Safes, am I over thinking?

DarthRevan

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I’m looking at Liberty Safes and some Tractor Supply/Bass Pro branded ones and am I over thinking that I don’t really need a level three fire resistant safe? Or even a two for that matter?

I think I just want something large enough to bolt to my finished basement floor, that looks nice -ish

What have you guys gone with? I’d prefer to be sub 2k$
 
Not sure what size you need, but you won’t beat a Liberty Classic Fat Boy Jr. from Cabelas for the price point. I love mine and upgraded my ‘base model’ with all the ‘Extreme’ boujiee features for a couple hundred bucks (interior plug for 2x110v, USB, Safelert and Ethernet. Also cost about $20 to update with LED lighting surrounding interior of door opening with stuff from Amazon.

ETA: Looks like they changed the product line to the ‘1776’ 50 gun and it’s $1799 with EMP resistant e-lock from Tractor Supply.

If you can manage, wait another 2 months for Black Friday week/month deals. ALWAYS excellent sales on safes during that time frame.
 
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Joke not, I might just do that...
Don’t.

Times are coming spending money on security now will give you sanity down the road if you have to leave your home for whatever reason...even for vacations and just going to work every day.

My Safelert system notifies me by text/email of excessive temperature/humidity swings, as well as movement detection and door open status. It really keeps my mind at ease when I’m away from home knowing my investments are safe.
 
Joke not, I might just do that...
What ever works for you.

I picked up a very nice 3/16 thickness steel cabinet that is seven feet tall with shelves inside and doors that close tight for $150 a couple of years ago. It's fine for storing things that aren't irreplaceable. The expensive nfa stuff and papers go in a rated safe.

You can always cover a metal box with 2 or 3 layers of 5/8 sheetrock for fire resistance and add a sprinkler head over it to keep it cool in the event of a fire.

Even the best fire rated safes have limitations and will fail in a prolonged fire. I've seen the inside of safes that stored a million or more in jewelry and documents and the contents was ashes and globs of metal.
 
Winchester, ~$700 Tractor Supply, done.
I assume they still have these, it's been a while.

oh, and throw some dehumidifier/dessicant bags in there.
I went with a Wincester 26 from TS. Bolted to the basement floor. Was like $400 last year. Stuck a goldenrod in there for moisture, installed a few motion lights, slapped an NES sticker on it.🤣

Looks nice, does it's job.
 
They are a little far from you but look at the prices of Eastern Security Safe Co. They have their own branded safes that are very good. A 50 gun safe will run you around $2,300 with the following specs.

Features include: One Solid Shelf & 2 Side Shelves, Gray carpet Interior, Powder Coat Finish, Black Chrome Hardware, Heavy Duty 3 Spoke Handle, Slip Clutch, and a Jewelry Drawer.
Eastern Security Safe Company introduces the Sportsman Series, offering an economically priced safe that protects your valuables against theft and fire. The Sportsman Series is constructed with solid 11 Gauge Steel and manufactured with a continuous welded body, compared to safes that are spot welded at the seams. The Sportsman Series have a Roll Formed Door with an Extra Wide Stiffener Plate, offering reinforcement against pry attach. The door also contains 4 sided coverage of 1.5″ locking bolts with 3 sides of active bolts that are strengthened by anti-pry tabs in the corners. The exterior hinges also offer the convenience of a full 180* door opening.
Affordability does not mean you have to give up fire protection. The Sportsman Series are 125oF 75 min. fire rated safes. The doors also feature an expanding heat seal.
75 minute / 1250° Degree Fire Rating
4 sided coverage (3 active) with massive 1.5″ locking bolts.
Adjustable and Convenient Shelving interior including a 3 Drawer Jewelry insert.
Door Organizer System Installed
3 spoke black chrome handle

They are always at the Manchester show so I'm sure they deliver to your area. Great safe.
 
And it would work all the same.

Do not overthink that, well, unless you need to keep a $50000 competition shotgun set in a climate controlled environment.

That’s a cabinet not a safe lol. Anyone could break into that with ease. Prob just need a screwdriver 😂

I got a field and stream 32 gun safe from Dicks (yes I know) back in 2012-13. It’s basically full now and weighs like 500lbs empty. But I know most of that weight is in the door. I’m sure someone could cut into it with an angle grinder.

