Of course my safe dealer also had me support the floor under the house with extra peers as he said over the years it would probably help prevent damage to the floor from all the weight in one area.
+1 for the Liberty Safes, I didn't have the coin at the time so I went with the Franklin not to mention my local dealer had a heck of a deal on it at the time and delivery was free thank goodness. I will say by the biggest that you can afford and or have room for. I made that mistake to begin with and it didn't take me long to realize that a 22 gun safe couldn't keep up with my gun buying habits. Also, like someone above mentioned pay someone to move it as mine was over 1000 lbs and they had to use some pretty handy equipment to get it in the house. Of course my safe dealer also had me support the floor under the house with extra peers as he said over the years it would probably help prevent damage to the floor from all the weight in one area.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRS76251</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mine is a Champion Triumph Series T-60. I've had it for several years and its a great safe. When I buy another one, it'll be just like the one I have now. http://www.championsafe.com
Chad </div></div>
A big +1 on the Champion safes, I've been very happy with mine.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LRS76251</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mine is a Champion Triumph Series T-60. I've had it for several years and its a great safe. When I buy another one, it'll be just like the one I have now. http://www.championsafe.com
Chad </div></div>
A big +1 on the Champion safes, I've been very happy with mine.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Another vote for Fort Knox.A good safe is expensive,do some research.That link to 6mmbr is a good one.Lots of others,too!Let us know what you decide. Good Luck Lightman
Another vote for Fort Knox.A good safe is expensive,do some research.That link to 6mmbr is a good one.Lots of others,too!Let us know what you decide. Good Luck Lightman
Re: Best Gun Safe?
After a fair amount of research, I went with a Browning Medallion 24-gun (probably can't fit half that many guns if you're dealing with large scoped rifles). They offered a left-hinged door option which fit my specific need for an extra $125. The door had a variety of organizer hangers/pockets/pouches as a standard feature. Total price was about $1950 a year ago.
After a fair amount of research, I went with a Browning Medallion 24-gun (probably can't fit half that many guns if you're dealing with large scoped rifles). They offered a left-hinged door option which fit my specific need for an extra $125. The door had a variety of organizer hangers/pockets/pouches as a standard feature. Total price was about $1950 a year ago.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hank440</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My $ .02 try to avoid the electronic locks as they make it easier to break into any safe. The fire ratings mean nothing you really don't need it anyway, think big, heavy and thick as you can afford.
</div></div>
Could you explain why the e-locks are easier to break in? I'd like to understand this. I've been pouring over the information about safes myself for the last several weeks in preparation of buying another.
Also, this may ignite a brushfire but as I think about it, I see going one of two ways in terms of metal thickness. If one is interested in fire protection and protection from the smash and grab criminals, I really can't see why a large 12 gauge HSC wouldn't work just as well as any 10 gauge HSC. I think way too much has been made of the "start at 10 ga. at a minimum" advice. The difference in between 10 and 12 is minimal when you think about the time it takes to penetrate either with a chop saw or even the fabled fire axe. My guess is you are buying an extra five minutes tops. I see both 10ga. and 12ga. as the same class safes with some 12ga.'s potentially outperforming some 10 ga. safes depending on construction and design.
So, if this is the direction one is headed, it makes sense to me to take the 10 vs 12 gauge metal with the grain of salt and buy a large decent safe such as the Winchester Legacy L-45 or the Mutual MS-6040. The L-45 is 12 ga. but has good bolt work and fire protection. The MS-6040 is 10 ga. has adaquate bolt work and good fire protection. If it were between these two safes, I would chose the L-45 despite the 12ga. construction. It is heavier, a foot taller and provides better bang for the buck than the MS-6040.
There are a number of quality safe manufacturers that make decent safes in both 10 and 12ga. These weigh enough to make it hard to move and when bolted down should be enough to deter the average thief (with decent fire protection as well).
On the other hand, if one wants to buy protection from the determined thief (and fire), you need to head towards the 7 gauge (and thicker) varieties to gain any substantial advantage. Sure you'll have a safe that weighs close to a ton (or more) and requires professional movers most likely, but, you have a real safe with reliable protection from all but the most determined and prepared thief. There are a number of safes that fit the bill here as well including the Sportsmans Steel FR-3 (with the 3 ga. option) and the Graffunder B7240. Again, there are a number of good quality manufacturers that make safes in this category.
It's the cost vs. benefit that is in question. In my mind, if you want a modicum of protection, get a large fire resistant safe, bolt it down and worry less about 12 vs. 10 gauge steel. Look for quality construction and design and the features you like (such as size, layout, warranty etc). OR, if you want real protection, pony up the cash and get a safe with 7 to 3 gauge walls and all those safes will have good warranties, fire protection, interior options etc.
To me, this is a question similar to the all the scope debates posted here. For my money, If I don't want to drop some serious coin but still want a decent scope, I'll go with a Millett or Falcon class optic at a reasonable price then choose based on reputation and features. There is enough quality in that class to get the job done. If, on the other hand, I want to get the quality and reliability of a better scope, I'll spend the cash and start with Nightforce and go on up from there. What is in between the two classes of optics don't make much sense to me. The added features, durability etc. are questionable in relation to the price until you reach a much higher level of scope. Just my thoughts on the matter, YMMV.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hank440</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My $ .02 try to avoid the electronic locks as they make it easier to break into any safe. The fire ratings mean nothing you really don't need it anyway, think big, heavy and thick as you can afford.
