Henry Rifle Forums

So I’m not sure where to ask this question. Please redirect as needed.

I’m looking for an affordable gun safe. 7 long guns, 7 1911s, 1 9mm small frame, 2 380s and 1 45LC revolver. I’d like room for valuables as well as some, if not all, of my ammo. 4000 rounds roughly of various calibers and gauges, in boxes, in cans. Willing to ditch the cans. Plus a 24 mag capacity foam holder. Another 20 or so loose mags (380 to 45 and 4 556)

I know I’m being cheap, but it needs to be around the $500 mark. Any suggestions?

You may find something that you like here:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/gun-safes

Sams Club has some for well under $500 that should meet your need. I'm guessing you want one that has a decent fire rating - 60minutes minimum. You'll also need to consider loaded weight unless you put it on a slab.

https://www.samsclub.com/s/gun%20safe

I purchased ours, (a Morgan Fort), from our local gun store. They had it delivered to our
yard on a pallet and I needed a few friends to move it to my man cave.
Don't remember the cost as it was twenty years ago, but I sleep better at night
wherever I am because of it.

We have a lot of valuables in it.

Consider a vented locker for all that ammo, gun safes are not a great location in case of a fire. Why would you want to pack your precious guns with flammable ammo? No cheap gun safe is going to have a good fire resistance rating anyway, don’t worsen the situation! Leaving out the munitions leaves extra room for more guns.

I have important documents (passports, birth certificates) and precious keepsakes locked inside a small Sentry fire safe, inside the Browning Copper gun safe. I used to keep those in a bank safe deposit box, now I save that annual fee.

FYI gun safe sales are except from sales tax. So in WA that saves you about 10%. Invest in a slightly better safe if you can.

Electronic locks are very problematic, but at your price point that is what you will get.

Google “$500 gun safe reviews” for some suggestions. If you can visit a safe store, go look at some in person, sometimes they have blems or special purchases of higher quality units that will be a better value than buying a crap one that weighs 100 pounds with a single locking bar that is easy to break in to or carry away. (Bolt it down!!!) For example….


John Davies
Spokane WA

John and I think alike.

I agree, buy a safe that will accommodate your firearms and a separate ammo locker for the ammo and mags. Like John, I have all my important documents in a smaller fire safe placed in my larger fire resistant gun safe. Ammo is in a regular ole’ office file cabinet. But, this cabinet is a very heavy duty one I bought from the Boeing surplus store so it’s much heavier than what you will find in retail stores. It also can be locked with a padlock.

Electronic locks are much quicker to open than a dial lock and while I have had no issues with mine I have read some folks do have issues.

I bought a Zanotti Armor safe because it’s made in the USA, it’s over 500 lbs. but can be dissembled and moved easily and uses top quality components.

Here is mine. Bought at TS about 7 years ago. It is rated to be a 24 gun safe and is right in your price range. Also rated fire proof. 1400 degrees for 1/2 hour. Have been quite happy with mine, and I like the key pad operation. Takes a 9 volt battery that I have only changed once in all that time. It's very stout. Weighs about 550 lbs empty. Sorry. Don't know why it rotated my pick.

Still don't know how to fix these pic rotations. Maybe JBar or someone else can fix it for me. Thanks in advance!!

Thanks folks. Appreciate it.

I really like the idea of the Zanotti safes, but they are 3x what I can spend right now. My next big issue is moving it. I didn’t think about installing it. I don’t have friends to help me move something around. (Another story, but I’m not a social person, my wife’s former friends don’t live here and the friends I do have here are all women. Not that they are weak, but most are liberals!)

So, I guess I’m stuck finding one at Cabellas.

Most safe stores will deliver and place it inside your home at the desired location. If there needs to be wiring for a dehumidifier, or drilling to secure it, they might offer that service at an extra charge. It really is very important to make it immovable. Especially a lighter cabinet that could be literally picked up and carried away with the guns still locked inside it. Mine is bolted to a concrete slab with four 1/2” lag bolts going into anchors.

There are safe movers, I used one five years ago when I changed homes and they charged $75.

Heavy Safes Save Guns. The new right wing slogan.

John Davies
Spokane WA

markiver54 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:05 pm

Still don't know how to fix these pic rotations. Maybe JBar or someone else can fix it for me. Thanks in advance!!

If taken with a phone, turn it sideways when taking the pic.
That has helped me more than anything else.

RP

And keep the shutter button on the right. I use to be able to fix them but dont have that capability anymore

markiver54 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:02 pm

Here is mine. Bought at TS about 7 years ago. It is rated to be a 24 gun safe and is right in your price range. Also rated fire proof. 1400 degrees for 1/2 hour. Have been quite happy with mine, and I like the key pad operation. Takes a 9 volt battery that I have only changed once in all that time. It's very stout. Weighs about 550 lbs empty.20190125_162415.jpg
Sorry. Don't know why it rotated my pick.

Download IRFANVIEW to your PC to edit your pics. Of course you'll have to transfer them from your phone. It's an extra step but does a good job, including batch processing of multiple pics.

https://www.irfanview.com/

Usually I do turn my phone as Randy suggested, and usually everything is ok. That, is an old pic though and was probably taken.holding the phone vertically.
As for bolting down a safe, I don't see anybody carrying off a safe that when loaded as it is, is probably 800lbs.

Don't know where you are located but our local Tractor Supply store has several gun safes on display. They have local pickup at store might be able to have it delivered.

markiver54 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:47 pm

As for bolting down a safe, I don't see anybody carrying off a safe that when loaded as it is, is probably 800lbs.

FYI a heavy safe can actually tip over when the door is opened if it doesn’t have a lot of stuff in it. That can ruin your day. Thieves have been known to throw a recovery chain around a safe and haul it away from a garage…. if yours is in a basement, that is a lot better. Drilling and bolting is definitely a PITA but I guarantee you will sleep better when you are away from home, afterwards.

John Davies
Spokane WA

John E Davies wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:29 pm

markiver54 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:47 pm

As for bolting down a safe, I don't see anybody carrying off a safe that when loaded as it is, is probably 800lbs.

FYI a heavy safe can actually tip over when the door is opened if it doesn’t have a lot of stuff in it. That can ruin your day. Thieves have been known to throw a recovery chain around a safe and haul it away from a garage…. if yours is in a basement, that is a lot better. Drilling and bolting is definitely a PITA but I guarantee you will sleep better when you are away from home, afterwards.

John Davies
Spokane WA

Mine is in my bedroom.

Mines in the basement and isnt bolted down. Im not going to do that either.

All my ammo is under the bed and my pillow is filled with black powder. What could go wrong?