Gun Safe Advice

[Tejano Scott]

I'm about to spend some serious coin on a new safe. Wanted to get people's thoughts with any of the following brands...

American Security- specifically the BF model safes (I'm looking at the BF7250)

Fort Knox- very impressed with warranty

Graffunder- probably waaaay outside my budget, but I'm certainly interested.

I'm not new to safes, so I am familiar with fire/water/cold smoke protection. I understand the difference between cheap Asian knock offs that advertise 5" thick doors, but deliver essentially tin boxes. I'm not looking to shortcut and save a buck. I need advice/personal experiences with the above brands and recommendations for any others I should investigate.

FWIW, I am not buying a Liberty Safe product. Ever. Long story.

If you have a favorite safe dealer, feel free to recommend.

Thanks in advance.

 

[hoghunting]

For what it's worth, quite a few years ago Liberty was being run by two brothers. One brother wanted to go cheaper and make more money, the other still wanted to make a quality product. The brothers parted ways and Liberty became a cheaper quality safe, the other brother started Champion safes and they are made like the old Liberty safes that are much better safes.

 

[BIGPAPIGREG]

FWIW, I am not buying a Liberty Safe product. Ever. Long story.

just saying

 

[TwinGlocks]

I'm probably going to get my next safe from Sturdy Safe:

Sturdy Gun Safe - American Made Gun Safes & Fireproof Safes by SturdyGunSafe.com

 

[Tejano Scott]

Sturdy is another excellent brand. I'll give them a harder look.

i didn't know Champion's backstory. I'll give them a look.

 

[TX69]

I'm probably going to get my next safe from Sturdy Safe:

Sturdy Gun Safe - American Made Gun Safes & Fireproof Safes by SturdyGunSafe.com

Sturdy is the one I heard the most and best word about but unfortunately not been able to justify purchasing one yet.

 

[AZ Refugee]

I have a Sturdy, I like it, definitely heavy

Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk

 

[trigger643]

I have both the old style, high quality Liberty Presidential and the new "cheap is good" Liberty Fatboy. Were I in the market for another safe, which I will be soon, it will be a Champion, made the old liberty way. Reason? brand loyalty for a quality product.

 

[Acera]

+1 for Champion.

I think my hook up on them got busted for selling well under MSRP against company sales rules, but will check early next week if interested. (Houston area gun store.) His deal was he wanted to make $300 on every safe he sold, no matter what the suggested sales price was. He let you see his price sheet, pick out a safe and pay his cost +$300 for it. Ended up with great deals on them. You would not believe the markup on safes. He made money, the buyers got great deals and everyone was happy.....................well except those that paid full retail from other sellers

 

[hoghunting]

just saying

Sorry if my explanation didn't make sense to you, I wasn't trying to convince Tejano Scott of either manufacturer, just informing him of the differences.

 

[BIGPAPIGREG]

no worries bigun....good job..

 

[V-Tach]

While I have no experience with the above mentioned brands (We have 3 Cannon safes), we do have both mechanical and electronic locking mechanisms.

A couple of weeks ago, went to put the guns out upon opening for the day and the electronic safe 9V battery was dead. Had to take a 9V battery from the smoke detector. Moral of the story, keep extra 9V batteries handy if you go electronic....

jmho...

 

[duckknot]

Champion....used to sell them and if it hadn't been for the fact that I had to move across country I woulda bought one before leaving the place I worked for as champion has an awesome deal for retailers

 

[IXLR8]

You can tell a lot about a safe by the metal thickness of the front of the door. The Amsec (one of your choices) safes are the gold standard with usually a 1/2" thick steel plate out front. The overall thickness of the door is of lesser importance.

Watch some of the youtube videos of brute force attacks on gun safes. You will learn a lot.

I have never heard of anyone actually defeating even the Liberty safe. Personally, I have a high end Champion. Many of the brand name low end safes are not very secure. It depends on the level of security you need. I like at least 3/8" front plate and 10 ga walls.

 

[shortround]

The anti-gun movement has convinced a lot of gun owners to spend big money on a gun safe.

Why? They want to bankrupt us for our hobby.

Unlike Europe, there is no law that requires us to buy a safe to store our firearms.

Safes might provide some limited fire protection, but if your home burns down, it is more likely the safe will just "cook" your guns and ammo.

As for burglary, a sturdy steel cabinet is just as much protection as a bank vault, since the miscreant does not want to get caught in the act.

As for home invasions, most of those are committed by known associates.

I'll take my chances with a hidden gun in every room of my home, and all the rest locked in sturdy steel gun cabinets.

 

[subseashooter]

I don't know who the actual manufacturer is for the Browning safe line (and big anyone would care to enlighten me, it'd be very appreciated) but I pucked one up a few years back and I absolutely love it. Fit and finish is beautiful and seems to be really robust.

 

[IXLR8]

The anti-gun movement has convinced a lot of gun owners to spend big money on a gun safe.

Why? They want to bankrupt us for our hobby.

Unlike Europe, there is no law that requires us to buy a safe to store our firearms.

Safes might provide some limited fire protection, but if your home burns down, it is more likely the safe will just "cook" your guns and ammo.

As for burglary, a sturdy steel cabinet is just as much protection as a bank vault, since the miscreant does not want to get caught in the act.

As for home invasions, most of those are committed by known associates.

I'll take my chances with a hidden gun in every room of my home, and all the rest locked in sturdy steel gun cabinets.

1. Your homeowners insurance will probably not cover any of your firearm loss, in theft or fire.
2. I have children in my house, and safe storage container is necessary.
3. I have seen the results of a safe like mine in a fire, and I am pleased with the results.
4. You have to leave your house sometime. It is unlikely that anyone with safe cracking skills will rob me, but they know where people hide things.
5. A storage cabinet can be carried off, my safe would strain a forklift.

 

[IXLR8]

My safe is so heavy that it has its own gravitational field. Firearms from surrounding stores keep getting caught in its gravitational pull and swallowed like a black hole...

 

[Chirpy]

That's what I tell my wife too!

 

[shortround]

1. Your homeowners insurance will probably not cover any of your firearm loss, in theft or fire.
2. I have children in my house, and safe storage container is necessary.
3. I have seen the results of a safe like mine in a fire, and I am pleased with the results.
4. You have to leave your house sometime. It is unlikely that anyone with safe cracking skills will rob me, but they know where people hide things.
5. A storage cabinet can be carried off, my safe would strain a forklift.

Every one of your points are valid.

However, please consider this:

1. I don't have children in the house, nor do we have visitors with children. A locked steel gun cabinet is just as good as a safe to keep kids from gaining access to guns.

2. All my firearms are covered by my home owner's insurance with a rider, and I have the NRA coverage.

3. Were the "results you saw" in your own home or in some safe maker's advertisement?

4. I leave my house all the time; only a safe cracker would target you, since you have a safe!

5. My steel storage cabinets are bolted to the floor and to the studs in the walls. The locks are pick and drill resistant. There is no way thieves could rip those cabinets out without expending a lot of energy and time.

6. The guns I have concealed in my home are not where a thief would expect to find them.

7. Most home burglaries are targeted to hit the premises when the owners are gone, and then last only a few minutes where they choose easy pickings.

8. A deliberate attack on a safe full of firearms presupposes that the burglars know the victim, know his whereabouts, and have the time to crack the safe and make off with the guns.

I am all for keeping your guns "locked up."

A steel gun cabinet does that just nicely.