Small gunsafe

[langod]

Hi All, looking for some advice.

First off - I apologize if this is "yet another gunsafe thread". I did a search, but you can imagine how well targeted a search in this subforum is with the key words "gun" and "safe".

So anyway, I have a single handgun that I need to secure. Right now it just sits in my range bag in my closet. So I want an small, inexpensive gun safe. I'm just looking for a deterrent, not Fort Knox. I expect to add another 1 or 2 handguns in the future. I have no small children at home. A combination is fine -- a key-only or fingerprint scanner type is not. (unless it also has a combination)
This is just a place to hide and secure a handgun while I'm not at home. I'm hoping to spend $100 or so for a roughly 1 cubic foot safe.

Any recommendations, advice or stories of buyers remorse?

This one is the style that I'm leaning towards.
http://www.amazon.com/Ivation-Electronic-Office-Keypad-Access/dp/B01B86H732

 

[tromboneliness]

I have much the same requirements as you. I like the Hornady Armlock Box:





Amazon has them for $30.

It's not a safe, it's a lockable box. The steel is pretty heavy and the attachment system is adjustable. Will not stop a determined thief, but will stop a visiting child from accessing your pistol.

I very much prefer the keyed entry to anything with electronics.

 

[Mischief]

Up your cost to $150 and get a little bit bigger one.

 

[Mischief]

You can get the above at Office Depot

 

[jkingrph]

One problem with those small safes is that a thief can simply pick it up and walk off with it, to open later at his convenience. To be secure it needs to be anchored to a floor, preferably concrete, or a wall, ( floor and wall both would be better.

 

[ackvil]

One problem with those small safes is that a thief can simply pick it up and walk off with it, to open later at his convenience. To be secure it needs to be anchored to a floor, preferably concrete, or a wall, ( floor and wall both would be better.

+1. That is the problem with small gun safes. They can easily be removed.

 

[jkingrph]

+1. That is the problem with small gun safes. They can easily be removed.

Years ago when I was in college, I worked part time at the office supply my father managed. One item we old was money chests, the most popular were small, about 1 cubic foot capacity. The walls were 1" tool steel, the lid or door was 3" thick, and it had 3 locking lugs that actually extended inside and behind the top opening for the lid. It was relatively heavy, but still a couple of strong guys could walk off with it, expecially with a rolling dolly. We usually sent them out and had a grid of angle iron welded on so it sat 3 feet above floor level then a 3 foot square plywood frame was placed around it, and filled with one cubic yard of concrete. That made it rather heavy to remove. Occasionally one would be mounted into a floor, smaller angle iron or rebar arms were welded on to make it harder to get out of the floor.

If you want a safe to prevent theft, weight is your friend. If it cannot be bolted to the floor or wall, get a larger size and put as much lead shot inside as will fit. My safe weighs about 1800 lbs empty, and the installers still bolted it to the floor, after fitting it into a tight corner in my garage.

 

[ackvil]

Years ago when I was in college, I worked part time at the office supply my father managed. One item we old was money chests, the most popular were small, about 1 cubic foot capacity. The walls were 1" tool steel, the lid or door was 3" thick, and it had 3 locking lugs that actually extended inside and behind the top opening for the lid. It was relatively heavy, but still a couple of strong guys could walk off with it, expecially with a rolling dolly. We usually sent them out and had a grid of angle iron welded on so it sat 3 feet above floor level then a 3 foot square plywood frame was placed around it, and filled with one cubic yard of concrete. That made it rather heavy to remove. Occasionally one would be mounted into a floor, smaller angle iron or rebar arms were welded on to make it harder to get out of the floor.


If you want a safe to prevent theft, weight is your friend. If it cannot be bolted to the floor or wall, get a larger size and put as much lead shot inside as will fit. My safe weighs about 1800 lbs empty, and the installers still bolted it to the floor, after fitting it into a tight corner in my garage.

I have a Fort Knox safe with extra steel in it. When I lived in St. Petersburg it was installed by bolting to the cement floor. When I moved to AZ, the moving company said they would move the safe if I removed the bolts - which turned out to be a difficult job. When moving day came, there were three men on the moving crew. It took hours to get the safe loaded on a heavy duty dolly - which then broke because of the weight of the safe. They had to call to more men and the next day the six of us with the help of a jack were able to lift it up a bit so that a heavy duty fork lift could put it on the moving van. Unloading it from the moving van was just as much fun.

 

[langod]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll look at the Hornaday and the Office Max safes.

I know about the walk-off problem with small gunsafes and lockboxes, but I don't think I'll have much of a problem since it will be solidly attached to a particular piece of furniture I own that weighs more than most large gunsafes. Plus the safe will not be easily visible -- it's won't be terribly convenient to get to -- but it's really just for locking up the weapon when I'm not home. When I am at home, I don't need to keep it locked up. (no kids at home)

 

[Graybeard57]

I have a small, one shelf Stack-On safe that can be secured at both base and rear. Hold 2-3 pistols with ammo. Cost about $120 on sale at Dick's. Numbered pushbutton electronic lock.

 

[esswun]

I have a Center of Mass lock box for the car. About $25.

 

[jkingrph]

I have a Fort Knox safe with extra steel in it. When I lived in St. Petersburg it was installed by bolting to the cement floor. When I moved to AZ, the moving company said they would move the safe if I removed the bolts - which turned out to be a difficult job. When moving day came, there were three men on the moving crew. It took hours to get the safe loaded on a heavy duty dolly - which then broke because of the weight of the safe. They had to call to more men and the next day the six of us with the help of a jack were able to lift it up a bit so that a heavy duty fork lift could put it on the moving van. Unloading it from the moving van was just as much fun.

Mine was installed by some pros. They had some kind of special jacks with built in rollers, rather small things in the grand scheme, but one fit under each corner. If I remember the wheels pivoted 360 degrees so they could move it any way. When they got it close to the corner where I wanted it, they put either wooden dowels or metal rods under the safe, removed the jacks, and scooted the safe into the final position, then tilted it enough to remove the dowels and set into final position. It seems like there were three men on that crew.

 

[chongo gordo]

Up your cost to $150 and get a little bit bigger one.
View attachment 647885

I opted for a similar product. I'm mostly worried about a quick smash and grab or snooping houseguest. This can be bolted down in a discrete place, and is large enough to contain not only several handgun cases, but also plenty of room for other small valuables, passports, etc.

Do the homework to find a good one. Recently I saw a safe of this type in the back of a pickup. Door had been ripped open.

 

[jkingrph]

If you get one like that, make sure it has locking lugs that engage behind the right side of the door, the hinge side. Even better are lugs that will extend out on top and bottom of the door also. External hinges are not secure.

 

[Mischief]

I opted for a similar product. I'm mostly worried about a quick smash and grab or snooping houseguest. This can be bolted down in a discrete place, and is large enough to contain not only several handgun cases, but also plenty of room for other small valuables, passports, etc.

Do the homework to find a good one. Recently I saw a safe of this type in the back of a pickup. Door had been ripped open.

At the op's price range a bolt down model may be pushing the price point.

But really, any safe can be loaded up and hauled off if the right physics is applied.