# Gun safes



## rustygun

I am really considering buying a gun safe. I found a Liberty gun safe on sale that I really like. The model I have in mind has a 11gauge steel body and a 1 hour fire rating. I don't have any little ones running around and the neighborhood I live in now is very quiet. I am really on the fence about whether to spend the money. I do secure my weapons but they are no where near as secure as what they would be in a safe. I guess what I would like to know is:

For those that have safes is there a certain feature you like most?

Combination or electric lock?

Would 11 gauge steel provide adequate security? 

Any suggestions about safes would be helpful.


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## paratrooper

Liberty safes are good. For me, the true worth of a safe is how much it weighs. The more, the better. For whatever reason, lots of retailers don't state what the overall weight of the safe is. 

All of mine have electronic touch pads vs. the typical combo spinner. With the elec. keypad, they are so much faster and easier to get into. Mine uses a 9v battery, and has a spare battery in the housing for back-up. I can get into mine within 2-3 seconds, vs. 15-20 seconds with a combo spinner. 

Don't be afraid to spend some money and get a safe that weighs more than a couple of guys can lift. If you take your knuckles and rap on the side of a safe you are considering buying, and if it sounds tinny, move on to another safe. 

Safes with a smooth, high-gloss paint finish, tend to be easier to wipe down and keep clean, but can cost a bit more as well. Don't know what your budget is, but a quality safe is going to run in excess of $1000.00

Get together as much money as you can, and buy as much as you can. Safes are like storage sheds. Better to have one a little too big, than one a little too small. 

You only live once. Buy one that you will be happy with and proud of.


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## SouthernBoy

I have a Liberty safe for my arms, a Colonial 23, if I'm not mistaken (would need to go into the basement to check). Mine has the manual combination lock, which I prefer, and I have been very pleased with it.


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## Steve M1911A1

Our small pistol safe (about two cubic feet) has an electronic lock.
I will never buy another safe with an electronic lock.

Electronic safe locks are very vulnerable.
An intelligent child can get past just about any electronic lock, without ever having to know the combination.
As long as the wires from the electronic lock pass through the door, they are accessible by destroying the electronic touch-pad, and the safe can then be easily opened.


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## hud35500

I have two American Security safes and I am very pleased with them. Check the number of cross bolts on the safe, make sure there are bolts on the top and bottom of the door. Also make sure the hinges are internal. A fire rated safe can also be written off on your taxes. Like Steve, I prefer a manual combo over electric, it's one less thing to go wrong. Buy bigger than you think you'll need, you will outgrow it! Lastly, regardless of how heavy, bolt it down. You'd be amazed at what baddies will do to get a safe out of your house!


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## desertman

Same here, go for the manual combination lock. The company I bought mine from also recommended them and they sold both.


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## rustygun

Thanks, I appreciate everyone's input.


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## Steve M1911A1

hud35500 said:


> ...Lastly, regardless of how heavy, *bolt it down*. You'd be amazed at what baddies will do to get a safe out of your house! [emphasis added]


*Yes!*
Do that!


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## OldManMontgomery

One other consideration is location. Do this prior to buying the safe.

Where in the house are you going to put the safe? Since the safe is going to require a fair sized guy and a specialized dolly, can the safe be moved to that location (stairs are possible, but add two levels of difficulty - getting up the stairs *and* being able to handle the weight) and second, but just as important, can that portion of flooring support the weight of the safe (loaded with hardware) and you standing in front opening it.

One might consider more than one, but smaller safes. Which is also a pain.

And I'm in favor of mechanical dials over electronic openers.


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## rustygun

Location has been one my dilemmas . I have a walk out basement part of it is finished getting a large safe in my basement would not be to difficult but it would be in the basment. I have room upstairs but I would have to get a much smaller safe.


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## Philco

I bought my Cannon safe from a Tractor Supply store a few years back. It gave me peace of mind that was worth far more than the price I paid. As others have said, I prefer the mechanical combination lock, and definately recommend you bolt your safe to the floor (Prefferably concrete if possible).

