Gun Safe

[max7777]

Interested in a new Gun Safe. Any suggestions?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rangerman2003]

how big do you need it???

[retsupt99]

I have two Brownings...a compact, and a Bronze series...work well for me...

[KMBRTAC45]

how big do you need it???

And how much do you want to spend? They range from around $600 for the Sam's Club special to $3000+ for top of the line.

[retsupt99]

I have two Brownings...a compact, and a Bronze series...work well for me...

...the small one was about $500, and the taller Bronze series (smallest of the tall models) was about $1500...

You get what you pay for.

[Bark'n]

Sportsmen Gun Safes, formerly Pentagon has the highest fire rating in the industy as well as great security. (I am buying a Sportsman this fall)

http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/


Also Cannon Gun Safes are also highly rated safes.

http://www.cannonsafe.com/

[max7777]

Looking for a 23 gun size for around $1200.00 at the most.

[ccw9mm]

Does this safe need to actually secure the contents from theft? You see what I'm saying, here. Not all boxes labelled as "safes" are capable of withstanding even basic attacks. Tougher means: higher cost, by quite a bit. That comes from the materials, specific types of materials used (ie, tool-resistent grades of steel), position of elements (ie, randomly-placed parts, to defy drilling success), and so on. But it also comes from how to place it in the home, whether that place is a "hardened" and insulated area to guard from casual view and fire. It comes from what other elements of your security plan you have in place, such as dogs, monitored alarm with perimter, hardened doorways, doors and windows, a safe room with dual methods of telco communication, defensible lanes of fire through key hallways ... and, your SHTF plan, practiced and understood. Each of these elements can combine to make a home fairly difficult to enter for the average criminal. Will it stop a good one? Not likely. But, every little bit helps add time to the equation.

Does this safe need to actually protect against fire? 30mins of 1200* fire certification isn't a lot, particularly for a box placed in a "hot" part of the house (should a fire occur). A garden-variety house fire can get hotter than that. And, any box becomes an oven, at some point, irrespective of how well-made the box is. So, the construction, materials and placement are all important factors.

My unit has a high fire rating, and I live 2mi from the fire department. It is very well built, with randomly-placed elements and high-grade, tool-resistant steels used in the construction. New, they can be 3x+ what I paid, which itself was way above your $1200 cap. It's well-placed in the home, bolted to the foundation in a corner that's difficult to access. A monitored alarm system protects the house. Insurance covers the rest. None of these elements will ensure avoidance of theft or fire loss, for certain. At best, the features only add time to the equation, in the hopes that the cavalry can come in time to capture/arrest the cretin(s).

In the Liberty line of safes, consider something like the Franklin group of units. There is a 24-gun model for $1600 MSRP, which you can find occasionally for ~$1200 on sale, or under $1K used. Anything similiar to that should meet your criteria, so long as the other elements of your security plan are in place and complementary to what this unit would not provide by itself.

[semperfi.45]

Looking for a 23 gun size for around $1200.00 at the most.

Was just at Cabelas yesterday and they had a wide selection at reasonable prices.

[Footslogger]

I picked one up for $600 from Sportsmens Warehouse. It is the Yukon Gold series by Browning. I am no safe or lock expert, but I am very happy with the quality. It holds 12 guns, so it is a little more narrow than what most people buy. It also has a fire rating, but it is not a very high one.

Looking around I could not go below 600 without sacrificing too many of the functions I require. Also, the way my house is designed I couldn't get any of the larger safes into my basement. However, I wish I had your price limit :)

[Betty]

With that kind of budget, you should be able to pick up a really nice fire-resistant one. Find a size you like and compare fire ratings between brands. Some are rated longer than others.

Also, check out their warranty - I was burglarized a few years ago and the burglars bashed up my safe. They couldn't get in, but after they had whacked all the knobs off, I couldn't get in, either. Luckily, Cannon safes has 100% warranty and they sent over a repairman. If he couldn't fix it, they were going to send me a new one.

[DrLewall]

I think any safe is better than none. Mine is just a little 23cf with "some" fire protection, which is ALOT better than what I had before, a corner in the closet.

[ccw9mm]

If you can arrange delivery, here's one being advertised in Salem, Oregon, right now (9-7-2007): $1500 large gun safe, with very decent fire rating. Bolt this puppy to your foundation, and it won't be going anywhere. Of course, you've got to get it to Denver, which any moving company should be able to do.

Here's one in the Phoenix area: Fort Knox 6026 Protector, $1200.

If you want to do a broad search on craigslist across the country, you can do a Google search like this:

"words to look for" site:craigslist.org

For example:

• +site:craigslist.org browning safe
• +site:craigslist.org amsec safe

[max7777]

Thanks again for all the input it's been very helpfull.