Hey Ben, Mike and Dave - need advice.

Got the 7600 .30-06 carbine sighted in, finally. I'm always surprised at how well these pumpers shoot. Nice, tight, sub MOA groups. Factory ammo - Remington Express 180 grainers.

And they musta did something to the stock. It didn't beat me up. Much, anyway. Not like my Whelen 7600. But the Whelen shoots stouter stuff anyways. I handload that with 225 gr. Sierra Gamekings over a pretty brisk charge of IMR 4064 - 55 grains (BOOM!).

Now I've got a question - I need a safe. Any recommendations? I would like at least an 8 gauge body, holding 50 guns (my recently departed paternal parent had, um, SEVERAL). Do I want to buy my retirement house first, cuz I can't imagine moving something like this again? Is there some sort of secure storage that can be rented in the meanwhile while I'm finding a home for my new safe?

What a timely question! I'm looking at gun safes myself because mine is too small and too light. Fire protection is very poor in the current safe. So, I've been looking. I think I'm going with a Champion or a Fort Knox. They are pricey, what I want is between 3k & 4.5k. It would be setting here today except I had to spend $2,900 on the septic system two weeks ago.

Here is a good informative video about safes. You can also click on this LINK to get to the same video. The reason I'm posting the link is because there are a lot more videos about gun safes on youtube. Just look on the right side of the screen. There are even a few about how to move the thing fairly easily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltK-b...eature=related

I forgot. You mentioned your retirement home. I'm thinking of that too. If I build my retirement home I intend to include a vault which will also double as a safe room. It will house my valuables and also provide a place to go in case of inclement weather or even an intrusion. They are simple to build of reinforced concrete and a vault door.

The best security is in not telling anybody what you have or where in the house it is...As far as safe brands, I've always personally liked National Security (I still have one to hold what's left of my meager collection), but I've sold far more Champions than any other line...Champion has an extensive list from small & basic to large & fully equipped...

Lots of things need to be considered including where in the house it (or they) will be installed...Will it be a showpiece you'll be tempted to show visitors or (like mine) hidden in a closet?...Can you physically move it through your entry door and navigate it in the house to where you want it?...It it's hidden away, will there be adequate lighting and elbow room when you want access?...

Temporary rental space is possible, but most gun stores with secure storage don't have room for it...If they do have room their inventory is down and they might be tempted to sell yours...Most people who store away from the house just park their safes in a self-storage unit and pack old furniture and mattresses around them...

Some things to stay away from when choosing a safe are square corners (they're spot welded and can be opened with a twenty pound sledgehammer) and doors that don't have bolts on all four edges...Don't worry about external or internal hinges; with bolts on all sides, it will only open when you want it open...

Don't worry about moving the safe(s) to another house, safe companies will move them for a price and they are well worth it...Also think about ventilation to prevent rusty guns...Small fans can be installed to move air and always use one or a few heating rods (usually 85 watts) in the safe...Just raising the temperature inside the safe one or two degrees will drive out moisture...

I'm sure I'll think of more later...:thinker:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Mike

I'm looking at gun safes myself because mine is too small and too light.

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Mike, visit Steve Christoph at Lone Star Gun Safes near you...I've known him many years and I trust what he says...:handshake:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Truckman

Mike, visit Steve Christoph at Lone Star Gun Safes near you...I've known him many years and I trust what he says...:handshake:...Ben

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Ben, that's where I plan to buy.

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Originally Posted by Mike

If I build my retirement home I intend to include a vault which will also double as a safe room.

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Lone Star can sell you a vault door also...The one I bought for Shooter's Station was secure and you can't be locked in...Even if you're deliberately locked in, you can open it at any time from the inside...:getdown:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Mike

Ben, that's where I plan to buy.

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Cool, tell Steve I said "Hey"...:cool_one:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Truckman

Cool, tell Steve I said "Hey"...:cool_one:...Ben

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Will do.

If either of you built a vault/safe room any safe you buy now can be used for photo/document/other valuables whether you install it inside or outside the vault room...Also all safe companies take trade-ins, so your old one still has some value...:win:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Truckman

If either of you built a vault/safe room any safe you buy now can be used for photo/document/other valuables whether you install it inside or outside the vault room...Also all safe companies take trade-ins, so your old one still has some value...:win:...Ben

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Good to know. I plan to give the old one to the wife for her jewelry and whatever she thinks is valuable. That will get it out of my safe. :evilgrin:

Oh yeah, and don't listen to Dave Grubb and be sure to open and close the safe door 500 times to break it in...:2funny:...Ben

Is it the door, or the lock that needs 500 rotations? :shrug:

To be fair, Dave was only trying to be sure that he understood the directions. He concluded that "Pull" did indeed open the door and "Push" actually closed it. Hey, you don't know stuff works until you test it, right? He's an empiricist, after all.

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Originally Posted by Kevin

..He's an empiricist, after all.

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No, he's an engineer. In my previous life I worked for engineers. It rubbed off on me. I understand Dave.

Did you watch the video?

Indeed. I learned a lot. And I had a quick look at the other links and saw a cool one about dropping a safe.

I like the Fort Knox safes a lot. That's a lotta safe. Lotta money, too. But it seems that you get what you pay for.

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Originally Posted by Mike

No, he's an engineer. In my previous life I worked for engineers. It rubbed off on me. I understand Dave.

