safe

[Stupid]

Any recommendation on a gun safe in Houston area? I want one with digital lock but weighs about 300 lbs.

Academy sells a really nices one for $480, but it's too heavy (500lbs) for me to move or I'll have to pay $150 for delivery. It's also too big!

[Greybeard]

Catch a local gun show. Take ya pickup truck (or friend who has one) - and flash cash, preferably Sunday afternoon about 4:00.

[GrillKing]

I'm interested in a safe also, but I want heavy. I read somewhere anything less than something like 750# is considered 'portable' and should be bolted to the floor. I really don't want to do that, I imagine it involves tearing up either tile or wood floors in our home and then concrete, but I also don't want something that can be carried (dolly / roller / etc) off.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Gary

[eagleeye]

The heaver thay are the harder they are for the BG to get out of your house.

You might see what others say about the digital lock. If it screws up can create some greef. ( Kinda like the auto or revolver Question)

[Stupid]

Easy, just put a note on your safe saying

"Secured by Global Satelite Tracking System, activated when moved."

Make in English, Spanish, Chinese. They do know how to read, right?

[zedsdead]

I got one of those academy safes. The Bubbas from the store helped load it in my truck, a friend, a come-along and a pallet dolley helped unload it and put into place.

So, possible, but a pain in the posterior...

[Stupid]

Remind me of getting my tradmill. Thought I could move that thing by myself. Wrong. Asked 3 neighbors to help me. Still hard to move that thing - only 300 lbs.

I got one of those academy safes. The Bubbas from the store helped load it in my truck, a friend, a come-along and a pallet dolley helped unload it and put into place.

So, possible, but a pain in the posterior...

[G.C.Montgomery]

Any recommendation on a gun safe in Houston area? I want one with digital lock but weighs about 300 lbs.

Academy sells a really nices one for $480, but it's too heavy (500lbs) for me to move or I'll have to pay $150 for delivery. It's also too big!

Walmart and Home Depot both once offered a small safe under the Sentry brand that only cost about $300. Problem is, I think it only weighed about 150lbs and I wasn't impressed with its security features. Seemed like a good prybar and sledge hammer would make short work of the door and lock. Bolted down in a home with an alarm, it might at least be a minor deterrent and discourage all but professional burglars.

My personal decision was to skip planned gun purchases and put the money toward the biggest, heaviest safe I could afford each time I've purchased a new safe. The first one I bought was a 525lb American Eagle by Cannon Safes. Believe it or not, I unloaded and moved that safe into my home by myself with nothing more than a hand truck and ATV ramps. It was easy enough to "walk" the safe into the corner where I installed it. Within a year however, I needed a bigger safe but had more money the next time around.

The second safe weighed a little over 1100lbs. I let the dealer put it on my truck just as I did the first time. But I wasn't crazy enough to try walking the new monster down a ramp at over 1000lbs, So. I rigged up some snatch blocks and used a winch to ease it down the ramps and off the truck once I got home. What was my secret trick for moving it around the house by myself? GOLF BALLS! I didn't come up with that one. The safe dealer's daughter was told me about the golf balls as it's how the dealer moves safes in customers' homes. The safe rolled around quite easily since I don't have any carpet.

[Stupid]

Thank you so much, GC. I live in an apartment, second floor, no elavator. Space is a BIG problem. I do want to get a safe before I get more guns as you suggested.

Do all safes come with a hole in the back where I can plug in a lamp?

[razoraggie]

Working at "said home improvement store"...the best thing to use would be a 4-6" concrete lag anchors so the bolts will just come up right through the floor of the safe. Use a 2" lock washer, a nylon threaded washer and you're set. These should be sufficient with a safe at 350lbs. We use 8" lag anchors to hold up our racks with 2 tons of lumber on them. It will involve you drilling into your slab, but don not worry....you'll have the heaviest concealment rug in the neighborhood.

[Stupid]

I think I am going to with Zanotti Armor, ZA-I.

Will call them for price tomorrow.

[stevie_d_64]

I would recommend you check it out first, before putting cash on the barrel head...

Some apartment complexes have restrictions based upon building codes/permits to operate etc etc, that do not allow for upper floors of their complexes to have "point loads" like safes or very heavy equipment moved into those units by temporary occupants...

Check your rental agreement papers, and if it is not apparent in that document, then I'd really make an effort to ask first before I would buy something that I could not legally bring into that structure...

Now if you lived on the first floor...I would believe that to be a different story...

Just a suggestion...

[KBCraig]

You know, even lightweight safes get heavy when they're full of guns, ammo, and bags of lead shot.

[stevie_d_64]

Thank you so much, GC. I live in an apartment, second floor, no elavator. Space is a BIG problem. I do want to get a safe before I get more guns as you suggested.

Do all safes come with a hole in the back where I can plug in a lamp?

BTW, those hole(s) you see...I suppose you could rig a light system in there, but I used the one hole I had to run a dehumidifier rod electrical cord into a nearby wall socket...

I used these sticky back push on/off battery powered lights to light the inside when I needed a bit more light...

Just a suggestion...

[G.C.Montgomery]

Thank you so much, GC. I live in an apartment, second floor, no elavator. Space is a BIG problem. I do want to get a safe before I get more guns as you suggested.

Do all safes come with a hole in the back where I can plug in a lamp?

Since space and size are issues, as is weight, the Sentry Safe I mentioned might be your only real option. 170lbs is manageable for just about anyone living in a second floor apartment with a buddy or two to move the safe. You might even go as high as 300lbs which is still manageable with two or more men and you probably will not have to worry about the load you are putting on the floor. The smaller Sentry model in question is cheaper than I remembered and can be found here or at the following URL: http://www.sentrysafe.com/products/prod ... aspx?s=177

As for holes for lamps; it depends on the manufacturer. The smaller models tend not to have holes for lamps since the smaller safes aren't often center pieces for room decor as might be the case with larger and much more expensive models. Also, most safes with fire liners do not have holes in the body as this usually compromises the fire protection. I don't have lights or even electric dehumidifiers in any of my safes. My fix for lighting costs about $5 as I keep cheap flashlights hanging on the inside of the doors that work just fine. I've also silica gel packs and lots of oil on the guns to deal with moisture.