Could you explain why the e-locks are easier to break in? I'd like to understand this. I've been pouring over the information about safes myself for the last several weeks in preparation of buying another.
Also, this may ignite a brushfire but as I think about it, I see going one of two ways in terms of metal thickness. If one is interested in fire protection and protection from the smash and grab criminals, I really can't see why a large 12 gauge HSC wouldn't work just as well as any 10 gauge HSC. I think way too much has been made of the "start at 10 ga. at a minimum" advice. The difference in between 10 and 12 is minimal when you think about the time it takes to penetrate either with a chop saw or even the fabled fire axe. My guess is you are buying an extra five minutes tops. I see both 10ga. and 12ga. as the same class safes with some 12ga.'s potentially outperforming some 10 ga. safes depending on construction and design.
So, if this is the direction one is headed, it makes sense to me to take the 10 vs 12 gauge metal with the grain of salt and buy a large decent safe such as the Winchester Legacy L-45 or the Mutual MS-6040. The L-45 is 12 ga. but has good bolt work and fire protection. The MS-6040 is 10 ga. has adaquate bolt work and good fire protection. If it were between these two safes, I would chose the L-45 despite the 12ga. construction. It is heavier, a foot taller and provides better bang for the buck than the MS-6040.
There are a number of quality safe manufacturers that make decent safes in both 10 and 12ga. These weigh enough to make it hard to move and when bolted down should be enough to deter the average thief (with decent fire protection as well).
On the other hand, if one wants to buy protection from the determined thief (and fire), you need to head towards the 7 gauge (and thicker) varieties to gain any substantial advantage. Sure you'll have a safe that weighs close to a ton (or more) and requires professional movers most likely, but, you have a real safe with reliable protection from all but the most determined and prepared thief. There are a number of safes that fit the bill here as well including the Sportsmans Steel FR-3 (with the 3 ga. option) and the Graffunder B7240. Again, there are a number of good quality manufacturers that make safes in this category.
It's the cost vs. benefit that is in question. In my mind, if you want a modicum of protection, get a large fire resistant safe, bolt it down and worry less about 12 vs. 10 gauge steel. Look for quality construction and design and the features you like (such as size, layout, warranty etc). OR, if you want real protection, pony up the cash and get a safe with 7 to 3 gauge walls and all those safes will have good warranties, fire protection, interior options etc.
To me, this is a question similar to the all the scope debates posted here. For my money, If I don't want to drop some serious coin but still want a decent scope, I'll go with a Millett or Falcon class optic at a reasonable price then choose based on reputation and features. There is enough quality in that class to get the job done. If, on the other hand, I want to get the quality and reliability of a better scope, I'll spend the cash and start with Nightforce and go on up from there. What is in between the two classes of optics don't make much sense to me. The added features, durability etc. are questionable in relation to the price until you reach a much higher level of scope. Just my thoughts on the matter, YMMV.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
thieves dont pry the doors open, they drill it and open the doors.
the one thing to look at is the inside of the main door, meaning how it is assembled and what means are in place to protect against drilling to manipulate the lock open.
There is only one "gun safe" company out there that even comes close; that's Champion.
jewelers laugh at most "gunsafes"; not Champior, because of the randomly placed mechanisms and the crystal inside the door, which, when drilled, actuates locking.
Advertisement does not a gunsafe make; the door interior does. Strength and fire protection will come with a proper safe. Spend your time shopping the inside of the door.
thieves dont pry the doors open, they drill it and open the doors.
the one thing to look at is the inside of the main door, meaning how it is assembled and what means are in place to protect against drilling to manipulate the lock open.
There is only one "gun safe" company out there that even comes close; that's Champion.
jewelers laugh at most "gunsafes"; not Champior, because of the randomly placed mechanisms and the crystal inside the door, which, when drilled, actuates locking.
Advertisement does not a gunsafe make; the door interior does. Strength and fire protection will come with a proper safe. Spend your time shopping the inside of the door.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bumbellybeak</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
thieves dont pry the doors open, they drill it and open the doors.
the one thing to look at is the inside of the main door, meaning how it is assembled and what means are in place to protect against drilling to manipulate the lock open.
There is only one "gun safe" company out there that even comes close; that's Champion.
jewelers laugh at most "gunsafes"; not Champior, because of the randomly placed mechanisms and the crystal inside the door, which, when drilled, actuates locking.
Advertisement does not a gunsafe make; the door interior does. Strength and fire protection will come with a proper safe. Spend your time shopping the inside of the door. </div></div>
I haven't seen any data breaking down safe failure stats, but this makes sense to me particularly if applied to professional thieves. Additionally, it would probably explain the vast difference in cost between a Champion 12ga. body HSC and a Stack-on 12 ga. HSC body. Furthermore, I think this argument supports my position on wall thickness as well.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bumbellybeak</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
thieves dont pry the doors open, they drill it and open the doors.
the one thing to look at is the inside of the main door, meaning how it is assembled and what means are in place to protect against drilling to manipulate the lock open.
