Where to Install Gun Safe?

[nolimits76]

Recently moved and debating on a location to install my safe. I have 4 choices. Curious to know what others are doing and/or if I’m overlooking a better option.

FYI ballpark dimensions are 60x30x24 @ 1,000#.

Also we have an alarm, additional insurance, hidden video surveillance, two dogs and the house is occupied 90% of the time due to self employment & work from home options. Added bonus is we have good neighbors that are nosy enough to keep a good eye on the place in our absence.

1. Install in garage. Concerns are visibility and humidity. I would install a rubber horse mat below the safe and build a base from pressure treated 2x material. Lay it flat and construct so there are no gaps for leverage. Would bolt to the concrete floor. And I would frame in around the safe to combat visibility issues and make it harder to access. I would also run a dehumidifier rod and bucket to further help control humidity. Other concern is location would affect available width to park. It’s tight with big vehicles. Would prefer to keep built-ins @ 21-24” for this reason. Safe built in would require 27”+ to accommodate handle.

2. Install in master closet. Again would bolt to concrete floor. No humidity or visibility issues. Due to configuration, kind of a pain to access to load and unload which maybe works well if someone breaks in. Concern here is it’s a common area thieves target & search. One side could be snugged against a wall as well as the back.

3. Upstairs in closet of spare room/office. Would likely hire out the move so I don’t kill myself. Concerns with weight going up stairs and also ensuring final resting spot is strong. Not sure if I will need to install plywood to help distribute load and/or need to beef up floor joists. Less likely to be seen or targeted. Concerns aside from weight are it would be near kids room (would be locked but dislike the idea), would have to lug guns up/down stairs. Also if floor weakened or there was a fire it may collapse and would fall into the garage/on top of vehicle(s).

4. Upstairs in a walk-in attic space. What I like most is I don’t foresee it as a highly targeted space especially the way it’s configured. The specific spot I’d use is in a blind corner and would naturally have framed in spaces on the back and side. I could frame in the other side and on top as well to make it a little more difficult. Bolting down would be to a plywood floor. Also I’d have the same humidity concerns and solutions as the garage option. Wondering if I shouldn’t drywall (or plywood) in and run a vent in the space so it’s heated and cooled. If I did that I would also be inclined to build a bench and some storage so I could clean, build and reload. Almost like my own gun room. I’d still have to lug stuff up/down the stairs. Same concerns with fire, etc and potential to collapse on LIVING space below.

 

[tez929rr]

It’s really easy to get wrapped up in these issues. When I bought my safe it took a couple of hours to install it empty. We had to remove doors, some door trim, etc. I would have bought a tool attack rated safe if I had understood the standards better at the time (instead of a RSC rating). So just grabbing and hauling off the now full safe isn’t a realistic threat.

It sure sounds like you have lots of other security measures. We are in a similar situation; the only time I’d be worried is if we were gone for an extended period of time. Unless someone with serious skills wanted to devote some time and equipment to breaking into your specific safe I don’t think you need to worry. If you think you might be targeted then the rules are completely different.

 

[cvairwerks]

Not a snowball’s chance of putting it upstairs unless that was planned when the house was built. Too much of a concentrated load without the necessary floor support structure.

My safe of approximately the same size, ended up being about 1400 lbs when loaded.

 

[joseywales]

Given your situation, the best place to put your safe is Craigslist.

1 - install a simple gun room, or even a safe room if you like. Perhaps the spare office will due. Display your guns, like folks here display their tools. Trust me, it’s more fulfilling than playing Tetris to get the rifle in the back.

2 - check FEMA’s website for tornado room specs and have some fun. Vault doors are cool, but the right safety door, jam, and installation will provide reasonable protection. You CAN keep this simple.

3 - probably the biggest value to a safe is fire protection, but let’s not go down that rabbit hole. Even if the guns don’t burn, they’ve likely bake for a while. Julia Child has a recipe for it, but I don’t recall that Seal Team 6 preheats their firearms at 2,200 degrees for better performance. Enjoy your firearms and if something happens, they’re insured. Which reminds me…

4 - insurance- I recommend a separate policy. Not your homeowners, not a rider. Those folks know nothing about gun values, nor do they care to. Eastern Historical Firearms is good, but I’m sure there are others. Very reasonable rates and no “list” required.

