Securing safes ?

[hellotyler]

One of the downsides of living in an apartment is that they probably don't want me bolting a nice safe into the floor, and with a smaller gun/cabinet safe I'm wondering if it's even worth it to purchase one if they can just pick up the entire safe and wheel/carry it to the car? A friend of mine lives in a very nice neighborhood and they broke into his home and removed the poorly secured safe from his mothers room last year. Rolling a safe in almost seems like painting a target on your back if there is baddies around. Right now I don't think there's reason for anyone to even know a weapon is in the home, as I don't advertise shooting or hunting activity, but you never know. Is there other ways to secure safes ? Electronic monitoring systems ? Weighting them ?

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[TTSX]

My safe is 800lbs empty. I believe, but I'll not completely sure, that's the magic number where some places decide bolting them down is no longer needed. Maybe Australia? Canada? Don't remember exactly but sheer mass can make bolts a moot point unless the thieves are Arnold impersonators

 

[Alexx1401]

One of the downsides of living in an apartment is that they probably don't want me bolting a nice safe into the floor, and with a smaller gun/cabinet safe I'm wondering if it's even worth it to purchase one if they can just pick up the entire safe and wheel/carry it to the car? A friend of mine lives in a very nice neighborhood and they broke into his home and removed the poorly secured safe from his mothers room last year. Rolling a safe in almost seems like painting a target on your back if there is baddies around. Right now I don't think there's reason for anyone to even know a weapon is in the home, as I don't advertise shooting or hunting activity, but you never know. Is there other ways to secure safes ? Electronic monitoring systems ? Weighting them ?

Only you can decide. I always recommend something. Any safe is better than the guns sitting in a closet. A LOT of the break ins are dopers doing smash and grab. They are looking for anything they can pack off fast. If you have a decent safe most of them will not have what they need to get it out. If its an apartment its even harder to do this and not be seen. Then there is the liability factor. If some doper steals your guns that were sitting out and does some kind of nasty shooting, like a school, there is a good chance someone is going to want you to pay. If the guns were "secured" it makes the bottom feeders job harder.
Whether you want a safe or not an alarm system is good. They have them now that are cheap and are made to work in a rental. Nothing is wired. You stick it up, when you move you just take it all with you. Adds another layer of piece of mind. Again its all a personal choice.

 

[Koda]

and with a smaller gun/cabinet safe I'm wondering if it's even worth it to purchase one if they can just pick up the entire safe and wheel/carry it to the car?

when I lived in an apartment I bolted my locking cabinet to a wall stud in the closet. When you move out just fill the small holes with putty.
The merits of a cabinet are debatable but im on the side of 5 more minutes is better than none.

 

[gmerkt]

Apartments are made to order for breaking and entering. I don't know the stats but I'd guess more apts. are broken into than single fam. homes. You're right, in an apt. complex, the tendency is for neighbors to know your business. So yes, hauling a safe into your place is gonna be an advertisment.

If you don't have scads of guns, sometimes "hiding in plain sight" is a way to go. Find a way to adapt a piece of furniture to having a hidden compartment. False bottoms, etc. Or inside some kind of duct work that has a grille over it. If you select a piece of furniture for this, make sure it's something large and/or not desireable enough to steal. Fugly end tables are adaptable to hidden compartments. For long guns, I'd consider an old sofa. There are several ways one of these can be adapted to hiding. The thing is, apartment burglers know it's an apartment, they don't expect to find a huge boon of loot. They expect to find the usual electronics, if a woman is about, they are delighted to find jewelry. They aren't gonna move a sofa or most other furniture items around looking for guns. They have an instinct from experience of where to look and they've never moved a sofa out away from the wall, ripped the back off and found guns. It's not on their tool belt. And if you're lucky, they won't pee on your bed or dump on your living room floor just because they are mean a-holes.

Laundry basket full of dirty underwear? Inside a cardboard box, marked IRS papers? Buried in any kind of other large quantity of confusion that burglars aren't apt to bother with.

Oh, and don't tell anybody else where your hidey-holes are.

When I first got out of the army, I rented an apartment in an old 1920's building. My idea of security was putting hasps on GI ammo cans (containing pistols) and chaining them around the terlit. Then after that, still a long time before I got a safe, I stacked some rifles against a wall and covered them over with a yellow plastic rain coat. When my garage did get burgled, the crooks walked right by the raincoat. They took other stuff but not the guns.

 

[Xaevian]

Just get a safe for your safe, and put the safe inside...simple!

 

[titsonritz]

 

[revjen45]

Lagged into the concrete floor.

 

[Camelfilter]

These days, if no safe, at least cable them up/together/to something. Those Python type cables come to mind.

Then do the hide in plane sight deal as well.

Anything to slow/hinder theft.