Make sure any safe you buy is fire rated and has a good warranty. Steer clear of gun cabinets that are little more than sheet metal boxes. They offer little to no fire or theft protection.


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## desertman

In addition to a safe a monitored security system is also a good idea. Chances are that no one will want to stick around for that long trying to remove or open a safe once that goes off. Choose a security system that works off of a cellular system so that there are no phone lines to cut in order to disable it. You can also "arm" it while out of the house with a remote. So if someone breaks in it will send a signal to the police immediately without delay. Consequently, you must also disarm it while out of the house if using the remote.


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## hud35500

Depending on where you put it, get a dehumidifier, especially if it's in the garage. If you keep it in the house, you can probably get away without one.


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## muckaleewarrior

I'm going to need one soon. I just don't have the space for a large safe. I do have a gunvault for the bedroom and one in each car.


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## EvilTwin

I have three gun safes, A security safe and two fire and water proof safes.. All of my safes are re-barbed into concrete. No one is carrying them off..
I like the electronic key pad the best... My newest safe... its the easiest for me to access with my old eyes.. the combination lock dial is good but if you make a mistake its trouble some... when you touch the key pad it light s up... the key pad will blink for a week when the batteries get low.. but there is also a concealed back up system with the use of a class one key.. a round security key. 
Bill aka ET


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## paratrooper

EvilTwin said:


> I have three gun safes, A security safe and two fire and water proof safes.. All of my safes are re-barbed into concrete. No one is carrying them off..
> I like the electronic key pad the best... My newest safe... its the easiest for me to access with my old eyes.. the combination lock dial is good but if you make a mistake its trouble some... when you touch the key pad it light s up... the key pad will blink for a week when the batteries get low.. but there is also a concealed back up system with the use of a class one key.. a round security key.
> Bill aka ET


Finally.......someone else that prefers an electronic keypad. :smt038

I was beginning to feel like an outcast.


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## EvilTwin

paratrooper said:


> Finally.......someone else that prefers an electronic keypad. :smt038
> 
> I was beginning to feel like an outcast.


I like that safe the best.. its the one I get into the most...the large key pad allows me to get in there on the first try, and its in a place where lighting is non existent..the lighted pad makes it nice.. I've had that safe almost two years and the batteries are sill going strong. lights go on at first touch and go out when it sits idle for 30 seconds.


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## Blocka

As mentioned above always bolt them down if you can regardless of size I used to help move and install safes in banks that weigh'd 1100kg and it's quiet easy for two people to shift them with a couple jimmy bars, blocks of wood and a few round pieces of bar and or a pallet jack and if your really keen you could fit a seismic sensor in them


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## rfawcs

There are a lot of videos about gun safes on Youtube. These are a start, and will give you some information about what features to look for. As with most things, you get what you pay for.


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## BackyardCowboy

have been looking at/for small gun safe to have at bedside for wife if I'm away. Don't want biometric, too many misreads and wife's fingerprints won't work. (damaged by acids at work over the years).
I like going to amazon and seeing if anyone is selling a safe I'm looking at, then go to the review for it and look at the one star/two star ratings and what they didn't like. there was a small Gun Vault that popped open to the vibrations of the owner sliding it along the floor (he had video showing it). 
Kind of liked the Hornady Gun ready safe, but from the reviews, when it failed, it failed to the point that even the backup key would not open it. 
Most stores around that carry them, don't have demos on display which is disappointing. Did like the look of the sentry safes (key, biometric, and/or punch button). but the batteries don't last more than a month or two. Did by one of them that is key only and have used the cable to fasten it to the heavy steel headboard of the bed. (Welded steel).
Currently looking between a Browning PV500 (they also make a bigger PV 1000) and a Steelwater safe ( PS-040913) but the steelwater safe is new and no real reviews yet. (buttons cannot be silenced either.) (About $125 and there may be shipping too)
The Browning has two electrical contacts on the outside so if the internal batteries fail, you touch a 9 volt battery to the terminals and then can punch in the combination to open the safe. (about $200 and may have shipping cost too)
They don't pop the lid completely open so you can just reach in and grab, you still have to open the lid the rest of the way.
Anyone have/had either of these? any comments?


