Installed my new SteelWater safe today...

[Alexx1401]

I have been looking at the site since this thread started and I am real close to buying one of these. I need more room and one of these that is just under 1K delivered into my garage is looking real damn tempting. Been working a lot of over time so one pay days extra would buy this damn thing. May have to pull the trigger on one of these

 

[2A2Dend]

There were times when finding a safe, reasonable priced, USED, was fairly common. Anymore, not so much with the new laws.
Fireproofing a safe isn't difficult, IF doing so is approached before loading it up.
Planning >where and how< the safe is installed, can also add to the security >of< said.
Layer up

 

[2thdrglock]

I've heard a lot of people bad mouthing the electronic locks, seems some are sensitive to certain combinations of numbers. Would you mind sharing what numbers you have found work well with your new safe?

Its good to have safe storage, congrats on the new safe.

I just thought I would use the factory set combo...they pick good ones, right?

 

[Alexx1401]

I just thought I would use the factory set combo...they pick good ones, right?

That's why all my stuff has the same password, password. Makes it so much easier and never have to remember all those pesky passwords.

 

[Alexx1401]

Update;
Wife saw me looking at these last week. I told her I was going to order one. She looked at it, said she had worked some OT during the holidays and her bonus, and was going to buy it She sat down and did so last Wed, the 15th. Well it showed up today. When the freight Co called me yesterday to set up delivery I was shocked it was here already. Driver un crated it on the lift gate for me to inspect, then drove it into my garage. Color me impressed. For under 1K delivered into my garage. I want to say thanks to 2thdrglock for mentioning these. I had never heard of them. I am very happy and will feel better knowing all the guns will now be in a safe when we are not home since we had outgrown the original.

 

[billdeserthills]

I was going to ignore your reply, but I thought I would respond not to defend my purchase, but to call you out on what seems to be so popular today...spreading misinformation. Upon examining the hinges I discovered that by removing a cosmetic cap I could see down into the hinge itself. The hinge pins are totally encased in heavy gauge steel with absolutely no way to remove them without drilling. So there you go.

Most all safe doors have built-in hinge pins that block the opening after removing the hinges anyhow

 

[JohnnyMac]

Congrats guys!

 

[2thdrglock]

Most all safe door have built-in hinge pins that block the opening after removing the hinges anyhow

He was just pulling my leg and I fell for it.
Safe is still functional and being used every day.

 

[bentoncity]

Zanotti Armor - Modern Craftsmanship & Security for You and Your Safe

Based in Waterloo, Iowa, we’re gun safe experts that offer American-made quality and smart design with every easy-to-assemble safe!

zanottiarmor.com

They're modular, easily assembled/dis-assembled. They pin together(see image below)
6 pieces individually wrapped/shipped (top/bottom/3 sides/door) Not counting interior configuration
1 man job for the most part depending on size purchased.
Built REALLY nice~Made in USA
Really tight door~to~frame (meaning virtually no pry bars to gain access)
Can be bolted down
Door stays locked even if the hinges are cut off
Many internal design options
Zanotti Armor - Security Features
I don't work for them but put one of their safes (Z2-5ft) together for a friend and it's a better built safe then the stuff he was able to buy at a big safe dealer store with the pretty paint jobs. He put his in a room to small to get a regular built safe into through the door and bolted it down. No room to swing any tools or even to pry.

Dan

Model	Height	Width	Depth	Weight	Interior #1	Interior #2	Interior #3	Interior #4
Z1	60″	25″	20″	350#	(4) Shelves	(8) Long Guns	(16) Long Guns
Z2 5ft	60″	31″	25″	500#	(4) Shelves	(15) Long Guns	(30) Long Guns
Z2 6ft	72″	31″	25″	600#	(5) Shelves	(15) Long Guns	(30) Long Guns
Z3 5ft	60″	41″	31″	750#	(4) Shelves	(20) Long Guns	(28) Long Guns	(52) Long Guns
Z3 6ft	72″	41″	31″	825#	(5) Shelves	(20) Long Guns	(28) Long Guns	(52) Long Guns

 

[Snip]

I bought Steelwater a couple of years ago. It fits nicely in a closet so it's somewhat out of sight. Works well so far.

 

[billdeserthills]

Zanotti Armor - Modern Craftsmanship & Security for You and Your Safe

Based in Waterloo, Iowa, we’re gun safe experts that offer American-made quality and smart design with every easy-to-assemble safe!

zanottiarmor.com

They're modular, easily assembled/dis-assembled. They pin together(see image below)
6 pieces individually wrapped/shipped (top/bottom/3 sides/door) Not counting interior configuration
1 man job for the most part depending on size purchased.
Built REALLY nice~Made in USA
Really tight door~to~frame (meaning virtually no pry bars to gain access)
Can be bolted down
Door stays locked even if the hinges are cut off
Many internal design options
Zanotti Armor - Security Features
I don't work for them but put one of their safes (Z2-5ft) together for a friend and it's a better built safe then the stuff he was able to buy at a big safe dealer store with the pretty paint jobs. He put his in a room to small to get a regular built safe into through the door and bolted it down. No room to swing any tools or even to pry.

