Question What brand of safe do you like and what do you look for?

[RustVendor]

Thank you!

Yeah for some reason I'm not picturing how a bolt can be held in concrete foundation. I'm just picturing it cracking, but I don't know much about it. I'll ask the safe company when I call 'em. Good to know about that humidity-reduction rod.

You drill a hole with a concrete bit and then Simpson makes lag bolts specifically for anchoring into foundation that you can either screw in if you drill it just right or use their really expensive 2 part epoxy.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

You drill a hole with a concrete bit and then Simpson makes lag bolts specifically for anchoring into foundation that you can either screw in if you drill it just right or use their really expensive 2 part epoxy.

Ah nice, that explains it!

 

[Hopi.]

Thank you!

Yeah for some reason I'm not picturing how a bolt can be held in concrete foundation. I'm just picturing it cracking, but I don't know much about it. I'll ask the safe company when I call 'em. Good to know about that humidity-reduction rod.

Concrete anchor bolts. Fairly easy if you have a rotary hammer to drill the holes.

Hillman 3/8 in. D X 5 in. L Steel Round Head Wedge Anchor 10 pk Mfr# 370986 - Ace Hardware

The Power-Stud+ SD1 is a fully threaded, torque controlled, wedge expansion anchor that is designed for concrete applications. Suitable base materials are normal-weight and sand-lightweight concrete, concrete over steel deck, and grouted concrete masonry. This anchor has various DOT approvals...

www.acehardware.com

 

[Casual Shooter]

I've been happy with my Graffunder. Had it for about 15 years. Only thing I'd change is the dial. As I get older and my eyes get gradually worse, the numbers are getting a bit harder to read. Not sure if there is a "bold" option. Having a light above would help also.

 

[Librarian]

I've been happy with my Graffunder. Had it for about 15 years. Only thing I'd change is the dial. As I get older and my eyes get gradually worse, the numbers are getting a bit harder to read. Not sure if there is a "bold" option. Having a light above would help also.

Yeah, I'm already there - my safes have/had keypads.

Good electronic locks - Kaba/LaGard etc - have a very low failure rate. But it is a good idea to have a couple fresh 9v batteries around.

AMSEC ESL10 is about $240; many electronic locks are supposed to retrofit onto dial locks with no problem.

The usual knock is 'what about EMP?'. Not especially worried about that, myself. That might be a wrong conclusion, and if it is, oh well ... There are electronic safe locks that are supposedly certified to resist EMP, if you want that worry addressed.

 

[46knuck]

As Hopi mentioned it is fairly simple to bolt the safe down. I bolted down my rather large air compressor the same way using those special anchor bolts and drilling into the floor.

 

[H. Bowman]

50 bucks or less for Harbor Freight hammer drill, concrete bit, and anchors. It's quick and easy. Maybe a can of compressed air if no air compressor handy.

 

[cali_jazz]

A buddy of mine's house burned down a few years ago and his fireproof safe melted into a large disc along with his dads antique firearms. Looking at fire ratings even the best ones are rated for like 15 minutes of fire exposure if I'm reading it correctly. I just use a cheap one, I don't have kids or anything running around. I also don't have firearms that I can't just replace. Hell, I need to replace them anyway...

Listing your guns in an inventory list for homeowners insurance seems like a good idea.

 

[OpusX]

I'm gonna break from the crowd here, but I really don't care for most safes. Just like baby grand pianos, they're big, bulky and a royal PITA to move, so much so that many owners simply opt to leave them with the house, or sell at a massive loss to get rid of them because nobody wants to deal with the hassle of moving it.

Don't get me wrong, they definitely serve their purpose against most smash and grabs, but I shouldn't need a 600-800+ lb. hunk of steel in my house to prevent against smash and grabs either. That's why I converted a small walk-in closet to my safe instead, and it only cost me a couple hundred bucks in parts from Home Depot and a few hours of my time to upgrade the door, add a keypoad lock, reinforce the jamb, strike plate, studs, deadbolt, hinges and screws.

Short of bringing a battering ram, you ain't getting in that closet without significant effort, not to mention the cool factor of having my own gun room with wall displays. Coming from a guy who was raised on 80s and 90s action movies, the kid in me geeks out every time I walk in there.

 

[Hopi.]

I'm gonna break from the crowd here, but I really don't care for most safes. Just like baby grand pianos, they're big, bulky and a royal PITA to move, so much so that many owners simply opt to leave them with the house, or sell at a massive loss to get rid of them because nobody wants to deal with the hassle of moving it.

Don't get me wrong, they definitely serve their purpose against most smash and grabs, but I shouldn't need a 600-800+ lb. hunk of steel in my house to prevent against smash and grabs either. That's why I converted a small walk-in closet to my safe instead, and it only cost me a couple hundred bucks in parts from Home Depot and a few hours of my time to upgrade the door, add a keypoad lock, reinforce the jamb, strike plate, studs, deadbolt, hinges and screws.