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To an engineer the glass is neither half full nor half empty...The glass is just twice as big as it needs to be...:dontgetit:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Kevin

Indeed. I learned a lot. And I had a quick look at the other links and saw a cool one about dropping a safe.

I like the Fort Knox safes a lot. That's a lotta safe. Lotta money, too. But it seems that you get what you pay for.

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Here is a link to company that shows several ways to attack a safe. Start with video #1 and continue with #2, #3, etc. LINK

I'm late getting into this cause I was busy--trying to open mine--I figure I should be OK in about another 100 tries:hatoff:

I'm not home and I am not sure what make they are:shrug:

Mine are in closets so not outwardly visible.

Rust is my biggest concern--but the house is always heated or air conditioned and there have been no problems. I have thought of the heater but have an extreme concern with possible problems of the heater itself causing a problem.

Everything comes out at least once a year and is checked and re-oiled--and that is recorded on a sticker on the sock--everything lives in a sock.

All guns are stored mussel down so any excess oil does not seep down into the wood and also any recoil pads do not take a set.

And now a little story. I didn't go the safe route for many years--I wanted the guns where I could enjoy them and living in the country crime just isn't a big issue.

I bought a large lot of high end guns from a dealer friend of mine and my best friend rode along when I picked them out---and once the truck was loaded he refused to get in the truck until I bought a safe and loaded that as well:nuts:

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Originally Posted by Dave Grubb

Mine are in closets so not outwardly visible.

Rust is my biggest concern--but the house is always heated or air conditioned and there have been no problems.

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Mine too...If the safe is opened often (every few days) there shouldn't be any ventilation issues anyway in a climate controlled house...Is yours bolted to the floor?...:wary:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Truckman

Mine too...If the safe is opened often (every few days) there shouldn't be any ventilation issues anyway in a climate controlled house...Is yours bolted to the floor?...:wary:...Ben

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No---and I thought about it but for all practical purposes they would need a fork lift to move them when loaded---even empty was a struggle with an appliance truck.

BTW---I thought about desiccants but I am also concerned with getting too dry and shrinking the wood. The house stays right close to 40% year around--and that is right where I want the RH to be to maintain the wood at the proper moisture content.

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Originally Posted by Dave Grubb

No---and I thought about it but for all practical purposes they would need a fork lift to move them when loaded---even empty was a struggle with an appliance truck.

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Don't forget that the bad guys aren't concerned with how they leave your house, as long as they leave it with your safe...They know they have limited time and anything that slows them down is in your favor...I heard some horror stories in the biz, including more than once when the baddies took down an exterior wall with a stolen wrecker, then dragged the safe out with the winch...Once it's chained and strapped to the back of the truck, they're gone...:zoom:...Ben

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Originally Posted by Truckman

Don't forget that the bad guys aren't concerned with how they leave your house, as long as they leave it with your safe...They know they have limited time and anything that slows them down is in your favor...I heard some horror stories in the biz, including more than once when the baddies took down an exterior wall with a stolen wrecker, then dragged the safe out with the winch...Once it's chained and strapped to the back of the truck, they're gone...:zoom:...Ben

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Well---now that I think about that---I think I will leave them "free floating"---at least I won't get the floor joists yanked out of the house:eek:Thumbup

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Originally Posted by Dave Grubb

Well---now that I think about that---I think I will leave them "free floating"---at least I won't get the floor joists yanked out of the house:eek:Thumbup

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Every situation is different...You have to know what you can afford to lose...I like Mike's "safe room" idea...Thumbup...Ben

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Originally Posted by Truckman

Every situation is different...You have to know what you can afford to lose...I like Mike's "safe room" idea...Thumbup...Ben

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And I have given serious thought to that as well--but I have two problems in the current house:

1. The basement can flood if the sump pump goes out--that is a serious issue. That means it would have to either be in the garage or the barn--and I don't really like the thought of that.
2. I would only do this with a dedicated split system A/C unit.

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Originally Posted by Truckman

I'm sure I'll think of more later...:thinker:...Ben

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Pay attention to fire protection...Every layer of firewall in your safe means the contents will last that much longer until the inside temp reaches combustible levels...It also means additional cost and reduces the interior size, so allow for that in your planning...Firewall also adds considerable weight which makes it that much harder to move (not only for you but for any unauthorized entrants)...

For Mike, and anyone else considering a "safe room" (double meaning there), concrete -filled cinder blocks and reinforced concrete are your firewalls...The walk-in vault at Shooter's Station was built on a six inch slab with cinder block walls...Each tube in the walls had #4 rebar installed before being pumped full of concrete (same on all exterior walls)...The ceiling was a poured slab using a network of #6 rebar...When planning this, do your soil compaction tests carefully...Our building was so heavy we used 76 18" columns with 24" bell bottoms reinforced with rebar under the six inch slab...At least one of the columns (maybe two) is under the vault...Our concrete engineer estimated the building would withstand 250 mph winds with no damage...

Also if some team of burglars was dumb enough to waste time coming in through the steel roof over the vault, we also located the hot water heater and A/C-heat unit above it for additional interference...It might also be a good place to locate the genset (razor wire optional)...:omfg:...Ben

Additionally, when considering size I've always remembered the advice my first service manager gave me when I went to work as a mechanic...I couldn't make up my mind what size roll-around tool box to buy and he told me to pick the one that will hold all the tools I ever expected to own, and then buy one twice that size...He said it might last me five years...He was right, but I traded up again in four years...:doh:...Ben