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  • hammerd13

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Oct 20, 2015
    350
    63
    Hamilton County
    Opinions will vary greatly on this topic...as it somewhat depends upon your intended use and the anticipated contents within.

    Here are my 2 cents...

    • You generally get what you pay for. More money = more security (from theft and fire)
    • I strongly suggest you consider a mechanical S&G rotary dial locking mechanism. No batteries to fail or electronics to otherwise malfunction. Practice opening the safe on a regular basis (so you don't forget the combo).
    • I'm partial to Liberty (the made-in-USA versions). Fort Knox is nice too. Modular safes have their use as well (Zanotti is my preference) - especially if you plan to move it frequently. It's not free or easy to move a big safe
    • Look for locking bars around the ENTIRE perimeter of the door. Much more secure.
    • Also look for a ball bearing hard plate to protect the lock
    • Having some form of fire protection is a good idea, which will include a heat-activated seal around the door. Don't expect this feature, however, to protect your firearms through a decent house fire. It might help to some extent and keep any important documents from burning, but the firearms will probably be impacted.
    • Put a golden rod (or similar) inside to keep humidity/rust at bay
    • Buy the biggest you can afford. It's amazing how quickly it fills up.
    • Consider storing your ammo outside of the gun safe(s). Keeping them separate is a good idea anyway.
    • It's best to bolt the safe to a floor or wall, for improved security
    • Know that, no matter what safe you buy, they are ALL susceptible to break-in. Having a good safe, with decent security features, will only slow down the determined thief.
     
    Last edited:

    oucme69

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Mar 5, 2010
    126
    16
    indianapolis
    I would say about 1500. am looking at the liberty classic 48 its on sell tight now for a little over 1200 at cabelas. Right now I have a cheap Winchester safe that I've had for about 12 years. But finally decided that I need to upgrade to better and larger.
     

    Nathanaf8388

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 5, 2020
    77
    8
    Montezuma
    The only thing I will ad as someone who has been inside house fires is... fire proof safes are good but there is generally a bunch of water so don’t place it in your basement or above even above you basement if at all possible after all they are fireproof not waterproof. I would even recommend placing near an exterior wall. So you could possibly recover it before any demolition. But that’s all fire stuff. Don’t know anything else about safes except fireproof isn’t waterproof.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    dekindy

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 25, 2020
    191
    28
    Noblesville
    Go to youtube and search "truth about gun safes". First video from Weapons Education is the best. I decided to go with SecureIt brand or find a true gun safe and not one of those "containers".

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
     

    dekindy

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 25, 2020
    191
    28
    Noblesville
    If you follow St Rd 37 to northside of Noblesville. 37 goes to single lane past 191st st and before 206th st, traffic signals at both intersections. Safe company is on the right hand side of road. Have inventory and multiple brands. Cannot recall name but store is right by the road.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
     

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,373
    149
    Earth
    Go to youtube and search "truth about gun safes". First video from Weapons Education is the best. I decided to go with SecureIt brand or find a true gun safe and not one of those "containers".

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

    Yep. I post this video every time this topic comes up.

    [video=youtube_share;ltK-bDbADa8]http://youtu.be/ltK-bDbADa8[/video]
     

    KellyinAvon

    Blue-ID Mafia Consigliere
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Dec 22, 2012
    24,791
    150
    Avon
    If you follow St Rd 37 to northside of Noblesville. 37 goes to single lane past 191st st and before 206th st, traffic signals at both intersections. Safe company is on the right hand side of road. Have inventory and multiple brands. Cannot recall name but store is right by the road.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

    Independence Safe Company.
     

    indyjohn

    PATRIOT
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    77   0   0
    Dec 26, 2010
    7,505
    77
    In the trees
    Opinions will vary greatly on this topic...as it somewhat depends upon your intended use and the anticipated contents within.

    Here are my 2 cents...