Dan

View attachment 697815

Model	Height	Width	Depth	Weight	Interior #1	Interior #2	Interior #3	Interior #4
Z1	60″	25″	20″	350#	(4) Shelves	(8) Long Guns	(16) Long Guns
Z2 5ft	60″	31″	25″	500#	(4) Shelves	(15) Long Guns	(30) Long Guns
Z2 6ft	72″	31″	25″	600#	(5) Shelves	(15) Long Guns	(30) Long Guns
Z3 5ft	60″	41″	31″	750#	(4) Shelves	(20) Long Guns	(28) Long Guns	(52) Long Guns
Z3 6ft	72″	41″	31″	825#	(5) Shelves	(20) Long Guns	(28) Long Guns	(52) Long Guns

I actually got a Zanotti safe for a client 15 years ago, it was very wiggly when I finished putting it together--Not a good substitute for a real gun safe but he had a secret room and the doorway was only 12-14" wide

 

[Alexx1401]

I actually got a Zanotti safe for a client 15 years ago, it was very wiggly when I finished putting it together--Not a good substitute for a real gun safe but he had a secret room and the doorway was only 12-14" wide

Too bad, it sure looked like an interesting idea. Guess it would certainly beat nothing in places where it's super hard to bet a regular safe into.

 

[cigars]

That safe should serve you well. You have no reason not to sleep well. In the eyes of the military, locks, safes, barriers, etc are merely delaying devices. Some take more time than others to defeat but they can all be defeated. In reality, even Ft. Knox is nothing but a series of delaying devices.

 

[billdeserthills]

That safe should serve you well. You have no reason not to sleep well. In the eyes of the military, locks, safes, barriers, etc are merely delaying devices. Some take more time than others to defeat but they can all be defeated. In reality, even Ft. Knox is nothing but a series of delaying devices.

Zanotti doesn't mention the wall thickness, but the door is 3/16", usually the wall thickness is half of that--I'm sure a 4" disc grinder with a cut off wheel would make short work of opening it

 

[bentoncity]

Ahh you naysayers... the Zanotti safe I helped put together was in an area that another brand wouldn't even be able to get into unless the walls were torn down & rebuilt. IE: Read 'closet space'. No room to use mr. angle grinder with .045 skinny wheels to break into the safe except through the door. No room to use a pry bar. Even IF one used a grinder to break in via the door, how long is that going to take? Any noise? Fire? Neighbors? Owner returning home? etc. etc. One can ALWAYS find an excuse to NOT do something. But like cigars said..."Some take more time than others to defeat but they can all be defeated." Never were more true words spoken..

It's the old "I'll never own a Ford/Chevy/Dodge" argument but you'd drive a Yugo if it was free and you had nothing else. Same with a safe. Most any safe is better then no safe. And the Zanotti fit in the closet without damaging the house framing. I'd say that's a win-win situation in my book.

Dan

 

[billdeserthills]

It is better than nothing but not that much better

 

[bentoncity]

It is better than nothing but not that much better

Hmm, You seem to have an issue with Zanotti. Care to elaborate? What seems to be the issue? More so since you stated it was 15 years ago you put one together. The one I helped with was a year ago and it was brutally tight to get the pins hammered in. There was zero slop nor any mis-alignment issues.
I'm open to discussion..

Dan

 

[Alexx1401]

Hmm, You seem to have an issue with Zanotti. Care to elaborate? What seems to be the issue? More so since you stated it was 15 years ago you put one together. The one I helped with was a year ago and it was brutally tight to get the pins hammered in. There was zero slop nor any mis-alignment issues.
I'm open to discussion..

Dan

If someone wanted to use one of these it would be wise of course to check some reviews. If they really do work well it looks like a hell of a nice idea. Thinking of some of the places I have helped people move into, where just getting either of my safes to the damn door would be a HUGE challenge. Have helped a few move into apartments on 2nd or 3d floor, with those damn stairways that made it hard to even get a couch up there. If these really do work they would sure as hell be nice for that. Not only the getting it in but the moving it back out again too.

 

[sobo]

Good on ya for being a responsible gun (safe) owner!
I've got a beast similar to @Kruel J 's, it's a Dakota that weighs in at just under 1,000# empty.
Bought it two years ago, and wish I woulda listened to the guy on the floor. He warned me that I should buy a bigger one than the 39-stick capacity one I did.
Yeah, I knew going in that those capacity numbers are about double of what they can actually hold, but I thought I was good with a "39-gun" safe for the 15 or 16 smokepoles I had at the time.
Now less than two years later, I have already outgrown it. 18 long guns are sitting upright in it, and 4 or 5 more are threaded horizontally through the barrels of the upright ones. And I've got more pistols now than the door can hold.
Gonna hafta get another safe, I guess...

Before it got all filled up...

 

[bentoncity]

Alexx1401
The Z2 I helped with weighed 500#. Break that down into 6 parts with the door being the heaviest part that two people could easily handle. Installed into a hole. Chances of theft via crash-dash and run are virtually zero. Weapons saved and that's the end game. Save what we own!

sobo, IF, and that's a big IF, I were in your shoes for storage, I'd build a concrete bunker with a poured in place frame and mount a door into the frame. Don't forget to heat/cool/de-humidify etc. Screw the safe routes. Kinda like ye olde bank vault doors. And there's a cool factor with a walk-in gun rack...
I'll help ya with a design on rebar & concrete if ya want. 6 inch walls minimum.

Dan