How good is your GUN SAFE

[Willtallica]

Efficiency wise, I think taking one's chances is the way to go.

[N3HCP]

Originally Posted by Willtallica

Efficiency wise, I think taking one's chances is the way to go.

Your probably right. I seriously doubt that anyone will ever even try to breach my safe. Nevertheless, I feel a moral responsibility to at least make an effort to keep my guns "off the street", hence the safe.

[87th PVI]

Is $550 (plus PA's 6%) a good price for a 24 gun safe with 1/2 hour fire protection rating, or are they cheaper elsewhere than Dick's current sale?
I want a decent safe with fire protection and interior carpeting (which this one has) & not just a gun locker.
Also any thoughts on weight of the safe and needing to put it in a second floor room? It would be in a corner of a room with one of the walls of that corner being an exterior wall, and the beams in the floor would be running perpendicular to the wall that the back of the safe would be against.

[normanvin]

Originally Posted by 87th PVI

Is $550 (plus PA's 6%) a good price for a 24 gun safe with 1/2 hour fire protection rating, or are they cheaper elsewhere than Dick's current sale?
I want a decent safe with fire protection and interior carpeting (which this one has) & not just a gun locker.
Also any thoughts on weight of the safe and needing to put it in a second floor room? It would be in a corner of a room with one of the walls of that corner being an exterior wall, and the beams in the floor would be running perpendicular to the wall that the back of the safe would be against.

Always buy bigger than you need. Some people insist that the safe be put in the basement. If it is on the first or second floor, and there is a fire the safe will end up in the basement.

[MTechnik]

My safe is a cheapie - it's there to keep curious fingers and casual garage "checkers" away. If someone really wanted it, they could break into it in under 10 minutes.

But still, with a child in the house you need at least that much, imho.

My problem is that it has keys... that little fingers can find. So I will likely be getting a closet pistol safe with a combo, and I'll keep one set of keys in there - the other set of keys at a friends' house.

[jmanzini]

As stated by 87th PVI, you do have to look at fire protection also along with protecting kids in the house. As the old saying goes "Locks are made for honest people". How many people here don't lock their cars and yet you know glass easily breaks. I've had guns stolen from a gun case which required nothing nore than a screwdriver to open. I'm assuming that safe was breached under ideal situtions with room to swing and hammers provided. How many thiefs are lugging 8lb sledge hammers? You are better off hiding your hammers. A safe is a deterrent which really increases your odds of you retaining your guns. I for one feel much better making the thiefs job very difficult.

[Pukindog]

Just read in The Times (NJ) that a man had $500,000 in coins stolen from his safe. He was on vacation. Thieves broke into his garage and torched the safe. The safe is heavy enough to mbe supported by a concrete slab. His car was in front of the safe. They pushed the safe out of the way and got it opened. Man says the safe cost $7500.00. Given enough time I guess just about any "home" safe can be breached.

Jeff

[adymond]

Originally Posted by N3HCP

Your probably right. I seriously doubt that anyone will ever even try to breach my safe. Nevertheless, I feel a moral responsibility to at least make an effort to keep my guns "off the street", hence the safe.

Is not that moral responsibility met when you secured the firearms in your home? I will be picking up a safe shortly to keep my son out, but I feel no responsibility to do more to deter a thief than close my front door. I lock it and have a large dog and want an alarm system that is monitored, but my responsibility to keep a thief from obtaining my firearm should end when I close my front door and not one bit more than that. I am tired of the mentality that we as gun owners are somehow responsible for the actions of a criminal that breaks into our homes. Should we keep all of our spare sets of keys in a safe also so that a thief can't take our cars and do nefarious deeds with them? No. Should we lock up our extra keys to make it more of a pain in the ass for a thief to get them? Sure if you feel like installing a wall safe near the front door where most people keep their spare keys.

[normanvin]

Originally Posted by adymond

Is not that moral responsibility met when you secured the firearms in your home? I will be picking up a safe shortly to keep my son out, but I feel no responsibility to do more to deter a thief than close my front door. I lock it and have a large dog and want an alarm system that is monitored, but my responsibility to keep a thief from obtaining my firearm should end when I close my front door and not one bit more than that. I am tired of the mentality that we as gun owners are somehow responsible for the actions of a criminal that breaks into our homes. Should we keep all of our spare sets of keys in a safe also so that a thief can't take our cars and do nefarious deeds with them? No. Should we lock up our extra keys to make it more of a pain in the ass for a thief to get them? Sure if you feel like installing a wall safe near the front door where most people keep their spare keys.

I agree. I bought my first safe to keep my guns away from the boys when they were younger. And to store them in an organized fashion.

[gunga]

I design security solutions for Fortune 100-type companies... banks, medical research, government agencies, etc.... here is my take:

1) Any attack, given enough time, will succeed- regardless of what protection you have.

2) Castle walls were meant to protect against bad guys and bears, not flying, fire breathing dragons. You have to put walls up to protect from things that are likely...

For an average gun owner/home owner, a 750 pound fire safe, good outdoor lighting and visibility from the street, a monitored home alarm system and solid homeowners insurance will give you adequately-high castle walls in my opinion. I also suggest a bank safe deposit box at a "big" bank (e.g. chase, citibank, td commerce) that has more resources to put towards security, as opposed to your local credit union which probably does the minimum required to protect their vault. The risk of loss in a safe deposit box is very, very low... water damage is the most likely loss- and double-wrapped ziplock bags, or a pelican case in larger boxes can mitigate this pretty well.

If you feel the need (and have a reputation) for keeping $500k worth of coins at home, perhaps you need much, much higher castle walls, and a professional to build them for you.

My 2c.