There is only one "gun safe" company out there that even comes close; that's Champion.
jewelers laugh at most "gunsafes"; not Champior, because of the randomly placed mechanisms and the crystal inside the door, which, when drilled, actuates locking.
Advertisement does not a gunsafe make; the door interior does. Strength and fire protection will come with a proper safe. Spend your time shopping the inside of the door. </div></div>
I haven't seen any data breaking down safe failure stats, but this makes sense to me particularly if applied to professional thieves. Additionally, it would probably explain the vast difference in cost between a Champion 12ga. body HSC and a Stack-on 12 ga. HSC body. Furthermore, I think this argument supports my position on wall thickness as well.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
In reality though, unless you build a true bank vault if you give a motivated thief with the right tools enough time they will break into anything. I mean they don't make a gun safe that's going to resist a generator and a plasma cutter if they have a couple hours and full access to the safe. I remember seeing a video of a bike theft ring that literally had a cutting torch and generator in the back of a pickup, rolled up to locked bikes, cut the lock threw them in and off they went, took 10 seconds.
I think the real important thing is that the safe be reasonably fire resistant in case of a house fire and that it be reasonably theft resistant, IE heavy enough that a couple guys are not going to easily cart it out of there, and bolted to concrete with the top nuts spot welded. With the right tools and enough time and access, no amount of steel is going to stop a good thief. Assuming that a high end thief is not targeting your gun stash it should protect against almost any problem you are going to have, and in the case that you do run into a motivated trained thief, well that's when insurance kicks in cause nothing will stop them.
It's like computers, if you give someone access to the computer, there's no such thing as security if they knew what they are doing, but the simple windows login password keeps 99.9% of people out. Considering the odds of actually having a house broke into is very small, and then take into effect that about any heavy solid safe will stop 99.9% of thieves that smash and grab it's pretty good peace of mind to just have a heavy solid safe properly installed without going crazy.
Also frankly, those really good trained motivated thieves with all the cool tools, they aren't targeting gun owners, too much federal heat in stealing that many guns, and frankly if they are that good, they aren't going to bother with your little insignificant gun stash unless it's a few hundred thousand dollars worth. If they are that smart and good they already know better targets with higher payoffs and less risk.
In reality though, unless you build a true bank vault if you give a motivated thief with the right tools enough time they will break into anything. I mean they don't make a gun safe that's going to resist a generator and a plasma cutter if they have a couple hours and full access to the safe. I remember seeing a video of a bike theft ring that literally had a cutting torch and generator in the back of a pickup, rolled up to locked bikes, cut the lock threw them in and off they went, took 10 seconds.
I think the real important thing is that the safe be reasonably fire resistant in case of a house fire and that it be reasonably theft resistant, IE heavy enough that a couple guys are not going to easily cart it out of there, and bolted to concrete with the top nuts spot welded. With the right tools and enough time and access, no amount of steel is going to stop a good thief. Assuming that a high end thief is not targeting your gun stash it should protect against almost any problem you are going to have, and in the case that you do run into a motivated trained thief, well that's when insurance kicks in cause nothing will stop them.
It's like computers, if you give someone access to the computer, there's no such thing as security if they knew what they are doing, but the simple windows login password keeps 99.9% of people out. Considering the odds of actually having a house broke into is very small, and then take into effect that about any heavy solid safe will stop 99.9% of thieves that smash and grab it's pretty good peace of mind to just have a heavy solid safe properly installed without going crazy.
Also frankly, those really good trained motivated thieves with all the cool tools, they aren't targeting gun owners, too much federal heat in stealing that many guns, and frankly if they are that good, they aren't going to bother with your little insignificant gun stash unless it's a few hundred thousand dollars worth. If they are that smart and good they already know better targets with higher payoffs and less risk.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Another positive vote for American Security (AMSEC). I disagree with some who say fire rating is not important. It is important if you care about the contents during a fire. Duh! You might not need the highest rating, but don't skimp here. Also, get a Burglar Proof rating as well.
This is a great safe that another poster mentioned:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-HS-main.htm
But if you need some thing smaller and less weight (also cheaper), you may get by with this:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-BF-main.htm
I have the BF series, but my next safe will be a HS series safe.
There are alot of good safes out there. Selections seem to run the emotional gambit like scopes and suppressors. Always some good debates, without much facts to back them up.
Good luck.
Another positive vote for American Security (AMSEC). I disagree with some who say fire rating is not important. It is important if you care about the contents during a fire. Duh! You might not need the highest rating, but don't skimp here. Also, get a Burglar Proof rating as well.
This is a great safe that another poster mentioned:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-HS-main.htm
But if you need some thing smaller and less weight (also cheaper), you may get by with this:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-BF-main.htm
I have the BF series, but my next safe will be a HS series safe.
There are alot of good safes out there. Selections seem to run the emotional gambit like scopes and suppressors. Always some good debates, without much facts to back them up.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Another thing that's one of the best things you can do is conceal the safe itself. So many homeowners have their safes in their garage where anyone driving or walking by can see it, or in plain view in a living room where guests, or anyone looking in a window can see it. Putting up a big advertisement for thieves.
I've had a couple friends with large gun collections that have gone to great lengths to conceal their safe(s) either in false walls or rooms, hidden to the degree that anyone short of a pro or someone who knew them well and where the guns were would not notice it. They are not the most convenient to access many times but when thieves break in they are not going to spend an hour looking for false doors or hidden safes.
