Gun Safe Questions

[racedoll]

Originally Posted by Rangerscott

What about cutting a hole out in the foundation, have a weld shop make a steel box, put it in the hole, have a nice thick sheet of steel for the door with inside hinges so it'll close flush with the foundation, then throw a rug over it and call it a day.


If not then I would look at three things.

1. Dimension size - Gotta be able to get it into your house

2. Gun count - On this, I've learned from reviews that what the company puts as the gun number is usually higher than what it actually is. It's as if they just see how many rods will fit and say thats how many rifles will fit. Plus add scopes or any accessories on your rifles and the actual count drops even more.

3. Fire rating - Look at the temperature rating and for how long. I'm sure a house can burn more than 30 minutes. If you have a brick house I'm sure it gets hotter than a siding house.

Too much work to do what you said & don't know if I'll be in this house forever. Regular safe is easier.

I know to look at the ratings. Understanding why one manufacturer has higher ratings & time than another yet they are cheaper is my 'dilemma'.

I also know to get one bigger than I need because it WILL get filled. I know this and expect it.

I have a budget and want to find the 'best' one I can to suit my needs.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

That's not a gun safe, it's a missile silo.

JC

Tomato, tomahto.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

That's not a gun safe, it's a missile silo.

JC

Well where else do you store your LGM-30; the garage? What are you thinking man!

[Particle Man]

"That's no moon! It's a SPACE STATION!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVekNsgUqn4

[Razor]

Racedoll, what safes are you actually comparing? Normally the better protection from fire (time and temp) means more expensive safes.

There are a number of other factors to consider when choosing gun safes. One factor is the fireproof rating. Fireproof ratings, usually specified in minutes or hours, specify how well the contents will be protected during a fire. An example of a fire rating would be a 1 hour 350 degree F rating. This rating means that the safe could be exposed to a 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and the temperature inside the safe would not rise above 350 degrees F. This is a low enough temperature to keep the guns inside from being damaged permanently, as well as to protect the ammunition stored in the safe.

Another factor to consider is the gun safes' burglary rating. This rating, usually specified in minutes, gives an indication of how long it would take a knowledgeable person (such as a locksmith) to break into the safe using common locksmithing tools. So it gives a good indication of how well the safe would protect your guns from a professional burglar.

Gun safes are also available with a variety of locking mechanisms. Models are available with mechanical key locks, mechanical combination dials and with electronic keypad locks. While usually costing a bit more, the electronic keypad locking mechanisms are by far the most convenient. To open the safe, the user simply enters the combination on a PIN pad, similar to the ones used on ATM machines. Multiple users can be given access to this type of safe, each with their own combination number.

Hope this helps...

[Rangerscott]

I've been looking at this one.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/st...n+safe&Ntk=All

or

http://www.walmart.com/ip/SentrySafe...-Lock/12429282

[racedoll]

Originally Posted by Razor

Racedoll, what safes are you actually comparing? Normally the better protection from fire (time and temp) means more expensive safes.

There are a number of other factors to consider when choosing gun safes. One factor is the fireproof rating. Fireproof ratings, usually specified in minutes or hours, specify how well the contents will be protected during a fire. An example of a fire rating would be a 1 hour 350 degree F rating. This rating means that the safe could be exposed to a 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and the temperature inside the safe would not rise above 350 degrees F. This is a low enough temperature to keep the guns inside from being damaged permanently, as well as to protect the ammunition stored in the safe.

Another factor to consider is the gun safes' burglary rating. This rating, usually specified in minutes, gives an indication of how long it would take a knowledgeable person (such as a locksmith) to break into the safe using common locksmithing tools. So it gives a good indication of how well the safe would protect your guns from a professional burglar.

Gun safes are also available with a variety of locking mechanisms. Models are available with mechanical key locks, mechanical combination dials and with electronic keypad locks. While usually costing a bit more, the electronic keypad locking mechanisms are by far the most convenient. To open the safe, the user simply enters the combination on a PIN pad, similar to the ones used on ATM machines. Multiple users can be given access to this type of safe, each with their own combination number.

Hope this helps...

Thanks. I have done quite a bit of research on safes and this is why I'm puzzled. What you say should be true, but it's not...

Nearly $300 difference and the cheaper one has the better fire rating.

Champion Medalist 22 - 1350 deg for 60 min - $999 (gloss finish)
Liberty Colonial 25 - 1200 deg for 45 min - $1279 (not sure of finish)

To get a 60 min rating from Liberty you have to go up to the Franklin Series, 27 guns, 60 min & 1200 deg, textured finish (cheapest) is $1600

Please tell me what I'm missing? I've accounted for the difference in finishes, e-lock vs combo dial, # guns it holds, steel thickness (12ga), # active bolts (12 on champion, 11 on liberty), door thickness, body thickness, hinges, insulation layers, weight, and any other statistic I can find.

Maybe I'm making too big of a deal of this, but $300+ is a big difference, IMO.

[Rangerscott]

Fire paint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEG5C55UqUo

[Razor]

At this point it's more than likely that the difference is in manufacturer. You could probably look at a Browning safe that has less protection and costs more than both. I think you're good with either that you are looking at. A 30 min rating should be fine as long as you put the safe close to an exterior wall so all the hottest parts of a fire (ie when the roof collapses) will be as far away as possible. I've got a Browning that I wouldn't trade for anything (except maybe their tactical safe) but I got a real good deal on it too...

[racedoll]

Originally Posted by Razor

At this point it's more than likely that the difference is in manufacturer. You could probably look at a Browning safe that has less protection and costs more than both. I think you're good with either that you are looking at. A 30 min rating should be fine as long as you put the safe close to an exterior wall so all the hottest parts of a fire (ie when the roof collapses) will be as far away as possible. I've got a Browning that I wouldn't trade for anything (except maybe their tactical safe) but I got a real good deal on it too...

That is what I was wondering, if I'd just be paying for the name, like I would for a Browning.

Thanks for the feedback.