Gun Safe
 

Now that I have a shotgun, I need a place to keep it.

Because of space limitations, I need a relatively small safe, nothing larger than a 10 gun safe.

Any recommended brands or features?

Any brands to avoid?

I was looking at the electronic combination safes, but all of them have a key to open them if the batteries run out or you forget the combo. Seems to me it would be much easier to defeat a key lock if you can bypass the electronic bits.

I found an 8-gun safe at Menard's that is Brinks brand, but it is opened with a key, no combo lock. The thing is, the key is in a cross shape. Four sets of tumblers have to line up to open it. It seems more secure to me than the electronic-combo safes...

I don't like electronic or key. I have a 1920's Vintage walk-in type safe and the tumblers work perfectly. But I also took it out of a building that was being demolished for free, courtesy of my client.

If all you have is the one shotgun and it was purchased for home defense, I would think you would rather keep it in your bedroom unless you have little toddlers.

X2 and if you have little toddlers keep it up high. You don't want to leave one in the pipe so it is relativly safe. You want an intruder to hear you "rack" a pump shotgun. Most will turn tail and run when hearing that sound. (It's so cool)

The safe is going in the bedroom, but the wife insists I get one, so I'm getting one.

I have a safe with the Digital keypad, and love it. I too have an old bank style safe, which I bought from a Used Safe Co. The Safe Co Owner told me that the new electronic locks are as secure as the tumblers. I have a friend that has a safe which uses 2 Medco Keyed Locks, and that works well to.

Another thing is that safes like Hughs are getting hard to find, as the supply of the old safes is drying up, because guyz realize how good they are. . It seems that when the banking industry consolidated and branchs were closed the banks would sell off their safes.

Just be sure the safe U buy is of heavy gauge metal with all the seams being welded solid instead of spot welding. Lots of cos use Bondo to fill the seams to give a smooth appearence. Has an adequate fire rating. Be sure to bolt the thing to the floor, as Burglars are known to carry the things away. The other favorite is to use a Sawz All to cut the top and peal it back like a sardine can.

One of my neighbors bought a safe and within a week was robbed. An employee of the Safe Co he bought his safe from turned out to be a felon who had a buddy.

My Mossberg Mariner stays on my night table, but that will change when I figure out a good place to hide it. I'd get a larger gun safe than you think you need, since your collection will inevitably grow. I got mine about 11 yrs. ago and have just about outgrown it. I bought a special rack to hold my handguns which uses the space efficiently in the safe. Lots of other valuable can go in that safe too. I'd get the safe to appease the wife, but still keep the shotgun under the bed. You gonna ask the burglar to wait while you go get your safe keys?

So...any recomendations on specific models/features?

If my collection grows, I have no problem buying a larger safe later on.

I think your wife is related to mine...

*****, you guys have it GOOD. My wife is flaming anti-gun. Does not want to see them, does not want to hear about them. Total knee-jerk reactionary.

I guess she should not have married a guy with and AK-47 :)

One thing, tumbler safes aren't good for quick opening. If that's a concern for you.

That's why I was looking that this Brinks safe. (Model 6740 or 6720--can't remember which now.) It's a key lock, but four sets of tumblers seems relatively difficult to pick (it uses a key that has four sets of ridges).

I bought a nice 10 gun safe at Gander Mountain last fall and I'm very happy with it. It weighs 500lbs empty and it's made by a company in Utah. I can get more info if you're interested... I think it was about $700 and another $150 for delivery...

Although Browning no longer makes the exact safe I bought, the one most similar is the Medallion 19F. It holds nine firearms on one side, and the other side can have shelves or hold more long guns. It does not have "on the door" storage like they do now, and was one of the smallest Browning made at the time. We use it for firearms, of course, but also to safeguard other valuables against fire damage or loss. Items like passports, birth certificates, emergency cash (sometimes), and other things. Ours does not have the center mounted spoked handle, it's the more subtle lever on one side. Dark green with gold striping, it looks as good as a safe can look.