Where to find used safes

[Vendor Hidden]

The Missus is an avid estate sale shopper, always looking at the ads and searching for good deals.

We've been in the market for a nice gun safe for our several shotguns and a couple .22 rifles plus whatever we might acquire in the coming months/years. I couldn't bring myself to pay full retail, so I put The MIssus on the hunt.

After a couple "finds" that got sold before we got to the sale, she eventually found a nice Liberty Centurion 18-gun and we got there in time to buy it ($450). Me and a couple of my stronger friends loaded it into my truck the next day and now it's "safely" at home.

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but just thought I throw it out there - as a reminder - that estate sales are frequently a good way to shop for a decent used safe, as long as you have the patience and willingness to drop everything to get there at the start of the sale (and a couple friends looking for a heavy challenge).

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[3MTA3]

I think Geraldo Rivera might have a used safe he'd like to part with

 

[jbett98]

If you place a bid on an estate sale item like a gun safe, especially one that's priced a little to high on the first day of the sale, you can save a lot of money.
I've found that your bid must be a little bit over 1/2 of the asking price, as the estate sale folks don't like really low ball bids.
They usually have a buyer waiting to pay them for everything left over at the end of the sale.

 

[parallax]

I see safes for sale on craiglist occasionally....

Gun safe - sporting goods - by owner - sale

Gun safe 700

spokane.craigslist.org

-NEW- Lightly Scuffed Surelock Boss 76 Extra Large Gun Safe - sporting goods - by owner - sale - craigslist

PRICED TO SELL is this absolutely MASSIVE gun safe from Surelock Security Co.! At 55" wide, this gun safe has a true 69 rifle capacity in its spacious 3-bay interior with 8 pistol holsters on the...

spokane.craigslist.org

Extra Large Safe - general for sale - by owner

A lightly used extra large Field and Stream 64+4 safe. Secure all of your firearms and valuables with the Field and Stream 64+4 Gun Safe. This safe is able to withstand 1200°F for 40 minutes. In...

spokane.craigslist.org

 

[solv3nt]

You can find them in Portland every now and then, but you have to be on top of things and able to drop everything and pick it up.

Oregon City police open found gun safe, but owner still a mystery

Lt. Greg Fryett, Oregon City Police Department spokesman, said police pried open the safe -- actually more of a locking cabinet -- Monday night and found two rifles and a handgun.

www.oregonlive.com

 

[P7M13]

Found a 28 gun safe for $50 on Craigslist. Dude forgot the combo....

 

[bionic knees]

I see them on the facebook market place pretty regularly.

 

[Jbsheepdog]

Found a 28 gun safe for $50 on Craigslist. Dude forgot the combo....

How did you get/discover the combo?

 

[Heyjoe]

Bought mine at an online estate auction. Everyone piled on the crappy large Chinese unit while I covertly sniped out an awesome Visalia Safe Co. vault for less than a quarter of its current retail value.

It's everything I wanted in a safe including heavy and boy is it HEAVY!

 

[MacReady]

Ive seen a surprising amount on Craigslist, as well as offerup strangely enough. Lots of "im moving and dont want to haul this with me please take this off my hands" specials... Because of the internet and apps theres lots of back-up secondhand marketplaces if the ol estate sale hunting doesnt work out.

 

[Mono1]

How did you get/discover the combo?

He didn't say he did. OR bought it.

 

[P7M13]

How did you get/discover the combo?

He didn't say he did. OR bought it.

Oh yeah I bought it.
The electronic lock manufacturer has a universal access code that's based on the S/N of the lock mechanism.
You call them, pay something like $50, apply for the code, which includes a brief background check, and then they give you the code. You can then change the combo to anything you like. It was a five digit combo.
Gave it to my bro when I moved up to a much bigger one.

 

[jbett98]

The best deal I got on a used safe was on Craigslist.
A guy in Vancouver had inherited his uncles house, which included a huge old 1920's era laboratory fireproof safe which was located in a day light basement.
The safes combination was stated in his late uncles will and for over three years he tried to open it with no luck.
The safe was open when his uncle passed away, but a young relative accidentally closed it before the will was read.
He was asking $300 cash and when I showed up to check it out, the guy insisted on showing me how to open it and I watch him fail to reverse the dial after completing the correct sequence, which is needed to retract the locking bar bolt.
I explained he was doing it wrong and he insisted on trying it one more time with the same negative results.
I told him if I get it open, I didn't want the price to go up. He agreed and I showed him and his family that all he needed to do was to rotate the dial in the opposite direction once he completed the combinations sequence.
I quickly spun the dial and had that safe unlocked in 30 seconds. They couldn't believe it. He sold it to me for $100.
The owner wanted to remove all of the contents without me seeing what was inside, so I returned later with my trailer and 2 ton pallet jack.
I had to remove both of the sliding glass doors to get that safe out of the basement. Luckily, there was a smooth concrete sidewalk around the back to the driveway.
Each safe door weighs over 500 lbs. Total weight of the safe is around 4,000 lbs.

