TN_Mike

We live in a 2 story house, all bedrooms are on the second floor. I currently have a very sturdy metal locking gun cabinet in the master bedroom that is bolted to the floor. I would love to have a safe but, I wonder about the logic of putting a 1/2 ton safe on the second floor. I feel like it may end up on the first floor at some point if you know what I mean.

So what do people do in my situation? Keep in mind, I do not own the house, we rent. So I can't just go modifying this house to be able to support a heavy safe on the upper floor.

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A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -Barry Goldwater 1968

msgt/ret

If you have a garage with a concrete floor that would be your best bet, also if the garage is unheated be sure to use a heater or a product such as Sta-Dri to prevent corrosion.

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When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.

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TX-JB

You could reinforce the floor fairly simply. Cut a piece of 3/4" plywood slightly larger than the footprint of the safe. Place it under the safe and then use long jack bolts. Put them through the plywood, the flooring, then into the sub-floor. If you can hit the floor joists, it would be a big plus. This would be plenty to reinforce the floor for a large safe.

If you were not going to bolt it down, the plywood footing would still distribute the load better and reinforce the existing floor.

The loads aren't really that great. Example: 1000lb safe, mine is 2'x3', so... 1000 lb/6 sq. ft. = 167 lb/sq. ft.

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retsupt99

I can't even imagine the second story of a home not supporting a safe, and if not, you have some serious construction problems.
An empty safe can be moved with a good dolly and 3-4 adults without danger (depending on stair design and measurements).
The plywood weight distribution is a good idea and it will also protect the surface of the floor.

Bolting to the floor may not be a good option in a rented home (especially with carpeting), but the difficult in moving a large, loaded safe is going to assist with the impossible task of its theft when you are out of the house.

My two safes give me a sense of 'comfort' when we are away from the home for extended times. Safes are certainly not 'fool-proof', but they certainly slow down and discourage the ordinary BG looking for a 2-4 minute score in an unknown dwelling.

__________________
"That I cannot do."

"Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks."


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NRA Life Member

Conrad

Floor should support it, but I feel sorry for you (and your back) having to get the safe upstairs. I put one in my basement, and it took 3 of us to get it in. Afterwards, told the wife if we ever sell the house, the safe stays, or we get professional movers to get the safe out of the basement not going to try that again.

TN_Mike

Thanks for the info guys. I really don't want to put it in the garage. I would rather have it in the room where we will be at night.

I like the plywood idea. I like it a lot. Looks like I might be in the market for a good safe now.

__________________
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -Barry Goldwater 1968

Hotbrass

A heavy gun safe in the downstairs area, and a 500# safe upstairs.

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Keep your powder dry

Majorlk

The key to moving a heavy safe is to use a dolly designed for safes, not one designed for residential 'fridges.

On my last move, the safe (500 lbs, empty) went in the basement. We (three of us) brought it down the exterior stairs on a 1000 lb-rated stair dolly and a block and tackle tied to a convenient tree to control the descent.

I don't ever plan to move it again (I'm in my retirement home), but if I did, it would come out the same way. With the right tackle, one person can haul it up the stair while the other two guide the dolly.

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An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. - Robert A. Heinlein

TheShadow

I got the Bighorn Classic made by Rhino Safes at Costco for $499.

It's a decent safe for the money and plenty strong to stop the smash and grab type of burglars with ten 1" diameter bolts. (59" X 28" X 20" = 19 cubic feet) and weighs 440 lbs. The door has external hinges that allow the door to open a full 180 degrees and can be lifted off to lighten the weight for moving up the stairs.




I wired up a box to power a Goldenrod and a Motion Detector switch that turns on/off three under the cabinet type strip lights when the door opens and closes. It's plenty of light in a dark room to find anything in the safe. They sell light kits that retail around $200 but I did this for less than $100 and it was a fun project.

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If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to.
This is the last stand on Earth -Ronald Reagan

Guns and more

How do you know the lights really go out when you close the safe?