do you have a safe?

[denis4x4]

hkchef said:Also if you do purchase a RSC bolt it down and don't put it in your garage if you can avoid it. If your looking for a small RSC or safe your best bet is something hidden very well or secured in concrete flush with your foundation. Amsec makes some good wall and floor products.

I had a floor safe installed in a closet when the foundations were poured. Nothing but problems with documents ruined with moisture. As mentioned in an earlier post, I have an American gun safe that was put in place on the slab and then the walls were framed around it.

 

[HKCHEF]

Was in incased in concrete sides and bottom? Usually that can be a problem with below ground storm shelters to if earth or air contacts the steel.

 

[M3Pilot]

What did the locksmith do? Was he able to just replace the keypad? I have fears of having to have it drilled.

Don't know what he did. I was too busy to observe but he did have to drill a small (approx 1/4") hole 4 inches or so above the keypad.

 

[GoodoleBoy]

Skip the electronic BS IMO.

Ive owned 4 big gun safes and probably 3 pistol safes.. I followed the advice of others and got dial locks..Then I found I would leave the safe unlocked most of the time because I was In and out of it alot during the day which was fine..But many times I would forget to lock it when I left becuase Id shut the door when using it throughout the day.Now that i went to electronic I will not ever go back unless its for a obscure safe I would never use..

Go to any bank or place that uses safe like a jewlerly store and you will find the safe door to be open, or the small security lock being used instead of the locking bolts on the door..Reason is locking the door requires you to use the full combination and it takes forever if your in and out of it alot in a day..

Figure out how often you are in it..If its once a day or more consider a digital lock..

 

[R Walter]

I've got two safes that I use for a bunch of guns. The first I bought was a Diebold from a reseller who got it from a NYC jeweler that upgraded his safes due to increased insurance fire rating requirements. This safe is probably 60 years old and weighs 3,800 pounds. I weighed it at a truckstop when I had it on my trailer. It took a forklift to stand it up and move it into position in my pole barn. [I have it on my ranch.]

The second is an Irvin which is a discontinued local manufacturer (in Albuquerque, NM) and weighs 1,700 pounds.

Both are double-door safes, no electronics except for all the removed electronics on the first one where the jeweler must have had some kind of alarm systems wired up to the doors of the safe.

Now for the three (3) T's... time, tools and talent... Given the three Ts, there is no safe or any other installation that CANNOT be broken in to.

 

[MNBackpacker]

I went with a Champion "safe." (Whatever you want to call it.)

I've had it four years now, and did a fair amount of research before opting for something in the 1600-1800 price point.
The dealer I used rep'd multiple lines, and his basic take was that Liberty was his lower end, Champion the mid range, and AmSec the high end... Prices following that, too. He swaps out all electronic locks for S&G dials, although if you really wanted the electronic he'd do it, but warn you about it..
A good recommendation he provided is that if you're putting the safe in a place that might see moisture (like my basement) to put it up on four hockey pucks. Works well, and you can still tap a bolt in the back.
As someone points out, it's all about deterrents, and given enough time and tools, someone can get in. The dealer indicated a pretty common MO for theives is to rip off a concrete saw from a construction site, and cut in through the side. Even an AmSec is going to eventually fall.
Ultimately, for me, I kept in mind that I was looking to safeguard firearms, as well as some valuables. I already have an alarm system, so just getting in to the location of the safe is going to start the clock ticking. Moving a 1200lb object (empty) is going to slow them down, and it's not likely they'll penetrate the safe prior to the authorities arriving.
For fire protection, most modern safes of that tier use an expanding gasket material around the door that is heat activated, and is designed to seal off the safe from both heat and water in the event of a fire. At that point, you'd be working with the safe manufacturer to get it open... I do, however, use a secondary, insulated safe inside the primary to hold CD computer backups, important papers, etc. They also make "media coolers" and the like.
As another contributor pointed out, there is no real standard for measuring fire/heat protection, so I just wanted to have something that would last long enough that in the event of a fire, it was protected until the fire department came and hopefully got control of the fire...