Gun Safes Anyone?

Ozark_II

New member
I have bee looking around for another gun safe. Locally there are a few but most are somewhat more expensive than I can afford, however, I know I need another. Anyway, in my searching I found one to my liking from what I think is a reputable dealer. Here is the link:

Gun Safe: View the Largest Selection of Gun Safes Here!


I already ordered one. Free shipping and no sales tax for my state helped. Locally the selection is very limited.

The one I ordered is here:

Shop Sentry - Sentry 1459C - 14 Gun Fire Safe with Combination Lock #1459C


It should do the job. In hindsight I should have asked here first.

I wanted to buy a new firearm but figured I better have a good place to store it first. It weighs 495 pounds and I plan to secure it to the floor.

I will let you guys know if anything goes bust.
 

I have a older Sentry like that. It has served us well. I think my next safe will be a Safari 24 gun. It is a little larger and maybe a little better fire protection. The only thing wrong with my old safe, is me... I keep buying more stuff to put into it...........
 
Hope this helps. CENTURION by Liberty. Got it at Lowe's for $379. Bought it about 2 mos ago when I started exercising my 2A rights "To Keep..." Funny how the libs have done wonders is stimulating the firearms industry and ALL the peripherals! The kid at Lowe's said two were coming in and I should by it now because so many people were coming in to buy safes. Never explained the "trickle theory" to him :laugh:
Since it is not your first safe but on the small side I think it will work for you. Holds something like 11 rifles. Check that out though. I have it in an upstairs bedroom closet. Just take the door off first, easier to get up there. Only about 400 lbs.
One guy at a gun store told me to buy a big enough safe. "People always buy more guns." I just looked at him and said to myself.... I think a safe like mine will be big enough. Will I reqally need a bigger safe? How many guns does one need?! Guess I will have to buy another one soon! :wacko:
 
Just to let y'all know...if you didn't pay around $1000 or more, you got a mediocre safe at best. No $400 gun safe is fire-rated, and the number of deadbolts is limited. The Lowe's safe (I work there) is a nice one, but it is not fire-rated and if your house catches on fire, you're going to lose your guns. Lowe's also has a fire-rated safe for around $900, which isn't bad.

But I have been going through the Web looking at safes and ratings, and you simply cannot go cheap. Plan on $1200-1500 and get something that will hold off sledge hammers and torches, and will hold off a fire for at least 30 minutes. When you invest a lot in guns, spend a little more for piece of mind.
 
Just to let y'all know...if you didn't pay around $1000 or more, you got a mediocre safe at best. No $400 gun safe is fire-rated, and the number of deadbolts is limited. The Lowe's safe (I work there) is a nice one, but it is not fire-rated and if your house catches on fire, you're going to lose your guns. Lowe's also has a fire-rated safe for around $900, which isn't bad.

But I have been going through the Web looking at safes and ratings, and you simply cannot go cheap. Plan on $1200-1500 and get something that will hold off sledge hammers and torches, and will hold off a fire for at least 30 minutes. When you invest a lot in guns, spend a little more for piece of mind.

+1 That's what I have been seeing also, Thanks PC
 
Piece Corps Good info and you are right for the most part. I think the safe is rated for 20 minutes. Not much but I agree and next safe will be better. I knew this one was going upstairs. Next one will be in Basement. Thanks Just that I wanted more $ for guns and now that I have more then I thought I would ever have another safe is in the plans.
 
One thing to consider when thinking about fire resistance time is how far is the local FD from you?

If you are in town and they are right down the street you might be able to get by with 20-30 minutes.

If you are way out in the country or have a volunteer FD you will be needing more than that.




If you are married, buy bigger than you think you will need. Trust me, women can always find things to put in the safe. grrr
 
Thanks for the input guys. I live in a city with a good fire department and live within a mile and half of the nearest fire station. The safe I ordered is not big but it weighs about 500 pounds. I know a couple of well motivated bad guys could carry it off so I plan on bolting it down. That should make it a bit more challenging to steal. I did not look for a safe at Lowe's.
You see, I told you I should have posted here first unwise omission if life. When will I ever learn?
 
