A Safe For An Apartment...

[Smitty506th]

I will soon be moving into an apartment and am looking into a safe to hold a few rifles. Does anyone have any ideas? I do not want anything huge just something to store them in so the Maint staff (or anyone else) can't walk out with them. I also don't want something they can carry away. Thanx for the input.

 

[padishar123]

i would suggest a gun locker. that's what i started out with. it's basically a sheetmetal (thick) box with a hefty key and lock. when i had my apartment i put it in the closet and shot four 3/8" lag screws through the back and into the studs. this would mean someone would need a pry bar and a big mess to get it out.

Stack-on 8 Gun Security Cabinet - Dick's Sporting Goods

$125...simple, cheap, and secure. i had 9 rifles and 6 pistols in mine though....separated by old clothes. then i upgraded to a regular 24 gun safe. only downside is most use a key vs. a combo lock. also it is not fireproofed at all. strictly physical security.

 

[shooter521]

Stack-on 8 Gun Security Cabinet - Dick's Sporting Goods

$125...simple, cheap, and secure.

There are bigger ones (higher capacity, double-door, etc) in the same family, too, as well as smaller pistol/ammo lockers that can bolt to the top of the long gun cabinets.

Another nice thing about these is that they're small enough to be installed in a closet or whatever, out of immediate view.

 

[XMil]

I have a Liberty Centurion that I bought at Lowe's. I think it is ~11 cubic feet and weighs a little over 300lbs. It is large enough for several rifles and pistols.

Bolting it down may be a problem in an apartment, but at over 300lbs all but the most dedicated thieves will have a hard time carrying it off. At any rate, it is more secure than the closet.

Here's a link, I don't see the model I have listed, but I think mine is smaller than the 16.5 cubic feet they show, maybe not. I paid about $400 dollars for mine.

Liberty Safe - Centurion

 

[Lucas156]

That is awesome guys thanks for asking that Smitty I was thinking about that myself because I am about to move into an apartment.

 

[Smitty506th]

Is the Liberty "fire-proof"? I like the gun locker idea (to save space) but fire proof would be a plus. Right now I really only have 2 rifles a shotgun and a handgun so I'm not really looking for something massive but I am looking at a few more long guns and a place to keep a few things someone might want.

 

[shooter521]

fire proof would be a plus.

In an apartment situation, it might as well be mandatory. In my house, I can somewhat control the fire hazards, and have homeowner's insurance to fully cover the losses. In an apartment, some dork in the unit across the hall could fall asleep with a cigarette in his hand and burn the whole building down, and you'd lose everything through no fault of your own and have no venue for compensation.

 

[Cygnus]

Good stuff!


That's why I like this forum

I was just pondering that behind the couch is not a great place.

I like the locker. As for apartment fires......renter's insurance from a real company.

 

[XMil]

Is the Liberty "fire-proof"? I like the gun locker idea (to save space) but fire proof would be a plus. Right now I really only have 2 rifles a shotgun and a handgun so I'm not really looking for something massive but I am looking at a few more long guns and a place to keep a few things someone might want.

62,000 BTUs for 30 min. It says that in the link I provided.

 

[shooter521]

62,000 BTUs for 30 min. It says that in the link I provided.

And to those of us for whom BTUs don't mean much, it also says 30 minutes @ 1200-1400°F.

 

[cosermann]

Remember, anything you can carry in can be carried out unless secured in some way (as in bolting it down like padishar123 suggested).

However, even if bolted in place, many of the cabinets available at sporting goods stores are fairly easy to pry open. So, another thing you might consider is concealing it in some way. Putting it in the closet is a start (but most thieves will look there). If you give this some thought you can probably come up with something pretty clever.

Don't forget renters insurance (which is usually pretty cheap).

And consider a wireless alarm system (which is also pretty cheap for what you get). Something like this would be very effective for an apartment - GE Security Simon 3 Wireless Security System 80-307-3X

You could even add a window/door sensor to your safe door. Wireless systems are easy to take with you when you go.

Your safe should be just one layer in your plan. Secure it, hide it, make noise if they mess with it. Anything to buy time and make it more difficult.

 

[padishar123]

when i had mine, i spray painted the gunmetal color with a flat black spray paint (before installing) so it wouldn't shine on a flashlight beam. i also lined the botton 6" with lead ingots to be a jerk too as i had extra height in mine. as it was rather thin (8" deep), i put it in the furthest least likely to see first spot in the closet, then hung a bunch of clothes in front of it so it would not be readily visible if you looked in the closet.

with the lights out and just a flashlight, only 1 of 4 friends could find it in 5 minutes although they all commented the spray paint smell was "smellable".

best of luck!

 

[Smitty506th]

So would the only option with a safe like the stand alone model (Liberty) would be to bolt it to the floor? Can you not put bolts in the wall?

 

[slowmo]

As for apartment fires......renter's insurance from a real company.

Renters insurance is a must. It is too cheap to pass on. There are too many retards that catch apartment buildings on fire. Regardless, I would personally go with the Liberty of those 2 options.

 

[XMil]

So would the only option with a safe like the stand alone model (Liberty) would be to bolt it to the floor? Can you not put bolts in the wall?

If you wanted to do that, you would have to drill your own holes in the safe. Mine did not come with holes in the back.

 

[Lucas156]

Yeah our apartment requires renters insurance but I would still like to get one of these storage cabinets even if they are easy to pry open. Just need to figure out some clever ways to conceal it.

 

[colt45er]

In an apartment situation, it might as well be mandatory. In my house, I can somewhat control the fire hazards, and have homeowner's insurance to fully cover the losses. In an apartment, some dork in the unit across the hall could fall asleep with a cigarette in his hand and burn the whole building down, and you'd lose everything through no fault of your own and have no venue for compensation.

You can take out renters insurance!! This would pay for your loss when some other idiot burns the place down! Most policies are under $20 a month.