AMSEC all day long. Buy once, cry once. Buy local.

 

Checking them out now. Thanks

 

I’d look for dealers in your area for sales and that can handle moving and install in your house.

 

And I would add b3fore buying make sure the safe you buy can be put where you want it. I just learned an expensive lesson buying a $6000 Liberty safe on the word of a safe mover that they can put it where I want. Well the safe was delivered and they were no where to be found. The other movers wouldn’t attempt it. Resold it for half price. Going to order a Zanotti modular now. For a difficult location they’ll work good.

 

Yes I thought about modular. How do you like your Zanotti? Just as nice as the Liberty?

 

This can be a deep Rabbit Hole to go down. I did research awhile back. First, get retailers out of your head. They sell Residential Storage Containers marketed as Safes. Second, what are you trying to protect? Theft? Fire? These are the two major areas. What about Water? Go read up on UL codes to understand what fire ratings are and will do. Look at the labels on the door of the containers to gain more understanding. Most "Containers" are light. 500lbs or less due to shipping costs to stores. If deterring children in the house I applaud you. If protecting from theft the quality of the construction is the major factor. Water tight and Water Proof have different meanings. Say your house catches fire. You know where the water will be first when they put it out. Or, you may live in a flood zone. Is your home owners covering flooding? I believe your budget is a starting point for an entry level safe. It does depend on what you are trying to accomplish. Gun storage cabinets like SecureIt may be an option for security only. In my research I found what I wanted did not match what I needed. I came to the conclusion I didn't have $30k to spend on a safe for about $10k worth of valuables. I've made sure I completely understand my homeowners policy on what they cover on firearms and adjust accordingly. Its the cost of doing business. Proper storage in a conditioned environment will protect them from rust, unless you live in a climate where humidity is a factor. Remember the environment inside of the safe is a factor. I'm sounding negative and don't mean to be. Sorry. A true safe costs more than you think with all the hidden costs. Good luck in your research and decision.

 

Residential Storage Containers marketed as Safes

This right here. As others have said, what are your goals?
You might be better off turning a closet into a secure room - it will be cheaper with much more space. Exterior door, a true high security deadbolt (not from big box - something like a Medeco Maxum). Reinforce the walls with 3/4" plywood.

 

Any safe in your price range, and even well below, will defeat curious children and teenagers, and the 'kick in your door after ringing the doorbell" opportunist burglar looking to finance their next dope buy, and do a reasonable job against a house fire. Don't go overboard. The low cost and availability of quality battery powered tools like angle grinders renders most safes vulnerable to a prepared burglar. So, put some money in a decent alarm system and insurance rather than spend a ton on a safe. If you are targeted because a professional burglar knows what you have and they want it and they come prepared, they are going to get it, even if you spend well more than your price range.

 

As an attorney I agree with what others are saying. Know your goals are and weigh this against your costs.

I am not endorsing this site in any way, but it has a decent writeup on this topic. Guide to Buying Home Safes: How to choose the best home safe?

 

As said above safes are a complicated topic. First is why, curious children, random burglar break in, or are we talking a professional thief, which most of us don't have that much valuable stuff to warrant them coming into our homes. Next size, how big do you need. Then there is features, built in lights, humidifiers, and that 30 coats of lacquer finish that's looks better than a Porsche. I find a lot of my buddies have a good safes, and leave them in the garage where anybody driving by can see it when the door is open. So my next topic is where can you put it, or basically placement, and as mentioned above, can you get it in that location and will it be somewhat hidden. I moved my neighbors two safes twice, so pick a size, pick a spot and make sure it can be done.

 

I have a Visalia Safe Co safe. Manual combo lock, mounted in a closet with double doors. The safe is bolted to the floor and the wall. There is a security camera in the closet pointing outward running 24 hours a day with battery backup, connected to an off-site server and once those double doors are opened, the video captured is as clear as day.
Not to mention the rest of the surveillance system around the house, along my 1/8-mile-long drive to get up to the house and at the front gate.
If I am away, my phone is alerted of activity.
My neighbors on both sides are also armed and are just a phone call away.
It isnt full proof but its a good start.

https://www.visaliasafes.com/gun_safes

 

That sounds like an ideal setup.

 

The best two pieces of advice I got regarding purchasing a "gun safe" are as follows
1. Get an electronic key pad. Makes getting in it so much easier for you, and I have found I go into my safe way more than I thought I would when I was in the buying stage.
2. Get it bigger than you think you need (provided it will fit where you need). I have never regretted having extra room in my big metal box.

I went with Fort Knox and have been very happy with the product. Amsec is great, Liberty makes some good budget options. Fact of the matter is that in this price range, you are paying to secure your items and make them more difficult to access, not necessarily keep a determined and experienced burglar with some time, out.

 

Make sure to buy US made safes. I've heard horror stories of guns rusting in Chinese made safes due to the materials that were being use in them. Apparently some cheap kinds of drywall have chemicals in them that release over time and rust guns badly.

 

I have a rhino metals safe that has worked fine for me and was decent in price and made in america

 

I went with Sturdy Safe. I felt the price-to-steel ratio was good, and like the mechanical dial. It looks like their prices have gone up just like everything else. They used to offer some blem discounts, and it's always best to call for their best price delivered to your door.

