Originally Posted by
50 BMG
(from the article) "A large Sentinel gun safe, holding multiple firearms, ammunition and personal items, was stolen. Archery equipment and tools were also taken.
A black Hummer H3 was seen driving in the area around the time of the break-in."
The thieves were in a Hummer H3? That will be an easy crime to solve; just wait for the H3 to break down... LoL...
Late addition to this thread:
1). Yes, firearms should never be left unattended or unlocked WHEN AVOIDABLE. Any responsible gun owner should be aware of this. Houses are not impenetrable, so leaving a lot of firearms out where they can be easily found IS fairly irresponsible IMHO. Somebody here mentioned a well hidden yet accessible firearm. OK, while those two constraints are not always inclusive, at least an effort is made to hide what remains out of the safe to be a self defense/go to gun in the residence in case of assault. But really, the gun I carry every day is THAT gun for me when I am home. And, since it is with me and on me all the time, when I leave to buy a loaf of bread or a 6 of beer, possible theft at home is never an issue for it.
Sorry, but my handgun is forced to be left in the car when I have to go into a gun free zone, so if it gets stolen from that kind of a location, that would be one of those "unavoidable" thefts since I carry every day, every where it is legally possible. No, a little lock box bolted to the floor will not prevent a determined thief either. If anything, that lockbox (if visible) may telegraph to them that you actually have a gun in the car in the first place.
2). A "gun safe" has to be the biggest/best/thickest metal/well locked container that one can afford. Think of it this way too, it you own $20,000-$30,000 worth of guns, how does having a safe which only costs $400 make any sense? It should also be heavy enough that taking the whole safe from the house is pretty much impossible. IT MUST (minimally) be bolted to the floor and access to all sides of it should be limited by its location in the house if possible. If you can't limit 3 sides access, then 2 sides is the next best choice (like the corner of a basement, etc...). BUT, if even the biggest/baddest/heaviest/dynamite-proof/fire rated safe is left unbolted to the floor, and it can be knocked over on its side or back, there is NO WAY to ensure it will not be compromised if the thief has enough time to do so. The most common way a safe is "cut into" is with a simple axe and, it's usually YOUR AXE (taken from your garage or tool shed) that is used to open it up. But, a thief who knows you have a gun safe and is there specifically for it, will likely bring his own tools (namely large steel spuds to be used as giant pry bars) to open the front door of the safe, which is surprisingly easy and QUICK to do IF they can get the safe tipped over onto its back/side. (See point #3)
People have mentioned security systems, and those are great items to help eliminate the "time" that a thief will need to compromise ANY safe. even if they don't go directly to the cop-shop, a cruiser will usually be at your house in enough time once the alarm has been tripped that a decent quality safe has not been compromised.
3). Preventative measure; KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT about how many guns you own and IF you even own a safe! Besides close family and "maybe" trusted friends, NOBODY needs to know the extent of your arsenal. Most people are very protective about how much money they make or what is the balance of their savings accounts. Well, a gun collection IS a savings account on many different levels; monetarily, life saving and Liberty saving. This information should be as closely guarded as the former usually is. If this privacy gets compromised, you are opening yourself up for nefarious activity, no matter how many guns you own. Loose lips sink ships...