5 - bonus - building a gun room will likely require new tools, or at a minimum, a chance to use existing tools and justify they’re existence to the Mrs. Your welcome.

you might consider the safe for use while you’re away, or for storing Dewalt tools. They’re expensive and too ugly to display when the yellow gets all yucky from use. (That should get some attention ).

If you choose to install the safe, think about climate first. Steady temp, good. Fluctuating temp, bad. Garages and attics can be a challenge in that regard.

Good luck and this thread is lame without pics!!

 

[CraigStu]

Ours isn't as large as yours but it is in the bedroom. I know which way the floor joists run so I put it against the wall that they end at. So it is supported directly by 2 joists about 6 inches from where they sit on the first floor wall.

 

[RADcustom]

Master closet mainly for access should you need it.

 

[loganb]

200 pounds per sq ft is well above the design loads of most wood framed floor structures...generally 40 to 60 is used so unless you can reinforce with steel posts underneath where it will sit, my vote would be the master closet. On concrete, accessible and not somewhere invited guests would likely stumble across accidentally.

Remember the goal of locks are to keep honest people honest. And in this case to keep curious hands out, in the case of a serious break in you have the insurance policy for that as most residential security containers can be broken into in fairly short order

 

[shoot summ]

Recently moved and debating on a location to install my safe. I have 4 choices. Curious to know what others are doing and/or if I’m overlooking a better option.

FYI ballpark dimensions are 60x30x24 @ 1,000#.

Also we have an alarm, additional insurance, hidden video surveillance, two dogs and the house is occupied 90% of the time due to self employment & work from home options. Added bonus is we have good neighbors that are nosy enough to keep a good eye on the place in our absence.

1. Install in garage. Concerns are visibility and humidity. I would install a rubber horse mat below the safe and build a base from pressure treated 2x material. Lay it flat and construct so there are no gaps for leverage. Would bolt to the concrete floor. And I would frame in around the safe to combat visibility issues and make it harder to access. I would also run a dehumidifier rod and bucket to further help control humidity. Other concern is location would affect available width to park. It’s tight with big vehicles. Would prefer to keep built-ins @ 21-24” for this reason. Safe built in would require 27”+ to accommodate handle.

2. Install in master closet. Again would bolt to concrete floor. No humidity or visibility issues. Due to configuration, kind of a pain to access to load and unload which maybe works well if someone breaks in. Concern here is it’s a common area thieves target & search. One side could be snugged against a wall as well as the back.

3. Upstairs in closet of spare room/office. Would likely hire out the move so I don’t kill myself. Concerns with weight going up stairs and also ensuring final resting spot is strong. Not sure if I will need to install plywood to help distribute load and/or need to beef up floor joists. Less likely to be seen or targeted. Concerns aside from weight are it would be near kids room (would be locked but dislike the idea), would have to lug guns up/down stairs. Also if floor weakened or there was a fire it may collapse and would fall into the garage/on top of vehicle(s).

4. Upstairs in a walk-in attic space. What I like most is I don’t foresee it as a highly targeted space especially the way it’s configured. The specific spot I’d use is in a blind corner and would naturally have framed in spaces on the back and side. I could frame in the other side and on top as well to make it a little more difficult. Bolting down would be to a plywood floor. Also I’d have the same humidity concerns and solutions as the garage option. Wondering if I shouldn’t drywall (or plywood) in and run a vent in the space so it’s heated and cooled. If I did that I would also be inclined to build a bench and some storage so I could clean, build and reload. Almost like my own gun room. I’d still have to lug stuff up/down the stairs. Same concerns with fire, etc and potential to collapse on LIVING space below.

My Son had a house with a finished bump out into the attic that was accessed through a closet, behind a hinged shelving unit. The nice part was you had plenty of room for all of the other things you want to keep around your safe, gun cases, ammo, etc.

I know someone that has a tornado shelter installed in his basement, it is an awesome gun room.

 

[bighouse01]

Due to lack of good space- safe in the attached under house garage, concealed with cardboard, looks like a box of clutter. I have a shorty scatter gun stashed for quick access elsewhere. Someone’s almost always home too.

 

[denis4x4]

When I put an addition on my converted hay barn, I put the safe on the slab and then built around it. No way it can be removed.