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## shootbrownelk

paratrooper said:


> Finally.......someone else that prefers an electronic keypad. :smt038
> 
> I was beginning to feel like an outcast.


 I bought a Liberty safe with the mechanical lock. It's a real P.I.T.A. to open quickly. Tried my friend's electronic...I love it. The Electronic is the way to go, IMO.


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## Screwball

shootbrownelk said:


> I bought a Liberty safe with the mechanical lock. It's a real P.I.T.A. to open quickly. Tried my friend's electronic...I love it. The Electronic is the way to go, IMO.


I disagree... failure rates between the two types of locks say the opposite.

I really don't have to get into my safe that quickly. If I'm going for a gun, it is either the shotgun in a mount next to my bed or one of my pistols nearby in a quick access safe.


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## paratrooper

Screwball said:


> I disagree... failure rates between the two types of locks say the opposite.
> 
> I really don't have to get into my safe that quickly. If I'm going for a gun, it is either the shotgun in a mount next to my bed or one of my pistols nearby in a quick access safe.


It's not that I need to get into my gun safe quickly, it's just that I get really tired of not getting the combo perfect each and every time to gain access.


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## BackyardCowboy

I think I'm narrowing it down to the Browning PV500 safe (0.5 cubic feet, they also have the PV1000 w/ one cubic foot of space, same floor dimensions, but taller than the 500). Some of the other safe's I've been looking at, if you use the back up key, it triggers the electronics to open it, but if the mechanism has failed, then key won't work.
The Browning safe back up key mechanically opens the lock and doesn't work thru the electronics. Also Browning has 5 yr warranty on the safe according to a dealer I contacted.
The Fort Knox safes I looked at may be fairly heavy metal, but the actual 'tongue' of the latch doesn't seem to be all that heavy and only anchors the lid at one point. Great for keeping kids or mother in laws (I hope) out, but not so much for a determined thief.


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## BackyardCowboy

BackyardCowboy said:


> Also Browning has 5 yr warranty on the safe according to a dealer I contacted.


However, I contacted Browning directly and customer service says they come with a 90 day Warranty, after that, they "take it case by case"


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## Screwball

paratrooper said:


> It's not that I need to get into my gun safe quickly, it's just that I get really tired of not getting the combo perfect each and every time to gain access.


I don't have multiple combination locks to open, but mine isn't that hard. Made it a point to memorize it, and can do it easily.


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## paratrooper

Screwball said:


> I don't have multiple combination locks to open, but mine isn't that hard. Made it a point to memorize it, and can do it easily.


I have three large sized safes......and I turn 60 next month. And yes, age does play a part.


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## BackyardCowboy

paratrooper said:


> I have three large sized safes......and I turn 60 next month. And yes, age does play a part.


So just make your combination your age for the past 3 years. 59 58 57 :smt1099


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## Tpsfoto

I have 2 safes a small wall mounted one with an old non working firearm in it with some unrelated crap ......It is wall mounted and easy to find..... Then there is a hidden safe, heavy and full of the good stuff. The easy to find one is the decoy.


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## Steve M1911A1

...What's your address, again? :smt083


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## paratrooper

BackyardCowboy said:


> So just make your combination your age for the past 3 years. 59 58 57 :smt1099


I could be wrong, but with a conventional spin dial, aren't you committed to the combo the factory set? I was under the impression, that only a lock-smith could re-combo a spin dial.

Maybe things have changed? It's been many years since I messed with any type of spin dial on a gun vault.


