Home safes?

[bleucamaro]

Also check out Amsec (American Security). I went with them because of their reputed better fire protection.

[javadog]

I installed a couple safes in my old house. The main one was a jeweler’s safe, which was installed in a secret room that was hidden behind a section of wall paneling that opened. After opening the panel, you had to open a locked (and alarmed) steel door to get access to the room that the safe was in. The safe did have a fire rating on it but I added additional mineral wool surrounding it on all sides except the front; it might have gotten warm in a fire but the fire would be out before that safe was damaged. Nobody had the slightest idea that that safe was in the house unless I told them about it.

It was neither cheap nor easy to do, but I was a general contractor and could do pretty much anything that I wanted to.

[chrismorse]

I’ve installed two for clients, one was about two cubic feet and was hidden in a kitchen cabinet with a false back, (it would take a carefull search to find it). I bolted it down with non visible carriage bolts and reinforced the surrounding cabinet to resist the pry bar.
The second safe was a 150 pounder, put in a wine closet off the kitchen, on a reinforced bench, bolted, again with carriage bolts into the interior of the safe and through a 4x8 bolted to the house frame in several places.

BUT, another client had her house broken into by the asshat knocking off a small padlock on a hatch to the underside of the house, then using a cordless sawzall to cut through the floor, which happened to be under a bed, then came in between the floor joists to search the house for drugs/guns/ pawnables. Someone could hear the work from outside, but not like some jerk going through a wall with a chainsaw.
Good luck,
Chris

[vash]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

BUT, another client had her house broken into by the asshat knocking off a small padlock on a hatch to the underside of the house, then using a cordless sawzall to cut through the floor, which happened to be under a bed, then came in between the floor joists to search the house for drugs/guns/ pawnables. Someone could hear the work from outside, but not like some jerk going through a wall with a chainsaw.
Good luck,
Chris

this is pretty smart. coming up thru the floor. my old house had that exterior hatch, and i never considered it a vulnerability.. except when it came to raccoons.

[VillaRicaGA911]

Liberty Safe

[Geronimo]

yea I am looking at Amsec, Sturdy, and Ft Knox.

[javadog]

You might look at buying a used safe. That’s what I did and you get a lot more bang for your buck.

[Geronimo]

ooooh never thought of that....

[javadog]

Frankly, I’m not impressed with what $2000 will buy you in a new safe. On the other hand, $2000 will buy you a hell of an expensive used, jewelers’ safe.

[Geronimo]

I dunno, 2000-2500 can get a pretty nice safe IMO, that will surly keep goods out of any non-professionals hands. And be fire safe for at least some time.

I'm poor so I don't have much of great value. Just rather not have guns fall into the wrong hands when I'm not home. Its not a huge worry, I just want to be prudent.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by Geronimo

ooooh never thought of that....

Must have missed post #18...

You can often get a great deal on a used one.

Safes are like pool tables...nobody wants to hassle with moving them when it's time to go, and alleviating that headache is worth good money to most.

[rfuerst911sc]

It won't protect your guns or documents in a fire but a Coke or Pepsi machine is a great stealth gun safe . Bolt it to the floor/wall a thief will look past it . I have seen decent dead machines for 75.00 . Strip out the compressor and modify the interior to your liking .

[1975porsche]

Mine having it restored. 1926

[varmint]

Talked about this before. A friend’s uncle died. I got suckered into helping clean out the house. We knew he’d had a few guns, but no one had found them. After a long ass day we were ready to haul a junk water heater out from the back of the garage when I noticed a hinge and a padlock on the bottom.

The best safe is one no one knows exists.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by varmint

talked about this before. A friend’s uncle died. I got suckered into helping clean out the house. We knew he’d had a few guns, but no one had found them. After a long ass day we were ready to haul a junk water heater out from the back of the garage when i noticed a hinge and a padlock on the bottom.


The best safe is one no one knows exists.

100%

[flatbutt]

I've been making the rounds for a used safe and it seems like no one makes a combination safe anymore.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I've been making the rounds for a used safe and it seems like no one makes a combination safe anymore.

You can buy them new, but they are outnumbered by the electronic version. I'm sure most folks opt for the electronic combination these days.

I had a dial combination wall safe. My wife hated the dial. The new safe is push-button combination.

[brainz01]

Originally Posted by varmint

Talked about this before. A friend’s uncle died. I got suckered into helping clean out the house. We knew he’d had a few guns, but no one had found them. After a long ass day we were ready to haul a junk water heater out from the back of the garage when I noticed a hinge and a padlock on the bottom.

The best safe is one no one knows exists.

You've gotta love security through obscurity...

It works.

[mpeastend]

I just got an Amsec BF II, which is that manufacturer's heavy duty version of a gun safe. It is rated as a residential security container...the word 'safe' is used alot but very few really are what we would consider a safe. I had to pick something light enough to get down my rickety basement stairs (which I reinforced just for the delivery). In a more ideal situation, I would've bought a used large jeweler's safe...maybe a TRTL30 rated one...had it reconditioned, new mechanical dial lock & made a covered plywood shelving system for the interior. That could've been installed easily in an attached garage that has an interior entrance into a house. It could be bolted to the slab and that is really not going anywhere. That is a safe that weighs in excess of 3 tons and even a tow truck couldn't rip it out of there if they wrapped a cable around it. I could've gotten a used one for a little more than what I paid for my gunsafe/delivery/installation.

[Ayles]

This reminded me of something I saw over the weekend! The local Neiman Marcus went out of business and they are apparently liquidating everything. They have several safes listed. If shipping isn't an option it might at least give you a window into the used market.

https://www.grafeauction.com/event/neiman-marcus-bellevue?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ad