Another good trick with such a setup, is if you assume the thief knows you have guns, say they've been watching your house, followed you home from the range, or frankly some people are idiots and like toting tons of guns back and forth to the vehicle for everyone to see to show off, or bragging to anyone and everyone about all their guns. If you have a concealed safe, to put a super cheap safe or one of these wooden/glass gun cabinets in a room with 4-5 dirt cheap used guns in them, and a couple more in a closet or under a bed. That way when someone breaks in they rip those off, and don't even think to look for a concealed high end safe where the real guns are.
That way if someone has been watching you, they know you have guns, so if they break in and can't find any, they are likely to look deeper for a hidden or concealed safe, if they find guns in a cheap cabinet or safe they assume you are just the typical dumb gun owner with no security and rip off a few hundred dollars of cheap used guns.
Another thing that's one of the best things you can do is conceal the safe itself. So many homeowners have their safes in their garage where anyone driving or walking by can see it, or in plain view in a living room where guests, or anyone looking in a window can see it. Putting up a big advertisement for thieves.
I've had a couple friends with large gun collections that have gone to great lengths to conceal their safe(s) either in false walls or rooms, hidden to the degree that anyone short of a pro or someone who knew them well and where the guns were would not notice it. They are not the most convenient to access many times but when thieves break in they are not going to spend an hour looking for false doors or hidden safes.
Another good trick with such a setup, is if you assume the thief knows you have guns, say they've been watching your house, followed you home from the range, or frankly some people are idiots and like toting tons of guns back and forth to the vehicle for everyone to see to show off, or bragging to anyone and everyone about all their guns. If you have a concealed safe, to put a super cheap safe or one of these wooden/glass gun cabinets in a room with 4-5 dirt cheap used guns in them, and a couple more in a closet or under a bed. That way when someone breaks in they rip those off, and don't even think to look for a concealed high end safe where the real guns are.
That way if someone has been watching you, they know you have guns, so if they break in and can't find any, they are likely to look deeper for a hidden or concealed safe, if they find guns in a cheap cabinet or safe they assume you are just the typical dumb gun owner with no security and rip off a few hundred dollars of cheap used guns.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ToddM</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> there's no such thing as security if they knew what they are doing, </div></div>
I'd have to agree with that. After my father died, we didn't have the combination to a safe that existed on one of his pieces of property. I don't want to list the name/model of the safe but it was 7,500#s empty and cost over $10K. The only reason I know the specs is that I had to go online and figure out who made this thing and find someone to come open it for us.
Anyhow, the guy I called out of the yellow-pages showed up at the agreed upon time and I showed him to the safe, which was in the corner of a warehouse. It took roughly 30-40 seconds for him to open the lock. Those that know how locks work can likely guess exactly how this went but I was formerly unaware. Having seen it done, it's really pretty simple - and disconcerting. Granted, this guy had been at it for many years and cracking safes was old hat to him, but it was frighteningly simple, with 'tools' that each and every one of us have on our <span style="text-decoration: underline">desk</span>. (not garage, DESK).
Knowing how easy it is to breach a top of the line $10K safe, I decided to buy an adequately sized metal safe, bolt it to the floor, and have a good insurance rider for all of my guns. I'd have kept that safe, but at the time I was living on the opposite coast and after seeing it opened, I realized that one safe is much like another: a metal box. - and transporting a 7,500# safe requires more vehicle than I own.
While ANY safe is better than nothing, someone that truly knows how to get into safes won't have the slightest problem. And crowbars/blow torches/plasma cutters won't be needed.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ToddM</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> there's no such thing as security if they knew what they are doing, </div></div>
I'd have to agree with that. After my father died, we didn't have the combination to a safe that existed on one of his pieces of property. I don't want to list the name/model of the safe but it was 7,500#s empty and cost over $10K. The only reason I know the specs is that I had to go online and figure out who made this thing and find someone to come open it for us.
Anyhow, the guy I called out of the yellow-pages showed up at the agreed upon time and I showed him to the safe, which was in the corner of a warehouse. It took roughly 30-40 seconds for him to open the lock. Those that know how locks work can likely guess exactly how this went but I was formerly unaware. Having seen it done, it's really pretty simple - and disconcerting. Granted, this guy had been at it for many years and cracking safes was old hat to him, but it was frighteningly simple, with 'tools' that each and every one of us have on our <span style="text-decoration: underline">desk</span>. (not garage, DESK).
Knowing how easy it is to breach a top of the line $10K safe, I decided to buy an adequately sized metal safe, bolt it to the floor, and have a good insurance rider for all of my guns. I'd have kept that safe, but at the time I was living on the opposite coast and after seeing it opened, I realized that one safe is much like another: a metal box. - and transporting a 7,500# safe requires more vehicle than I own.
While ANY safe is better than nothing, someone that truly knows how to get into safes won't have the slightest problem. And crowbars/blow torches/plasma cutters won't be needed.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
What ToddM said, what duckear said
Solid thread.
For firearms its about mass and strength and entry rating, fireproofing is secondary, you will not want what comes out of a hot safe. Fire rating is for paper and that means cash as it is the water content steam-out of the liner that actually does the last stage cooling.
