Ok, so I got a little time to offer some of my knowledge. Like so many others have said, if you can swing it, bypass any of the big box store so called safes. These are feel good boxes that people sell at ridiculous prices to make people feel good about what goes inside. Yes, they offer some security but you would be just as well off buying a toolbox and bolting that to the floor. I can be in any big box store safe in seconds using a fire axe, especially if it’s not bolted to the floor. And hell I’ve even seen some people be able to pick them up and cart them off with ease. So, if you go with this route be absolutely sure you bolt that sucker to the concrete at minimum. If you can do that and build something around it to hide it then it’s even better. For most people, you can probably get by with one of these safes as most people are just trying to deter kids and crackheads from a quick grab and go. However, most of us realize that you are buying time as sometimes these types of people are highly motivated. Most times they will just move on but every now and then there is that one guy.
What you need to do is look at your house from a security standpoint and layer security. Cameras, barriers, distance, dogs, alarm, safe and so on. There is only one way in and out of my house that is not protected by a barrier of some sort. I have a fence with locked gates covering all other entrance and exit points. You’d literally have to hop over an 8’ gate. And my front doors are 8’ 2” thick iron doors with heavy hinges and a camera covering them from two angles. You aren’t getting it with ease and even if you do you’d have multiple dogs to contend with along with the alarm and so on. I would highly suggest this.
Next up, if you can swing it, I’d build a vault and get a vault door. Better if you can do this in the building process as you can have it poured with the walls. I have two that are surrounded with 2’ of concrete and rebar with Fort Knox vault doors that clamp to the concrete from the inside, ac running in bothand so on. The doors are a total of 5” thick. The front plate is 3” solid steel. Then on top of this I have gone a long way to making them hidden. Still working on one. Either way you ain’t getting in with ease, but I am also not naive enough to think someone couldn’t with the right tools, knowledge or a little time. All I’m doing is buying time but short of paying someone to guard your house this is about the best you can do. If you got any more questions or want to pick my brain hit me up. You can spend as much as you want on this stuff or do it on the cheap and still be effective. It just takes a little planning.
PS if you have a basement you can still build a vault, you just have to pour the walls in place. Build your forms and get someone to come in a truck and shoot some concrete in there or you can do blocks and pour into each layer. But I’d recommend drilling holes in the slab, anchoring some rebar in each layer as well. It can be done. I’ve seen it done although I’m sure it’s a pain in the ass. Only problem with this route is you won’t be able to finish the tops, will be a small gap so you’d have to figure out how to deal with that somehow but again, it can be done and done right and hidden well is a lot more effective than a rsc.
One more thing to think about is hiding in plain sight. Think a hollowed our refrigerator. Not likely anyone would check such a thing for guns. Downside is if they did you have zero protection. I’ve even seen some pretty cool set ups with pool tables.
