safe recommendations

[XinTX]

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/spo/2826845114.html

found this guy selling cannon safes in my price range. I've looked at them in academy and they seem to look nice and well built. Any thoughts on this brand?? I'll check out sams next time i go.

Only two things I don't like about the Cannon safes. They only seem to be available with the electronic locks (which I don't want) and, other than their higher end models, only have locking bolts on one side. But you can find them at Academy for a pretty reasonable price.

I'm still searching for a safe as well. There's a million choices out there. And each manufacturer claims theirs are the best.

But I doubt you're going to find a 'safe' for under $600. At that price you're really getting a lockable gun cabinet. It's better than leaving them laying on the bed. But most of them are fairly light gauge of sheet metal. They might protect from a 'smash and grab', but if they come with a big crowbar they can get into them.

[chuckybrown]

Just make sure that the one you get is bigger than you thought you would want. They get full quick. Other stuff get put in there also.

Amen to that!

Also, I had the alarm company wire a panic/hold up button into my safe. If I'm ever forced to open it under duress, the button is right there. (As it was being put in place,
I ran electric into it for my golden rod, and low voltage into there for the alarm company to use.)

[alvins]

i live in an apartment so im limited to what i can get but i dont like the electronic locks.i have a stack on safe.i dought its super great but better then nothing.If you can get a big safe in the door and where you want it; i say get it.

[JJVP]

I'm very happy with my safe. It is a Winchester Ranger. It also has bolt holes in the bottom so you can anchor it to the floor.

Here is the full description: http://winchestersafes.com/ranger19-BlackGloss.aspx

I opted for the combination lock, not the electronic lock (Just in case their is a stray Electromagnetic pulse beam ). I bought mine on GunBroker for less than the manufacturer suggested price. Shipping was prompt and the delivery guy helped me move it in my house to its' current location.

A few weeks ago I bought the Winchester Ranger 19 at Academy ($699). One thing though, if you really need to store 24 rifles, you need something a lot bigger. They might have slots for 24 rifles, but no way you'll fit them in, specially if they have a scope mounted.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 4294965645" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[OldCannon]

i live in an apartment so im limited to what i can get but i dont like the electronic locks.i have a stack on safe.i dought its super great but better then nothing.If you can get a big safe in the door and where you want it; i say get it.

If you live in an apt, check out Dakota Safes. They're not built _quite_ as strong as, say, a Liberty, but they're excellent safes and won't let you down. I have two of them, in fact.

[Oldgringo]

Check out Tractor Supply before you buy anything. Just sayin'....

[ixslr8]

thanks for all the replies and help guys. I've got 12 long guns atm and 2 pistols so i was thinking a 24 gun safe would be plenty at the moment. I'll take a look at tractor supply, that had never even crossed my mind. Maybe i can even use my tax exemption!

[rentz]

if you have a costco membership they have a cannon for 599

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... lang=en-US" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was going to order it but I just cant find enough info on the safe so im going to keep looking.
So far the best looking one i've found is the cabelas signature series made by liberty , was on sale 2 weeks ago for 1400 i think but i couldnt get anyone to give me a straight answer on the delivery cost so i left.

[OldCannon]

if you have a costco membership they have a cannon for 599

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... lang=en-US" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was going to order it but I just cant find enough info on the safe so im going to keep looking.
So far the best looking one i've found is the cabelas signature series made by liberty , was on sale 2 weeks ago for 1400 i think but i couldnt get anyone to give me a straight answer on the delivery cost so i left.

It's not easy to get a straight answer on delivery costs. That's because homes and properties vary. Most safe delivery places have a maximum distance and number of steps before there's extra fees. It's better to find a safe delivery business and contract it yourself.

[03Lightningrocks]

if you have a costco membership they have a cannon for 599

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... lang=en-US" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was going to order it but I just cant find enough info on the safe so im going to keep looking.
So far the best looking one i've found is the cabelas signature series made by liberty , was on sale 2 weeks ago for 1400 i think but i couldnt get anyone to give me a straight answer on the delivery cost so i left.

