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Posted: 7/6/2006 8:49:41 AM EDT
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I am going to buy one, but I am not sure which one. All the local shops recommend Liberty safes, but they don't carry them. A friend that lost his home in the San Diego fires told me not to buy a Canon. His Henry rifle was a puddle of melted brass. I live in apartments too so 400lbs safes are a little hard for me (upstairs too). Any ideas on what I should get? I only have 6 long guns, but 14 pistols. The only light one I can find is a wal-mart one. Not very good I would guess.. |
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I helped my pop buy a safe a few years ago, and recently bought my own, living in a similar situation. My research included visiting commercial and GSA bank vault/storage container dealers. Commercial safes are insurance rated based upon the amount of time it takes for a professional to cut his way in (basically). Thicker/more bolts/bolted down/etc. means more time-on-target for the bad guy, increasing his risk of discovery. Important to realize: you are reducing your risk of theft or fire damage, not eliminating it. Buy the most safe you can afford. Above a certain amount, you will have to judge whether additional fire protection or bolts add additional benefit. Liberty has sometimes made house brands for Lowes (about 7 years ago) called "U.S. Safe." Get a Liberty with a Sargent & Greenleaf Group II dial lock. While you could get a keypad lock, there are plenty of anecdotal (and two known to me personally) stories of the electronic keypad failing in some way. The Liberty safe is a nice UL Listed "residential security container." You will run out of room quicker than you think! Get a Goldenrod dehumidifier. They are cheap. Even though you live in AZ... The basic, 17cf Liberty weighs 450 # empty. Pay the extra 100$ and get the safe company to deliver it and move it to your place; the risk of injury or damage to yourself, your friends, or your building is worth paying professionals to do it. Good luck! |
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Cannon safes are nice, was your buddy's safe fire resistant? If so, the fire may have been hotter than it could stand, for longer than it could stand. I don't think they make a very light safe though, just the big mothers. The little Sentry safes are ok for the money, and they have fire resistant models. As a fellow apartment dweller, that's what I went with. There isn't much in that weight category, I think my Sentry 14 gun came out to 350 or so. It actually moved easier than I expected it would. The freight driver also helped out a lot, and turned "curbside delivery" into "why don't I just wheel this right inside" for a cold drink and a $20. A nice touch when the curb is a quarter mile downhill over dirt. Anyway, fire safes are nice and all, but nothing replaces a good renter's insurance policy with a rider for the expensive guns. |
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Safes are rated by Underwriters Laboratories, not the insurance industry. Most of what is considered a safe by the untrained observer is really not a safe at all. Most 'gunsafes' are only containers and did not meet any UL standards. A new rating was made for them called RSC or residential storage container. Trust me, you really get what you pay for in a safe. In a snatch and grab, a large sledge hammer will compromise most RSC rated safes in seconds. Really take a look at how the door interlocks with the safe walls. Many gunsafes are very poorly designed in that area. Here is a link to the rating systems: rating 1 RATINGS CLICKY If you want any sense of security at all, Browning Pro-steel, Amsec, and some other lesser known brands are really made very well if you take a good look at the design. Most importantly, you NEED to bolt it down. If you don't, a hand truck will relieve you of your goods. FYI, I moved a 900 pound safe with a hand truck. Here is a pic of a stuffed Browning: 
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