Whats your favorite collection protector?

bbearhntr · Dec 10, 2011

I am LONG overdue for purchasing a gun safe and thought I would solicit the members on this forum for their opionions on what brand gun safe is the best value. I would like a safe that provides the most fire and theft protection for the least amount of $$$$. I am not able to spend more than $3000.00 at the present time and really feel that my modest collection of firearms probably doesn't warrant anything more than that. That being said I would much rather make one purchase now instead of trying to replace it with something better later. I have done a fair ammount of research and am leaning toward a Patriot gun safe http://www.patriotsafe.com/. Does anyone have anything good bad or otherwise to say about these safes or another one? I appreciate everyones $.02. Please help me spend my $ :grin:

DrMike · Dec 10, 2011

They do have an excellent name. You should be pleased with one of their products.

JD338 · Dec 10, 2011

I have a Liberty safe.

JD338

Oldtrader3 · Dec 10, 2011

Patriot Safe has a solid reputation and has been around for awhile. At 50% off, you can't go wrong. I would get one that weighs at least 600 pounds and can hold (20) guns.

I had a Browning that I have owned for 10 years (another Browning before that) and it looks essentially like the Patriots do. Mine is only rated for 1 hour fire rating. MIne is a (24) long gun safe with upper shelf and weighs about 650 pounds.

I keep a Golden Rod-Browning heater plugged into the safe all the time and have had no rust issues despite living within 300 feet of Puget Sound. Mine is in the garage and is on two planks to keep it off the floor.

BTY and FWIW, most of any and all brands of gun safe are all fabricated in Orem/Provo, Utah by one company anyhow.

Charlie-NY · Dec 11, 2011

Look here for everything you ever wanted to know about gun safes and probably a whole lot more.

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html
http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

bbearhntr · Dec 11, 2011

Thanks for the link Charlie. There is a lot of good information in that article.

SJB358 · Dec 11, 2011

Yeah, great info in that article. I am probably going to look at new safes after I retire from the MC. Right now, I wanna stick with what I have since I end up moving every so often. Scotty

BK · Dec 11, 2011

I have a Fort Knox, that is badly in need of replacement. Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to buy a second safe. I have nothing but good things to say about my safe, other than it is too small, but that's not really the safe's fault, is it? I'd love to get another Fort Knox, but I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to save the coin for what I want as far as options (fire package, extra locking bolts, ect.).

brianwyo · Dec 11, 2011

I have purchased 2 Liberty safes. The first one the salesman told me there would be no problem
holding X amount of rifles. He was way off! He knocked off 100 bucks on a larger safe. I sold the smaller one to a freind. When you look at them add 50% and some for future expansion. I now own a 900 pound monster. I worry about it falling through the floor. It is full and need another.
Get a electronic lock they are so much easier. I sleep alot better after i purchased my first safe. Good luck Brian

rquack · Dec 11, 2011

Just a quick comment based upon my limited experience...

Don't expect to get close to what the manufacturer states as capacity for a safe. I bought a mid-line Sentry 14 gun safe thinking I would be OK for several years into the future... I put my 8-9 scoped rifles in it and it was full to capacity. I took those out and put 4 luggage cased shotguns and three loose shotguns in it; again... full to capacity. I went back and bought another in order to get all my firearms inside a vault. I'm looking into number three in preparation for the next round of acquisitions.

Lessons learned: Real [gun] capacity is 55-70% of stated capacity. Two smaller vaults are easier to move into the basement than one large vault; but smaller units require more bolting to structure in order to provide real security. Always brace the underside of the stairway, even when moving smaller units; actual load is vault + people during the moving process. Always place them on a raised platform to reduce humidity concerns. If placing near a laundry area, replace dryer vent tube with solid metal tubing [not flexible metal or plastic] and use duct tape on all joints to evacuate as much water vapor from the area as possible; clean the duct at least every two years to prevent lint build up [which captures humidity and prevents its removal from the structure]. Removing the bolts from your rifles makes storage and removal easier and allows more rifles in the same space.