new safe opinion

[watercop08]

As the title dictates I am seeking advice on what to look for in a new gun safe. I attempted to find an existing thread on this topic but they are all several years old. The two safe's I am strongly considering are the Champion Model T and the Browning Pro Steel SP20. I have not been able to lock down a price on a champion locally as of yet but I have found the Browning for just over $1000.

- This safe will be going in a ground floor apartment. Anything larger then 36 inches wide or deep will not make the corner in my hallway.
- looking for something that will realistically hold 10-15 long guns of various types (I know they all hold about half of what the manufacturer claims)
- Budget is around $1100
- Not picky about lock type(Combo/electronic)
- Needs to have a fire rating of some kind
-This will be replacing a walmart special 12 gun Safari by Cannon so I would like to stay away from anything comparable to the safari.

I would like to go with something made in the states. I have not been able to establish if either of the two models I listed are made here or not as I have found contradictory information. This will not be an end all be all type of safe, I do plan on moving and buying a larger higher quality safe in the future. This is mainly a stop gap that I want to be secure enough to guard against snatch and grab burg's and fire.

Thanks for any info.

[darr3239]

I have a Champion I bought in the 90s but my safe dealer says they are now made overseas, as are most, if not all the ones you find in the big box stores. In addition, those stores don't sell the higher quality safes, with doors that don't flex and better construction/fire protection overall.

Unfortunately, the higher quality of safes are higher than the $1,000 price point.

I'll send you an email with the dealer's info., rather than post it here. He is a safe guru, and can answer all your questions regardless of whether you buy from him or not.

[Lefty223]

Don't bother w/ fire protection, you can add that yourself to the outside. Buy the best armored safe you can, then surround it yourself w/ fire-rated sheetrock. I also lift/raise my safes up on concrete blocks, staggered so no water can collect under them. I put 4-layers across the top and put 2-layers across the door, for when I go away; house as auto-fire alarms linked in. The sides & back are also fire protected, of course.

[tostado22]

Only one I have owned so far is a Browning Pro Steel and it was a great safe. I'm not an expert on those so couldn't discuss too many technical details. It seems well built

[DevL]

Safe choice is a function of the time you want to deter a thief. If your door is not armored plate but just a gauge of sheet steel its essentially an armored refrigerator and will take only 5-10 minutes to breach. Safes with steel doors of plate steel will not be attacked via the door, but will be attacked through the side with a cutting wheel. This takes time and generally will cover your safe for 10-15 minutes. Once you get into layers of concrete, wire mesh, stainless, and other things that will force a changing of cutting wheels you are looking at 30 minutes to a couple hours of coverage. If you have an alarm with close neighbors (like an apartment) and a fast responding municipal police department or private security, the armored refrigerator box store type is fine and you should buy for features like electrical outlets, lighting kits, digital locks, etc. If you are in an area with poor police response times, only have a single contract constable or similar for your neighborhood who is shared with other neighborhoods, and live in a normal suburban neighborhood with no more than 4 or 5 possible neighbors that would hear your alarm, a good door makes sense and those usually have slightly upgraded sides vs the armored fridge type. If you live in the country and have only slow to respond county units and no neighbors that can hear or see your property or just one or two who may be away from home too, it makes sense to go all out. The safe is only a time delay for a criminal. Alarms, dogs, neighbors, cameras, etc. all reduce the time a criminal will feel safe to stay inside and risk getting caught. Many people in houses use a cheap safe with crap guns as a decoy to allow the thieves to go for the junk and keep the good safe more hidden so they wont even decide to attack it.

I live in an apartment with an alarm, have a local police department with a 2-3 minute response time, and my apartment is near the entrance gate, where the police will show up with no more than 10 seconds notice to a lookout. I have a Liberty Franklin and it suits my needs perfectly. If I lived in a house further out, Id be looking at a plate steel door and heavier sides. Probably stick it in a closet bolted down to prevent attacking the sides. Whatever you do have an alarm and cameras. That alone will make your neighbor the softer target and stop anyone from even entering.

If you do get a low end safe make sure it has bolts on all 4 sides. They have to pry room for the bolts to clear to pry it open. Each side takes time. Time is what you are buying.