 

[Walkers]

I have the same safe. I put it in the garage. We have no humidity issues here though.

 

[loganb]

I'd also still do the hobby space in the attic and make it the dedicated space for reloading or working on them. Put a cheap, lightweight cabinet up there for items being worked on and have a nice hideaway!

 

[Dumber than lumber]

4 - insurance- I recommend a separate policy. Not your homeowners, not a rider. Those folks know nothing about gun values, nor do they care to. Eastern Historical Firearms is good, but I’m sure there are others. Very reasonable rates and no “list” required.

I have heard some very good arguments against adding the firearms to a Homeowner's policy.
Your suggestion is one I never heard, and one that is worth further exploration.

 

[joseywales]

I have heard some very good arguments against adding the firearms to a Homeowner's policy.
Your suggestion is one I never heard, and one that is worth further exploration.

Thanks. Allstate would look at your freshly baked guns and say, "they look fine." Eastern will know the damage that's been done. There's simply no good reason to add firearms to a homeowner's policy, other than perhaps cost. However, Historic Firearms Eastern Insurance, and I'm sure others as well, are very reasonable. And I know that Historic also covers sporting gear, so high end fly rods, art, vintage ammo ( and I believe they now cover modern ammo as well). Might even cover high end bikes, which are in the thousands these days. Other companies might cover these items as well.

At a cost of about $.0033 per $1,000 of coverage. So, $10,000 would be $33 annually (I don't work for them, rates could have increased, and there could be minimums).

Also, there's no itemization, unless any single item is worth $10,000 or more (I wish!). Worth a look if you have the right items to insure.

 

[Nick Danger]

I'm not a gun owner, so I may be off-base with this. But it seems to me that the harder it becomes to get to your stuff, the less frequently you are going to put in the effort to enjoy them. Making it so you have to remove clothes from the closet or walk up to the attic will get old fast. You need to find the right balance between discouraging thieves and your convenience.

This is Garage Journal. Bolt it to the slab in the corner of an existing room and throw up a balloon wall so it's not obvious.

 

[slowtwitch73]

I ditched the safe and put a coded lock on a utility closet.

 

[Firebrick43]

Never install in a garage/shop due to visibility. Most break ins are someone that is familiar with you. Like a buddies kids trying to get money for drugs. Also many shops you are giving the tools to an unprepared thief to break in. IE angle grinders with cut off wheels, oxy/fuel torch, and or plasma torch

Put it in the master bedrooms closet, bolted down and the side of the safe up against the wall. IF they can get a safe on the ground or in the door crack most big box store safes can be pried open with a pry bar.

Most safes are relatively light weight construction and while look thick have doors that are just formed. They should have at least a 1/2" AR500 plate door.

I would suggest a wall on the otherside as well. Add 4 or 5 layers of type x drywall on all sides to increase fire resistance/fire fighting time.

Even the best safe can in the best location can be defeated if the thief is a pro and has time. Above suggestions make it difficult for an amature and add time so they will be discovered and or alarms can alert the police and show

 

[unslow1]

When I put an addition on my converted hay barn, I put the safe on the slab and then built around it. No way it can be removed.

That's what I thought and they tore out parts of the walls to get it out. Now it's bolted down to the concrete with a monitored alarm system and cameras. Lucky for me and everyone else it was the teens from across the street and they weren't very smart. I had it back unopened a couple of hours after I got home.

 

[iamrfixit]

Mine's in the room connecting the garage to the house. It's insulated and finished, sometimes heated but not full time and never air conditioned. I like having it bolted to a concrete floor with no concern of falling through floors in the event of a major fire. I only keep some basic tools at the house, the more serious tools you'd need for breaking into it are in the shop at another location.

It's on the higher end of safes, cost a couple grand years ago. It's about that same size but around 1800#, full 1/2" hard plate door, bolts on four sizes, thicker outer steel skin. Also has an inner steel skin with a poured insulation between the layers. I keep a 24" goldenrod dehumidifier rod running inside for humidity control and have never seen a speck of rust on anything in the fifteen or so years it's been there.

Our kids are grown and not much traffic through the garage anymore that isn't family. If I were concerned about people seeing it I'd just frame a closet around it. Even though it's really sharp looking, gloss black with polished brass, and kind of cool to have out on display, out of sight is the best policy for any safe.