    • You generally get what you pay for. More money = more security (from theft and fire)
    • I strongly suggest you consider a mechanical S&G rotary dial locking mechanism. No batteries to fail or electronics to otherwise malfunction. Practice opening the safe on a regular basis (so you don't forget the combo).
    • I'm partial to Liberty (the made-in-USA versions). Fort Knox is nice too. Modular safes have their use as well (Zanotti is my preference) - especially if you plan to move it frequently. It's not free or easy to move a big safe
    • Look for locking bars around the ENTIRE perimeter of the door. Much more secure.
    • Also look for a ball bearing hard plate to protect the lock
    • Having some form of fire protection is a good idea, which will include a heat-activated seal around the door. Don't expect this feature, however, to protect your firearms through a decent house fire. It might help to some extent and keep any important documents from burning, but the firearms will probably be impacted.
    • Put a golden rod (or similar) inside to keep humidity/rust at bay
    • Buy the biggest you can afford. It's amazing how quickly it fills up.
    • Consider storing your ammo outside of the gun safe(s). Keeping them separate is a good idea anyway.
    • It's best to bolt the safe to a floor or wall, for improved security
    • Know that, no matter what safe you buy, they are ALL susceptible to break-in. Having a good safe, with decent security features, will only slow down the determined thief.

    Lots of good advice here, especially "I strongly suggest you consider a mechanical S&G rotary dial locking mechanism. No batteries to fail or electronics to otherwise malfunction." I recommend looking at Johnson safes, he's a local business and builds a quality product. I bought an American Security safe 25 years ago and it has never given me a problem. I think you can see that line at the safe retailer mentioned earlier up thread.



     

    Tactically Fat

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Oct 8, 2014
    8,270
    113
    Indiana
    I think Alamo scooped me. https://gunsafereviewsguy.com/

    That site is a GOLD MINE of information. Seriously.

    I read through that... And I got pamphlets of what was being sold locally. Then I went on 3-4 different maker's websites to study the specifications.

    And then I ordered a Johnson Safe out of Zionsville. Because, for my budget at the time, it was pretty much the best I could get. It's still an RSC - but it's better made than any other RSC in it's price - and several others that are more expensive.
     

    Goodcat

    From a place you cannot see…
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    151   0   0
    Jan 13, 2009
    3,382
    83
    New Pal
    Canon safes, sold by harbor freight, are the best bang for your buck in my opinion. I have their second largest and absolutely love it. Never had an issue.
     

    Jones1776

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Apr 29, 2020
    51
    8
    fort wayne
    A couple things that some people dont usually think about is the hinges, get outside hinges they are better in case of as fire. Also check not only the burn time but the temperature. Some safes will brag about a 90 minute burn time but it might only be 90 minutes at 1,200 degrees
     

    IUKalash429

    Bullet Hose
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    35   0   0
    Apr 6, 2019
    1,080
    113
    Rum Ham
    A couple things that some people dont usually think about is the hinges, get outside hinges they are better in case of as fire. Also check not only the burn time but the temperature. Some safes will brag about a 90 minute burn time but it might only be 90 minutes at 1,200 degrees

    Good point. Fire and water ratings might be just as important to some as weight and metal thickness, especially depending on where in the house you put the safe. And OP, the best safe is the safe that no one knows about. A locked basement closet surrounded by layers of security (alarm system, cameras/motion detectors, push notifications, trustworthy neighbors, a good dog, etc.) is probably more secure than the best gun safe money can buy parked in your garage for everyone to see. Don't rely on the safe alone to protect whatever goes in it.
     

    WebSnyper

    Maximum Effort
    Rating - 100%
    56   0   0
    Jul 3, 2010
    15,417
    113
    127.0.0.1
    Go read everything this guy has to say: https://gunsafereviewsguy.com/

    Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version: https://gunsafereviewsguy.com/buyers-guide/


    After reading some of this, I wonder if at least for ammo storage something like this would be good:

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-32-in-x-19-in-Portable-Storage-Chest-32R-OS/300748555

    I'd honestly rather do business at Lowes, but seems the Kobalt version in this size does not have weather stripping.

    One thing I am kind of concerned about is it says one time lock installation, and it looks like the lock is covered. What happens if you have a lock go bad in something like this or need to replace it for some reason? Is the whole box shot or can you actually remove the lock (assuming you can get it unlocked) and replace it? Stupid question, I know, but never had one of these.

    Looks like a good solution for ammo storage.

    Thoughts? Anybody using one of these for this purpose?

    As stated in the URLs, wouldn't be a bad solution for gun storage either.
     
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