What ToddM said, what duckear said
Solid thread.
For firearms its about mass and strength and entry rating, fireproofing is secondary, you will not want what comes out of a hot safe. Fire rating is for paper and that means cash as it is the water content steam-out of the liner that actually does the last stage cooling.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Hatidua makes an excellent point. A professional safe cracker can make a lot more money opening safes legally.
If someone wants your stuff they will get it. I favor the layered approach as someone else stated. Try to make it as uninviting as possible. That being said bigger, thicker, heavier safes will take the scumbags longer to open (in most cases).
Hatidua makes an excellent point. A professional safe cracker can make a lot more money opening safes legally.
If someone wants your stuff they will get it. I favor the layered approach as someone else stated. Try to make it as uninviting as possible. That being said bigger, thicker, heavier safes will take the scumbags longer to open (in most cases).
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I have a Liberty Fatboy, and while my safe has not been tested to the criterion that may deem it "best", I have been extremely happy with it.
Only thing I don't like is the rack on the inside, but a day in the wood shop and that will be fixed...
I have a Liberty Fatboy, and while my safe has not been tested to the criterion that may deem it "best", I have been extremely happy with it.
Only thing I don't like is the rack on the inside, but a day in the wood shop and that will be fixed...
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Guys, if I were to break into a safe the door is last place I would go through. Or, simply take the whole safe. I have heard of it done, taking the whole safe. Bolt it done very well and put it down stairs if possible were it is a pain to get it and out of site. In my old house I put it in a basement corner against 2 cement walls and a tub/shower on the side of the other wall. It was in a closet out of site. I put nice long bolts into the cement floor holding the safe down. The closet was built around the safe. The best way into it was cutting a whole in the top. That was possible. If wanted in that bad, I only hoped it took to long before the neighbors caught em..
It was a champion, I loved the way that door made the suction sound as I opened it. I would buy another champion. What ever I buy again will have excellent fire rating. Fire is something with no mercy and burns till it is dead.
Guys, if I were to break into a safe the door is last place I would go through. Or, simply take the whole safe. I have heard of it done, taking the whole safe. Bolt it done very well and put it down stairs if possible were it is a pain to get it and out of site. In my old house I put it in a basement corner against 2 cement walls and a tub/shower on the side of the other wall. It was in a closet out of site. I put nice long bolts into the cement floor holding the safe down. The closet was built around the safe. The best way into it was cutting a whole in the top. That was possible. If wanted in that bad, I only hoped it took to long before the neighbors caught em..
It was a champion, I loved the way that door made the suction sound as I opened it. I would buy another champion. What ever I buy again will have excellent fire rating. Fire is something with no mercy and burns till it is dead.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I bought a Fort Knox Titan, with an extra 1/4" of steel added to the inside of it.
There are few safes that will keep out a real pro with time and tools, but between having an alarmed house and extra steel in my safe, I've done about all I can to keep all the other yo-yos out of it.
The Fort Knox I have is 72 x 41 and it weighs just over one ton with the extra steel in it. It took three experienced guys to get it into my home office. It cost me way more than I set out to spend initially, but when you compare features and benefits, the field narrows quickly, and the cost goes up.
I stopped whining about the cost the day they installed it and I charged my American Express card - I love the safe.
I bought a Fort Knox Titan, with an extra 1/4" of steel added to the inside of it.
There are few safes that will keep out a real pro with time and tools, but between having an alarmed house and extra steel in my safe, I've done about all I can to keep all the other yo-yos out of it.
The Fort Knox I have is 72 x 41 and it weighs just over one ton with the extra steel in it. It took three experienced guys to get it into my home office. It cost me way more than I set out to spend initially, but when you compare features and benefits, the field narrows quickly, and the cost goes up.
I stopped whining about the cost the day they installed it and I charged my American Express card - I love the safe.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Spend just as much money concealing your Gun safe as you pay for it. Build it in to your house or garage somehow. I have seen some folks use horizontal safes and put into the floor. Some build vertical safes into closet behind false wall. Be creative. If they can't find it they can't still it. Best of luck!
Spend just as much money concealing your Gun safe as you pay for it. Build it in to your house or garage somehow. I have seen some folks use horizontal safes and put into the floor. Some build vertical safes into closet behind false wall. Be creative. If they can't find it they can't still it. Best of luck!
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I am in the safe business so let me add a few things here.
The best gun safe when price is no object are from Graffunder. I've seen a lot of gun safes and I don't think anything compares to them. They start at a insurance "B" rating (1/2" plate steel door and 1/4" walls) and go up to E Rate which is 1 1/2" plate steel door with 1" walls as well as custom options. They use a poured concrete-like fire liner giving even their 1/4" wall safes about 2" of thickness and a good burglary and fire resistance. Thicker safes offer even better protection:
http://www.graffundersafes.com
The best gun safe for people on a budget are the Amsec BF Series Safes. They have an honest 1/2" plate steel door and also have a poured light concrete fire liner and inner steel wall giving the safes also almost 2" of protection from fire and burglars. Their HS series safes are even heavier and feature a true UL listed burglary rating from a TL-15 to TL-30 (Tool resistant ratings):
BF Series safes start at around the mid-1000s and go up from there:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-BF-main.htm
The HS series are higher priced, but much heavier safes:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-HS-main.htm
Amsec is a true safe company. What I mean by that is they make commercial safes for their primary business. The BF series Amsec safe is FAR more secure than even the best major brand gun safe you commonly see.
