gun safes

[Jim n Iowa]

First grand child is very moble, and another on the way, and too nosey in-laws visiting. Time for a safe. My first problem is that it would have to go in the basement, and getting a 500+lb 6' safe down would require pro- movers. I have found a safe company that sell their product so that you can put it together on site.www.zanottiarmor.com.
Does any one have some suggestions from their experiences or observations? I am not cheap, just not wealthy.
Jim

[KN]

I looked in to those awhile back and it looked like a pretty good concept. Pins together from the inside. If I remember right they are not fire rated though so I passed.   KN

[Jim n Iowa]

In Zanotti brochure they claim 20 min. at 1200 degrees. None of the safes I have looked at Browning etc. have much better claims. I am looking for security, in a fire I would worry about the condition of the firearms if they survived, not like they were in a freezer.
Jim

[jiminaz]

Jim,
I had a Zanotti safe and was very happy with it. A great idea, I think.  The door was the heaviest part at 125#. Moved and have no room for any large safe, so had to sell it. They are right in your neighborhood, too.
Jim

[Graybeard]

If your primary concern is keeping them away from the kids as opposed to keeping them safe from burglers then you might want to take a look at the Momart (I think that is correct) brand usually carried at Wal-Mart and such places. I've seen a couple of them bolted together and with guns inside they are quite heavy enough to madate opening to get the guns and while a professional thief would be in them quickly a kid ain't gonna be nor would most casual thieves in a hurry. They are light enough to carry down easily. Bolt them into the wall or floor and they are really stable.

GB

[hillbill]

movin a safe is not as hard as it seems. lay it on its back and put some rollers made out of pieces of 2" or bigger pipe cut to approx width of safe under it. 3 pipes will do it with 2 reasonably stout dudes. as far as the stairs jus take it easy and have a little muscle in front of it and slide it down slow.yull have to stand it up to turn corners that are tight. thats where the extra guy comes in handy. yull never regret buyin a safe but yu might regret not buyin one.

[rockbilly]

hillbill, when I get ready to move mine I'll give ya a call.  I bought a couple of old military safes, they top the scales at 1270 lbs empty.  As made for the military, each would hold 16 long guns.  I took the racks out and store my guns in cases, I can get 28 long guns and about thirty pistols on the shelf of each safe.

I made the mistake of laying them on their side when I took them off the trailer in my garage.  It took five "BIG" men to set them up and move em to the place I wanted them.

Course like GB said, if a thief wants the guns he will steal safe and all.  Safes just keep honest folks honest.  A friend who lives north of Dallas told me a story of an incident that took place there.  A winch truck pulled into a driveway, a guy got out and ran the winch cable into the house, wrapped it around the safe and returned to the truck.  These crooks yanked the safe through the wall, drug it across the driveway, lifted it and drove away.  This is a really nice area, all upper middle class folks, but no one seen anything.  I think I could remember seeing someone driving down the street in a winch truck with a safe swinging on the hook.......

[Garthag]

I know some people who have and like the sheet-metal Snap-On locker safes.  They would suffice for keeping visiting children out.

As far as burglary provention, even the biggest may not stop a determined thief, but I am reassured that my Liberty Safe would deter someone looking for easy money.  Nothing in it is anything irreplacable, though.

I also have one of those finger-coded electronic safes for the carry gun by the bed, for when I'm not holding it.  It is fast, simple, and keeps the kids out.

Also have a "Mosslock", a gun lock that pretty much bolts to the wall to keep a shotgun ready but inaccessable to children.  Concealment instead of cover is a good way of thinking of it.

It is a tradeoff for inaccessable to burglers while I am not home vs. accessable to me and not the kids when I am home.  Again, no priceless artifacts that can't be replaced from any gun store.

An alarm that will automatically call the police may also help deter your big heavy safe from leaving.