Basic Home Safe Recommendations?

[mitch]

A buddy just asked me about gun safes- anybody have an opinion on a good choice for basic security & fire protection? he's not a collector, just has a few pieces he'd like to keep safe from his young children and any intruders (they travel a lot).

thanks in advance!

 

[BrianPowley]

I have a 20+ year old "TREADLOCK" brand and has served me well but if I were to buy another one,it would be a Liberty Safe. The Cabela's brand is made by Liberty also. They claim 100% Made in U.S.A.

If price is an object, (when isn't it?),any safe is better than none. The idea is to create a deterrent to thieves and unauthorized personnel.
...and be sure to bolt the thing to the wall or floor.

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

I did a lot of research before I purchased a Browning fire safe. It has many unique and quality features not found in others. My second choice was the Fort Knox because of the price. But, it has a much better locking mechanism involving gears instead of cams and levers.

Hidden hinges, due to their design, leave areas of less insulation and therefore cause hot spots during a fire. The Browning door is constructed in such a way that it defeats prying attacks. The metal from the back of the door is formed in such a way that it meets behind the metal from the front of the door to form the lip. Prying the door does nothing to get the door open. Some safes have a spot welded 1/4 inch thick front panel that forms the lip and can fail when pried.

The Browning safe has a special door seal mounted on the door that expands during a fire to compensate for warping and will keep the heat out better. Some safes just have an oven type seal around the door frame that is prone to losing the seal during a fire.

You should look at how many bolts lock the door and their placement. Some safes have more than others and vary a lot in diameter. Some safes even use plastic bushings on the bolts that will fail under high heat. The door on a Browning safe can be easily removed for moving or transportation.

I used to work for an armored car company for about 8 years in one of my past lives. Many bank vaults and our trucks used Sargent & Greenleaf locks... so does Browning.

I could go on and on but I can say that for your money you get more safety in your safe if you buy a Browning. (Made in the USA too!)

 

[Beathard]

The key to any good safe is keeping it closed. My wife left mine open 2 days in 2010 and it was emptied. Closed it would have been safe. Sounds stupid, but it happened.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I have a Fort Knox it has a sign on the door reading be sides guns theres also 20lb.of black power in side any attempt to torch your way in will result in cornor scrapping your body parts off the walls and celling.J.J.

 

[Gargoyle]

I can say that for your money you get more safety in your safe if you buy a Browning. (Made in the USA too!)

Does the Browning lock manually, or is it semi-automatic?

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

Does the Browning lock manually, or is it semi-automatic?

I have the manual dial version and I have to spin it to lock it once the door is latched shut. I'm not sure how the digital version works.

 

[silverchip]

J.J.- Only 20 lbs!?!?!?!?!? That's enough to send my shop into orbit along with any would be burglars bits and pieces!!!!!!!

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

I ordered one out to put on mine too: Danger - Black Powder Enclosed - Sticker $5

 

[thughes]

Doc,
Where did you get that, I like it. I'm in the market for a new safe as well. My current safe is not big enough. My home was broken into back in the summer and as bethard said, a safe is only good if things are inside and locked up. I lost several guns that I didn't have room for in the safe, plus my skeet gun which I had taken out the night before to loan to my nephew who is on the high school team. I went off to work and forgot it, only time it's ever not been in the safe, and that's the day they broke in.

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

Doc,
Where did you get that, I like it.

Click on that link I made and it takes you right there to order one.

I bought my safe from A.G. English and had it drop shipped to my garage. They matched the MidWayUSA wholesale price and let me choose the color and internal arrangement which were higher priced options.

http://agenglish.com/