It's not easy to get a straight answer on delivery costs. That's because homes and properties vary. Most safe delivery places have a maximum distance and number of steps before there's extra fees. It's better to find a safe delivery business and contract it yourself.

I purchased my safe through a safe dealer in Garland Texas. He charged a flat 125 dollars to deliver within 50 miles(it might have been more but it has been 3 years).

I just saw a post made earlier and I would have to agree with it. The poster mentioned that a good safe is not going to be had for 600 bucks. I have looked at the "safes" at Academy and I had the opinion that they would be better described as "locking cabinets". The word "gun safe" has to be the most abused word in the english language.

You absolutely do get what you pay for when it comes to gun safes. Look at fire ratings and such. Go to the gun safe thread on this forum and spend some quality time ACTUALLY READING the information on those links in that thread. You will know why one safe cost 600 dollars and another cost 2500 dollars.

[rentz]

i checked out the ft knox safes at the lewisville show and you can most certainly see the difference and why they cost more.
cannon and winchester were there as well but nothing looked as solid as those ft knox safes, but they are a bit pricey

[Divided Attention]

We are very happy with our Champion safe! Manual lock, which was much easier to learn than I feared. Have a little light about the dial that stays on of about 1 minute - plenty of time to open it. We can leave it in a shut, not locked mode when we are home and with a turn of the wheel and dial be locked when we leave. We have had it for almost a year. Very pleased with it.

[Oldgringo]

03Lightningrocks is correct (as usual) about the gun safe misnomer.

A safe is what banks have, what most of us have are RSC's or Residential Security Containers. I'm okay with my 500#, 24 gun (?) Winchester 'safe' from Tractor Supply. No, it won't present any challenge to a professional safe cracker but it and the house alarm will thwart the snatch and grab meth head or retard burglar. If the house catches fire, it's on an outside wall. The fire department will be here before the house burns down. Furthermore, I have homeowners and NRA gun insurance on my smattering of store bought rifles and handguns.

A real safe is gonna' cost you some real money but if that's what you need, that's what you need.

[03Lightningrocks]

03Lightningrocks is correct (as usual) about the gun safe misnomer.

A safe is what banks have, what most of us have are RSC's or Residential Security Containers. I'm okay with my 500#, 24 gun (?) Winchester 'safe' from Tractor Supply. No, it won't present any challenge to a professional safe cracker but it and the house alarm will thwart the snatch and grab meth head or retard burglar. If the house catches fire, it's on an outside wall. The fire department will be here before the house burns down. Furthermore, I have homeowners and NRA gun insurance on my smattering of store bought rifles and handguns.

A real safe is gonna' cost you some real money but if that's what you need, that's what you need.

Excellent post from Oldgringo(as usual)!

[SigM4]

AMSEC are pretty good safes. You won't be prying one of those bad boys open! Better than average fire protection. Price isn't out of wack due to "name brand" issues. The BF series are pretty good safes.

http://www.amsecusa.com/Gun_Safes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Another vote for AMSEC. Do a comparison of their BF safes to similarly sized competition makes and you'll see a big difference in weight, most of which can be attributed to differences in fire protection (AMSEC uses a heavier insulation vs. other safe's drywall type). Additionally the interior of AMSECs is much higher end than most other lines. The down side, they're not cheap.

Another good Costco option is the Bighorn line. Similar to the AMSECs with a few less bells and whistles, which includes being able to request a dial lock vs. electric once you order it. Also the price includes shipping to your door. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... =C&topnav=

Lastly, as someone mentioned earlier about living in an apartment, I've seen very good reviews of the Zanotti mobile safes. They're a piece together safe that allows for easy assembly/dis-assembly while providing a higher level of protection over a standard gun cabinet. Not that its the best option, but sometimes it might make sense.

In the end any safe is better than no safe. Most home burglaries are crimes of opportunity, very few thieves will spend the time trying to get into a safe, and even fewer still will bring the proper tools to do so. However, as was mentioned, none of the safes listed here will stop a determined professional. Work with your budget for now, but don't discount an upgrade in the future.