If I was making the money now, back in 2012-13 I would have spent the money on a safe from Eastern Security.
 
That’s a cabinet not a safe lol. Anyone could break into that with ease. Prob just need a screwdriver 😂

I got a field and stream 32 gun safe from Dicks (yes I know) back in 2012-13. It’s basically full now and weighs like 500lbs empty. But I know most of that weight is in the door. I’m sure someone could cut into it with an angle grinder.

If I was making the money now, back in 2012-13 I would have spent the money on a safe from Eastern Security.
Best protection from thieves and fire is an insurance. You can go of course with a $2k and $5k safes that require a crew to be installed, it is a personal decision.
I keep it simple with 2, ok, ‘cabinets’ - one is slightly expensive than other but either will not survive a dedicated person with a proper cutter or torch.

If it would be up to me all my guns would be simply hanging on a wall.
 
I’m looking at Liberty Safes and some Tractor Supply/Bass Pro branded ones and am I over thinking that I don’t really need a level three fire resistant safe? Or even a two for that matter?

I think I just want something large enough to bolt to my finished basement floor, that looks nice -ish

What have you guys gone with? I’d prefer to be sub 2k$
Go as big as you can or multiple safes.
One for daily in and out and the other for longer term storage.
Buy a dehumidifier and get the room around the safe dry. Buy some VCI for inside the safe.
 
Best protection from thieves and fire is an insurance. You can go of course with a $2k and $5k safes that require a crew to be installed, it is a personal decision.
I keep it simple with 2, ok, ‘cabinets’ - one is slightly expensive than other but either will not survive a dedicated person with a proper cutter or torch.

If it would be up to me all my guns would be simply hanging on a wall.
Nothing will survive a dedicated person and time. That's what a safe buys you if theft is on their mind, time.

I'd be more concerned after an initial snatch and grab break in where they found the safe. The next breakin will be more dedicated.
 
Assaultweapon here has one in the classifieds for a great price.
Thanks but it sold last Sunday. Great deal for sure that I would have kept for myself if I had the space.
Hard to beat Eastern. Both my safes came from them and the Safe Alert monitoring can’t be beat.
 
Nothing will survive a dedicated person and time. That's what a safe buys you if theft is on their mind, time.
And sometimes the difference between 2 minutes to get in vs. 15 or 30 minutes to get in makes zero difference.

So make sure you are well-insured and spend some of that deluxe "safe" money on cameras and a first rate alarm system. [thumbsup]
 
Best protection from thieves and fire is an insurance. You can go of course with a $2k and $5k safes that require a crew to be installed, it is a personal decision.
I keep it simple with 2, ok, ‘cabinets’ - one is slightly expensive than other but either will not survive a dedicated person with a proper cutter or torch.

If it would be up to me all my guns would be simply hanging on a wall.

As someone who sells homeowners insurance, I'd have to agree here. Check with your insurance provider as I'm giving general insurance information here so YMMV, however there are a couple of primary considerations when it comes to guns and insurance coverage:

Fire: If there's a fire loss, firearms are generally treated like any other personal property (contents). You may have to provide some evidence if you're going to claim you lost $50K or $100K in firearms just like if you're going to claim for other high valued items lost in a fire but otherwise they're pretty much treated like other contents. If your house burns down, you'll be losing a whole lot more than just your gun collection.

Theft: There are limitations for loss by theft of firearms, just like there are for other items such as jewelry, furs, etc. typically $1,500, many policies have premium endorsements that bump that amount. I just sold a policy that included $6K loss by theft of unscheduled Firearms. I have an insurance carrier that goes up to $15K.

Antiques/Collectible value: Contents, including firearms, that have antique or collectible value will need to be scheduled on a homeowners policy (this generally requires an appraisal of said item). Otherwise they'll give you the value of the item without the antique collectible value. The example I like to give is: You own a Certified autographed Babe Ruth baseball from when he was with the Red Sox, you have a Sotheby's appraisal of $XX and you have it scheduled on your homeowners policy. If your house burns down or it's stolen, you'll get the scheduled value of the item. If you don't have it scheduled, they will give you the value of a new Rawlings baseball which goes for around $5 at Walmart.

