Did a lot of research on safes. In a nutshell RobertH is pretty much on target. The following are my findings:
- Don't buys safes from Mexico or foreign countries. Tractor Supply have safes that are made in Mexico. Liberty, Canon and Fort Knox (there may be more but these are the ones I'm most familiar with) are made in U.S.A.
- Fire rating should be longer than how fast the fire dept. can respond to your house + 30 min. just in case they are on another call. And at least 95,000 btu's. The bottom line is to make sure that the interior of the safe stays as cool as possible.
- Locking bolts should be at least 1 1/8 in dia. on all four sides. Some expensive safes have locking bolts on the corners also since that is the weakest part of a safe.
- Hinges should be on the outside (door open wider), a common statement is than the BG's can cut the hinges. Don't think so. First off, the BG time is limited so they need to bring a portable torch or saws all and 2nd the longer throw of bolts and pry guards on the safe will make the BG life harder.
- Should have interior lighting and humidity control.
- Like RobertH said, guns procreate so get a safe 1 and 1/2 times of your long guns.
- The safe should be bolted down (either floor or wall). That way the bad guys can't tip it over for easier access or remove it from the home. Not in the garage. In the basement out of view.
- The better safes have 11 gauge sheet metal or thicker ( lower number is thicker)
- Electronic vs Dial - mixed emotions on that one, but get the brand should be Sargent and Greenleaf (they make the best locks).
- Place a "Black Powder Inside" label on the safe even though you don't have any. The BG don't know either.
- Buy the best safe you can afford.
- Have them deliver and install the safe. Might cost a couple hundred more, but to me it's worth it. That way I don't have to visit the back cracker. Not curbside. Good safes weigh 800 lbs +, plus they do that for a living.
Can't think of anything else worth noting.
Bernie