The Graffunder can be had for the price of the high-end mainstream safes you see and completely blows them out of the water in terms of fit, finish and security. There is no comparison.
Electronic locks vs. Mechanical. Honestly there isn't much difference in overall security for most applications. Burglars don't manipulate locks open. They tend to attack them with hand or power tools. I've never seen a safe professionally drilled open by a burglar to bypass the lock. It takes many thousands of dollars in specialized equipment, drill bits, bore scopes and knowledge to do this and the average meth tweaker just doesn't have these things.
What they do have though are those power tools you left in your garage next to your safe and that big crow bar you left leaning up against the wall next to the sledgehammer. So worry more about how much steel your safe has on the door and walls and not whether they are going to bypass the lock. Make sure the safe you have in your home can withstand the power tools you also have there because they can, and often are, used to attack safes.
With that said, my personal opinion are mechanical Group I type locks (manipulation resistant) are the most secure and also the least likely to break (no motors and solenoids to go bad). HOWEVER, they are not as fast to get into either. If you want a reliable electronic lock I'd lean towards the LaGard brand and would avoid the Sargent and Greenleaf electronic locks (although their mechanical locks are great). Other electronic lock brands fall between these two extremes for reliability. IMO. In short: Electronic locks = convenience. Mechanical locks = reliability. You have to pick one or the other. Mechanical locks can fail and cause a lockout, but this is far more common with electronic locks.
Bolt down your safe. I don't really care how heavy it is unless it's something more than a couple thousand pounds. I've seen very large safes stolen. It happens all the time. If someone got the safe into your house, then it can be gotten out. One man with an appliance dolly can remove a typical gun safe if you think about it. So go to the hardware store and spend 10 bucks on some anchor bolts and tie that thing down to your foundation. Any safe, no matter how strong, is going to be opened if the crooks get it back to their own shop and have time to work on it.
Safes are lightning rods for burglars and you can be sure that if they come across your safe when in your home it's going to draw more than casual attention. So that means you need it to be able to withstand protracted and perhaps brutal attacks for many minutes, or perhaps longer. The only way to make sure this can happen is for the safe to have lots of steel in it and perhaps some concrete of some type. The Graffunder and Amsec safes do this. Other safe brands you commonly see do not. Be sure to bolt these other safes down as that will increase their protection.
You should also place your safe out of obvious view (for instance I wouldn't put it in a garage where someone could see it from the street). I also would tend to put it in a corner with perhaps the opening edge closer to the wall (so door opens away from the wall and not towards it). Why? Because by doing so you make it harder for someone to get pry tools to work on the opening edge with the wall in the way. It's much harder for them to get leverage as they will hit the wall when putting the biting edge of a crow bar on the opening side.
Bolt Work: Honestly this is just a marketing gimmick. More bolts does not mean a safe is more secure necessarily. It may just mean it's more prone to failure as there are more linkages to go bad. I've worked on very large high security Jeweler's safes with just <span style="font-weight: bold">eight</span> bolts (insured to hold $1,000,000+ in jewels). There is no way that these gun safes with 32+ bolts on them are more secure than those jeweler's safes. So don't worry about number of bolts. Worry about how much steel that thing has in the walls and door.
Other things in a safe to avoid are people claiming that internal hinges are "more secure." This is a myth. Hinges on a properly designed safe just keep the door from falling on your foot when it opens. They shouldn't affect security if cut off. I'm also leery of putting in those electric dehumidifiers just in case they have a problem and ignite everything inside your safe. I also wouldn't store my ammo in the safe as it could cause problems during a fire.
In closing, gun safe companies put out a lot of hyperbole. The thing that matters most is whether the safe has lots of steel in the door and walls and whether they are using a poured insulating layer for fire protection and not drywall. Most gun safes do not have these features. The Graffunder and Amsec BF and higher series safes do.
I am in the safe business so let me add a few things here.
The best gun safe when price is no object are from Graffunder. I've seen a lot of gun safes and I don't think anything compares to them. They start at a insurance "B" rating (1/2" plate steel door and 1/4" walls) and go up to E Rate which is 1 1/2" plate steel door with 1" walls as well as custom options. They use a poured concrete-like fire liner giving even their 1/4" wall safes about 2" of thickness and a good burglary and fire resistance. Thicker safes offer even better protection:
http://www.graffundersafes.com
The best gun safe for people on a budget are the Amsec BF Series Safes. They have an honest 1/2" plate steel door and also have a poured light concrete fire liner and inner steel wall giving the safes also almost 2" of protection from fire and burglars. Their HS series safes are even heavier and feature a true UL listed burglary rating from a TL-15 to TL-30 (Tool resistant ratings):
BF Series safes start at around the mid-1000s and go up from there:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-BF-main.htm
The HS series are higher priced, but much heavier safes:
http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-HS-main.htm
Amsec is a true safe company. What I mean by that is they make commercial safes for their primary business. The BF series Amsec safe is FAR more secure than even the best major brand gun safe you commonly see.
The Graffunder can be had for the price of the high-end mainstream safes you see and completely blows them out of the water in terms of fit, finish and security. There is no comparison.
