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  • Cordell

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    So I at Cabelas the other day looking at some large safes for when I graduate next year and will actually have rifles to put in one. Looking at the sale price and size of them got me thinking. A safe can not be expanded to add more stuff to it, once it is full, you've gotta get another one. What are your guys' thoughts on taking the two to four thousand dollars for an over-sized safe and replacing my walk-in closet door with a heavy duty steel door, replace the strike plate and hinges and and install a high grade security deadbolt. I figure that might be able to fend off any would be burglar long enough for my alarm company to contact the Sheriff's Office and get a deputy on-scene.
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    reddog

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    Kicking in through the wall would go much faster than going in through that door. The closet would take a lot more hardening to make it sort of secure as a safe, and we're not even talking at all about fireproof.
     

    Younggun

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    Yup, the fireproofing is the first thing that came to mind for me. Most safes are not super duper burning jet fuel fire proof, but the will offer a pretty good amount of protection in a house fire.

    The closet.....not so much.


    If you do plan on the closet approach, I think a false wall would provide just as much protection due to the appearance of nothing being there. This would be pretty dependent on your ability to not mention that it exists.

    I have considered getting a "tactical walls" mirror for my HD guns.
     

    no2gates

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    I'd just get another safe once you fill up the first one. You can get a decent sized gun safe for ~1200.00
     

    Cordell

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    You guys bring up some good points. Especially about the wall. My thinking on that would be, that it would still take at least 5 to 10 minutes before getting through both pieces of drywall in by which either the motion senors throughout the house or the window/door sensors would have already triggered that alarm and have law enforcement on the way.

    Good thinking on the safe providing fire protection but that isn't too big of a concern. While a fire is very possible, I can replace damaged firearms. I am just looking to make sure that my firearms do not fall into the wrong hands.

    But nonetheless, these are some good points and I thank you guys for them.
     

    Shotgun Jeremy

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    As long as we're knocking out walls-replace your inner walls with cinderblock. You might could line the ceiling with sheet metal to prevent the rafters overhead affecting the guns. So-concrete floor, cinderblock walls, sheet metal ceiling.
     

    Younggun

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    You guys bring up some good points. Especially about the wall. My thinking on that would be, that it would still take at least 5 to 10 minutes before getting through both pieces of drywall in by which either the motion senors throughout the house or the window/door sensors would have already triggered that alarm and have law enforcement on the way.

    Good thinking on the safe providing fire protection but that isn't too big of a concern. While a fire is very possible, I can replace damaged firearms. I am just looking to make sure that my firearms do not fall into the wrong hands.

    But nonetheless, these are some good points and I thank you guys for them.

    You are overestimating your drywall. I figure 2 minutes from the first swing to have a 14.5" hole tall enough to move through quickly and throw out guns. Add a partner and prior knowledge that the guns are there and your guns will be gone in under ten minutes from the time they enter. Faster than the cops will arrive in the majority of alarm calls.

    Of course if the door is not obvious or they assume the walls are also hardened they may just go for electronics and scram, ESP if they know the alarm has been activated.

    Only one viable option. Harden the closet and put the safe inside.
     

    Younggun

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    Ok, another serious option.

    They make tornado shelters that are built in to closets. Not sure how expensive it would be to retrofit as they are designed to be installed during the building process and not really designed to be locked from the outside.

    I bet there are some custom safe manufacturers that could turn your closet in to an awesome gun safe.....for a price.
     

    no2gates

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    Ok, another serious option.

    They make tornado shelters that are built in to closets. Not sure how expensive it would be to retrofit as they are designed to be installed during the building process and not really designed to be locked from the outside.

    I bet there are some custom safe manufacturers that could turn your closet in to an awesome gun safe.....for a price.

    Man, I like the way you think! That would make an awesome gun safe.
     

    Byrd666

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    ...Or you could possibly get some sheets of 10 ga. sheets of steel and wrap the walls, ceiling and floor with them. And possibly wrap the door frame with 10 ga. steel as well. Quite pricey and heavy though. And you would need a VERY experienced welder as too.

    Might be best and easier to just to buy a much larger safe. Like no2gates mentioned.
     

    txbikerman

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    you could also line the walls with a couple of layers of 3/4 plywood, and offset the joints. take someone a while to get thru that, espically lag bolted to the studs. also liguid nails the layers together . be hard to get thru that
     
    Last edited:

    Cordell

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    You guys are bringing up some great points! I love it. I am not too sure what I am going to do yet, but I really like what you all have to say. Thank you and keep it up!
     

    Cordell

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    With my floorplan, there is really only one exposed wall where a person could kick through it after they move some heavy furniture. The other plans would require getting through the stone on the exterior on the side of the house.
     

    F350-6

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    Please keep in mind that anything used in normal construction is not going to be secure. It's up to you to decide who secure you want to make it. The stone "wall" on the exterior of your house is not structural. I could be through it with nothing more than a 20 oz claw hammer in no time. The stone is held in place by mortar and a wire mesh that is nailed to wood. Bricks are the same way. They stopped building structural brick walls many decades ago.

    Plus if they know where the safe room is, going through the outside wall means they won't be setting off any motion detectors on interior alarms.

    Of course if you're just trying to keep out the random petty thief, then reinforcing the door frame and installing a heavy steel door with a good deadbolt or even doorknob lock will probably work. You're not going to stop a true professional who really wants in, so the question really is who are you trying to stop and what level of security is adequate?
     

    TexasRedneck

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    My biggest concern IS fire, due to the size of my collection (2 of the largest single-door safes are now almost full, a third one will be added next year). So, each safe is rated for 90 minutes @ 1600+ degrees. Also - bear in mind that ALL the capacity ratings are a joke - figure 1/3 - 1/2 of their claimed capacity, at best - so buy the very largest one you can possibly afford.
     

    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
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    Don't forget to secure the floor and ceiling. If your place is on a slab, that's OK. If it's a house with a crawl space, they'll attack the floor from below.

    Many burglaries are successful because they enter through a neighboring structure or store that is NOT secure then knock a hole in the wall or go over the wall through the ceiling.

    I grew up with thieves and if they want something badly enough, they'll bulldoze your house to get what they want. The trick is to make them see that an easier mark is just down the street. You don't deter thieves. You simply move them somewhere else.

    Flash
     

    Huntindoc

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    I read an interesting article several years ago about building a safe room in your home. I wish I could remember where. Anyway, it started with knocking out the original dry wall, running 1/2-3/4" rebar in a a cross pattern through the studs, optionally adding sheet metal then multi-layer of dry wall for fire protection. Finalizing with a re-enforced steel door and an optional welded jail door inside that. It would add value to the home. But I think when all said and done, unless you are building an entire room for a collection or a true safe room, just buying a safe would be easier and probably cheaper.
     

    HKaltwasser

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    I plan to add a gun/safe room when I start on the rest of my house. Center block walls with 5/8's rebar tied in with the foundation...filled cement walls. Steel I beam ceiling, corrugated metal and poured cement ceiling. Add a 1/4-3/8's steel door with un exposed hinges, 1/4 steel stud for contact striker plate. Exhaust O2 exchanger it some heavy dead bolts.

    I'm gonna enjoy building this on. Luckily it will only be material costs because I'm in construction and also weld. Next week I'll be in the oil fields though.
     

    speedracer

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    Jan 13, 2013
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    when I was a class 3 dealer the thing I worried about was not so much as them getting into the safe,but them walking up to you in the yard,while you are cutting the yard,puling a gun on you taking you in the house and making you open the safe are taking your life.Most class 3 dealers did not run ther h head about their guns they had.Talking to much will get you in trouble ever time
     
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