Stack-On 10 Gun Safe

[samrothstein01]

I may just start my safe collection smaller than yours but the race is not over, if we were racing.

Easy there...I don't think anyone was trying to gloat or "race" to see who can get the most expensive item. I think everyone was just trying to share their personal experiences and "mistakes" they have made in the past. It's certainly not a race, and to each their own. It's all about the sharing of experiences and differing of opinions....otherwise this site would suck and there would be no value in it.

I have the Stack On 10 gun safe. I got a deal on it for around $200, if I remember correctly.

Nice work, and if that fits your bill for now and the immediate future, then that is fantasitc. But again, when someone is purchasing a new product, especially one they don't have experience with, it's nice to hear all points of view...including yours, so thanks for sharing. (I truly don't intend any scarcasm from this statement, your input is appreciated and may help someone realize they will never need a 56 gun safe and the price tag that comes with it.)

My whole point was that for another ~$100 and some effort, you can find a nice 24 gun fire rated safe somewhere. But, if that is not necessary, i.e., your bus analogy, then no worries.

The most important question is whether my guns are safer now in their cramped little home than they would be sitting in a closet while I save for the next bigger model and then the one after that?

Spot on!! Are they safer? If the honest answer to that question is a yes and ther is comfort with it, then move on.(Not referring to you specifically).

Again, the point was by spending $200 on a 10 gun safe, you are somewhere in the range of 1/2 or 2/3 of the way to a "bigger/better" model. Why start over if you can just reprioritize some of your purchases that you will be making in the next month or two and make the safe your next major purchase. However, if you know that you absolutely can't save the extra ~couple hundred dollars for an extended period of time, then yes perhaps a smaller model is the way to go.

Any safe, like any bank or nuclear weapon facility in certain mid east countries, any security feature can be compromised, given enough time, tools and determination.

Absolutely right! All of the effort and money on security and safes is an attempt to deter criminals by making it too difficult and a pain in the a**, helping them with their decision to move on to the easier target. The better quality the safe, the more you increase your odds of encouraging them to move on. I completely agree though, that some sort of locking cabinet or safe is better than simpy putting them in a closet.

Right now, I have more handguns than rifles so I have plenty of room. In my case, the 10 gun rating is irrelevant since I could stack dozens of handguns in there and then make posts how my safe is bigger than your safe.

Again, wasn't meant to be a race or compare the size of the safes, at least not from the posts I read. It was just sharing of personal experiences that safes are never as large as they say they are, and seems like you always outgrow them quicker than you expected. I can probably stack a couple milion in cash in my safe (making it plenty of room for me, bigger than yours, but less in size than someone elses)...but that is irrelevant because I don't have that kind of cash to stack. It is about what you plan to put in it now, in the near future, and how that fits within your budget.

 

[cbop]

Sam, I think we are in agreement on many of the points and to be truthful, it was not your post that tended to rile me up on this. Your advice is valid. My point was more due to the fact that too often, someone posts that they have a price point that they can hit and are simply looking for some security. They know it is not optimal and of course, they really want the big glossy work of art safe but that is not what they can afford. I have seen many posts, not yours, that denigrate the peace of mind the person can achieve and convince them that greater security down the road is better than some immediate security. It is the whole 'bird in the hand' thing.

If we read the information that ThrottleJockey posted, it would seem that very few gun safes, whether they be Cannon, LIBERTY SAFES, Patriot, Brownings or whatever, actually pass muster. The majority of gun safes are not safes but 'residential security containers' although some are better than others, as most things in life typically are. Also, most people do not realize that a good gun safe does not make a good document safe. You are better off with a dedicated document safe for important non-gun items although it is easier to convince the wife on the big fancy safe when you say how much room there is for non-gun items.

As I said, this Stack On will not be the last safe I will have. As a matter of fact, I am in the shopping process now but even so, this Stack On will be in service after a new safe arrives. I am of the mindset that several smaller safes, scattered around the house is better than one central location with all the guns in it. What, if for some reason, I can't reach that location in an emergency or fire?

