I’ve been casually looking off and on for a gun safe / fire resistant security safe for the last few years. Costco will usually have Canon safes on sale pretty frequently but I always seem to have some other bills that need paid so I end up not buying one. Was on the way home from the Finger Lakes with the GF and was bored so I started looking again. All of my guns are worth <$500 each and there’s nothing collectible or special about the few ( <6 currently ) that that I own. The big thing to me is keeping them out of someone else’s hands and being able to safely secure a few documents. I do have a cell based security system on my house. I’m more concerned about a smash and grab vs someone actually breaking into the safe. Maybe I’m being naive but I wouldn’t expect a thief to break into a safe when there’s a burglar alarm going off at my barn and house. The three I’m looking at are: Product Details - $450 at BJ’s. Seems like a heck of a deal. Cannon 24-Gun Fire-Resistant Security Safe - RK5526-30H1EY22 - $649 https://www.costco.com/cannon-12.7-cu.-ft.-safe,-electronic-lock,-fire-rated.product.100829085.html - $900 at Costco and will probably be on sale at some point for $600 ish. The Wasatch safe is Chinese made, and from what I’ve read the Canon safes are made in the states. I do like that the wasatch safe is waterproof for up to 72 hours. Maybe the other two are and it’s just not in the description ? If you were in my shoes which would you buy, and why ?
Okay, I don't know much, but I like to talk so here goes. I have a small Stack-on safe that I inherited. It probably claims 20 something guns, but will probably hold 4 long rifles/shotguns, 4 short rifles (typically ars/aks are shorter) and 4 pistols. This is because of how they claim how many will fit. A rifle takes one spot. If that rifle has a scope, that scope takes up space. If that rifle also has a detachable magazine, that also takes up space. The "12" gun safe you bought only holds three or four long guns and and a few pistols now. You want to store important paperwork and documents? That takes space and there isn't much of that in most safes.. Safes are hard to organize, and guns beat each other up when the door is closed. Get some gun socks. Safe rash is a real thing. Moving on... All the links you provided are for electronically locked safes. I have a "64" gun safe by Canon as well. Both safes are electronic. The stack on at least came with a key, which I have to use. The big safe has had weird glitches and locks me out, where I can't access it for 10 minutes. I don't even keep the 9 volt battery in it because they always end up dead. I keep it on top of the safe on a rag. So to summarize this, get a real deal combo lock instead of the electronic junk, even if it's twice the price. Get three times the space you think you need by what they claim will fit. Look at the fire rating. It gives a temperature and time at that temp. Cheap safes have a low 1200f temp and only 30 minute rating. House fires are typically much hotter and longer. Good luck.
I have a "24 gun" Liberty safe I bought at RK on a black friday sale. I think I paid $300 for it about 10 years ago. It has been fine. I could probably fit 24 single shot crickets in there, but in reality I could probably only fit 12 practical long guns. Anything with glass takes up at least 2 spots (and that's if you don't mind them touching a little). Right now I have 4 rifles with glass and 6 shotguns in there and it's pretty much full. If I ever planned on having any type of big collection I'd probably build a little room in the basement with a sturdy door and a quality lock and call it done. I could run a dehumidifier, put in lights, a table, etc....and mount everything on the wall. If my house were to burn and I lost all the guns it wouldn't matter. I could buy them all off the shelf at the local gun shop the next day...there's nothing rare or valuable....just tools to get the job done.
I don't want to railroad my own thread but what the average consumer buys is a fire resistant security safe marketed as a gun safe. A YouTube video last night taught me that last night. I'll have to see if I can try and find it again. I doubt an angle grinder could get through a "real deal" gun safe. I believe a high end gun safe will have concrete in it vs gypsum ( drywall ).
I highly recommend researching youtuber lockpicking lawyer and see the safes he has picked. a rare earth magnet might just make it trivial to open or a piece of plastic from a bottle.
A gun safe is like a wood shed or a tool shed, at some point they're never big enough. Like others have said, the "capacity rating" of a safe is never what you'll really get in there. Also, have heard of papers inside a safe being ruined in a fire, they didn't actually burn, but pyrollized (sp?) I guess. And a local family had a break in, someone zipped open the side with an angle grinder or k-12 saw and peeled it back like a can, took quite a bit of $. May have been an "inside" job (someone eho had knowledge of the money), but still. We have a safe, winchester I believe, got it on sale at Teactor Supply. It's not big enough, but I guess makes us feel better thinking it's some kind/form of protection. When we were drawing up plans to build a house, we were going to have at least a 12x12 ish gun room in the basement. Most expense was going to be the door. But we bought this place..... You probably could buy a real good safe from a fire and security standpoint, but I've never really looked at them cause of the $$$. And I'd hate to have to move one of those jokers.
I bought a Cannon from Cabelas 15 years ago. The electronic lock has never been an issue. Don't know the fire and secruity details, it's kept the guns organized and I feel better with documents and cash in there instead of a drawer. I think they all hold about half the number of gums advertised, if you are talking scoped rifles.
I have zero experience with gun safes. For my first one, I ordered a Sun Welding Renegade 34" and it should be shipping any day now. I thought it was a decent price for very high quality + Made in USA by mom-and-pops shop. I mostly want to store my guns safely from visitors/kids and a place to store valuables with a mild degree of fire protection. I'll update whenever I get the safe set up.
This is the video I was referring to in my earlier post where he talks about residential security containers marketed as gun safes. I’m definitely going to buy a fire protection bag too. ROLOWAY FIREPROOF SAFE BAG
Menards has some good deals on safes sometimes, they have a big one on sale right now... Sports Afield Denali 32-Gun Fireproof Gun Safe with Electronic Lock Remington Core-Lokt 40-Gun Fire/Waterproof Gun Safe with Electronic Lock
don't particularly care for electronic locks- fail way too often. I do have a small Gun safe but I have a safe ( better to call it a small vault) that weighs in at just under 3000 lbs with out door on. door weighs just shy of 800 by itself . You can not put it on the first floor in a home with out substantial reinforcement from basement floor to the first floor ( course if you are on slab its not a problem.)
My situation is similar. Mine is a Cannon however I think Liberty is a better build. My thinking (may be wrong) is that the gun safe will thwart a casual thief but if it’s a professional then all bets are off. I like the idea of some safety of the fire rating in case of a catastrophe. It’s also used to store important documents. Worth while for the peace of mind. I have more $ in my firearms than the price of the safe and some that may not have extraordinary $ value are sentimental to me, so for me it’s a no brainer.
This is my thinking also, something is better than nothing. The exception is, none of my firearms have any sentimental value to me.
I think it is all a risk vs reward scenario. If you are known to own a many hundred thousand dollar collection of guns then you might invite the attention of a professional thief. The average "kick the door in, grab and run" thief will probably not take the time to fuss with any safe. Certainly not if you have an alarm system that is blaring in his ear! Just my 2 cents worth.
You're right most thieves are opportunists, but what about family, close or extended? they would have the time to look for keys or attempt to bypass the security. I doubt but heck if I know for sure- any "pro" would waste their time unless the reward was worth the risk. I've always said a lock just keeps honest ppl honest and watching that lockingpicking channel has pretty much reinforced that idea. It seems so trivial to open most locks. My buddy went on vacation, locked all his weapons up and hid his keys, he forgot where he hid his keys so he's been picking the trigger locks gradually and he has no experience in doing it.