 

[908Jim]

Of your 4 Options, #2 is my choice.

1) Safes can (and do) get dragged out by trucks
2) Good option because it's on a slab, in conditioned air
3) Highly doubt floor was designed for this load.
4) Highly doubt floor was designed for this load.

 

[Bucko]

I would install in closet with and organize the other contents to make it more user friendly. Even with low humidity the garage is a poor choice due to visibility when coming and going along with temperature swings. Upstairs is a headache and alot of weight in one spot.
Buy a smaller safe and leave it more out in the open with a few cheap guns for quick access and a good decoy.

 

[ace10]

#1 Garage is arguably the least secure space in the home
#3 and 4... heck no

 

[aggie113]

If you can use a hidden space on the higher floors than I would recommend getting a lighter weight RSC in place of your current safe. If the RSC can remain hidden then it's weaker steel door/walls won't be a hindrance. I have mine tucked into a corner of the garage, but it is a very large garage and a very large safe, and I had very few places I could install it in my pier and beam foundation house.

 

[Masheen365]

Of your options here I would absolutely go with the master closet. It’s actually one of the best options if you ask me.
I’m not a safe expert by any means, but I am a career firefighter. I’ve been to hundreds of structure fires and am pretty good at forcible entry. The best way to keep your guns from being ruined in a fire is to have them in a “fire rated” safe and away from fire. The best way to stop fire fire spread is by compartmentalizing everywhere you can. So just by keeping the door to the master closet closed you are adding fire protection. Also, by putting the safe in a smaller space you are giving a thief fewer options to breach your safe. Anchoring it makes it harder to move or tip. A small space makes it harder to gain mechanical advantage through leverage. One of the easiest ways I’ve seen a consumer safe breached is by using a rotary tool (like a K12) to cut the side out. A door is pretty easy to break open with the help of some sort of hydraulic tool. I’ve opened a few for homeowners after a fire with a Hurst Strongarm.
I keep one of my safes in my master closet because I feel it is safest from fire and thieves, that’s why it’s the one I store all my valuable papers and non-gun stuff in.

 

[rayra]

Put the monster in the garage, bolted to the slab and wall and put on nondescript cabinet around it to obscure it from casual notice.
Put a smaller safe for a few 'ready' firearms in the master closet, likewise secured.

 

[nolimits76]

Thanks for all the incredible feedback and suggestions.

FWIW, if I get to custom build again I will absolutely have a hidden room that is FEMA rated, ventilated, etc that can serve as a panic room, tornado shelter and gun vault with work area for gunsmith work. Unfortunately, it’s just not in the cards at this house. It’s pre-existing and a realistic possibility we move in 2-4 years for job advancement so not the way I want to spend our money. That said, going upstairs and beefing up floor joists, etc are also out as that will likely turn into too much of a headache & expense.

We had also considered selling the safe and doing hidden storage. The main drawback here is lack of fire protection and also not being as secure from kids. Granted I could corral them outside or something while I load and unload guns but I see that backfiring on me, no pun intended. We had some problems with our daughter previously so I can’t risk that.

I am cautious and try to think ahead. We have plans if the car goes in water. The safest place to go in a home intrusion, fire, etc. Generally speaking I’m not paranoid and believe the world is a good place but I like being prepared for the worst. Hence, the alarm, dogs and security cams.

In regards to the insurance, I will check out a specialized policy through the company recommended. I have such a specialized policy for my wife’s jewelry so it makes sense the firearms get their own. Currently I just have the HO policy inflated to cover me which I agree isn’t ideal.

 

[The Frisco Kid]

In Oklahoma (I'm in Texas) the humidity in the garage is a deal killer. Even with a goldenrod and a few desiccant cans my garage would never work out for housing guns. Upstairs is also a no go due to load. I would go master closet. Easily accessible and air conditioned.

 

[ToddG]

Hide the big safe so it's out of sight. Then buy a cheapo small document safe at a yard sale and throw some scrap metal in it. Put a label on it that hints at guns inside. Put it out in the open where it's easy to see and grab. Criminals are stupid and will go for the easy fast score every time...