There are specialty insurance carriers that cover gun collections, there are other threads on this topic. If you have an extensive collection, this is the best bet. I don't sell that.

For me, my guns are all currently available, not antiques/collectibles. I have a monitored alarm system and video monitoring at my house, I consider that my primary defense against theft, not the safes the guns are in. If my house burns down, my homeowners insurance will cover the guns.
 
I’m looking at Liberty Safes and some Tractor Supply/Bass Pro branded ones and am I over thinking that I don’t really need a level three fire resistant safe? Or even a two for that matter?

I think I just want something large enough to bolt to my finished basement floor, that looks nice -ish
I don't give specifics about my own security arrangements in a public forum. But here are some things to think about.

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  • If you are putting a safe in the basement, you should probably think about water resistance as well.
  • AFAIK, "level three" is not any sort of standardized fire rating for safes or RSCs. If it doesn't have a UL 72 test rating (or some foreign equivalent you can research), you are relying on sales claims. That may be ok; I'm of the opinion that for most firearm owners, fire ratings are more for peace of mind than anything else.
  • If you aren't bolting through the finished floor and into the foundation, don't bother. If you don't bolt down a safe, remember that anything that came into your home on a hand cart or dolly can leave your home the same way.
  • If all you want is someplace to keep everything in one place, that looks okay, and will fulfill legal requirements, then your task is a lot easier. A cheap big box store gun "safe" of some sort will suffice. (That wooden chest or toolbox won't pass legal requirements in California).
  • If your container is in the basement, it's likely not in view or hearing range of your neighbors. So if you're not home, burglars may be willing to take the 2-3 minutes needed to pry open that "big-box" container. So buy with your home alarm system (if any) in mind.
  • A properly installed RSC level 1 rated box (such as a Winchester Ranger or Liberty USA) should suffice to defeat all but planned "professional" attacks. But if you are insuring your collection for tens of thousands of dollars, your insurance provider may require a level 2 RSC or TL-rated safe.
 
I’m looking at Liberty Safes and some Tractor Supply/Bass Pro branded ones and am I over thinking that I don’t really need a level three fire resistant safe? Or even a two for that matter?

I think I just want something large enough to bolt to my finished basement floor, that looks nice -ish

What have you guys gone with? I’d prefer to be sub 2k$
I went with a 36 gun Liberty. I forget the level but it’s not the top tier for fire and flooding. But, it does have a 30 minute fire rating. As long as the fire department can get there and put the fire out in 30 minutes your good.

I spent just over 1K for it delivered into my garage. I highly recommend Eastern Security and Safe in Mendon. They are awesome and moved my safe twice for me. And if your in MA safes are tax free.👍🏻
 
They are a little far from you but look at the prices of Eastern Security Safe Co. They have their own branded safes that are very good. A 50 gun safe will run you around $2,300 with the following specs.



They are always at the Manchester show so I'm sure they deliver to your area. Great safe.
This, these guys are awesome!
 
Until you have to move it, nobody ever says "I should've bought a smaller safe"

I’m looking at Liberty Safes and some Tractor Supply/Bass Pro branded ones and am I over thinking that I don’t really need a level three fire resistant safe? Or even a two for that matter?
When I signed up for collectible insurance, the policy had this clause "Approved safe means a safe weighing 300 pounds or more empty, with no wheels, a combination lock and relocking device."

I think I just want something large enough to bolt to my finished basement floor, that looks nice -ish
Regarding basements, the policy includes the following:
We will not pay for loss or damage to Covered Property situated in a basement or on a floor below grade level, caused by or resulting from “water”, unless Covered Property is elevated by “stillage” to a level at least six inches above the floor.
...
"Stillage” is defined as a rack, table, shelf, cabinet, metal skid, crate, pallet, display case or other item used to hold stored Covered Property off of the floor.
 
Until you have to move it, nobody ever says "I should've bought a smaller safe"


When I signed up for collectible insurance, the policy had this clause "Approved safe means a safe weighing 300 pounds or more empty, with no wheels, a combination lock and relocking device."


Regarding basements, the policy includes the following:
Sounds to me like you signed up with the wrong insurance company. 🤔

EDIT: p.s., what is a relocking device and what safes have them?
 
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