Acquiring a Heavy Commercial Safe for Gun Safe?

[Trigg3r]

OK, I realize that I put way too much into this post and edited it...let me just cut to the chase:

1. I was wondering who of those out there may be using a large jeweler's or commercial type safe as a home gun safe.

2. How did you go about finding, rigging and moving the safe?

3. What did you look for in a moving company? What kinds of challenges did you run into with trying to move it inside?

4. Do you like the safe? Did you do anything to make it tougher or improve its function as a gun safe?

For those who don't know what I am talking about:

I am looking to get my hands on something such as a used composite Amsec TL-30 which is roughly 3000 pounds. These type of safes are are not available at a normal store. They often have alarms built into them that can trigger your home security system. They have special features to defeat cutting tools, etc. Banks, jewelery stores, post offices and businesses have them available from time to time when closing. They usually want them gone in a hurry since they are so hard to "move."

Thanks for your advice!


Trigg3r

[Daycrawler]

Why not build a concrete or block wall? Get a Vault door installed. use fire rated drywall. Hide the entrance with rolling shelf or some other disguise. Make a room or part of your basement a real Man Cave!

[Frenchy]

Hello All,

I admit I have been pretty foolish over the years regarding my purchases...it makes me sick to think what would happen if I was cleaned out. I haven't done a thing to protect my investments. I am still relatively young but I have the vast majority of my hard earned cash stored in antique and collectible firearms.

~Snip~
Thoughts?


Thanks for your advice!


Trigg3r

I wonder, why not take a page in your local paper or maybe on a free site like craigslist to advertise you have a lot of guns that are unprotected?

You might think that would be silly, but so is posting what you just did on a forum that deals mainly with firearms. Do you imagine there is ONLY good people who browse these pages?

If you can afford a good safe, get it! Be quiet about it, don't even let the movers who bring it in know what its for.
If you cant, make a strong room, don't let anyone know what its there for.
No matter how safe you think a site like this is, never let people know what you have that is completely unprotected.

Its like advertising you have a 1969 Camaro SS parked on the street (Giving the general area it is in )with the keys under the seat and want to know if you should paint it candy apple red or leave it yellow like it is now..

You can be pretty sure someone will help you paint that car in clear coat fairly quickly.. So clear, you will never see it again
http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/...14/92419_1.jpg


Oh and please Can you say where you live, you know pending where you live and if you keep a spare key under the front porch carpet can help many people evaluate the type of safe you will need.

[ungawa]

It's a great idea if you care more about security than utility.

It seems to me that once you get past the cheapest gun safes more of them seem to be removed from the premises than pried open. I don't have any numbers but you hear about that a lot. Clearly that wouldn't be a problem with what you are looking at.

I guess you call a save company or a rigger company to get it moved. May not be as cheap as you think.

[JoshIronshaft]

I know a guy who has two or tree very large jeweler's safes. They work fine for the job. I think his had canisters of nerve gas in the walls of it so when he bought it those had to be professionally emptied.

The main advantage of a big Liberty safe or similar is they're readily available and internally arranged for the purpose. They come with all the features you want to spec like electronic keypad, lights, etc. Also I don't imagine an 880 lb+ safe loaded with a few hundred lbs of stuff and bolted to the concrete floor is going anywhere fast.

There is a guy in Ohio who sold my other friend a Fort Knox safe and a Fort Knox vault door for his underground gun room. I think the guy also dealt with used safes. I would search out this Fort Knox dealer and inquire with him. Or maybe try calling some locksmiths to find out if they know where to find something.

Oh and Gander Mountain has specials with interest free financing!

[unclejumbo]

You know Amsec makes gun safes as well? Most safe manufacturers make safes configured for firearms or a mix of firearms and jewelry.

Here's some nice ones.

http://www.brownsafe.com/

[free]

I don't understand why the OP thinks this is some kind of crazy or unique idea.

Futhermore, plenty of such safes can be found on Craigslist for cheap (under $2K). The trick is getting them moved.

[mmi]

there is a lot of empty banks around just convert it in to a house
bet you never thought of that

[alpacaheat]

there is a lot of empty banks around just convert it in to a house
bet you never thought of that

Make the drives through with the vacuum tubes your mailbox. Never walk out to the mailbox again.