 

[gfd_703]

From a firefighter standpoint always put on an exterior wall. It is far easier for the fire department to keep water on and keep cool if easily assessable. Buried deep within the structure will almost always encounter higher temperatures and duration.

 

[Jackfre]

Simple solution. If you are having issues with location you obviously have to many guns requiring a to large safe. Now, If you take my advise and sell off to me some of the excess it will be much simpler with a smaller safe to pup it where you want it. Please pm me the list and we can keep this just between you and me.

 

[nolimits76]

In Oklahoma (I'm in Texas) the humidity in the garage is a deal killer. Even with a goldenrod and a few desiccant cans my garage would never work out for housing guns. Upstairs is also a no go due to load. I would go master closet. Easily accessible and air conditioned.

We moved states but still deal with similar type humidity at the new place. I am glad to hear someone pipe up about actual experience. Many of the (internet) articles I’ve read made it sound like 1-2 rods and desiccant buckets would work. The garage is better insulated than typical build standards for Oklahoma but I don’t think it’s enough to overcome it.

My initial thoughts was I could get a portable air unit and make life in the garage more pleasurable as well as helping combat humidity is push came to shove.

Hide the big safe so it's out of sight. Then buy a cheapo small document safe at a yard sale and throw some scrap metal in it. Put a label on it that hints at guns inside. Put it out in the open where it's easy to see and grab. Criminals are stupid and will go for the easy fast score every time...

We are toying with an idea to hide it better. However, without just tearing down walls I need a camera to help me gauge reasonably accurate dimensions in the pitch black.

Any ideas where I could rent

From a firefighter standpoint always put on an exterior wall. It is far easier for the fire department to keep water on and keep cool if easily assessable. Buried deep within the structure will almost always encounter higher temperatures and duration.

Thank you, this is really good info!

If we do the closet it will be on an exterior wall. The hidden option I eluded to above would put it damn near in the middle of the house, where we may have some wasted cubby holes due to angled walls, etc.

Simple solution. If you are having issues with location you obviously have to many guns requiring a to large safe. Now, If you take my advise and sell off to me some of the excess it will be much simpler with a smaller safe to pup it where you want it. Please pm me the list and we can keep this just between you and me.

LOL, appreciate the offer. Everything is for sale for the right price. Well except some of the sentimental/family heirloom pieces.

 

[Alchase]

I have one in the Master walk-in closet, and another in the Master bedroom. Both work great.
I was talking to a local detective who lives in my neiborhood, about the worry of theft.
He said the vast majority of thief's are local druggies, not exactly rocket scientists. They are looking to get in quick and get out with something they can pawn.
He said in his 26 years on the force, he has seen only two attempts to steal safes. One was a friend of the victims son who was a local meth maggot. He and a friend broke in and were trying to get the safe into the back of a pickup, when one got his foot crushed by the weight of the safe, so they left it in the front yard.
The second, some guys tried to cut open a safe in the house and made so much noise and neighbor called the police. They were caught while trying to cut it open with grinder.

 

[RAS61]

I know someone who put theirs on the 3rd floor in a conditioned attic off a playroom, but it's 400 lbs with a removable door to split the weight when moving. It's a great location that few burglars would ever find, and is strong enough to keep kids, drunk relatives, and smash and grab thieves out. The master bedroom is OK, but much more likely for a thief to find, and I wouldn't want to give up prime storage space like that - there's never enough bedroom closet space, especially if you have a woman in your life.

 

[zkdiesel]

Mines similar size but weighs 6200lbs. Nobody has the ambition to steal it

 

[tarmy]

I could give you the keys to my house, the code to the alarm and a 10 minute head start and I am willing to bet no one would even find it. Besides, it is welded into a frame I set in 2 yards of concrete.

 

[nolimits76]

FYI, here are a couple of screen shots of how I planned to enclose the safe in the garage (before scrapping the idea). It's not complete, but gives a rough idea. As you can see I had it off-centered from the right wall and had planned on putting additional shelves there. I framed in the safe on both sides with an exterior wall on the back side. On the front top lip of the safe I used wood framing to create an angle for additional protection from tipping, etc.

Above the safe I had a wider shelf that completed the "bottom unit". Then I had planned on running cabinets on the top that extended to the ceiling. FYI, the black is the safe. The green is the pressure treated 2x frame and the blue is the rubber horse mat that was being used to help prevent moisture from getting on the bottom of the safe.