At the end of the day it's still just an RSC like all the rest. It will deter smash and grab criminals and curious kids, and needs to be considered as just one layer of your overall security plan for your home and loved ones.

 

 

I’ve been down the safe rabbit hole for a month now . My (AMSEC)American security BFX 6636 is hopefully delivering this week. I actually became a distributor , if your in the southeast be happy to help you on pricing
Many US manufactures offer offshore series as well to compete with lesser imported lines .
What I found important was the solid door plate 1/2 inch is above normal . Also the door flex text. Some dealers don’t like this .
Put your foot on the outside corner and pull the top corner toward you, shouldn’t be any flex
Also check the gap distance when door is shut. This is the prying area bad guys attach a safe from .


good luck !

 

I agree with @CrystalClear and @ferrarif1fan. Depending on what you are trying to protect and who you are trying to protect from, will depend on what you should buy. See another good video below.

 

This is Safey, my Amsec BFX bolted to the floor “concealed” behind a false cabinet. It’ll be moved to a concrete lined closet once the house remodel is done. Like others have said, get bigger than you think you need, keep good insurance and go domestic over foreign.

 

I wish my Amsec safe was that large. Mine is tiny and stuffed.

Inquiring minds want to know?

What are you using the Kingsford briquettes for in your safe area? Or is it part of the concealment/disguise?

 

Real happy with my Patriot (now Old Glory).

Few things to consider...

-external hinges makes Taking the door off a breeze to move in 2 pieces.

-Fire protection is based on what you put in there... I went "document rated" at 1880° for 2 hours since I store paperwork and jewelry.

-weight is an issue if your placing in your home on wood framing in lue of a concrete slab. You may not be able to put whereabouts want without engineered lumber for addational support.

-size can be an issue. If you buy the biggest safe you can find, remember you have to place it and move it. I prefer to have a few 1000#'ish safes instead of one 2000# or more safe

-Don't be fooled into thinking your safe will stop a determined thief... we live in the world of battery tools. I have larger volt battery operated grinders, concrete saws and rotary hammer drills. Probably could get into most production safes (including mine) in 15-20 minutes. It is meant to secure from wondering hands, children and smash & grab thieves.

Numerous other things to consider (options/details/etc) but this was a good starting point when I went down the rabbit hole.

Here is the current version of mine:

Large 24 Gun Safe by Old Glory Gun Safe Company

www.oldglorygunsafes.com

 

Probably never happen st this stage in my life but if I ever build a house it will have a gun room with poured walls and structural cement ceiling.

 

I'm like you would love to have a customized vault. Have you seen some of the vault doors some companies offer? Awesome looking.

 

Find a local safe store. Do NOT rule out a used one. You may find one there that was well taken care of and larger, nicer better than you were thinking about if it’s used. Just a suggestion

 

Used one is definitely an option if it’s what I’m looking for and good value. I’ve been looking at local estate sales. Logistics is also a big part of the equation

 

Check out Sturdy Safe. They are a small family run business and build them by hand in Fresno, CA. You will get the best value from them because they limit the cosmetic options to keep costs low and you are buying direct which cuts other middle man. If your budget is $4k, they will give you thicker metal and quality American construction versus the same money spent on AMSEC or the other retail brands. Best of luck!

 

Great wisdom and advice here so far. I just recently climbed out of this rabbit hole myself. After considering a true safe's cost, what it would be used for, and who/what the contents are being protected from, I went with a "residential security container" by Liberty and made in USA. They have a reasonably priced "Revere" line exclusively sold through Tractor Supply that has excellent quality and features, but benefits from large volume national sales pricing power. Black Friday sales discounted these by over 30%. Bought two for less than the price of essentially the same single Liberty I had just ordered. Since work hadn't begun, I was able cancel the order without penalty. If the guns are stolen, they can be replaced courtesy of an extremely reasonably priced firearms insurance policy separate from and much more cost effective than a homeowners policy rider. Lots of choices, wide range of prices, quality, and features depending on your needs. My journey lasted several months and I'm really pleased with the outcome. Good luck with yours.

 

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Liberty’s recent troubles and willingness to turn over your access codes/combo to authorities without a warrant. Their parent company now is also far left leaning, so in spending the money with them, ultimately you are funding the battle against your 2A rights.

And yes, I know they have “supposedly” changed that, but it should’ve never happened in the first place and caving to public pressure isn’t exactly a confidence builder.

 

Frig it. Just build it!

 

Nice. I assume it took a minute to think about an "Inny vs. Outty". Pros or Cons? It looks like its gonna be a great place to get away from life challenges. You might want to add a toilet and a Fridge. HA!

 

My biggest concern was color. 😂😂😂

 

Love the room approach, but then you lose out on fire protection right?

 

The door comes fire rated. In this case the floor is ground level and built into a hillside bank. The walls and ceiling are solid reinforced high strength mortar and rebar. As well as drywall finishing.
So yes, fire protection far better that your run of the mill stand alone gun safe.

If i could not do a nice built in room I would search the local for sale adds for commercial rated fire safe such as Diebolt or Mosler. Similar to what a securities firm or a jeweler would use. Facebook marketplace, Craigslist and local classified adds are your friend here.