A safe or RSC or even a gun cabinet (which is what most people envision when Stack On is mentioned) should be nothing more than a layer in your security system... the last bulwark in a system that starts at the property line. From lighting, to locks, to alarms it is all much more effective than a huge glossy paint safe holding your peace of mind. For instance, I like the fact that before any thief gets within sight of my little Stack On, they have already been viewed by at least 3 cameras and their images uploaded. The Stack On only protects my guns, the other systems protect my family... guess where I place my priority when spending money on security?

 

[samrothstein01]

Yep, we are all good cbop. You are correct in reference to the other posts, no safe can really pass the muster of a determined invidual with the right tools. It is just our job to do the best we can to give them every reason to not be determined as much as they thought they were!

 

[ThrottleJockey]

There is another point I'd like to make about fire protection. It is my understanding that the fire protection your RSC/safe provides comes from layers of gypsum board on the inner walls of the "box". Added protection can be cheaply provided by simply adding more gypsum board. Make sure the fit is tight and if you want even more protection use fire board. Both can be found at any Loews/Menards/Home Depot. Gypsum board is simply drywall/sheetrock and fire board is more of a fiberglass/cement type product. Granted the inner dimensions of the "box" will diminish slightly but you will get more protection form fire. I've spoken to other people that have even added strategically placed steel reinforcement inside the "box" via a welder, specifically at the opening where the locking mech. meets with the structure of the "box". Others will add an external bar or two with hasps that can be locked via a good hardened padlock. Layers, much like cold weather survival are helpful here. Just because your "box" offers a specific level of security doesn't mean that you are stuck at that level.

 

[samrothstein01]

Just because your "box" offers a specific level of security doesn't mean that you are stuck at that level.

GREAT POINT!!!

 

[Saiga223]

So........anyone of you guys wanting to part with that old 24 gun safe that you upgraded from for around $300, ha ha!

 

[samrothstein01]

So........anyone of you guys wanting to part with that old 24 gun safe that you upgraded from for around $300, ha ha!

Ok, granted, this was on January 5th when this was posted, and it was a long way away so it would have to be shipped, but to show what a little investigative effort can do:

I took 5 minutes online and found this:

We sold so many Cannon safes over the last few months that they gave us a killer deal on more so.................we are passing the savings on to you guys.

We have more 24 gun Cannon safes coming soon. These were made for Costco and we were able to get a truckload of them. Specs can be found here: Cannon 24-Gun safe

Costo is selling them for $799. We are pre-selling them for $489

Discount Guns & Ammo at Richie's Pawn & Gun

 

[cbop]

I do have a question on the electronic keypads, if someone could shed some light for me.

As an auto tech, I am in a lot of cars day in and day out and one thing I have noticed is radio and hvac buttons. I realize I am comparing apples to oranges but it is very evident as to which buttons get pressed most often. It is evident enough that we even notice that the buttons in the women's cars show more wear due to various lotions and other glop they are constantly applying.

My question is this... wouldn't the keypads on the safes show wear on the buttons used most often? I suppose you could make a habit of constantly changing the combination to eliminate this or even make a habit of touching all the buttons. I also realize that it still leaves a lot of choices even if you eliminate half of the buttons by evidenced wear and experienced thieves still will not mess with trying to unlock it when the safes vulnerability is elsewhere. Even from an aesthetic point of view, do the keypads show wear?

I do think that we tend to give to much credit to the common thief's knowledge of safes. While the typical thief will see a gun safe as the holy grail, I can easily see them putting their focus on the door as their way in. I would much prefer to distract them playing with the dial or keypad or door seam while the police are enroute than more effective ways in. I tend to believe the crooks that are a threat to most safes are not the ones breaking into most residences... the risks vs. rewards are not in favor of the more competent crook for the common smash and grab

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I stay away from electronic locks/keypads so I don't know the answer. I understand that if the battery goes dead you can still plug it in, but my problem lies in the fact that damage of nearly any sort to the electronics via fire, breakin attempt, water, EMP, etc... means a $400 bill from a locksmith to get it open then another few hundred for new electronics. I also think that anyone with an understanding of electronics could likely pry it off and short the switch to unlock it.

 

[gunman41mag]

I'm a COLLECTOR, so I invested in a decent safe

 

[cbop]

I'm very HAPPY for you