To the left of the built-in unit will be a two 42" HF toolboxes with about 36-42" sit/work space between them. At the end of that run I planned on doing some additional open shelving (wasn't sure if entire vertical distance, or a portion, as that will get me into the space where my garage door opener rails are located and swinging doors creates problems. Obviously none of that is shown on this sketch.

 

[Crabman]

I keep a 24" goldenrod dehumidifier rod running inside for humidity control and have never seen a speck of rust on anything in the fifteen or so years it's been thereI am following this as I am going to have to get a safe in the near future. We do not have crime issues, but we have two new grand daughters, and anticipate that they and other kids will be at the house.

Frisco

In Oklahoma (I'm in Texas) the humidity in the garage is a deal killer. Even with a goldenrod and a few desiccant cans my garage would never work out for housing guns

We have humidity in Southern Maryland too. Did you try it with a goldenrod and desiccant and have issues, or is this based on other info?

I ask because iammrfixit said

Mine's in the room connecting the garage to the house...I keep a 24" goldenrod dehumidifier rod running inside for humidity control and have never seen a speck of rust on anything in the fifteen or so years it's been there

Iowa certainly has humidity (unlike the SW for example). 15 years is a large data set.

I have a room between the garage and the house which is finished, but not under heat and air. Concrete floor is good. Has door with locking knob and deadbolt. I run a fan to circulate air and it does not get unbearably hot in there. Could easily shut the door and run a small ceramic heater on really cold days in the winter.

I would be interested in hearing from others with real world experience in humid areas and not putting the safe in a temperature controlled area.

Thanks to all for the posts, which have given me a lot to think about.

Josey, Thanks for the posts about the separate insurance. Not sure I need it, but I did not know it existed, so I learned something.

Bruce

 

[nolimits76]

I've never been to IA so I can't comment on humidity there. However, I have gotten close in the northern regions of MO and it didn't seem overly humid there, but it could of been time of year, etc.

I have been to Baltimore, MD. Actually went a few years back and stayed in Washington DC at some fancy historic hotel for a conference. They had glorified water coolers. Several of us complained because it was abnormally hot & humid that particular year. Eventually some of us changed hotels a block or so away that had real AC. During that same trip, we took a bullet train up to NYC and they too were experiencing higher than normal temperatures & humidity levels.

I remember I was looking forward to my east coast adventures as OK was very hot & miserable during that time of year. Turns out there wasn't much relief; however, it might have been slightly better. That said, the miserable condition was normal for OK, whereas it was abnormal for the Baltimore, DC & NYC areas. I might add that traveling to other states, I normally consider it better than the hot & sticky weather of OK & TX, and while TX isn't always worse than OK, it really depends where you are there.

My point in all that blabbering is we may all have slight bias towards what we consider humid or not. I was trying to find something more data driven. NOAA has these data charts that may be useful for eliminating bias.

Comparative Climatic Data (CCD)

The Comparative Climatic Data (CCD-2018) tables of meteorological elements outline the climate conditions at major U.S. weather observing stations, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific Islands.

www.ncei.noaa.gov

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/relhum18.dat

93721BALTIMORE,MD 194901-201812 73 56 72 53 71 50 71 48 76 53 77 52 78 52 82 55 84 55 83 54 78 54 75 57 77 53

13967OKLAHOMA CITY,OK 194501-201812 78 59 78 57 76 53 78 52 84 58 85 57 82 51 82 50 83 54 80 53 79 54 78 58 80 55
13968TULSA,OK 194807-201812 78 60 77 57 76 53 78 52 85 58 85 58 82 54 83 53 85 55 82 53 79 55 78 59 81 56

14933DES MOINES,IA 194501-201812 78 68 79 66 79 60 77 54 79 55 81 57 84 58 86 59 85 57 80 55 79 62 80 70 81 60
94908DUBUQUE,IA 195102-201812 80 71 80 68 80 63 78 56 80 57 83 60 87 61 89 62 88 60 83 58 82 65 83 73 83 63
14943SIOUX CITY,IA 194801-201812 78 69 80 67 81 62 79 52 80 53 83 56 87 59 89 61 87 56 82 54 81 62 81 70 82 60
94910WATERLOO,IA 194901-201812 79 71 81 69 83 63 82 55 82 55 85 56 88 59 91 60 90 57 84 57 83 65 83 73 84 62

