I have a nice liberty safe. I keep a fire resistant box with important papers inside the safe. I keep my ammunition in a locking metal cabinet gun cabinet that I had before the safe. If someone gets that safe out of my basement….they can have it. It would take me several hours and thats with the combination. It is in a small room and bolted to the concrete. None of my guns are irreplaceable. I have a policy on them.
Gun Safes: what to buy?
- Thread starter Eben Stone
- Start date
If you have the Simply Safe online monitoring and you lose your internet connection, the phone app will also notify you of that. I have crappy cellular internet that sometimes needs to be rebooted. It will also notify you if a sensor is not working properly. I found that I needed to install a wifi extender to insure that all the sensors/cameras maintained their wifi connection.
I am a fan of Liberty safes. They provide a good balance of affordability and performance. There are also many sizes to choose from. I have a second fireproof box kept elsewhere in the house for important documents, but one certainly doesn't need a separate safe for documents.
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
I also have a Liberty 12 gun safe that I've had for years. It has a lot more than 12 guns in it...9 rifles/shotguns and 20 handguns...along with important papers.
My SimpliSafe base, does use my Wi-Fi connection, but it’s newer technology, the base now has its on Wi-Fi hotspot which automatically takes over for your Wi-Fi if there is any disruption with your personal Wi-Fi connection.
Lol'd. You and I are alot alike. I have a smaller, 17-21 gun safe also, with about 30 guns and a whole bunch of other accessories and stuff shoved into it.
I'm kinda reluctant to jump in here because I think @OkieStubble 's advice about a multiple layer home alarm and adequate fire protection is probably the best and most cost effective advice.
Don't forget the alarm because those Big Box Store safes are nothing more than Chinese tuna cans.
I know a little bit about steel being a farrier/blacksmith for over 40 years and now retired I have a metal fabrication shop. Mostly make pickup truck beds, gates, BBQs and the like.
Even those Liberty safes are quite lacking in any steel structure, until you get to the top of the line at 7 gauge. That's about 3/16" and most people would not have the tools to deal with it, and if they did they would really have to work at it without burning the house down around them.
I have a Sturdy Safe. A no frills, local company in Fresno, CA. Very nice craftsmanship, heavy steel. The basic safe has a 3/8" steel door and 4 gauge sides. That's about 1/4". Lot cheaper than a Liberty safe and twice as heavy duty as their top of the line.
I could get into that safe with my tools, I'd choose the plasma cutter, but you would need a 220 outlet and a BIG air compressor. Or I could use the oxy/acetylene torch. In either case, most likely everything in the safe is burned up, and maybe even the house. I suppose you would gamble if there was any ammo in there.
Somebody who knows how to use these tools would know this as well.
Don't forget the alarm because those Big Box Store safes are nothing more than Chinese tuna cans.
I know a little bit about steel being a farrier/blacksmith for over 40 years and now retired I have a metal fabrication shop. Mostly make pickup truck beds, gates, BBQs and the like.
Even those Liberty safes are quite lacking in any steel structure, until you get to the top of the line at 7 gauge. That's about 3/16" and most people would not have the tools to deal with it, and if they did they would really have to work at it without burning the house down around them.
I have a Sturdy Safe. A no frills, local company in Fresno, CA. Very nice craftsmanship, heavy steel. The basic safe has a 3/8" steel door and 4 gauge sides. That's about 1/4". Lot cheaper than a Liberty safe and twice as heavy duty as their top of the line.
I could get into that safe with my tools, I'd choose the plasma cutter, but you would need a 220 outlet and a BIG air compressor. Or I could use the oxy/acetylene torch. In either case, most likely everything in the safe is burned up, and maybe even the house. I suppose you would gamble if there was any ammo in there.
Somebody who knows how to use these tools would know this as well.
shoelessjoe
"I took out a Chihuahua!"
Among the many things I took away, so to speak, from that gun safe review writeup I shared was the Sturdy Safe. The comment section following the writeup is replete with mention, all of them glowing, of those safes.
Everybody loves their safe, even the Chinese tuna cans get great reviews mostly because they are affordable. They are, however, based on no knowledge of metal structure.
The Sturdy safes come with this decal which, no doubt, should be the deciding factor! lol
It wouldn't take long to realize you are not getting in with hand tools and need serious equipment and someone who knows how to use it.
Mine may be a Tuna Can but at least it was made in the USA.
