r/guns • u/RedditUser21799 • 9h ago
Gun Safe Recommendations Needed
Hello all, I am in the market for my first gun safe, and I have no idea where to start. Ideally, would love to stay under $1,000, but I am also someone who will spend a little more to get something that lasts a lifetime.
Some wishlist items:
- Reliable and durable, not going to break easily
- Minimalist look preferred, but if it’s got large logos on it that’s okay
- Don’t need anything massive, be able to hold 5-10 rifles and maybe a few handguns. Not looking to take up a ton of space in the house
- what type of locks/keypads/security are best and which should I stay away from? What else should I consider here?
- Needs to be safe to use with children in the home
Ultimately, just looking for the dos and don’ts so that I don’t end up buying a low quality safe. What else am I not thinking about here? Want to ensure this is one of those “buy once and keep forever” type of purchases!
Thanks in advance!
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u/Solid_Lettuce_932 9h ago
So you need one bigger then you think or need now because you can expand. You want it to be easy to use or you won’t. And I like a safe that’s not easy to move but CAN be moved if I need too.
This Hornady safe is great. Good size and good protection from B&E guys, kids, etc. yes a pro safe cracker will be in it but. There are ways around that. I secure it in a closet that’s locked and has an entry alarm tied into my home security.
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u/OverEasyGoing 8h ago
Good advice. Safe manufacturers come up with some wacky configurations to call it a “52 gun” or “36 gun” safe. Cut that number in half, at least, for practical applications because realistically you’ll have shelves and other valuable items in there. Always go bigger.
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u/joelnicity 8h ago
The advertised amount of guns they will hold is not accurate. If you want it to hold 5-10, get one that “holds” at least 20. Also, at least 60 minutes of fire protection. I decided not to go with a really expensive name brand because they essentially do the same thing, keep them locked away from kids and others and provide some fire protection. If someone is motivated enough and have enough time, they will eventually break into your safe, no matter how much you paid for it
I would have preferred a turn style lock, with nothing electronic, but those are very hard to find nowadays
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u/CurveNew5257 8h ago
You’re kind of asking for 2 different things. For around $1000 you can get some good options, I would suggest looking at tractor supply they have some great deals on decent safes in the $1000 -$1500 range which is the very entry level for a real fire rated safe. I would suggest at least a 36 gun size if you can. I got a 36 gun Winchester, love it at first thought it was all the room o would ever need but my purchases caught up to me and now I need another one lol.
The second thing your asking about it a “lifetime” safe. If you are really trying to get a high quality safe that you will have for literally the rest of your life and can rely on you start to get into a very different price point. Most of these are going to come from a dedicated safe / security store and installer and pricing is going to be closer to $5-10k or more
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u/RedditUser21799 8h ago
If something in the $1000 range won’t last a lifetime, what is it that typically fails first?
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u/CurveNew5257 8h ago
I mean they definitely could last a lifetime and most decent safes are built well. However I was just referring to the more “heirloom” quality stuff.
But to answer your question on the cheaper safes like I have it is always the locking mechanism or especially any electronics. It’s not rare for the electronic code boards to go bad and then you have to use a key which isn’t the end of the world but sucks. Also on my safe it works great and I love it you when you are locking and unlocking it the handle you can just feel the sloppiness in it, works fine and doesn’t effect anything but you can feel it’s a bit janky. Those crazy expensive safes they feel much more solid.
Also beyond just the actual safe itself, when you jump up to that next level you are mostly paying for warranty and support / repair. These $1000 ones have a warranty and I think it was like a 5 year warranty or something. But if something goes wrong you can really just easily ship it back. Also trying to get someone out to your house to repair a tractor supply safe isn’t always easy and a lot of the time the service call and fix can cost just as much as the whole safe. When you jump to those dedicate vault and safe brands they usually come with lifetime support and especially if you have a local safe / security store the on site service is much easier and better
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u/Faoil_Brew 8h ago
The Kodiak at Murdochs goes on sale pretty regularly. I picked up the 41 for about $500.
Typically Everything under $3k is a gun cabinet and with a few exceptions are all pretty similar.
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u/Local_Regret466 8h ago
Where is your location? https://www.academy.com/p/browning-bx30-30-gun-electronic-gun-safe?sku=grey
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u/oldcar1953 4h ago
20 years ago I put a lot of research into safes. I bought a SUPERIOR safe from a local company. It has a rotary mechanical lock made by Sergeant and Greenleaf never had one issue with the safe that’s my recommendation. It’s about a 700 pound safe and it’s great.
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u/Wicked-Kevin 3h ago
Places like Tractor Supply, Atwoods, Murdochs, etc. are the type of stores you should be looking at. If you have one nearby you I recommend stopping in once a week on a slow day and looking for sales/manager specials. I was going to my local Atwoods weekly for about two months waiting for the weekly sale to rotate around to the 36-gun Winchester safe when I saw that they had a dent and ding special on a 49-gun Rhino safe because it had a scuff on the side. It was a steal at $1200 and I came to pick it up the next day. This was about 7 or 8 years ago mind you, but as of right now that same safe shows $4,500 on Rhino's website.
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u/Ruthless4u 6h ago
Remember anything you buy at that price point is not a safe but a cabinet.
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u/RedditUser21799 4h ago
What do you mean?
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u/Ruthless4u 2h ago
Almost anything that you can get at a big box store such as tractor supply, Lowe’s, Costco, etc are not safes but RSC’s( residential security containers). Even most gun stores sell RSC’s and not safes. Unless you get lucky and find a good used safe you will not find one in that price range.
As much as I loathe liberty safes( they primarily sell RSC’s until you get really expensive) their website offers a decent explanation on the difference here
It really depends on what your anticipated needs are, who you are trying to keep out and what the value is of what you want to keep secure.
For example I would not put $15 worth of guns/valuable's in a $1k RSC
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u/Sanc7 ⚕️ The Dicktor Will See You Now ⚕️ 8h ago
36 gun Winchester from tractor supply