13962ABILENE,TX 194807-201812 72 52 73 52 70 47 73 46 80 51 80 50 74 46 74 45 78 50 76 50 74 50 72 51 75 49
23047AMARILLO,TX 194807-201812 70 49 72 49 69 41 69 38 76 43 77 44 75 42 78 45 78 46 74 44 71 44 71 48 73 44
13958AUSTIN,TX 194807-201812 79 59 80 59 80 56 83 56 87 59 89 55 88 50 86 49 85 53 84 54 82 57 79 58 83 55
12919BROWNSVILLE,TX 194807-201812 88 65 89 63 88 60 89 59 90 60 91 59 92 55 92 55 92 61 90 59 88 60 87 64 90 60
12924CORPUS CHRISTI,TX 194807-201812 86 66 87 64 87 61 89 62 92 64 93 62 93 57 92 56 91 61 89 59 86 60 85 63 89 61
13960DALLAS,TX 194807-201812 76 58 77 57 75 53 79 55 82 56 81 53 77 49 75 48 80 52 80 52 78 54 76 57 78 54
22010DEL RIO,TX 195105-201812 76 55 74 52 73 49 76 51 81 55 81 54 78 50 77 50 82 54 81 56 79 56 77 54 78 53
23044EL PASO,TX 194807-201812 58 34 50 27 41 20 35 16 35 16 39 18 56 29 59 31 58 31 55 30 54 31 58 37 50 27
12923GALVESTON,TX 194807-201809 85 74 86 75 83 71 85 72 83 70 82 69 82 68 82 67 82 67 80 64 81 66 83 71 83 69
12960HOUSTON,TX 196906-201812 85 62 86 61 87 59 89 57 91 58 92 59 93 57 93 56 92 58 90 56 89 59 87 62 89 59
23042LUBBOCK,TX 194807-201812 72 48 72 47 68 40 68 37 75 42 77 44 74 46 77 48 80 51 78 46 74 45 72 47 74 45
23023MIDLAND-ODESSA,TX 194807-201812 71 46 71 44 66 36 66 34 73 37 75 41 72 42 73 42 78 48 77 45 74 43 72 45 72 42
12917PORT ARTHUR,TX 194807-201812 87 67 88 64 88 62 90 62 91 62 92 63 94 64 94 63 92 62 91 58 89 61 88 66 90 63
23034SAN ANGELO,TX 194807-201812 75 51 75 50 72 44 74 43 80 48 80 48 77 43 77 44 82 51 81 51 78 49 76 50 77 48
12921SAN ANTONIO,TX 194807-201812 79 57 80 57 80 55 83 56 87 59 87 56 87 52 86 50 85 54 84 54 81 55 79 56 83 55
12912VICTORIA,TX 195302-201812 87 64 87 62 88 59 89 59 92 60 93 59 93 56 93 55 92 59 91 56 88 59 87 62 90 59
13959WACO,TX 194807-201812 82 62 83 61 82 57 84 57 88 59 87 54 83 48 82 47 85 52 84 54 83 57 82 60 84 56
13966WICHITA FALLS,TX 194807-201812 77 54 78 54 77 49 78 48 84 53 83 50 77 45 77 44 82 50 81 50 79 51 78 54 79 50

 

[sjvicker]

Given that you're likely to move in 2-4 years (and I'm guessing again in a few after that) my opinion is to look more closely at your attic.

I'm not sure if it would work out due to space but if I was in your position I'd look to finish off the attic into a library of sorts and move to multiple smaller safes hidden behind hinged bookcases or otherwise concealed. Multiple safes would distribute the load, be easier to move and are more time consuming to break into. You could even encase them in cement board or sheetrock for a little extra protection.

This also give you your dedicated room for reloading and a spot you can lock the kids out of. You'd have to deal with steps but that's a 2-4 year problem, not a lifetime one.

 

[The Frisco Kid]

I personally kept a goldenrod and two desiccant cans in rotation in my garage, and I would have to clean a spot or two of rust regularly. Safe inside the house is spotless for years. Not saying that you can't get away with it, but I would avoid if possible.