Safes

[doc_ralston]

What is the best gun safe to accommodate AR 15's? I can't remember the supposed capacity of my safe, but I have three ARs and a Remington 11 – 87, and I am pretty much out of room.

[minuteman1636]

I need a new safe and have been looking at 'Liberty' brand safes.

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[Artos]

American Securities Burglary & Fire Series is top shelf for the $$$$

AMSEC B&F

[Pappabear]

Artos tells no lies. You have to decide what you want, bomb proof and a professional thief would struggle or just something ( not cheap) but to keep tweakers out.
Lesser expensive ones are movable, not cheap but 500lb ish. You can still bolt down but not as good for a longer fire.

The American Security, Rhino ..I have an Am Sec and my buddy has a Rhino and they are not going anywhere, way too heavy. Very high quality, cost nearly double.

The Browning, Cannon from ( Sportsman Warehouse-Costco/Tractor Supply) go for $700 to $1,000 depending on size and I think the Cannon is great for the money.

I tend to favor the tweaker proof movable cheaper safes for most people.

If you are never moving and want the best, get the super high quality safes. I have both but think the Cannons are good enough.

Lastly, buy the biggest you can afford to store with space in your house, bc they fill up fast as you know.

PB

[ABNAK]

I have a Treadlok safe that I bought in 1996 when we moved to TN. IIRC it cost about $1K back then. It's a bigger one, not the skinny 4 or 5 gun size. It is not fireproof, and isn't "top of the line" by any means. Dial combination, not digital. Loaded down with guns and ammo it'd take two guys with a dolly to move it. It sits in my "gun room" underneath the front porch ("fruit cellar" or "root cellar" if you're from up North). I had a steel security door and frame with ~ 400lbs of concrete poured into the cinder blocks around it for strength. So it is a safe within a safe.

I also recall one of the selling points being that if the handle was beaten downward in an unsuccessful attempt to break into it that the locking lug cables would break and therefore leave the lugs frozen in "battery"

[titsonritz]

Check out Sturdy Safe
https://www.sturdysafe.com/

[JDH1]

I think the Cannon is great for the money.


PB

After the fire I called them to see what was the best way to get into mine. After the rep made his suggestions he asked me to fax in some kind of proof of purchase and photos before and after opening. A few months go by and I get a call from a trucking company wanting to schedule a delivery. I was confused, okay nothing unusual, as I wasn't expecting anything. The driver backed down the driveway to drop off a replacement safe. The documentation said it was a warranty replacement for unit destroyed by fire.

[BangBang01]

AMSEC does make some really good safes and like posted above it depends on exactly how much security your looking for, or if your needing storage. Fort Knox makes some pretty good safes as well. Where I’m located my Cannon Wide Body works well.

[JoshNC]

RSC gun safes are not true security. A sawzall or similar will make short work of a typical RSC gun safe, even high end models professing to have better security.

If you own your home, don’t plan on moving soon, and have a floor that can accommodate a true high security safe (ie UL rated TL15 or better), I would recommend getting a high security safe. A concrete slab is the ideal, but piers under the floor can also be used.

I would find a local safe and vault shop and buy a used reconditioned composite TL15. It will end up costing you about the same as a higher end RSC.

[WillBrink]

FYI:

I'm not a safe expert, but I have done a fair amount of research on the topic, and what follows may be of help to those looking at safes/gun safes. When it comes to safes (and the term "safe" we will get to shortly...) you truly get what you pay for. You don't have spend a fortune for a good container, but in my view, it makes no sense to protect expensive guns, your wife's jewelry, and essential documents in a "safe" gotten from the sporing goods store.

It's essential to understand what usually passes for a "safe" is nothing of the kind. Companies spend a lot of time on fancy paint jobs, impressive handles, and marketing to convince people they are getting a true safe. However, the vast majority of what's sold are Residential Security Container (RSCs)

Companies give you a shiny fancy looking door, etc, but at the end of the day it's at best RSC rated, and not a "safe" as viewed by anyone who actually knows/installs real safes. It's important to note, not all RSCs are created equal, but when you look at what the actual RSC UL rating means, it will make you cringe:

"UL rated safes that carry the RSC label offer protection from tool attacks against the door of the safe for five minutes. Safes that carry the TL-15 and TL-30 classification offer protection from tool attacks against the safe's door for 15 or 30 minutes, respectively. Safes rated TLTR-15 or TLTR-30 offer protection from tool and torch attacks against the door for 15 or 30 minutes, respectively. Safes that are rated TLTRX6-15 or TLTRX6-30 offer protection from tool and torch attacks against any part of the safe for either 15 or 30 minutes. Of course, the price increases with the protection level."

If what you have/are considering, is UL Rated (and I wouldn't buy it if were not, but that's me and if there are any real lock smiths/safe installers here who wish to comment/correct me, please do) look at the inside door panel, there should be a tag that lists its UL rating.

Another important issue, especially for gun safes, most companies use simple gypsum board is an insulator, which draws moisture. They may use fancy terms, but on opening a wall, its gypsum board.

Higher end safes will use a composite of some sort, that is better all around for both fire and security. To the best of my knowledge, only AMSEC uses a composite in the lower end BF series products for example which improves it's security as well as fire rating.

Budget is the essential issue here, as you can get a cheap 12g gun locker or a TL30 AMSEC gun safe, and much inbetween. It's often a good idea to decide on what to spend on a safe as a % of what it is you are trying to protect, as well as other factors, such as additional security (alarms, quality of locks, doors, etc, etc) but securing things yo don't want stolen means not putting it in a cheap metal box that's intended to prevent kids and "snatch and grab" types.

Second consideration is location, as a real safe has limitations where you can put it due to their weight and size.

As mentioned, not all RSCs are created equal. For example, the AMSEC BF series is as good as some companies B rates safes, etc.. and probably the best of the RSCs on the market.

Finally, no matter what you get, have it bolted down. I can't tell you how many times I have read about safes simply being carried off by a few guys with a hand truck, with the owner (ex owner!) always being shocked! If a few guys with a sturdy hand truck can get it in your house, what makes anyone believe the reverse is not true???

If you do everything right and it still gets broken into/taken away, 99.9%, it's an inside job and someone knew exactly what you had and came prepared, so pick your friends well!

If you have the budget and need to protect an expensive collection (and people willing to put their collection of fine guns into a cheap RSC are asking for trouble...). I believe AMSEC is the only company that makes a TL30 UL listed gun safe.

It's a monster...See:

http://www.amsecusa.com/gun-safes-HS-main.htm

That's my basic run down/advice on safes that comes from my research, discussions with many a safe installer, etc. Feel free to add your thoughts. I'm sure some of you can confirm what I said above about safes simply being taken away during your work experiences as LE.

via: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...-gun-safe-info