Looking into buying my first safe

[stealthfightrf17]

Is this a good brand?

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 4294965690" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sidro]

Cannon is a good safe and has a good warranty. Do yourself a favor and buy the widebody safe. This comes from someone who has 2 safes and needs another, my wife took control of one of mine. You may think you will never need the larger safe but your collection has a way of growing larger than the one you buy. Tractor supply also has Cannon safe so you can check prices against Academy.

[LJM]

Don't know anything about the cannon. I bought mine from http://patriotsafe.com/2-Hour-Gun-Safes_c_36.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and have been very pleased. My Brother-in-law also got his from them and loves it.

[eureka40]

Cannon is a good safe and has a good warranty. Do yourself a favor and buy the widebody safe. This comes from someone who has 2 safes and needs another, my wife took control of one of mine. You may think you will never need the larger safe but your collection has a way of growing larger than the one you buy. Tractor supply also has Cannon safe so you can check prices against Academy.

Don't go short, go long!! I got a safe a while back that I figured was "good enough". It wasn't.

[RttlTrap]

I'll echo what the others have said and advise you to go as big as you can. I have a similar sized cannon safe and it is packed and my collection is nowhere near what some members here have. Those long guns take up a lot of room.

You might look at the pros and cons of the keypad vs traditional lock. Those who seem to know more about locksmithing than I do tend to recommend the dial combos.

[Divided Attention]

JPHO - we were looking at the Cannons and other brands and ended up going with Lone Star Safe on 1960 and getting a Champion. Comparatively - features, fire protection, warranty, delivery and the like we got more safe for the money. We went and looked over all the features, hands on, and got a heavier, and larger safe than the ones from Academy. We spent a little more, but they threw in some extras and their delivery guys were amazing. We considered it a worthwhile investment.

As far as the lock goes, read the warranty well. The dial is typically lifetime while the electronic was 2 years. They said they typically don't fail, but when they do it is 400 dollars minimum to have them drilled out and replaced (the electronic). Our safe can be "open" when we are home, and has a little light over the dial that stays on for 2 minutes. It is red and just enough to run the dial easily in either light or dark.

JMHO, but we are very pleased with our safe - they are right, go bigger than you think you will need. We thought this thing was HUGE, but it is amazing how fast it is filling up!

[AEA]

S&G Dial locks are the only way to go.

[fannypacker]

You have received good advice here. You will outgrow a small safe and a dial lock is best.

[stealthfightrf17]

how long does a dial lock take to open?

[CombatWombat]

I live in a small apartment w/ no children around and this safe works great for me, i only have about 4 long guns, my wife took over the top shelf but i also bought a deal that goes on the door for my pistols. I am definitely happy with my purchase... well my wife actually bought this safe for me, Such a Sweetheart!

[67N20]

how long does a dial lock take to open?

I can open my dial type Canon safe in 17-19 seconds.

[Divided Attention]

How long - TOO long, so we leave ours unlocked unless we are not home. All we have to do is turn the wheel when we are home. We do not have small children, only teens, But would likely use the door knob covers on my bedroom door and still leave it open if we did. I am getting much faster, but don't work it daily, it depends on who is home and gets home first as to who opens it. I can't imagine being near fast enough "under pressure" especially if woken from a sound sleep.

[stealthfightrf17]

Our kids are the main push to get a safe right now, they have all learned to get past the door knob covers.

[WildBill]

I can't imagine being near fast enough "under pressure" especially if woken from a sound sleep.

Get a big safe for storing guns and other valuables. Get a GunVault or something similar for quick access.

[Divided Attention]

Might have to go with a high latch - just can't see leaving it locked while I am home. While the door of the safe is quite heavy, and the "wheel" works stiffly, I am not sure it can stop a determined toddler unless locked fully. All kids are different, but by the time mine figured out how to hang from the door knob covers to bypass them, they were old enough to know that a room with one of those was without negotiation on going in without permission.