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tjmower
03-26-2013, 12:45 AM
Doing some research on safes, I find that a lot of the small safes are easy to break in to (stack on). I want a smaller, square type safe that I can put my handguns in. What should I look at, or look for?

I have a really nice safe my mother in law gave me when she moved out of her house. Very solid combination lock safe. It had the combination taped to the front of the safe, but that got lost. I wish I could find someone to open it and redo the combination on it.

jjkukla
03-26-2013, 07:22 PM
Gun Vaults are nice... not sure how much room you need or what features you're looking for though.

Wyoming
03-27-2013, 07:17 AM
Within the next week or so I going to be purchasing a Fort Knox safe. From what I've seen they offer the best combination of value/price/features. I've been researching safes for about six weeks. Looked at MANY different brands.

50 BMG
03-27-2013, 02:36 PM
I went through the safe buying ordeal a few years ago, but I found Sportsman Steel Safes to be the thickest guage steel and had the best security features for the money.

http://sportsmansteelsafes.com/

Now, their safes are usuly not the "dressiest" or super-high polished like your car paint/the Browning types, but they are usually WAY below the costs of those types as well...

Fire insulated? personally, I think buying fire insulated safes is a waste of money and safe space, here's why:
1). the rating is usually only for about an hour, and even if the fire is extinguished by then, the internal safe temp can STILL get up to like 250 degrees (which will melt plastics and brown paper documents) and fall within that "rating". Also, a fire rated safe is simply just interior coated with a single layer of 1/2" thick Type-X gypsum board (yes, drywall). So if you really want a fire rated safe, go buy a sheet of your own drywall for $20 (?) and glue it to the inside of the safe yourself and save the $400 difference they charge for it to be factory installed.
2). If you live in a multi-story home, and the safe is anywhere except in the basement, the safe will end up in the basement in any significant fire (yes, right through multiple floors even). So, the fire rating isn't going to help break the fall..
3). Extra weight; the weigth of the insulating material will prevent you from buying a safe with thicker metal unless it's going into the basement anyway...
4). for fire protection, insulated or not, the corner of the basement is the best place to put either...

Wyoming
03-28-2013, 04:35 PM
Within the next week or so I going to be purchasing a Fort Knox safe. From what I've seen they offer the best combination of value/price/features. I've been researching safes for about six weeks. Looked at MANY different brands.

Ordered Ft. Knox safe today. Should be here in 5-7 weeks. I guess all the gun buying frenzy in spilling over in to the gun safe market.

Remixed79
03-29-2013, 12:49 AM
Fort Knox makes awesome safes.

It really depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a small portable unit, you're going to sacrifice on durability, theft resistance, and a lock.

If you want a strong safe, you're going to have to pay for it unfortunately. I just joined to help share my knowledge on a lot of security safes.

If you don't mind jumping into the $600 plus range, Fort Knox, Mesa Safe, and AMSEC are awesome. Plus thing of it as a long term investment. It's not like you're going to be buying a new one every year.

It really depends on your budget and needs.

50 BMG
03-29-2013, 10:16 AM
Remix is right... Buy a safe with the intention of having it for life! If you plan on being a "gun person" for life, get a safe you can grow into. Ungrading now to the next larger size or next level of protection is smarter and cheaper than having to buy another whole safe a few years down the road when you fill up the smaller one...

One other thing to mention is that even "heavy" safes really should be bolted to the floor...

Even a 900# safe can be tipped over, and once it's on the ground, large pry-bars, spuds, and even axes can be brought to bear on all of the surfaces...

If you can bolt the safe into the corner of a room, or better yet, the corner of a basement with cement/concrete block walls, you make it a LOT tougher for a would be criminal to get in...

Yea, I forgot about AMSEC... They make a really nice safe for the money too!

elwarpo
03-29-2013, 10:24 AM
Plan for the future, I first bought a cheap 6 gun from Homak, and quickly realized it was not secure, My next was a smaller Amsec, I like the quality butit is not insulated and is too small for guns, accessories and other things that go in a safe. My next safe will be much better, as I am planning for the future. Do not rely on gun number ratings as I have never found a safe that will actually hold the number of guns they mention. I use thee 3/4 rule, multioly the gun rating by .75 and it is more realistic if you have either scoped or larger weapons.

Fred
03-31-2013, 09:38 PM
Ordered Ft. Knox safe today. Should be here in 5-7 weeks. I guess all the gun buying frenzy in spilling over in to the gun safe market.
I recently bought a safe from Hoogerhyde in G.R. It's a big honker like 48 gun capacity. I've filled it with my guns and I don't own 48. I still like it.

markopolo50
04-02-2013, 05:42 PM
Doing some research on safes, I find that a lot of the small safes are easy to break in to (stack on). I want a smaller, square type safe that I can put my handguns in. What should I look at, or look for?

I have a really nice safe my mother in law gave me when she moved out of her house. Very solid combination lock safe. It had the combination taped to the front of the safe, but that got lost. I wish I could find someone to open it and redo the combination on it.

You might want to contact the manufacturer to see if they can help with the combo?

Remixed79
04-02-2013, 06:01 PM
I agree with Marko.

I do a lot of research with owners and can often dig up the old combination / key codes. Is there a serial number on the bottom or back? If you're able to reach the manufacturer and have the S/N, they should be able to issue replacement keys.

You can also query a good professional; however, you may have to pay for him/her to drive out if you're not near Detroit / Grand Rapids. You can probably find someone online; however, be prepared to pay an arm and a leg to ship it there and back. (Figure about $1 per pound to ship via a freight courier)