If you buy as large a safe as you need the first time, it only hurts once.

I have a fairly large one from Cabela's that's fire rated for 60 minutes. That should be plenty as I live in a mobile home, which would probably take about 10 minutes to burn. Depending on how I configure the shelves, it can hold up to 41 long guns.
 
Winchester Safe

I purchased one from Sam's Club about 2 years ago. The measurments on it were 48"wx21"dx60"h.y I knew as soon as I saw it that it was a good price, $650+/- picked up. Well.....it weighed 700 lbs empty. I hauled it home in my 1/2 ton pickup, which squatted pretty good all the way home. Needless to say, I installed it in the first floor bedroom. I found out you have to bolt them to the floor so they won't fall on someone and kill them.
Also have a small Sentry 2x2 cube for my bed room.
 
I've got a pretty decent "American Security" safe. I think it is a 25 gun safe or something. It is fire rated for 90 minutes at 1200 deg-F, I think that will do it. :biggrin:
 
A frequent complain we get from customers who bought smaller gun safes due to limited budgets, is that they wish they have made an effort and bought a big one from the get go. Then they get stuck with the smallest one, I mean, selling a gun safe, then relocating it, it's not the most common of tasks. So if you are in between a small and big one, consider that carefully.
 
When buying a safe, do not go cheap!!! Make sure you get one that is UL rated RSC (residential security) or better. In my area, the criminals know how to pop open the less secure safes with crowbars (I am not exagerating).
 
Thanks for the input guys. I live in a city with a good fire department and live within a mile and half of the nearest fire station. The safe I ordered is not big but it weighs about 500 pounds. I know a couple of well motivated bad guys could carry it off so I plan on bolting it down. That should make it a bit more challenging to steal. I did not look for a safe at Lowe's.
You see, I told you I should have posted here first unwise omission if life. When will I ever learn?
If the bad guys want your stuff, they will find a way to take it. Safes stop the amateurs, and slow down the professionals.
Once there was a bank, in an older building with a drive through. The bank torn down the old building, and relocated to a mobile home in the parking lot, while a new building was being built.
One night, the bad guys hot wired a fork lift from the job site. They then took a saws all, and removed the wall from the trailer. They then picked up the safe that was in the trailer, and put the banks safe in their pickup truck. Nobody has seen the safe, the pickup, or thousands of dollars. BTW, the trailer had a security system.
I am sure, that unless your firearm collection is worth thousands nobody is going to go to great lengths to steal your belongings. IMO, if the bad guys break in, they will take items that are not in the safe.

I have a secure safe. It is a good fire rated one. However if the bad guys defeat my perimeter security system and obtain access to our home, they might have an entire weekend to work on opening our safe. I can't remember why, but I wired up a mercury tip over switch inside the safe. Kinda of dumb, because the bad guys will have to be in our home to pry the safe from the floor. duhhh.
If someone wants in, they are going to get in. I keep the blades, and bits to my potential safe opening tools inside my safe BTW.

I also insure my collection though the NRA's program. The fire department is 1/2 mile away, but a house fire can get real hot for a long time.

If you have children, the best place to store you firearms is in a safe with a combination lock. Your primary concern is keeping your children away from your dangerous implements. If you don't have the money to get a good safe, get something, get anything. Please protect the children. I don't want to hear any of the usual " I train my children" "My kids do what I say". Just lock up your guns.
 
I have a nice Liberty safe that I bought last December. It is fire rated for 45 minutes and has 35 cu ft of space. I thought this was a huge safe, but in 7 months I have just about filled it. I watch for sales at my local Big R... I paid $900 on clearance for this (including tax) Last weekend they had a 60 minute 30 cu ft Liberty safe on sale for $700. I wanted to buy it, but my husband said NO because he knows I'll fill it:wink: I'll probably wait for their Back Friday sale - They should have an even better deal than this one. He can't say no forever, especially when he sees the new Henry I have on layaway for his birthday (or maybe Christmas). There is no more room for rifles - especially a gold Big Boy .357 :biggrin:
 

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