I knew what I was getting when I bought it so I have no regrets. It fits my needs and was in my price range. I’ll probably upgrade at some time in the future. @Eben Stone if there is a local place that makes safes on site I would look into that. They’re usually cheaper and you have a better chance of getting a “true” safe. The downside is that you may not get the fit and finish of a mass produced safe and the fire protection may not be there either. I regret to this day not buying a safe from a local place back in Texas. I can’t remember the name now but it’s a little north of Waco. My biggest reason for not purchasing one was the weight. I knew we’d be moving at least twice in the next 5-6 years and the locally built safe weighed almost 1600lbs (it was very solid). The Liberty I ended up buying was around 700lbs. The 1000lbs of extra steel would have been almost impossible to move without paying a specialty moving company to move it across the country. The Liberty we just loaded into Uhaul.- Thread starter
- #31
Thanks @OkieStubble for the suggestions to have multiple layers of security.
I just bought 2 more Ring camera floodlights to add more coverage of the outside.
I just bought 2 more Ring camera floodlights to add more coverage of the outside.
Please don’t be reluctant. I absolutely encourage learning all other effective options available.
There is always another way to skin a cat.
After reading your post, I am definitely interested in hearing the brands, names and models of these heavy steel, quality safes that are cheaper than a Liberty safe?
Most brands of residential home safes are severely lacking in the type of construction that you are speaking of. They are not designed to absolutely prevent a determined thief who has plasma tools and all the time they need to gain entry?
I guess the main question I would have from reading your excellent post is,
Is there a safe that will totally prevent any attempt from being cut into with all the time in the world and; how much does it cost?
I would like to clarify, my posts only cover one way to do it with the most common type of safe that is sold to the highest percentage of people who can only realistically afford those types of safes?
While they have adequate designed locking doors with electronic combination locks. And while their sides maybe vulnerable to being cut into with tools, it still would take some time to cut into them with the proper tools.
This is why, not giving the thief time to do this by layering one’s security I figure is the most cost efficient and conducive plan for the largest percentage of non-rich people who can’t afford a 5K-10k bank vault type safe where a thief could hack away at it until his heart is content and still not get in it.
You are very welcome my friend.
Just as an example that I practice what I preach, here is a picture of my humble safe.
1. I used to have a larger Liberty brand safe just as many others here. I gave it to my son for his house and growing number of firearms when the wife and I sold the large 5 bedroom home with attached two car garage, RV shed, 9 vehicle driveway on a 3 acre corner lot after all my children finally grew up, finished college and moved out.
2.We downsized from a almost 3000 sq ft. Home to a 1750 sq ft home. Still comfortable, but no place for a large safe.
3. If you notice in the pic, it’s a small Stack On brand safe. I got it from a Dick’s Sporting Goods store during a Black Friday Christmas sale. It’s really heavy, at least 300-400 pounds, so it’s a real safe and not just a metal gun cabinet. I actually had a Stack On brand metal cabinet before, back in the day when I first became a police officer and my children were young. It kept the little kids away from the guns, but it was very thin metal. A thief probably could get in with a can opener.
4. But the pic is a real safe. The door is very sturdy and heavy duty with a battery operated electronic lock. The handle moves three large solid steel piston like bolts that travel from inside the door into the frame of the safe locking it shut as you move the handle.
5. While my larger Liberty safe that I gave to my son, is better quality and cost me 3x more than this one, it’s thinner sides were just as vulnerable as this smaller one to be cut into if a burglar had the right tools and enough time.
6. But aren’t they all vulnerable? If a burglar, has the right tools? And plenty of time?
7. But if you have a ‘layered’ security system, that,
A. Notifies you or the police immediately
B. Not allowing them 30 minutes to use tools that they probably won’t bring in the first place? What burglar brings heavy duty cuttings tools, when they don’t even know you have a safe?
C. Just don’t allow them access to use your own tools against you? And even if they had your tools, they still wouldn’t have time to cut into it if the police are coming?
8. Notice in the pic, the two walls on either side of my safe?
This is probably, a better move I did, then even the security layering. They ain’t cutting thru that thick door, trust me. . The sides and back are the most vulnerable. My safe is bolted to the concrete foundation and to the wood studs in the wall. Good luck getting a small crowbar between the sides of the safe and those walls and getting any kind of leverage to pry that sucker outta there.
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Plasma cutters need a 220 outlet and a BIG air compressor. The one's that come with their own air or claim to run on 110 are not from any reality that I have seen. Still need the juice, and you can't run an extension cord, so I don't see that happening.Please don’t be reluctant. I absolutely encourage learning all other effective options available.
There is always another way to skin a cat.
After reading your post, I am definitely interested in hearing the brands, names and models of these heavy steel, quality safes that are cheaper than a Liberty safe?
Most brands of residential home safes are severely lacking in the type of construction that you are speaking of. They are not designed to absolutely prevent a determined thief who has plasma tools and all the time they need to gain entry?
I guess the main question I would have from reading your excellent post is,
Is there a safe that will totally prevent any attempt from being cut into with all the time in the world and; how much does it cost?
