I built my own Gun Safe.

[jbett98]

I have a large vintage safe that has a vintage sticker on the door. It warns of potential harm to anyone trying to break into the safe.
The device was removed before I bought the safe. I thought it was cool that the company was from Portland.
The label is pictured on the left, the device was the one shown on the right.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjQ0o-Okt3kAhUQvZ4KHdwOAdwQFjAAegQIAhAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsafecrackeratlarge.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F10%2Fsafe-boobytraps-tear-gas-and-unknown.html&usg=AOvVaw3EsaQmaEItO8leVvJh_Tk_

 

[Helocat]

Well, they told me a long time ago that guns and alcohol don't mix. But why then did the government form an agency to oversee both? Dunno. And no it's not bear proof. I support the right to keep and arm bears.

I have seen an ATF agency shirt from a training event they did that says "ATF - We bring the party". From the ATF person I have spoken with, they spend most of their time bringing down drug dealers.

 

[Resist_This]

Still no pics...lol

He said it could hold 50 guns so he was able to legally sell it claiming it could hold 150.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Where do you keep the beer? Is this safe bear proof

Bears don't drink beer...

 

[RVTECH]

The OP hasn't been see since well, shortly after his OP on this.
Maybe he fell victim to his 'deadly system' ?

 

[Ernee414]

20 yrs ago when I left ca and moved to wa I had accumulated the proper size formed steel C channel to build a gun safe. I don't remember exact dimensions but it was something like 18" wide and it was 1/4" steel. This was the most heavy stuff the company I worked for made.

It was designed as a base to be welded up so super heavy columns that were welded together with hole patterns could be inserted. These were used as steel storage racks so this channel used as a base have to be super large and heavy.

It was bent up slightly out of spec so into the scrap bin it was going. I pulled out enough for the gun safe and bought it at .09 cents a lb. I was stupid and sold it as scrap myself instead of putting it in the back of my F250 and moving it on up here to wa.

I sold or gave away some other stuff I wish I still had in prep for that move.

All I would have had to buy was the front and back plate to build the safe. I would have been great if built right with the proper door frame and locking lugs. excuse me while I get up walk around and kick my arse again in remembrance of my stupidity all those yrs ago.

I would build my own gun safe in a second providing I could again scrounge up the steel needed for a decent cost.

A gun safe with a 1 inch thick door and 1/16th inch sides and back panel is a joke. You can cut your way in with a $20.00 harbor freight cutting tool that uses 4" cutting wheels.

I was in a sporting goods store the other day and they had gun safes on sale. I was walking around seeing what ones I could push on the sides and get them to pop in and out like the thin aluminum on a pop can when you squeeze it.

Couple people walked up and began talking about buying one of them, I walked up and said you like that one? watch this, I said put your hand on it right here on the side and push, the thin steel popped in and out like on a coke can. Was funny as heck the look on their faces hahah. I told them about the 20.00 harbor freight cutter and how I could steal what ever was inside that safe in 15 minutes is I could get to the sides. These were 1500.00 safes marked down to something like 995.00.

Needles to say, they did not buy any of these tin can safes.

Build my own safe HECK Ya ... I could do better with my eyes closed and half asleep then these commercial pop can safe companies.

Note to people who own one of these tin can safes. Pull it apart and rip out the interior and then weld up some re-bar that will fit in the sides, lay it on its side and fill the side with concrete. do that for both sides and the top and bottom and the back, this is if you got enough actual room in the thing. Do a little research on concrete so you can mix it up and get a very strong mix, do not use fence post concrete, if your not going to mix that concrete right, don't even bother.

Next take the door apart and see if the locking lugs on the door are double supported as in, does each lug go through 2 sections of steel so if some one uses a huge pry bar and gets it in the edge of the door, will the giant locking lug be able to withstand the force or not?

If your huge locking lugs are only supported by going through a single section of steel, call a welder and find out how much he will charge to take some proper size angle steel something like 3" x 3" with 1/4 wall and cut matching holes and weld this in your door so your door locking lugs are double supported.

Next check to be sure those huge locking lugs are operated by thick steel bars and not thin sheet metal angle that wont take much pressure to cause to spring back or bend.

If your locking lugs are attached to thin steel like that rebuild it with thicker steel bars.

Thing is, even the better gun safes have relatively thin sides, 3/16th steel is considered good ..... but, they do have better built doors with the proper support for locking lugs, good thicker steel bars controlling the locking lugs and a good quality dial lock system with armor plating around it.

Yes I would love to build my own gun safe. Even thought about doing a few for sale if I can find another house with a shop and I have some decent room in the future.

~

I always assumed those tin can safes were more for keeping kids out, rather than thieves.

I have plenty of other things that will handle thieves before they even find a safe in my house, but I do need something to keep my kids from trying to play with weapons.