The Rohrbaugh Forum
Miscellaneous => The Water Cooler -- General Discussions => Topic started by: BlueC2 on February 06, 2012, 02:28:21 PM
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Hi Guys,
I am in the process of researching safes for storage of my guns and other valuable items. Liberty is the brand I have heard the most about but are there other brands any of you would recommend that I consider before investing in one?
Thank you in advance for the input.
-Ryan
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BlueC2
Good afternoon. I hope all is well. There are alot of safe manufacters out there. Here are a few i have experience with and would recommend.
Amsec
Gadall
Graffunder
It may be hard for you to select a safe. Your budget will be the best way to determine where to start looking. If possible, buy a safe that is larger than your current needs. They fill up fast. :)
Let me know if you have any questions.
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+1 on buying bigger...get the biggest you can afford if you have the room for it. I thought I'd bought bigger and in less than a year had to buy a second one and I'm already crowded again. If you are married you will likely have to dedicate a fair portion to your wife's use!
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If I may add a little to Backup's advice with over 40 years of gun addiction; if at all possible, streeettchh and spend more than you can afford, I mean till it hurts, i.e. get that bigger model you can't afford.
You will be glad you did.
If I did, I wouldn't have a large, a medium/large, a medium and 2 smalls. :P
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I have a Liberty - Lincoln 35 in my house right now. Such a nice safe, reasonable price. I wanted to space for more than just firearms, such as important papers, old watches, etc.... I found this one to be the best in the price range I was looking at. Very very happy with my purchase and for whatever it's worth, I'd give the Liberty - Lincoln my nod of approval.
http://www.libertysafe.com/buy-a-safe-lincoln-35-color-pg-13.html
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Thanks everyone for the input. As it turns out the limiting factor will be the size for the closet that my wife said i could put the safe in. Good thing Rohrbaughs are small!
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Dont forget to look for a safe that has a drop rating.
If you have a fire and the safe falls through the floor and it does not feature a drop rating, you can compromise the contents.
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Z,
Thanks for the heads up on the drop rating. Currently the safe is planned to go in a closet in the finished part of the basement so there wont be any floors for it to fall through. This is good information for future safe purchases though!
Thanks,
Ryan
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Z,
Thanks for the heads up on the drop rating. Currently the safe is planned to go in a closet in the finished part of the basement so there wont be any floors for it to fall through. This is good information for future safe purchases though!
Thanks,
Ryan
The only advice I might add would be the obvious recommendation that you bolt it to the floor using stainless steel hardware. The BGs are getting ingenious these days. Some of them will take the entire dam*ed safe if it isn't bolted down and they have enough time to work uninterrupted.
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Richard,
I have seen the bolt down kits. Do you know if they can be bolted into concrete?
Thanks,
Ryan
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Most can and this would be the preferred method. Check the hardware supplied. You can always stop by a hardware store to pick up some concrete anchors.
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Richard,
I have seen the bolt down kits. Do you know if they can be bolted into concrete?
Thanks,
Ryan
Ryan:
Assuming that your safe has four anchor holes in the floor (one in each corner), four large wedge anchors properly installed should provide sufficient security for the purpose. The material at this link may provide some guidance:
http://www.concretefasteners.com/anchors-fasteners/index.aspx
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Edited to add this link to an installation video for wedge anchors:
http://www.concretefasteners.com/anchors-fasteners/thunderstud-wedge/installation.aspx
The floor of the safe would be represented by the board shown in the video. Just be sure to use a washer (or three) fitting each bolt snugly and providing generous coverage of the anchor holes in the safe floor.