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## rustygun

Yes, I believe a locksmith has to reset a mechanical lock combo. The higher end Cannon safes have an EMP lock which is a electronic lock and mechanical lock combined. The idea of that is if there were a EMP blast of some kind you could still access your safe if the electronics were disabled. I have seen videos of electronic locks being bypassed rather easily on some of the lower end models.
Another interesting safe I found is from Zannoti Amour it is a modular safe you put together made of heavy gauge steel. It is not fire proof, though the thickness of the steel does provide some fire resistance . Interesting option for some one that moves a lot or wants a safe in a tight place.
I had decided to get a Liberty fat boy Jr. from Fin feather and fur hear in NE Ohio but every time I get ready to go buy it something else around the house breaks latest being the dryer and of course I needed a washer to match.


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## BackyardCowboy

rustygun said:


> I had decided to get a Liberty fat boy Jr. from Fin feather and fur hear in NE Ohio but every time I get ready to go buy it something else around the house breaks latest being the dryer and of course I needed a washer to match.


So just buy the safe and put the dirty clothes in the safe where they won't be noticed by your spouse. Problem solved


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## BackyardCowboy

Soooo, ended up going with the Browning pistol vault. (PV500). So far, I like it. HAS to be a 6 digit combination using the 1 thru 4 buttons on top. Has a battery panel for 8AA batteries, but the wire that snaps onto the battery pack has the snap that fastens to a 9 volt battery. 
The key override opens the safe even if the batteries are dead, it works the mechanical mechanism, not the motorized part. As mentioned in a previous post, there are terminals on the outside to put a 9 volt battery against if it loses power and you can then punch in the combination. 
There are only two keys, they have four cut strips on each, not something you can get made anywhere around here, so DON"T lose them.


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## EvilTwin

BackyardCowboy said:


> have been looking at/for small gun safe to have at bedside for wife if I'm away. Don't want biometric, too many misreads and wife's fingerprints won't work. (damaged by acids at work over the years).
> I like going to amazon and seeing if anyone is selling a safe I'm looking at, then go to the review for it and look at the one star/two star ratings and what they didn't like. there was a small Gun Vault that popped open to the vibrations of the owner sliding it along the floor (he had video showing it).
> Kind of liked the Hornady Gun ready safe, but from the reviews, when it failed, it failed to the point that even the backup key would not open it.
> Most stores around that carry them, don't have demos on display which is disappointing. Did like the look of the sentry safes (key, biometric, and/or punch button). but the batteries don't last more than a month or two. Did by one of them that is key only and have used the cable to fasten it to the heavy steel headboard of the bed. (Welded steel).
> Currently looking between a Browning PV500 (they also make a bigger PV 1000) and a Steelwater safe ( PS-040913) but the steelwater safe is new and no real reviews yet. (buttons cannot be silenced either.) (About $125 and there may be shipping too)
> The Browning has two electrical contacts on the outside so if the internal batteries fail, you touch a 9 volt battery to the terminals and then can punch in the combination to open the safe. (about $200 and may have shipping cost too)
> They don't pop the lid completely open so you can just reach in and grab, you still have to open the lid the rest of the way.
> Anyone have/had either of these? any comments?


I can offer you some advice from a long time safe owner....

you can never have a big enough safe.. I started out with one and now have three
You never want to put a home defense weapon in a safe.. if you have kids, its a much different matter.. but a locked up weapon is a useless weapon.. IM never more than 12 inches from a loaded weapon... ever......


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## paratrooper

Safes are like storage sheds. Better to be too big, than too small.


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## dinlo21

Hi All - Any one know how to silence the LOUD beep tone on the Steel Water PS-040913 black top opening digital Gun Safe?


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## paratrooper

When I only had one gun safe, I kept it in the bedroom. No problem and it was a safe as could be, location wise. 

Then, I bought a 2nd gun safe. It too, went in the bedroom. My wife didn't put up too much of a fuss. When the 3rd safe arrived, she physically placed a chair in the door to our room and said no more safes allowed. 

It then went out and into my garage / shop.


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