CHECK THEM Gun safes / lockers!!!

[bmahle68]

I have a gun safe loaded with long guns and pistols in a closet down in my family room. I keep pistols with loaded magazines in my bed room closet using a pistol lock box. This is where I would run to first in the middle of the night.

Yesterday, I went to go into my pistol box, and it would not unlock!!! Thankfully, it was during a check which I do at least once a week (or when I carry). The box’s locking mechanism (push pull tubes and levers) were jammed by a little plastic Glock magazine loader which fell into the works. I couldn’t even shack it out because it was bolted to the floor.

Anyway, I broke into it with a crowbar, and removed the now bent up locking mechanism, and installed new hardware which uses a commercial grade pad-lock.

Oh yeah, no lockup for my goto piece is not an option as I have four small children in the home.

So, check them safes and lockers gentlemen. The one I have is designed specifically for handguns, and well you know what happened.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ram Rod]

Won't be getting into mine with a crowbar. Mine won't lock if there's something in the way of the locking lugs--given enough force, they would probably crush whatever it was anyway. The locking mechanism itself is sealed.

[bmahle68]

RamRod - You won't get into my safe with a crowbar. This was a more like a locker on steroids. The same company does make safes though.

But what if it was a safe with a malfunction??? I guess you call a locksmith. Ouch $$$

[Pro2A]

Mine has a steel cover that blocks anything from getting to the locking mechanism. I make double sure before I lock it up nothing is in the way because I have my handgun safe bolted to the wall.

[archer51]

You could always solve the problem by getting rid of the kids!! Just kidding. I have a small Sentry fireproof document keeper that I have bolted in the closet. Mostly it does contain documents, but if needed it also will hold my night gun. Key locked, but the way it is designed you can't lock it if the lid is not closed completely. I have had an envelope sticking partially out and not been able to lock it.

[randytulsa2]

Get two safes. One a POC, the other high-quality.

Put your POC safe (the bigger the better) in a conspicuous place in your bedroom, den, whatnot.

Load it with your M44's & least valuable weapons, preferably with certain parts (like the bolts for my M44's) removed.

Keep your REAL safe elsewhere...under a floorboard, maybe (hypothetically speaking, of course), where an intruder would either have to know where it was or spend a LOT of time looking (after finding the easier haul).

[bmahle68]

Archer51,

Bingo, this one is a Sentry handgun safe. They call it a safe (I say locker). Anyway, I solved the problem for now. I will load the pistols into the real safe when I go away for any length of time.

[SIGguy229]

How long did it take to open your safe with a crowbar?

[bmahle68]

SIGguy229,

The key turned about half way which moved the lock, so that was a bit of a cheat as the door got looser. The crowbar work was about an hour. The bar was one of the wide blade types about 2 feet long.

I did bend the lock work. The metal was cool in that it stretched instead of snapping.