Gun/Fire Safe Opinions Needed

[avsmusic1]

Good afternoon all,

It's time for me to purchase a safe, but I don't even know where to start. I'm hoping some of you can point me in the right direction.

My needs:
Small - medium sized (no long-guns but enough room for 5 handguns)
Good fire protection (will be storing some valuable paperwork, jewelry, etc)
E-pad is a must

I'm sure there is more that I want but I'm so early on in the hunt that I haven't come across it yet. I'm looking as much for fire protection as I am for keeping my guns out of the hands of others.

Any suggestions or insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[OkieStubble]

Lots of good options in safes out there to be honest. Fire safes are usually only rated and effective up to a certain degree of fahrenheit.

No such thing as fire 'proof'. So make sure your homeowner's insurance has an allowance which also covers your guns for fire, storm and theft.

 

[Blue_2]

I only have a shoebox sized Fort Knox at the moment. Even though most of these are larger than you're looking for, the information is great.

 

[gaseousclay]

my long gun safe is by a company called American Security. don't know if they make handgun safes but they might be worth checking out. just a side note, i've always had an aversion to e-pad locks. it seems like if there were a fire that's the first thing that would melt and sustain damage. plus, i've heard a lot of people complain about them failing. I prefer a traditional dial lock because it uses no electronics to unlatch the locking mechanism.

 

[Graybeard57]

i've always had an aversion to e-pad locks. it seems like if there were a fire that's the first thing that would melt and sustain damage. plus, i've heard a lot of people complain about them failing. I prefer a traditional dial lock because it uses no electronics to unlatch the locking mechanism.

Agree. Check out Amazon, Cabela's, or Google it. Just bought one from Cabela's, but mine is a dial, a Liberty ProVault long gun model. There are plenty of excellent options in safes of all sizes. The greater the fire protection, the higher the price.

 

[Mick]

Get a large floor standing safe or keep your important papers in a bank safety deposit box.

Anything that can be picked up and carried away can't be called a safe.

The heavier the better and bolted to a concrete floor too.

Even the large safes are not fire proof. At best they could be called fire resistant and only give a few minutes of protection before they turn into a large oven.

 

[indytechnerd]

So you have no long guns at all or that you want stored in this particular safe? I have a few, but not a lot. So, I bought a safe that was basically 2x what I needed, and the left half of it has one of these sitting on the floor for things like tax documents:

Yes, I have a fire safe sitting inside my fire safe. I also have one of the smaller ones for DVD computer backups, cash, and personal documents (passport, SSN, and such).

 

[avsmusic1]

So you have no long guns at all or that you want stored in this particular safe? I have a few, but not a lot. So, I bought a safe that was basically 2x what I needed, and the left half of it has one of these sitting on the floor for things like tax documents:
View attachment 304188
Yes, I have a fire safe sitting inside my fire safe. I also have one of the smaller ones for DVD computer backups, cash, and personal documents (passport, SSN, and such).

I need something a bit bigger.

The issue that I keep running into is size. Everything I find is either this size (too small) or 5ft tall and a corresponding weight that I don't trust putting anywhere but my basement. Ideally I want something I could put in an upstairs closet (on the smaller side of walk-in sized). A few hundred pounds wouldn't be too big of a deal but it seems like everything I find is >500. On the rare occasion I do find one in the size range I would like, they are getting garbage reviews on the sites I find them on.

 

[Boro62]

check these guys out, they can even build you custom safe to whatever specs and size you want.

http://www.pentagonsafes.com/home-office-handgun-safe/home-office-handgun-safe.html

 

[dreadpirate]

Great video. Yeah - I was the guy who got a safe from a "mass marketer"; even though it is heavy and bolted to a concrete floor (basement), the intent was to keep fire arms away from kids. For that purpose, it's excellent. But as I add to my collection, I may reach a value point where a higher end safe is in order. A good burgler could probably break into the one I have now.

BTW - did you catch the term "EMP" on the video? Electro Magnetic Pulse, a burst of radiation from a nuke! I guess it would suck if you had an electronic lock and EMP zapped it! Of course, if you were that close to a nuke for EMP to zap the safe, I would say you have a bigger issues to deal with!!

 

[indytechnerd]

What about something like this, then:
Clicky pic-

 

[ackvil]

I have a Fort Knox safe and have found it to work flawlessly. I had the safe customized for more fire protection. The quality is first rate.

 

[CyberJCM]

We first bought a Bulldog from Costco that is similar to the Gunvault Multi. I didnt like it at all. The electronic lock was sketchy and the buttons not easily felt in a dark situation. Thank God for their return policy!

So I'm looking at some higher end options and I know I want a mechanical lock. So far, this is my top contender. the Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box. Do any of you have experience with this one, and would you recommend it?

 

[maxman]

My brother has a liberty safe and he really likes it.
The dang thing took 6 guys to get it in the house.

http://www.libertysafe.com/

 

[Blue_2]

We first bought a Bulldog from Costco that is similar to the Gunvault Multi. I didnt like it at all. The electronic lock was sketchy and the buttons not easily felt in a dark situation. Thank God for their return policy!

So I'm looking at some higher end options and I know I want a mechanical lock. So far, this is my top contender. the Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box. Do any of you have experience with this one, and would you recommend it?

View attachment 306619

Mine's similar, but is a top open style. The thing weighs a ton (well twentyish pounds empty) and I have it screwed into the floor. Good luck getting into this thing without serious tools.

On the downside, given an hour or two someone could figure out the locking combo due to limited choices. However, I don't allow just anybody in that area of my place for more than a few minutes unattended and it's not in plain sight.

 

[Jim]

I have seen more than a few photos of "gun safes' broken into. The key things to look for are concrete filled cavities and locking lugs/bolts that extend into all 4 sides of the safe door.A pretty good guide is if you can carry it home yourself it is a secure storage cabinet, not a safe.

 

[Mick]

I have seen more than a few photos of "gun safes' broken into. The key things to look for are concrete filled cavities and locking lugs/bolts that extend into all 4 sides of the safe door.A pretty good guide is if you can carry it home yourself it is a secure storage cabinet, not a safe.

I would think that there are two schools of thought for gun storage.

1) a secure place to keep a firearm away from kids

2) a secure place to keep firearms away from a thief

 

[jpo_tx113]

I'd go with something larger, just in case you acquire a long gun in the future. Get something that can be bolted to the floor. As previously mentioned, smaller safes can be carried off and opened at the thief's leisure. Also, by bolting to the floor against a wall (preferably in a corner) you eliminate the access to one or two sides; I believe the sides and back are not as strong as the front.