Gun Safe In Garage?

[portsider44]

I finally bought a gun safe & now need to figure out were to put it. I got a good deal on a American Eagle (made by Cannon) 20DX30Wx60H safe at Academy. They took 30% off since it was scrathed & dented doesn't affect the safe at all just the eye.

Of Course my wife wants it in the garage but I was thinking about putting in my closet so it will not have the extreme temperture swings. I plan to store guns, ammo, powder, primers, coins & valuable documents. Here in Lubbock humdity is normally not much of a problem but it does exisit.

Do you think I would be asking for trouble putting it in the garage?

[joseywales]

No incendiaries in the safe...keep those in a dry, controlled temp location.
Garage works for me (no permission for inside deployment of safe either...just got the "are you crazy" look).
You may want to get an electronic "goldenrod" to keep humidity at minimum inside the safe.

[Rex B]

My wife cheerfully gave up the hall closet so I could devote it exclusively to 2 gun safes and all the other stuff that goes with the hobby.
She's a keeper :-)

My only issue with the garage is that is often the least secure part of the property.
In my case I don't have one, but if I did it would be a detached building. No way would I keep firearms in a detached building unless I had a very good security system

[TxRVer]

My wife cheerfully gave up the hall closet so I could devote it exclusively to 2 gun safes and all the other stuff that goes with the hobby.
She's a keeper :-)

My only issue with the garage is that is often the least secure part of the property.
In my case I don't have one, but if I did it would be a detached building. No way would I keep firearms in a detached building unless I had a very good security system

Mines in a closet also. I think it's a great place for a safe. There's no room in there to use a pry bar on the safe and I added a locking door knob to the closet door as one more barrier.

[ELB]

Wouldn't be my favorite place, because of the temperature/humidity swings, and the security issue. I would make darn certain it was bolted down, and the garage is included in any alarm system you may have.

[WildBill]

I have mine in the garage. They weigh about 500 lbs empty so the robbers would need an appliance dolly and a big truck. If they wanted to steal them it would take them an hour to move all the stuff in my garage.

I keep about six big bags of dessicant in them and haven't had any problems with humidity. Someone else had a post about keeping the safe covered [from a fire marshall]. I keep my covered with a blanket to keep off the dust and prying eyes.

[slowrey]

Personally I wouldn't put a safe in the garage unless it was a inside of a closet in the garage. No need to advertise the safe every time you have the door open.

[boomerang]

One advantage of the garage is you can use concrete anchors and bolt it to the slab. Hypothetically speaking.

[WildBill]

Personally I wouldn't put a safe in the garage unless it was a inside of a closet in the garage. No need to advertise the safe every time you have the door open.

That's why I cover them with blankets. They could be a refrigerator or a freezer.

[WildBill]

One advantage of the garage is you can use concrete anchors and bolt it to the slab. Hypothetically speaking.

You can do it more than hypothetically if you like. When I lived in California I had them secured, but that was more for earthquakes than theft.

[couzin]

Get yourself one of these http://www.stormsaferoom.com/aboveground/index.htm - can bolt into the garage in a small space - modular panels that bolt together and multiple sizes/styles. I am putting one in my house (garage) in Henrietta. If original construction they can be set into a closet space while building. There is another manufacturer that does under workbench shelters as well but I don't remember who it was. Oh yeah - they work great for tornadoes also...

[G.C.Montgomery]

I finally bought a gun safe & now need to figure out were to put it. I got a good deal on a American Eagle (made by Cannon) 20DX30Wx60H safe at Academy. They took 30% off since it was scrathed & dented doesn't affect the safe at all just the eye.

Of Course my wife wants it in the garage but I was thinking about putting in my closet so it will not have the extreme temperture swings. I plan to store guns, ammo, powder, primers, coins & valuable documents. Here in Lubbock humdity is normally not much of a problem but it does exisit.

Do you think I would be asking for trouble putting it in the garage?

I've had the same residential security container in my garage for years. Not a problem for guns and ammo. Powder, primers and other stuff that might be sensitive to humidity and extreme temperatures are kept in humidity/temperature controlled areas (inside the house) in other security containers. The next house will have a seperate "garage" for my gun gear and it will have it's own HVAC.

[CDH]

If you put it in the garage, put a moisture barrier under it. I know you are in Lubbock, but still, rust happens. Concrete against steel is a recipe for for corrosion and it only takes one washing machine or hot water heater leak and you have your mess. Bolt it down securely (you can get to the slab for concrete anchors in your home too...I did) and keep it away from prying eyes. Trust me, 500 lbs can be loaded into the bed of a p/u by one mid sized determined man, cause my 175 lbs did it. It just takes a dolly to roll it to the truck, tip the top in, pick up the bottom (half the weight, approx), and slide in. Tough, but manageable. A length of pipe as a roller helps too...

+1 on keeping powder, primers, etc out. If you do have a fire and that stuff cooks off, you have created a very large grenade. What's the cook off temp of a primer? My safe only guarantees like 350F after 30 minutes...and once the first primer goes the rest are going to be lemmings and follow right along.

Bring a trustworthy friend to help with the install!

[A-R]

If you put it in the garage, put a moisture barrier under it. I know you are in Lubbock, but still, rust happens. Concrete against steel is a recipe for for corrosion and it only takes one washing machine or hot water heater leak and you have your mess.

Great tip! I once managed water damage response and restoration for a company with a number of retail properties. I've seen the damage a little water can do, and it ain't pretty. Moisture WILL wick up from the ground through a concrete slab.

[03Lightningrocks]

The garage is a horrible place to put your safe. Big temperature swings are not good. The biggest reason is security. The best place to put a safe is where it is surrounded by at least three walls. The garage does not allow for this. A criminal could easily tie a rope or chain to your safe and drag it right out the door. the American Eagle safes I saw at academy were not the most secure safes around. They also were not real heavy. The safe can be pushed over onto a dolly or even onto golf balls and rolled right out the door. They are good for keeping the kids out, but a snap for a thief to pop open. A cutting torch would cut through the sides of an American eagle in no time at all. Make it hard for a thief to get to it and it makes it more secure. I would strongly suggest the closet in an area towards the center of the house. Either place, do bolt it to the floor. My house is a concrete slab house so either garage or inside I have concrete to bolt it to. I have mine inside the house with fixed walls on three sides of it and bolted to the slab.