One large safe or multiple small ones.

[3SHOOTINGKIDS]

I've been thinking..... Is it better to have one large safe or multiple small safes of the same quality. I am leaning towards multiple small ones. You don't have all your eggs in one basket. If they have time to get into one they now have all your stuff. Multiple small ones in theory it would take 3 times the work and 3 times the amount of time to get all of them open (if you have three safes). Crooks might not even look for multiple safes (provided they are not all in one place). What are your thoughts?

[luckless]

I would go with several smaller safes. For one thing, you won't need two men and a mule to get it home and into the house.

I leave my lower quality guns on display. If they figure that I am showing off my best, they'll take the "chump guns" and leave the rest.

Maybe leave a small safe in the open that is poorly attached to the wall. Put the others in back rooms and such. Let them spend their effort on the one they can see.

Another thought, if your safes are spread out, you can access one while the bad guy is occupied in another area of your house or, if there is a fire in one part of the house, you can get guns out of the non-burning part.

FWIW

[elwarpo]

I prefer several small safes, especially with fireproof ones. The outer safe takes most of the heat, the inner safe in a corner only has the door and top exposed, making it much more fireproof. Also easier to get to things, since you know which guns are in which safe so you don't have to move a bunch of guns to get to one in the back. Several small safes will cost more than one big one though, but are much easier to move.

[3SHOOTINGKIDS]

It would cost more but you could buy/add safes as your collection grows or as dictated by the budget. Easier to spend $400 every couple months than $1100 all at once.

[evilcoon]

Different codes? Smaller means light enough to steal? Eventually even the big safe will get full and you''ll be shopping for another safe. Don't ask me how I know :)

[sittingbull]

I have a big one for my nice rifles/shotguns/pistols and cash etc.. and 2 small ones for ammo and extra rifles

[3SHOOTINGKIDS]

Different codes? Smaller means light enough to steal? Eventually even the big safe will get full and you''ll be shopping for another safe. Don't ask me how I know :)

I hear ya on the weight. 200 lb safe, 100 pound of stuff and a funky shaped set of stairs that makes getting anything up or down a real pain. Could prove to be tricky. The shape of the steps is what got me thinking about this whole thing after not being able to get some pieces of furniture down the steps.

[intheburbs]

I say go with the big safe.

I have more than one safe, but my "primary" is a Liberty Fatboy - all 880 lbs of it. I also have wifi camera pointed at it, and I get a ping on my phone if it detects any motion. I figure that combination is enough to prevent any sustained attack on the big safe.

The other safes are lighter, and I do have a concern that some enterprising young yoots with a $75 appliance dolly can make off with them. But I'm pretty confident that the Fatboy isn't going anywhere.

[josey wales]

I say go with multiple large ones. Safes are like barns never big enough.

[rdarabos]

my thought is one large safe, its harder to move a large one than a couple of small ones . we had hard enough time moving the larger one in and now with all the stuff inside ,i think it might be more for someone to mess with being so heavy, they try not to take too long to rob some one always looking for fast and easy. just my 2c worth

[pscipio03]

One large one like a Liberty. They are pre drilled for lag bolts which you can use to anchor to your basement. Ain't going anywhere. Plus, they are extremely hard to break into in the first place.
As for smaller safes, never underestimate the strength of a couple motivated thieves. You're worried about banging up your walls going down that oddly shaped stairwell, they couldn't care less. Might take them a few minutes, but also affords them the luxury of breaking into the safe at their place if they just simply steal the smaller safes.