av88tor

Hey Pie, A couple of comments on your last few posts, First off I give my customers a little more credit than you seem to do when it comes to the expectations of what a safe will do and what it won't do. My focus when someone comes into my showroom is to educate them on the different features of the brands that I carry and what security levels they provide. One size or security level doesn't fit everyone. Next comment: If you read some of my previous post you might have noticed that I say " security should be a layered approach and should not rely on one thing" a safe should really be your last line of defense against a thief. Next comment:A $400 safe will meet those needs for the average TN gunowner. Proper insurance and an alarm system will take care of the rest. Hum, a $400 safe, that would be more like a thin metal box than a safe, and it could be popped open with a screw driver, so I would have to raise the BS flag:bs: on that one. As for insurance replacing your gun that your father thought you to shoot with or the coin collection that took you years to accumulate or what ever else you have that you don't want a thief to get their dirty little hands on......... As for alarms, ever think that by cutting the phone line the call to the alarm company never gets out? or if the main breaker to your house is turn off at your outside electrical box, no alarm? Next comment: The truth is that the average schmuck has a couple of H&R break actions, a rifle, a pistol or two, and maybe an old .22 that grandpa killed pigs with at the slaughterhouse. I'll be willing to bet that this would even fit the profile of the average member here at TGO. Here you go again slamming everyone, I would say the vast majority of my customers have more than that to protect and most if not all of my customers are putting far more than guns in their safes. That brings up another point on the cost of guns, I was in a local gun shop the other day and I would say that the "average" gun was in the $400 dollar range, with most above that price, so if you just had three or four you are will with in the range to spend more than $400 on a metal box to protect your investment. One other thing about the $400 dollar safe anology, is that the fire rating on a cheap safe is usually as good as the safe. In closing , the crowd cheers ! I think what you are really saying when you say "the best is for those who simply do not know better" is that we as mindless Walmart drones should just buy what ever piece of junk that the big box stores import from some far away country and be happy about the "low price" we paid. When in reality we just wasted our money on a low quality product that will have to be replaced because of poor quality. What ever happened to buying a quality product that is built to last ? One of my favorite quotes is " The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after a cheap price is forgotten". Peace

Most of the gun safes that you find in your big box stores are made out of 12 gauge steel or less. Some have composite doors made out of the same gauge steel. The door bolts are generally 1 inch chrome plated steel. The better safes are made out of 10 gauge steel for the body and the composite door, some have 1/14 to 1/12 inch door bolts. The upper end safes have 7 gauge ( 3/16) bodies and heavier doors, usually 1/2 plate with a 10 to 7 gauge inner liner for the composite door. There are a few safes on the market that have heavier gauge metal but they are about double to triple the price of the other safes. What all of this boils down to is that you have to determine what you are putting in your safe and what your risk is for a break in. What I recommend is first and foremost, what you can afford, The minimum that I stock at my showroom is a 1 inch composite door, 12 guage body, 1 inch door bolts, 45 minute fire rated safe. What I suggest is a minimum of 1 to 1 1/2 hour fire rating, 1 1/4 inch door bolts and a 10 guage body. I always recommend a layered approach to security, the more barriers you put in front of a criminal the better. Start with a good lock on your doors, an alarm system, good lighting around your house, nosiy neighbors, and a good quality safe.

Hatmaker, Don't get all bent out of shape when someone says that your safe can be pried open easily. Under the right circumstances all of the lower end gun safes on the market can be opened like a tin can. I have been in the gun safe / safe business for the past 16 years and have seen all types of safes opened by just about every possible method. It would shock you if you knew how easy it is to pop open a "good" gun safe. I just replaced 4 safes in the past month that had been opened by "dumb" criminals, that just so happen to disable alarm systems, get passed dogs and nosiy neighbors. While I don't know what brand safe you have, I will say that it is better than nothing, but don't get a false sense of security just because you have it bolted down and up against a wall or in a closet.

Cannons upper level safes are pretty good, the ones that you see in the big box stores are priced low for a reason and are not worth having.

"the best is for those who simply do not know better" ???? Sorry but you are going to have to explain that one for me...... does that mean that you can buy a piece of junk if you think you are smart or that some people are educated above there intelligence level and think that they know more than they really do????

Don't think just because you have your safe bolted down that it will keep the bad guys from getting into your safe, as a matter of fact bolting down a cheap safe lets them get a more firm hold with a pry bar. The safe I replaced last week that was pried open was bolted down and it took the two guys a short time to get into the safe. Just remember that your security should be layered, ie locks on your doors, an alarm, neighborhood watch, etc ..... not just a safe. As for electronic vs mechanical locks, once again if you get a quality electonic lock you probably won't have any problems with it. Most if not all electronic locks have the battery compartment on the out side of the safe so you can replace the batteries when they run down. I would recommend either a S & G swing bolt or a Lagard basic electronic lock for a gun safe, simple and easy to use and program. There are locks out there that don't require batteries but they are more expensive. The better electronic's have a over ride code that can open the safe if the code is lost. Most of the better safe companies keep this code and you can get it through a authorized dealer or locksmith. As for electronic locks having a key over ride I have not seen that before, if the lock fails it doesn't have a key over ride. Mechanical locks are more reliable but the electronic locks are more user friendly. The safe in the security on sale video is a Liberty Gun safe.........:

That is incorrect, check out this video and maybe you will change your mind. As for the safe brands sold at: Dicks (Stack On) easy to pry and poorly built. Imported Academy: (Cannon American Eagle Series) Thin door and body ,easy to pry, 30 minute fire rating, which is almost worthless. Imported TSC: (Cannon American Eagle or Rhino Bighorn-made for TSC ,lower quality than regular Bighorn model) Thin door and body, Imported Sams: (Winchester or Remington) Built by Granite Security which moved their entire plant from Fort Worth TX to China. Quality low, thin door and body. 30 min fire rating. You also need to look at the warranty on the safes and how the company backs up their products. Some not very well. I just replaced a gun safe last week that had been pried open by someone during a break in, popped open like a tin can. So don't think that the cheap safes you buy in the big box stores are nothing more than metal boxes. You can compare them to a lock on your front door, it will only keep honest people honest.

Was reading through the post concerning gun safes and had to comment on the low cost safes bought at TSC, Dicks , Academy , etc. All I have to say is don't leave a screw driver or crowbar close to your "safe" because you can pry them open in under 2 minutes with no problem.