 

[dangerranger60]

I have bought several safes with the door locked. I have yet to open one and find more than a couple paperclips and empty cigar boxes.
A friend bought one at an estate sale that he is hosting a safe opening party. We are going to cut the back open. [ it is a fire safe not a burglary safe] DR

 

[P7M13]

@jbett98, from the times we've met and talked, I'd put money on you and @Lilhigbee to be the ones to open, let alone move, such a safe. I'm sure there are others, but you two stand out from all the NWFA folk I've met.

 

[jbett98]

A couple of years ago, a guy in Battle Ground, WA. was giving away a large safe that was removed from a car dealership.
The Craigslist ads picture showed the safes door laying next to it on a wooden pallet at a funny angle.
I was the first to respond and drove up to his large McMansion property to find out it wasn't a standard run of the mill sheet metal safe, but a high security one with
1 -1/2" thick solid steel walls and a 2" thick solid steel door. It also had a night deposit safe door built into the backside of the safe. All that adds up in total weight.

The guy had tried to remove the door for some reason on his own and when he removed the last of the door hinge bolts, it tipped over.
He tried to lower the door onto the pallet, but it got away from him and then his leather glove got caught in the locking lever handle.
It detached his right arm at the shoulder, tearing all the major ligaments and muscles. Three major surgeries later, he had 70% use of his arm again.
I was somewhat prepared with a large high quality vintage crow bar with the tip ground to a fine edge, three 3/8" steel rods to roll it on concrete and a couple of Wonder Bars, plus my pallet jack.

Luckily, the huge garage/shop the safe was located in had a couple of 2 post car lifts and after using the crowbar, I wedged the Wonderbars under the front lip.
I then managed to get the steel rods positioned under it and ready to roll it towards the car lift.
I could easily push the safe by myself as it rolled on the steel rods, replacing one at a time as they came out from under the backside, then leaning the safe back a bit and reinserting it under the front side. Rinse and repeat.

His wife was frantic about him even being near the safe, let alone trying to help me, but once it was in position, I raised one of the lift's arms and then rolled the safes open side in till the lift's arm was centered in the middle. The lift picked it up with ease and I then backed the trailer under it. I used a sling to lift the door.

Once I got it home, I backed it into my shop and rolled it onto my 4 post lift, then onto the palled jack.
I removed the rear night drop doors dial and locking bolt handle and welded it shut.
I installed a quality hull liner to the inside and replaced the broken combination dial lock with a new stainless steel Sergeants & Greenleaf model.

I sold it to a West Hills doctor who rented a Uhaul truck with an aluminum lift gate. That lift gate will never be the same after barely lifting that safe.
I looked up the weight of plate steel and figured the total weight was right around 3,000 pounds.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

A couple of years ago, a guy in Battle Ground, WA. was giving away a large safe that was removed from a car dealership.
The Craigslist ads picture showed the safes door laying next to it on a wooden pallet at a funny angle.
I was the first to respond and drove up to his large McMansion property to find out it wasn't a standard run of the mill sheet metal safe, but a high security one with
1 -1/2" thick solid steel walls and a 2" thick solid steel door. It also had a night deposit safe door built into the backside of the safe. All that adds up in total weight.

The guy had tried to remove the door for some reason on his own and when he removed the last of the door hinge bolts, it tipped over.
He tried to lower the door onto the pallet, but it got away from him and then his leather glove got caught in the locking lever handle.
It detached his right arm at the shoulder, tearing all the major ligaments and muscles. Three major surgeries later, he had 70% use of his arm again.
I was somewhat prepared with a large high quality vintage crow bar with the tip ground to a fine edge, three 3/8" steel rods to roll it on concrete and a couple of Wonder Bars, plus my pallet jack.

Luckily, the huge garage/shop the safe was located in had a couple of 2 post car lifts and after using the crowbar, I wedged the Wonderbars under the front lip.
I then managed to get the steel rods positioned under it and ready to roll it towards the car lift.
I could easily push the safe by myself as it rolled on the steel rods, replacing one at a time as they came out from under the backside, then leaning the safe back a bit and reinserting it under the front side. Rinse and repeat.

His wife was frantic about him even being near the safe, let alone trying to help me, but once it was in position, I raised one of the lift's arms and then rolled the safes open side in till the lift's arm was centered in the middle. The lift picked it up with ease and I then backed the trailer under it. I used a sling to lift the door.

Once I got it home, I backed it into my shop and rolled it onto my 4 post lift, then onto the palled jack.
I removed the rear night drop doors dial and locking bolt handle and welded it shut.
I installed a quality hull liner to the inside and replaced the broken combination dial lock with a new stainless steel Sergeants & Greenleaf model.

I sold it to a West Hills doctor who rented a Uhaul truck with an aluminum lift gate. That lift gate will never be the same after barely lifting that safe.
I looked up the weight of plate steel and figured the total weight was right around 3,000 pounds.

Dang! The one I bought was only 340#, but for all I could do it could have been 80 tons. I couldn't move it much at all.

Luckily both my friends still have strong knees and with very little help on my part somehow got it out of basement of the estate sale house. I'm not saying the house was built around the safe, but it could have been. It barely fit up the basement stairs.

Once we got it home I told them I'm buying them and their wives dinner and drinks next time we get together. I may have a bad knee and a dicey shoulder but my wallet is still working fine.