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Ryan,
I've been researching safes for about a year. I know too much about safes to make a proper decision.
You mentioned that you don't like dial safes for the reason the dial must be spun to lock the safe. Is that the same on your redundant lock (in case of EMP)? Is that redundant lock the 6441IU2U?
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Quote History Quoted:
Ryan,
I've been researching safes for about a year. I know too much about safes to make a proper decision.
You mentioned that you don't like dial safes for the reason the dial must be spun to lock the safe. Is that the same on your redundant lock (in case of EMP)? Is that redundant lock the 6441IU2U?
Dials are fine on safes, I just don't like them on vault room doors, since you have to spin the dial to lock the door. Not a problem on a safe, just not easy to do from inside a closed vault door.
The redundant locks also require the dial to be spun in order to lock. So to sum up for my preference: safe or Fort Knox vault = redundant lock. Vault room that you wish to spend time in = electronic lock only
I really like the Legend, but after a ton of research it doesn't really carry the TL15 rating, but it's priced way above models that do made by Brown and AMSEC.
While I'd really like to own a TL15 or greater rated safe I came to the realization that my unique needs prevent me. I move every couple of years. While today I have plenty extra space in my garage and in my basement with a crawl space under it; that may not always be the case. There may be a time when the only place is in a spare bedroom upstairs. The weight of the legend is too heavy for upstairs too.
If a Legend is too heavy, a TL rated safe of similar size will be equally heavy if not more so. We do also have our L-series line of TL30x6 safes that we build in partnership with INKAS. The problem with the whole RSC vs TL argument is that RSC category includes EVERYTHING that hasn't gone through the specific testing and paid the fees to be TL rated. That means a Fort Knox Legend ends up in the same category as a tin toolbox. Even though I can put a Legend up against a TL15 safe and have it perform just as well or better on most of the tests.
The issue is the expense of getting a TL rating, and then re certifying when you change things. We are a custom builder, so changing things is what we do. It just doesn't fit our model to chase a certification that is only necessary for insurance companies. We have the option with our L-series, but I would just as soon have a Titan or legend in most circumstances. I'll tell you I haven't been impressed with the mechanisms or construction of many TL safes I have seen.
The Legend is a killer vault, but it has some bling features, like nickle plated gears behind glass etc. that don't add to security. We can beef up an Executive or Titan with the stainless and AR500 liners and get the same security and save a bunch of $$
So my next question is what Fort Knox model has excellent security yet versatile enough to be placed anywhere? What weight is my target weight? Fort Knox has a blog post somewhere restricting upstairs to be 1,000 lb max, is this still true?
What would you do if you if you bounced around a lot?
If you move around a lot and anticipate needing it in an upstairs bedroom, 1000 pounds is a good rule to fit most houses out there, 1500 pounds if you only buy modern construction, span multiple joists and put it on an outside wall. (that is assuming you can get whatever size you buy up the stairs from a dimension standpoint) In that case a Titan is a great vault, though I wouldn't feel insecure with a properly bolted down Protector in 7 gauge or Executive in 1/4" either. YMMV
Just like with fire, you are only buying yourself time. We build them with tools, and if someone can work with an unlimited amount of time with loud tools without getting caught, they can get into anything... this is true for everything -including the nuke bunkers at NORAD.