Gun safes and theft

[AnthonyL]

The reason for my safe purchase was to simply protect against a smash and grab. My house had been robbed long time ago, before I had an alarm and other measures. I fully believe that if someone really wanted in my safe they could easily do that. After all it's a "Residential Security Container", not a true safe. However I'm betting time is against them, and they will decided to move on to easier targets.

Alarm, safe, surveillance, etc are only some layers of security and protection. If in fact they do make away with my collection I have a specific firearm insurance rider that covers everything. I highly recommend people look into this as I found out my home owners would only cover up to $2500 of firearms and only for fire, not theft!

 

[addiction]

One of our neighbors homes was robbed a few months back, and the thieves did attack the gun safe, but what they seem to have done was rip it from the wall, push it down the stairs, drag it out the door and into a truck.

So sometimes it will not be about how hard is it to get into, but how hard is it to get out of the house.

With all this crazy stuff where people are stealing stuff for the scrap metal price, I am more worried about that than guns in a safe right now.

remember, if they want your safe or whats in it, they do not care about what damage they do to the house....

 

[Navvet]

I have two well made gun safes, yet I keep a walmart style ($109.00) in plain view full of trash guns, sometimes I dont even lock it. Hopefully crack heads will go straight for it and leave off looking for the big ones.

 

[1911er]

I have several 40 gun Patriot safes that are bolted to the concrete floor with four 1 inch grade 8 bolts through the bottom of each safe side by side in the opening of A wide closet. They will have to rip the house down to get them out. It has worked for twelve years so far.

 

[Stomper]

I have just purchased a 850-lbs. Liberty Safe (Fatboy-64 model) in a package deal that also included a 2nd Liberty Safe that retails for $450... The whole thing set me back $1,900.00, but dayum its a nice set-up!

 

[hermannr]

Where I live, fire (forest type) is my biggest hazzard. When you live where UPS has a hard time finding you, strangers are few.

 

[notazombie]

I helped a good friend move a couple years ago. I didn't even know he had a safe until he asked me to help him move it. Probably a "mid-grade" quality piece bolted to the concrete floor in his garage. Why had I not noticed it before? He had a hollowed out old fridge concealing it. Open the fridge door to get to the safe door. I used to work for a guy who kept his business safe in a storage room covered with Costco sized feminine hygiene product boxes. That's kryptonite for lots of dudes -- not just criminals.
Rule #1. Don't tell anyone you have a safe.
Rule #2. Don't "hide" it in an obvious place.
Rule #3. Bolt that puppy down.

 

[mat33]

I had a friend who had a huge, heavy retail cash vault (filled with jewelry) stolen while they were out for a walk. I don't know how they got it out or how they got it off the balcony and down a 50' wooded hill. But all they have left is some gouged up ceramic tile and some Mexicans (yup, even walked in on 'em!) are playing pirate with their new gold.

Any type of vault or concealment only buys you time. The free firearms insurance that comes with NRA life membership is a great deal when you get it on those special $200 friends & family deals. Once everyone in your family is a life member and you still haven't protected all your heaters, buy more insurance.

 

[Snopczynski]

It is a good rule of thumb on an industry wide whole that if you pay less then $1,400.00 for a gun safe, you got something that can be opened very, very, very easily. A lot of the safes down around the $500 and less range can be opened in less than a minute with basic hand tools like a 6lb hand held sledge.

Safes do get broken into, we had a customer come buy a TL30X6 safe after his old safe was opened with a plasma cutter in the Auburn area 5 months ago. Safes get breached, and stolen quite often. Especially in the last 4 years.

Layering security is very important. Alarm system, surveilance cameras, even signs, and outdoor lights help a ton.

If you guys have any questions on safes feel free to ask. I am the general manager at NW safe and I am actually the safe technician for them as well.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I have seen in a couple safe manuals where they note to bolt it to the floor OR a wall and advise against both. Why not both? Are they thinking one will pull out the other when tightening down?

 

[Snopczynski]

I have seen in a couple safe manuals where they note to bolt it to the floor OR a wall and advise against both. Why not both? Are they thinking one will pull out the other when tightening down?

Nothing we sell notates anything about bolting through the back wall in the manuals. That's because everything we sell is fire insulated, and drilling holes in the back wall is not easy, it is messy, and it can somewhat change the fire rating.

Which manufacturer brochure was it you saw the double bolting thing in?

 

[CleverName]

I really think the best way to keep your firearms secure is to KEEP QUIET about them! I try to limit the amount of people who know that Im a gun owner to a bare minimum. I disclose my full collection to fewer still, and if I introduce a young person to the shooting hobby, I tell them also to keep quiet.

 

[mortar maggot]

If professional thieves want in or want to take your safe they can. Plasma cutters, boards with rubber grippy stuff on the bottom and teflon on to to slide the safe. They will have the ability to cut your bolts, there is not much you can do except make it harder, alarm systems, dogs, good neighbors, keep quiet.

With all that said unless you have a lot a cool stuff and have been spouting off about it the professionals probably won't hit your palce. Most of the time it is teenagers, or druggies, and they want in and out in under 5 minutes, 2-3 is better. So a fairly good safe NOT a metal box you should be plenty good.