I would like to clarify, my posts only cover one way to do it with the most common type of safe that is sold to the highest percentage of people who can only realistically afford those types of safes?
While they have adequate designed locking doors with electronic combination locks. And while their sides maybe vulnerable to being cut into with tools, it still would take some time to cut into them with the proper tools.
This is why, not giving the thief time to do this by layering one’s security I figure is the most cost efficient and conducive plan for the largest percentage of non-rich people who can’t afford a 5K-10k bank vault type safe where a thief could hack away at it until his heart is content and still not get in it.
Oxy/acetylene torch needs a skilled operator. It's not brain surgery, but you need to practice, a lot.
1/4" plate is certainly doable, but there is molten steel everywhere. The operator knows he's likely to burn down the house with him in it, and everything in the safe is toast anyway.
An experienced "safe cracker"or metal fabricator with all the time and tools can get into anything. They build aircraft carriers, right?
But is this guy going to waste his time on a home gun safe?
I think your advice is the best for most people. For me, I hardly ever go anywhere, and if I do, I get a house sitter.
I've got a fence, gate, and a couple of junkyard dogs that roam around.
Got some pictures of them on the signs by the gate doing "bodily injury, or death" lol
I don't want to check all the windows, etc. every time I go to town.
Rarely have a phone on me.
Home security is a very individual process. While there are many common themes in home security ideas and security equipment, no two homes, neighborhoods, family dynamics are alike.
Likewise, so their home security plans, while many similarities, are still not exactly alike. They all need to be custom tweeked, in order to meet the needs of the individuals habits and nature of their normal comings and goings.
When I was a young rookie working at night and leaving my young wife at home alone. While we had excellent door and windows, it was a rental without an alarm. So we improvised a few ideas that are only limited by one’s imagination.
They didn’t have cell phones in those days. A phone line could be easily cut. My wife had a 20 gauge Remington 870 if needed, but if there was a strange knock at the door and I wasn’t home? We had a small table inside the front foyer right inside the front door. On that table was a cassette player and attached speaker. The wife would hit the play button that had a cassette with about a 30 minute recording of two large dogs barking and fiercely growling. We didn’t have a dog. But between that recorder and the Beware of Dogs stickers we had attached to the outside front door, along with a dummy camera and sticker saying you are being recorded?
Those two poker bluffs, probably prevented more intrusions then we could have imagined. And we were young and poor and living in what many would call the hood at the time.
While our finances then, forced us to hope in our poker bluff ingenuity, we worked hard in order to now, have a real, viable, plan of layered security for when we are not at home and for when we are.
No way to be perfectly secure these days. A safe is better than nothing. A safe slows down a burglar but then they know you have one. I would be on high alert probably forever after a break in that the perp would come back and try to force me or my wife to open it.
You forgot the large dog bowl out front with the name "Killer" on the side?Home security is a very individual process. While there are many common themes in home security ideas and security equipment, no two homes, neighborhoods, family dynamics are alike.
Likewise, so their home security plans, while many similarities, are still not exactly alike. They all need to be custom tweeked, in order to meet the needs of the individuals habits and nature of their normal comings and goings.
When I was a young rookie working at night and leaving my young wife at home alone. While we had excellent door and windows, it was a rental without an alarm. So we improvised a few ideas that are only limited by one’s imagination.
They didn’t have cell phones in those days. A phone line could be easily cut. My wife had a 20 gauge Remington 870 if needed, but if there was a strange knock at the door and I wasn’t home? We had a small table inside the front foyer right inside the front door. On that table was a cassette player and attached speaker. The wife would hit the play button that had a cassette with about a 30 minute recording of two large dogs barking and fiercely growling. We didn’t have a dog. But between that recorder and the Beware of Dogs stickers we had attached to the outside front door, along with a dummy camera and sticker saying you are being recorded?
Those two poker bluffs, probably prevented more intrusions then we could have imagined. And we were young and poor and living in what many would call the hood at the time.
While our finances then, forced us to hope in our poker bluff ingenuity, we worked hard in order to now, have a real, viable, plan of layered security for when we are not at home and for when we are.
If I am coming for your guns, I'll stop by Harbor Freight and pickup a angle grinder and a stack of cutting wheels. That's like a master key for nearly every safe mentioned in this thread.
At my house, there's no less than 5 angle grinders and 3 reciprocating saws. Maybe I need a safe to keep them in...lol
At my house, there's no less than 5 angle grinders and 3 reciprocating saws. Maybe I need a safe to keep them in...lol
Since it was an inner city apartment complex, the large dog bowl outside the front door, might have been overplaying our poker hand. It didn’t have a back door.
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