Electronic locks vs. Mechanical. Honestly there isn't much difference in overall security for most applications. Burglars don't manipulate locks open. They tend to attack them with hand or power tools. I've never seen a safe professionally drilled open by a burglar to bypass the lock. It takes many thousands of dollars in specialized equipment, drill bits, bore scopes and knowledge to do this and the average meth tweaker just doesn't have these things.
What they do have though are those power tools you left in your garage next to your safe and that big crow bar you left leaning up against the wall next to the sledgehammer. So worry more about how much steel your safe has on the door and walls and not whether they are going to bypass the lock. Make sure the safe you have in your home can withstand the power tools you also have there because they can, and often are, used to attack safes.
With that said, my personal opinion are mechanical Group I type locks (manipulation resistant) are the most secure and also the least likely to break (no motors and solenoids to go bad). HOWEVER, they are not as fast to get into either. If you want a reliable electronic lock I'd lean towards the LaGard brand and would avoid the Sargent and Greenleaf electronic locks (although their mechanical locks are great). Other electronic lock brands fall between these two extremes for reliability. IMO. In short: Electronic locks = convenience. Mechanical locks = reliability. You have to pick one or the other. Mechanical locks can fail and cause a lockout, but this is far more common with electronic locks.
Bolt down your safe. I don't really care how heavy it is unless it's something more than a couple thousand pounds. I've seen very large safes stolen. It happens all the time. If someone got the safe into your house, then it can be gotten out. One man with an appliance dolly can remove a typical gun safe if you think about it. So go to the hardware store and spend 10 bucks on some anchor bolts and tie that thing down to your foundation. Any safe, no matter how strong, is going to be opened if the crooks get it back to their own shop and have time to work on it.
Safes are lightning rods for burglars and you can be sure that if they come across your safe when in your home it's going to draw more than casual attention. So that means you need it to be able to withstand protracted and perhaps brutal attacks for many minutes, or perhaps longer. The only way to make sure this can happen is for the safe to have lots of steel in it and perhaps some concrete of some type. The Graffunder and Amsec safes do this. Other safe brands you commonly see do not. Be sure to bolt these other safes down as that will increase their protection.
You should also place your safe out of obvious view (for instance I wouldn't put it in a garage where someone could see it from the street). I also would tend to put it in a corner with perhaps the opening edge closer to the wall (so door opens away from the wall and not towards it). Why? Because by doing so you make it harder for someone to get pry tools to work on the opening edge with the wall in the way. It's much harder for them to get leverage as they will hit the wall when putting the biting edge of a crow bar on the opening side.
Bolt Work: Honestly this is just a marketing gimmick. More bolts does not mean a safe is more secure necessarily. It may just mean it's more prone to failure as there are more linkages to go bad. I've worked on very large high security Jeweler's safes with just <span style="font-weight: bold">eight</span> bolts (insured to hold $1,000,000+ in jewels). There is no way that these gun safes with 32+ bolts on them are more secure than those jeweler's safes. So don't worry about number of bolts. Worry about how much steel that thing has in the walls and door.
Other things in a safe to avoid are people claiming that internal hinges are "more secure." This is a myth. Hinges on a properly designed safe just keep the door from falling on your foot when it opens. They shouldn't affect security if cut off. I'm also leery of putting in those electric dehumidifiers just in case they have a problem and ignite everything inside your safe. I also wouldn't store my ammo in the safe as it could cause problems during a fire.
In closing, gun safe companies put out a lot of hyperbole. The thing that matters most is whether the safe has lots of steel in the door and walls and whether they are using a poured insulating layer for fire protection and not drywall. Most gun safes do not have these features. The Graffunder and Amsec BF and higher series safes do.
Last edited:
Re: Best Gun Safe?
I just went to look at safes a few days ago. Here are my observations. There were Ft Knox, Champion, Summit, & Liberty. I was impressed with the high end Ft Knox safes. Geared boltworks & very smooth but bring your wallet. The Champion line was a good middle of the road safe. Liberty was OK. I guess Liberty has changed hands recently & the new owners aren't making them quite like the old Liberty. The Summit safes were nice. The steel on their line was much thicker than everyone else except the high end Ft Knox. I am going to go with the Summit Denali. 3/16" steel body & 1 1/2 hour fire rating.
I just went to look at safes a few days ago. Here are my observations. There were Ft Knox, Champion, Summit, & Liberty. I was impressed with the high end Ft Knox safes. Geared boltworks & very smooth but bring your wallet. The Champion line was a good middle of the road safe. Liberty was OK. I guess Liberty has changed hands recently & the new owners aren't making them quite like the old Liberty. The Summit safes were nice. The steel on their line was much thicker than everyone else except the high end Ft Knox. I am going to go with the Summit Denali. 3/16" steel body & 1 1/2 hour fire rating.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Be sure to look at the Amsec BF series safes if you can. They are a good deal on a good safe. You may even want to look at the Amsec HS series which are very secure and carry a UL burglary rating (the only one in the industry from what I know). This rating is far higher than the Residential Security Container rating most have.
