Armory Sponsor
Posted: 12/28/2010 7:06:31 AM EDT
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Instead of making a few threads I thought I would ask all of my questions in this one thread. I searched for answers to all of them but did not find what I was looking for. Please bare with me as I have finally decided to get a little more serious about protecting my firearms as they are currently in a crappy "gun locker", not a "safe".
Issue #1 Location I had always planned on putting my safe in the basement as that would get it out of the way and allow me to bolt it to the slab easily. I now think there is far too much humidity in the basement to make that a smart move. I am now planning on putting the safe in my home office on the main floor. I have two options; 1) get two smaller safes and put them both in the closet, one on each side wall of the closet, 2) Get one larger safe and leave it in the room, bolted to the floor and wall (not viewable through a window). What do you pro's think? I am leaning toward the one big safe but you all know far more than I do. Should I scrap this idea and still put it in the basement even with the humidity/water issues? Issue #2 Window laminate Since the safe(s) would be put on the main floor rather than the basement I would like the 2 windows that are in the room in question to be a little more secure. I already plan on replacing the current hollow core door with an exterior door with deadbolt so entry from the house is more difficult. I know there are DIY window laminates available. Has anyone ever used these? Any brands you would recommend? Should I have a professional do it for me? Any idea on the cost to have this done to two 3x5ish windows? Issue #3 Safe selection My budget on this safe is around $1,000. I know that is not going to get me a "good" safe but like most my budget is tight and I am looking for something to stop a smash and grab robber or my son from getting access to my guns, and also a little fire protection to boot. I would like the safe to have a manual dial (no electronics) and some fire proofing (30-45 minutes). Any suggestions? In a perfect world I would like something that holds about 12 rifles on one side and then has shelving on the right side for pistols and other valuables. Any help you can provide on any of the above questions would be greatly appreciated. And I know some of you will say I shouldn't post where I'm planning on putting the safe for OPSEC reasons but I'm well aware of the "possibilities". Thanks again for any help you may provide. |
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#1- I'd put it where access is most convenient. I'm in/out of my safe an average of 5-10 times a day (electronic lock makes this fast). Easy and convenient access in my master bed closet makes it...easy and convenient. There are pros and cons to one safe or two, but the general consensus is get the biggest safe you can afford and house.
#2- Forget the window laminate. You're trying to strengthen glass to prevent someone from reaching/entering your safe. Burgular: "If only I could get through this glass window I could break into that safe easily." See how that sounds silly? #3- I like my AMSEC BF6030. Plenty of room, hopefully good burgulary resistance and good fire rating. I paid $2k delivered for it, maybe others will have suggestions in your price range. I'll add that the "safes" you're looking at are not true safes but RSC's, residental security containers. A step up for sure from 'gun lockers' but still not true safes. Here's a pic of my safe in my first house, in my master bed. I tried to make it blend in and look good, think I succeeded. 
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Armory Sponsor