Safe Manufacturers [Was Re: Anyone Know About Sturdy Safe Company?]
Randy Howard
#Several friends and I are looking to make a bulk buy of gun safes and seem
#to have settled on those built by Sturdy Safe of Fresno, CA.
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This brings up something I've wondering about lately. In Gun List, and most
other firearms trades you see many different vendors for gun safes. IT's
hard to tell much about the quality unless you see one first hand. I've
seen Brownings ($$$) and Liberty Safes up close. I don't know enough to
really be sure I'm getting something worth buying. What are the key features
to look for? Any particular things to ask for by name? If someone has
researched this thoroughly, could you post info? Any references to a
'buyer's guide' or the like much appreciated.
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Randy Howard _o @'s: j...@dell.com
Dell Computer Corp. \<, !'s: ...!uunet!dellunix!jrh
______________________()/ ()______________________________________________
If you leave the smallest corner of your head vacant for a moment,
other people's opinions will rush in from all quarters.
-- George Bernard Shaw
Julius Chang
The 1991 Gun Tests Buying Guide has an article on choosing
a gun safe.
Summary:
1) Look for the heaviest door and body that you can deal with.
Typically, the door is thicker than the body.
2) Look for lots of heavy bolts.
3) Choose a safe that uses multiple relockers to defeat
assaults by heat, impact, and drilling.
4) Look for protective hard plate to stop drilling attacks to
the lock mechanism (basically heat-treated steel plates with
high Rockwell C hardness).
5) Manipulation-resistant locks (Sargeant & Greenleaf is the
most common brand although there are several versions of S&G
combination locks).
I'll add my own criteria:
6) Reinforced door frame.
7) Hinges that ride on ball bearings. My safe has hidden hinges
but I don't think that it is a big deal as long as the door has
locking bolts on both sides.
8) Removable door (useful for moving really heavy safes since
a lot of the weight is in the door; and useful if a burglar attacks
the door -- just replace it rather than the whole box). Consider
if you need a door that opens left or right.
9) Tight-fitting door to resist prying/peeling attacks.
10) At least one feedthru so that you can run electricity inside
the safe (for a heater or a light).
11) Feedthrus so that you can anchor the safe to the floor and/or
the wall.
Whatever you get, I suggest anchoring it to something relatively
immoveable (like the house). My Liberty L-25 weighs about
600 lbs. empty and I was able to move it into my house solo.
My short Mosler fire safe weighs about 300 lbs. and that is very
easy to move.
I weigh 145 lbs. and used a refrigerator dolly to wheel the
suckers around. Didn't deal with going up any stairs, but
gravity will be on the burglar's side anyway.
A mover actually put the Mosler on his back using a "hump" strap
and walked the safe down a long flight of stairs when I moved
recently.
Another friend of mine has a Browning Pro-Steel and an FFL-friend
has some of those lighter-weight Treadlok gun lockers.
Part of the cost involved includes a fancy paint job if you are
concerned with aesthetics. I thought that National Security had
a great paint job. If you don't care, Amsec has some big safes
at a lower price (last I saw, they used a crinkle-type paint).
-Julius
we...@mvutd.att.com
#This brings up something I've wondering about lately. In Gun List, and most
#other firearms trades you see many different vendors for gun safes. IT's
#hard to tell much about the quality unless you see one first hand. I've
#seen Brownings ($$$) and Liberty Safes up close. I don't know enough to
#really be sure I'm getting something worth buying. What are the key features
QUESTION? Do you have more than one handgun or any long
guns or other valuables (expensive jewlery, rare coins etc.)?
If so get a gun safe. I looked at Browning, Treadlock, Ft. Knox.
The Ft. Knox line (on sale of course) was the best value. I didn't
get anywhere near the top of the line but mine has carpeted shelves
on the right side and room for 8 long guns on the left. The only
possible regret is that I should have bought a larger one :-).
Be sure to use a small heater (golden rod) or silica gel dehumidifier.
BDW
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