The Summit claims to use a lot of steel in their safe like the Amsec so it may also be a good deal but I need to look at them in person to ascertain further. As I said earlier, a safe should have lots of steel in it. I wouldn't buy a safe unless the door was at least 3/8-1/2" thick plate steel and ~1/4" plate steel walls at the minimum. Most gun safes look like they are that thick, but lack the steel.
I don't know how Summit does their fire insulation, but if it's like most safes that use drywall I'd be wary. The Amsec safe is using a poured concrete fire liner which almost certainly offers better fire protection than drywall. Drywall was never designed to be a fire insulation. The concrete layer also adds more security to the steel outer skin.
Don't worry about geared boltwork. It's just something else to break due to being more complex. It adds no real security vs. a correctly designed linkage bolt work. Instead, worry about how much steel that thing has in the doors and wall and how the fire insulation is being done.
Be sure to look at the Amsec BF series safes if you can. They are a good deal on a good safe. You may even want to look at the Amsec HS series which are very secure and carry a UL burglary rating (the only one in the industry from what I know). This rating is far higher than the Residential Security Container rating most have.
The Summit claims to use a lot of steel in their safe like the Amsec so it may also be a good deal but I need to look at them in person to ascertain further. As I said earlier, a safe should have lots of steel in it. I wouldn't buy a safe unless the door was at least 3/8-1/2" thick plate steel and ~1/4" plate steel walls at the minimum. Most gun safes look like they are that thick, but lack the steel.
I don't know how Summit does their fire insulation, but if it's like most safes that use drywall I'd be wary. The Amsec safe is using a poured concrete fire liner which almost certainly offers better fire protection than drywall. Drywall was never designed to be a fire insulation. The concrete layer also adds more security to the steel outer skin.
Don't worry about geared boltwork. It's just something else to break due to being more complex. It adds no real security vs. a correctly designed linkage bolt work. Instead, worry about how much steel that thing has in the doors and wall and how the fire insulation is being done.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Unfortunately I can't find an Amsec dealer near me that carries the full line. Only the low end stuff. I did look at a Browning safe though & I thought Amsec made thier safes. The Summit door is 3/4" steel on the Denali Model I looked at. The Fire protection is fire board & ceramic fiber. So definitely not concrete. Thanks for the very usefull info XOR.
Unfortunately I can't find an Amsec dealer near me that carries the full line. Only the low end stuff. I did look at a Browning safe though & I thought Amsec made thier safes. The Summit door is 3/4" steel on the Denali Model I looked at. The Fire protection is fire board & ceramic fiber. So definitely not concrete. Thanks for the very usefull info XOR.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Ceramic fiber may be OK. The Graffunder uses it in their door with a poured insulation in the walls. I don't think it's as good as a poured fire protection barrier on all sides though but it does work. Having a lot of steel in a safe is the biggest deal though for theft protection.
If you have important documents you want to also store in the safe you could put them in a smaller Sentry file fireproof container and put it inside the safe for extra protection against fire and theft.
Ceramic fiber may be OK. The Graffunder uses it in their door with a poured insulation in the walls. I don't think it's as good as a poured fire protection barrier on all sides though but it does work. Having a lot of steel in a safe is the biggest deal though for theft protection.
If you have important documents you want to also store in the safe you could put them in a smaller Sentry file fireproof container and put it inside the safe for extra protection against fire and theft.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
tag Too much valuable info to digest in one sitting. Thank you all for all of your different opinions and angles that you show. It is much appreciated. -Dan
tag Too much valuable info to digest in one sitting. Thank you all for all of your different opinions and angles that you show. It is much appreciated. -Dan
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Im going to be looking for a nice safe that can grow with me and these posts from XOR are excellent. I learned more here in 5 minutes than all of the other sites I have been researching.
Anyone know of good places in the Phoenix/Peoria area in AZ. I dont think I will buy one until I make the move.
But I am going to take a look at the Amsec. I was looking at some fairly decent brownings but am definitely going to pay attention to these other products.
Im going to be looking for a nice safe that can grow with me and these posts from XOR are excellent. I learned more here in 5 minutes than all of the other sites I have been researching.
Anyone know of good places in the Phoenix/Peoria area in AZ. I dont think I will buy one until I make the move.
But I am going to take a look at the Amsec. I was looking at some fairly decent brownings but am definitely going to pay attention to these other products.
Re: Best Gun Safe?
Another option is to look for a used commercial safe, TL15 or TL30 rated. These can often be had for very good prices, particularly when you compare the level of security you are getting to the "high-end" gun safes for the same or higher price. If you do a bit of research, you will find out that you are paying at least half or more of your money for the "gun" part. With the commercial safe, you can build your own gun interior and save the rest of the money for guns to fill the safe with. The only trouble with the true commercial safes is the weight (a good proxy for security). You will probably have to pay to have the safe professionally moved, but you will likely still be well ahead at the end of the day.
Another option is to look for a used commercial safe, TL15 or TL30 rated. These can often be had for very good prices, particularly when you compare the level of security you are getting to the "high-end" gun safes for the same or higher price. If you do a bit of research, you will find out that you are paying at least half or more of your money for the "gun" part. With the commercial safe, you can build your own gun interior and save the rest of the money for guns to fill the safe with. The only trouble with the true commercial safes is the weight (a good proxy for security). You will probably have to pay to have the safe professionally moved, but you will likely still be well ahead at the end of the day.
