Need a safe

I spent $200 and put a dehumidifier in the room where my safe and closets are. I have silica gel cans in the safes as well, but I forget from time to time, so this way the room is never above 40% humidity.

On the insurance note: If you own more than a couple good knives or guns, you should have an insurance rider added to your policy. The amount is determined by the value of the items you have. Inventory your goodies, takes pictures, and store the info at another location: safety deposit box, trusted relative, etc. Burning several CDs with this info is the way to go.

Which reminds me, I have some work to do!
 
It's easier than that. You can buy a plug in heater that solves rust issues. They are about $20 and work just fine. They are designed for the purpose. I have a safe full of nice O/U shotguns that have been there for 7 years. Not a speck of rust.
 
Moving to Gadgets & Gear ... a search will turn up some other threads on the subject, too.
 
I have not information saying for sure that it's bad, but I worry about using desicants such as silica gel in fire-resistant safes. As previously noted, the walls of fire-resistant safes are lined with gypsum which is itself a desicant but which releases its stored water in a fire thus cooling the contents of the safe. My concern is that a desicant inside the safe may pull the water out fo the gypsum leaving less able to cool the interior of the safe in a fire.

I also have serious misgivings about electrical dehumidifiers inside fire-resistant safes. Electricity is a major cause of fires. Putting anything electrical inside the safe seems to me to be like letting the fox into the henhouse. Ditto for electric lights installed inside fire-resistant safes (Yes, I know it's dark in there. Why do safe manufacturers seem to always want to line the interiors of their products with dark grey to black materials?)

If you use chemcial desicants like silica gel, keep in mind that while they absorb water, they don't make it go away. Desicants can release their stored water back into the environment. This happens most offen in response to a temperature change. Proper use of desicants requires that they be "re-activated" -- usually by baking them in an oven -- frequently. Failure to keep the packs from getting saturated can result in the exact opposite of the desired affect: the packs may end up humidifying the space they are supposed to dry.
 
As Gollnick said, desicants require intermittent re-activating. I stopped using them years ago. "Gun Sacks" - silicon treated woven cotton/wool sleeves that fit over your firearm or knives - are very effective against rust. That and using a lubricant/protectant like CLP before storing should prevent most humidity problems.

Sentry Safes used to make good, inexpensive fire-resistant safes. They are available at Home Depot and other warehouse home supply chains.
 
If you guys wouldn't mind, I'd like ask for "safe" advice from a different angle.

I have a two story home with the master bedroom upstairs. I'd like to store a couple of long arms and handguns in the master closet. I'm primarily worried about theft, not fire.

I have serious misgivings about the weight and size of safes large enough to store long arms. Not so much that I think the whole house would fall down or anything, but that much weight on a floor that wasn't designed to support it is going to warp over time. And my closet isn't really big enough for a big safe either.

And yes, I really want the safe *upstairs* because that is where we are. If someone broke into the house at night, it wouldn't be very optimal if the firearms were downsairs...

The problem is that my web searches have only turned up stuff at the extremes. Either we have big, heavy boxes, or flimsy looking things that look like gym lockers.

1) Any thoughts on how to provide reasonable security w/o buying a huge heavy box?

The only thing I can think of is to make it myself. However, I'd really rather not.

If I made it myself, I assume I'd want to make a box from thin(ish) plate steel, welding the seams and bolt the thing to the wall.

If so:

2) How thick and of what type of steel should be used?

3) Other thoughts or tips?

Thanks,

-john
 
Rifle LockerTM Safe


Quick Access: Valuables or firearm in hand within seconds. Enter your personal 4 digit code, press the enter button, turn the knob and you're in within 5 seconds! Keypad lights up with just a touch. No fumbling with keys or manual locks!
Security: Pry-resistant door secured with 4 half-inch diameter casehardened steel bolts and personal code prevent unauthorized entry. Bolted between wall studs with 6 large bolts for added theft prevention. Made with 14-gauge steel.
Firearms Close at Hand: Multiple guns easily concealed in almost any location of a home or business. Optional holsters can be mounted on door for rapid access. Holds numerous handguns and up to 4 rifles.
Easy to Install: Unique space-saving in-wall design installs with simple tools in 20-30 minutes. Installation guide and all hardware included. No AC wiring. In-wall installation. System runs on a rechargeable commercial grade 12-volt "SLA" battery, 7 amp/hour.
Holds up to 10 holsters that can support weight of up to 20 lbs each, and will hold up to 3 or 4 rifles, or hold up to 11 shelves (1 included ).
Tamper alert notifies owner of attempted unauthorized entry
Low battery gives audible and visual warning when battery needs charging
Attractive & Durable, off-white powder coat finish
Lined with plush, soft material to protect firearms from any damage
4 half-inch diameter casehardened steel bolts secure door
OPTIONAL velcro universal-size holsters for pistols can be mounted on door or back wall, each holding up to 20 lbs.
Key bypass to enter unit
One shelf that can be used for ammunition or other valuables (up to 8 more OPTIONAL)
Gunlocker quality and access but for rifles, shotguns and handguns
Inside Dimensions: Width: 13 ¾" x Height: 59 ¾" x Depth: 4 ¾"
Outside Dimensions: Width: 17 ¾" x Height: 60" x Depth: 6 ½"
Weight: 102 lbs

My Liberty safe weighs 750 lbs, but it is made out of 14 gauge steel as well.

Hope this helps, I have not researched this model at all, just went hunting on the web.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Yah, that is along the lines I think would be good, but the 14 gauge steel seems a bit wimpy. Perhaps I'm overreacting?

FWIW, I found a site with a picture of that one here.

Thanks,

-john
 
ccdog -

Most threads on this subject that I've read indicate that professional thieves won't take time to break into a safe that's light enough to remove. They'll just use a crowbar to pry it loose from it's anchors and haul it away to open at a place where they have more tools and more time.

With that in mind, I'd suggest that since you're probably right in thinking that a safe heavy enough to resist moving might be too heavy for the second floor of your home then get something like Kohai999 linked to and camouflage or conceal it. My feeling is that a light gauge steel is probably enough to foil amateurs (smash and grab) and provide some fire resistance. That's all it's probably designed to do and it may be all that you really need if you make it undetectable. A lighter safe might also make it easier to hide behind, say, a false wall.

Even though my safe weighs in at around 900 lbs., I've camouflaged it so that it's very hard to detect.
 
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