Posted: 9/29/2007 3:35:38 PM EDT
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I have 6 long guns and 6 pistols\revolvers, looking for logical knowledge and personal experience on what would be a good choice and why (I know what size I want, it's the options and manufacturer I'm not sure on yet).... Cabelas? Champion? Fort Knox? Browning? Liberty? Other? Looking for the factory or reseller to deliver in home 2 safes, 1 in Michigan, 1 in Texas. |
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I spent quite a bit of time researching the options before making my choice. I've had a fascination with locks since I was a kid and even got my first safe at the age of eight. Had to find a place to hide all those dirty magazines! I have no financial interest in any company listed here. The accumulation of all I know in a few words: The usual purposes: Theft prevention, Fire protection, impress everyone with my choice. The opinion: The list of manufacturers is short. The majority of commonly available gun safes are manufactured by AmSec (American Security Products). These safes are sold under a host of other brand names. Amsec's product line runs the gamut from 12 gauge cans (UL listed RSC - Residential Security Containers) to actual safes resistant to tool attacks (UL TL30). Watch a RSC safe in action SEE MOVIE OFFERED HERE Higher end units can be found atGraffunder Safe. You might want to check out Zanotti Armor Safes for a couple of reasons I'll cover in a moment. To complete the list, I should include Sturdy Gun Safe which represents the best value for quality components, but is strictly utilitarian in appearance. As you have no doubt learned by now, your safe's attributes are going to be dictated by your budget. From your statement regarding 6 long guns and 6 handguns, you should be able to get by with about a 30" safe. The best advice is to purchase a bigger safe than you need because you will eventually run out of space and wish you got a bigger unit to begin with. You will also need to assess your requirements for fire protection. I suggest you check out the information pages about identifying particular safe manufacturing shortcuts here: INFO. In general, the information provided is accurate. Don't believe any claims of fire protection "certifications" unless it is an UL certification. My ass is certified fire resistant to 125 degrees for one hour when I sit on the beach, but that means little in the way of protecting your firearms and family photos / stamp collection against damage, the same is true for certified 1,250 degree protection for 28.6 minutes from Myass Fire Laboratory Testing Service. Go with external hinges, better than 12 ga. steel box, don't use drywall for fire protection, use mechanical dial combination lockwork (Sargeant & Greenleaf makes dependable units). The fewer people who know you have a safe the better. I didn't have my safe delivered by others, nor do many people even know its there. Keeping knowledge of the existence or location of your safe limited to those that absolutely need to know will provide you the equivalent of thousands of dollars of steel reinforcement. For that reason alone, you should check out the Zanotti Armor units. I haven't seen one in person, but the modular concept is interesting. |
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I have a Liberty. It is quite suitable. Your list of 6 long guns & 6 hand guns would suggest you need something that will hold 18-25 long guns. I am not kidding. Theeeee best advice I got when safe shopping was get one TWICE as big as you need. The difference in cost from 10gun to 25gun is not much. Safes have their own sort of gravity. They just manage to fill themselves up over time 
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Actually, if a buyer is "younger", I would suggest 3 or 4x as big as you need, if not more. |
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Heritage Safe, the paint has a warrenty against defects and rust for 5 years, and guarantee the lock for 5 years. They guarantee for life against all other defects, forced entry, fire and flood. Even give free freight if there is a problem with the safe that they cannot fix at your house. I think most shops that sell safes offer some sort of delivery service. |