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^^^^Exactly^^^^
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I have a Zanotti Safe. It is made in Iowa if I remember correctly. It is a great safe. Many LEO's like it. You actually put it together with a hammer. You recieve it in about (4) boxes allowing you to assemble it in a room you would never be able to get a decent sized safe into (I live in a 100 year old house with Narrow doors. Assembled my safe cannot be removed from the room without tearing down walls (And having the ability to move a 1000lb box :) ). (You could put it together upstairs in a walkin closet if you wished). Also if you move you do not need a special crew to take it with you. It goes together with about 18 10" long and 3/8 " wide Steel pins pounded into "door" hinges. The heaviest piece is about 150 Lbs and that is the door. Each safe is custom made to your specs. (Example: I had mine done with a left side hinge and a Dial Lock) (Stay away from electronic locks) There is a wait list for these safes. As I said it is custom built for you.
http://www.zanottiarmor.com/
Chief
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I have a Zanotti Safe. It is made in Iowa if I remember correctly. It is a great safe. Many LEO's like it. You actually put it together with a hammer. You recieve it in about (4) boxes allowing you to assemble it in a room you would never be able to get a decent sized safe into. Also if you move you do not need a special crew to take it with you. It goes together with about 18 10" long and 1/2 " wide pins pounded into "door" hinges. The heaviest piece is about 150 Lbs and that is the door. Each safe is custom made to your specs. (Example: I had mine done with a left side hinge and a Dial Lock) (Stay away from electronic locks) There is a wait list for these safes. As I said it is custom built for you.
http://www.zanottiarmor.com/
Chief
Good info.....what problems occur with electric locks?
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Any good safe maker will tell you that if a part is going to fail it will be with the electronic locks. Also when you use an electronic lock you tend to not change the combination too often (Go on admit it :)) and the numbers used become worn given a potential thief fewer combinations of numbers he needs to try. You also want to stay away from "Shiney" dials. Light reflects off of them in ways that make them hard to read. (Especially with old eyes like mine) :)
Chief
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What the Chief said. And if not changed regularly, batteries can go dead just when you need to open the safe in a hurry.
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Yes, you must put the safe on the same Battery change schedule as your Smoke detectors. I have not spoken to anyone with any Electronic lock issues here at my office since 1 hour ago. (They had to call a Locksmith) And the safe Manufacturer told them they would replace the Electronic lock for a Dial as they have had issues on a regular basis. But now they are not answering their 1-800 number.
Chief
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Chief
I too have a Zanotti safe and they do make a good product. The only down side is the limited fire protection that they provide. I have a "fire proof" Liberty (if there truly is such a thing) but had no more room to put another. The Zanotti was the only thing I could get downstairs and I am happy with it.
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As many say, "there are no fireproof safes, only Fire resistant ones" I did a few things in mine, (1) I have added a door system that has a cool pocket to protect Cash and some papers. (2) I have a small "Fire Box" in my safe that I keep passports etc. in. Realistically if my house were to catch fire the safe would drop through the floor before it was too damaged by fire as the 100 year old structure is well cured :) House is Brick and Hickory. Cannot drive a nail into the studs without bending. (Or maybe I just cannot hit a nail straight :) )
Chief
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I have a Zanotti Safe. It is made in Iowa if I remember correctly. It is a great safe. Many LEO's like it. You actually put it together with a hammer. You recieve it in about (4) boxes allowing you to assemble it in a room you would never be able to get a decent sized safe into. Also if you move you do not need a special crew to take it with you. It goes together with about 18 10" long and 1/2 " wide pins pounded into "door" hinges. The heaviest piece is about 150 Lbs and that is the door. Each safe is custom made to your specs. (Example: I had mine done with a left side hinge and a Dial Lock) (Stay away from electronic locks) There is a wait list for these safes. As I said it is custom built for you.
http://www.zanottiarmor.com/
Chief
Good info.....what problems occur with electric locks?
Jack
Electronic locks have a tendency to fail without explanation.
I ordered over 120 electronic locks last year at work, more that half of that number was to replace an exisitng electronic combination lock that had failed. If an electronic lock fails, 95% of the time it needs to be drilled open.
If you have mechanical combination lock and you have a problem with it, you can usually dial it open without drilling it and repair it.
It's not if an electronic combination lock will fail, it is when it will fail.