Could show bottom feeder lawyers "you tried". Plus, less likely they would be used against you if you came home during a break in.

 

[dangerranger60]

The last apt I lived in I bolted a small 8 gun safe inside the closet. When I moved out I spackled the holes and no one even noticed. When I moved in I made sure the safe was covered with cardboard so it looked like a tall box.

FS-Series 8 Gun Safe – STACK-ON

Its not a great safe but it is safer than a tin locker and has kept the honest out for around 20 years. And the price was right at under $200. Now it is in use in my travel trailer. Its not too heavy for the trailer and big enough to hold a gun or two a lap top, and the wife's purse while we are out . RV's are no harder than Apt's to break into.

 

[Koda]

The last apt I lived in I bolted a small 8 gun safe inside the closet. When I moved out I spackled the holes and no one even noticed. When I moved in I made sure the safe was covered with cardboard so it looked like a tall box.

FS-Series 8 Gun Safe – STACK-ON

Its not a great safe but it is safer than a tin locker and has kept the honest out for around 20 years. And the price was right at under $200. Now it is in use in my travel trailer. Its not too heavy for the trailer and big enough to hold a gun or two a lap top, and the wife's purse while we are out . RV's are no harder than Apt's to break into.

This is exactly what I upgraded to and so much easier to move around when its time to move. I eventually bought a house and still have mine though I dont need a bigger one but if I did Id probably buy another smaller one like this just for the sake of easy moving. They all bolt to the wall or floor the same, mines not going anywhere if a theif comes they will nee.... Nevermind.

 

[Snip]

Lagged into the concrete floor.

Some slab floors are pre-stressed. Drilling into this type of slab can cause all kinds of unintended circumstances.

 

[hellotyler]

I'm thinking a combination of a smaller safe that I can move in discreetly, but bolts into the wall (not floor) - along with some kinda rasberry pi alarm system to harden it a little bit. I'm sure something can easily be rigged up that will sound off lights, sound, etc - could be a fun project actually. Thanks for the info.

 

[jbett98]

I once rented a second floor apartment to a very pretty young women who was going to attend a local collage from out of state.
Her father helped with the move and he asked me to help him hardened the security to the entry door and also her bedroom door.
She was moved out of state because of a bad breakup up with a guy who wasn't taking it well and there was legitimate concerns for her safety.
I usually just rotated the entry door locks after a move out, but the father purchased some heavy duty lock sets and also some serious jamb plates to reinforce it against forcible entries.
He also bought a solid core bedroom door that I installed along with the same type of jamb plates and also a deadbolt.
I had no problem with his intent on keeping her safe and after she finished her schooling and moved out, the next renter was a young man with a lot of hunting guns. He really appreciated the extra security.

 

[Hueco]

I'm thinking a combination of a smaller safe that I can move in discreetly, but bolts into the wall (not floor) - along with some kinda rasberry pi alarm system to harden it a little bit. I'm sure something can easily be rigged up that will sound off lights, sound, etc - could be a fun project actually. Thanks for the info.

I run philips hue, Logitech harmony, motion detector, and some if this then that goodness. It's not a true alarm system...it'll die if the power or internet goes out...but it works for me and I'm banking that the lights going full on and alarm sounds going will scare off someone before they make it through a window or the entryway.

The gun cabinet is just a thin sheet metal one from cabelas, but it's bolted to studs. Granted, it's be easier to break in with a crowbar than rip it from the wall...but, I don't expect the thief to make it that far.

 

[adam217]

I have a handgun and ammo safe that are bolted into the studs and ground under my work bench... and I have a rifle cabinet that is bolted into the wall of my closet.

I decided that I would rather risk a portion of my security deposit versus letting some idiots take thousands worth of guns, ammo, and reloading equipment. And I have a Nest cam in the gun room/office.

 

[Windrunner50]

+1 bolt the cabinet to the wall studs, and just putty/paint if you relocate. Unfortunately your choices are limited in an apartment.

 

[Crazyeye24]

Duct tape....that'll do the trick

 

[LimaBravo6]

First thing I used to do was replace all the screws in the strike plate and hinges with 6" deck screws. You'd be surprised how much protection this offers against someone trying to kick in your door. I also did this inside on all interior doors to provide additional resistance and maybe a little more time if ever needed.
like others have said bolt your safe to a wall studs (holes can be easily filled later) I used washers inside the safe under the bolt head to prevent them from pulling thru the metal. Not perfect and the safe was a cheap Sentry but it made me feel a little bit better about keeping my guns in an apartment.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I had the small Sentry safes mostly for the fire protection. Learned the hard way that the concrete used in them has moisture. Massive mildew. The cash I could just return to the bank. My greatest loss was the complete destruction of my Purple Heart. Case, drape, everything but the actual medal part destroyed. I had oxygen absorbers in it. To much moisture.