Short of bringing a battering ram, you ain't getting in that closet without significant effort, not to mention the cool factor of having my own gun room with wall displays. Coming from a guy who was raised on 80s and 90s action movies, the kid in me geeks out every time I walk in there.

So somebody can just punch through Sheetrock on the other 3 sides or did you reinforce the walls somehow?

 

[OpusX]

So somebody can just punch through Sheetrock on the other 3 sides or did you reinforce the walls somehow?

There’s only 1 wall someone could potentially go through, and it’s not easily accessible, but if they did somehow manage to smash through and climb through the studs, that's what home insurance is for. As for fire protection, same thing. I've seen way too many guys invest 10s of thousands of dollars into the best "fireproof" safes that money can buy, only to have the entire safe room reduced to a melted mound of steel in a blazing housefire.

The purpose isn't 100% security - even with a premium safe there really is no such thing to a determined and prepared individual/group - the purpose is to prevent the guns from easily walking out the door should someone break in. Between the alarm system, the dogs, and all the neighbors who we're very close with, I don't think most robbers are gonna want to take that kind of time trying to knock down a wall to get in.

 

[DLU04]

Buy a quality safe - go over size. The one you think you need is never big enough (especially when your wife decides to take half the space for her treasures). I need a larger one now. Check out Dean Safe in Simi Valley. They have gun safes for every budget.

 

[Pew!]

If possible consider buying a safe not manufacturered by Liberty Safe.

Liberty Safe is still on my boycott list after last year's liberty safe controversy.
The giving out of backdoor codes to the fbi too freely wasn't great but I boycott all woke companies where possible.
The current ownership of lliberty safe is woke private equity firm monomoy capital partners.
Monomoy ownership donationg to all the gungrabber politicians for the last 10 years and all of the ESG policy commitments they espouse is cross purposes to selling 2A products. It wouldn't surprise me if liberty safe ownership is lobbying for national firearm safe storage laws.

 

[Sparky11]

My Brother is the SAFE guy...He's had a few different Safes over the Years and his #1 is the "FORT KNOX" Safe!!!
He has the (Closet Size) type Rifle safe, and he Gifted me the Fort Knox Handgun Safe one Xmas. This Strongbox type Safe Is
Built like a TANK! Reviews say it's also the #1 Best Handgun Box...If ever I buy a larger one for my rifles, I trust my Brother!

 

[Sparky11]

Has anyone tried a Steelhead Outdoors Fast Access Pistol box (portable simplex safe)? I’ve been thinking about getting one, vs a V-line model for its compact discreet form factor and ability to fits 2 pistols.

What 2 pistol compact safes <$300 does everyone recommend?

I have the "FORT KNOX" Pistol Safe...Considered the Best (also simplex) out there! Built like a Tank!
Been Rated/Reviewed as the Best for Years! Just Large enough to (stuff) 4 handguns and Magazines But....It's $300

 

[W.H.O.]

Get one on sale, go a size up( I bought a 20 long gun & removed the interior organizers), REPLACE THE STOCK LOCK WITH A MECHANICAL LOCK!

Keep it as out of sight a possible, have it on the first floor preferably, bolt it in to the ground. IMO a large safe should be used for storage of firearms you don't need to have potential emergency quick access to. Have a separate, smaller locking method in your bedroom with quicker access for emergencies.

In ground safes are

•Big boy safe bolted into concrete for deep storage/distraction
•Defensive safe in master for emergencies
•Hidden safe for Valuables

To add to this, reinforce entry points with upgraded strike plates, hinges, and frames. security film tour windows, illuminate your outdoor spaces, wired cameras(route your wires, don't keep them exposed) to an out of site media storage(should be locked down & backed up off-site if possible)

I could go on....

 

[exnds]

I'm going off on a slight tangent here but you also want to take a step back and evaluate the likelihood of a burglar targeting your home. Not because you did anything unwise to attract attention but due to the layout and location. I've seen high end gated communities near me get burglarized multiple times because the particular homes were either perimeter facing or had easy stealth access from the street. The bad guys simply climbed up a small slope, hopped over a fence, and Bam they're in your backyard. In another gated community they got in through the equestrian trails. The security guards at the gate aren't even relevant at that point. Safes should be considered one component of a total home security plan. Like others have mentioned, alarm systems, cute little canines, involved neighbors, etc.

 

[damngato]

I've been very happy with Fort Knox products as well as my Liberty Presidential 50. I have a locksmith change the combo on all my safes as soon as I get them

 

[axhoaxho]

For pistol safe, I like the Fort Knox PB1. It is built like a tank, and is all mechanical. No batteries to worry about. It will probably last a lifetime.

 

[exnds]

Homeland Safes. Local shop here in SoCal. They start at 10 gauge steel and go down to 4 gauge. Thickest I've seen on the market. And very reasonable prices.