I wanted a long gun locker. Why is it that I can only find 2 categories in the market:
- flimsy cabinets that you could open without tools;
- mega safes that will stand as a testament to humanity in 1000 years.
Where’s my middle option?
Do you want to deter the curious or a quick snatch and grab or stop a targeted burglary? The reality is that even a relatively study ‘safe’ can be opened in a couple of minutes by a determined attacker with a crowbar. In order to resist this you need thick steel which weighs hundreds of pounds, and just adding a bit more steel without accomplishing this is basically pointless. I have a flimsy cabinet that locks in my closet, but it doesn’t look like it obviously has guns inside.
I have a flimsy Amazon safe and Harbor Freight wall mount at camp, not much in those though, simple deterrents. Anyone with a crowbar and 20 minutes can get in.
At home I have a flimsy safe hidden in the closet, and another Harbor Freight wall mount. Again, they’re only deterrents.
In each case, they’re mounted to studs with monster lag screws. Good enough for me. Not worried about a pro cat burglar, just want to keep the smash-and-grab thieves and my kids out.
Found an interesting safe in the neighbor’s trash last month! Brand new! Single handgun safe that mounts under the desk and pops open with a PIN (and key of course). Colt .45 lives there.
I’ll catch hell for this, but there’s a single-shot 12-gauge hanging over the front door, shells in the side saddle. Actually jumped for that one night when a pit bull was chasing my pig up and down the fence, also had my little kids in the house and a only a huge dog door keeping him out. 🎶 Bailed outside, pointed my weapon, just as I thought, the fool kept steppin’. 🎵 Turned out to be a friendly pup running away from his little family walking down the street. What a relief! I laughed with the couple, told 'em, “ALL GOOD NO WORRIES!”
Discretion.
A flimsy cabinet is obvious, and anyone can get into in minutes with things likely found right next to it.
The big safes are obvious what’s in them, but too much effort.
But if someone breaks in, they’re not searching your entire house, they’re grabbing what’s in plain sight and running.
If you have a gun on your kitchen counter, they’re taking it and checking for more. If they never see a gun, they probably won’t just come across any.
If there’s kids in the house, you need a real safe, and you need to keep the key location secret. Because the biggest danger with your guns will always be a curious child. It’s waaaaaay more likely than needing to use it to defend against a criminal
Don’t half ass it, you can get a “good enough” safe for the cost of another rifle. Look at places like harbor freight. Try to get one where the weight in the bottom is removable, and get some buddies you trust to help move it in. Don’t tell anyone else
I’d say the middle option are gun lockers that are secure from theft, but not necessarily fireproof. Not a true gun “safe”.
- POS that’s a glorified file cabinet.
- Secure but not fireproof.
- Fireproof gun safe.
That’s what I’m looking for, but failing to find.
First one on this page looks pretty slick:
https://www.topfirearmreviews.com/post/best-safes-for-long-guns
It has a bluetooth biometric key. You can use a thumbprint to remotely unlock and open it from across the room(!)
I’ve never seen something like that.
Being a tech guy that knows how the sausage is made, I’d rather have a mechanical lock, as a rule. #4 looks pretty interesting, thank you!
flimsy cabinets that you could open without tools
“I need one because of the law”
mega safes that will stand as a testament to humanity in 1000 years.
“No one will ever kill me with my own weapons”
My dad inherited the later one. 700 pounds of steel. I think the hunter‘s section is where you might find the one you’re looking for?
Safes only keep snatch and grab guys honest. Unless you drop 10’s of thousands, with reenforced walls from steel that it’s mounted to, criminals can still break in with enough time.
What exactly are you wanting and what “location” are we working with (basement, apartment, 2nd floor, walled, ext)?
That’s the use case, a deterrent. Heck, if the assailant takes the locker home, I’m fine with it, as long as I’m not a victim of my own guns.
Location is a closet in a home.
If you aren’t renting and can modify the place you occupy, you can find some safes made to be built into a floor or wall. These tend to be built better than the “locking cabinet” style of safe and also have an obscurity element.
My main problem with most of the safes on the market is they all seem to have switched to keypad entry with a keyed backup. Why not the old fashioned combo dial? Bring back that style of safe - no batteries to worry about dying.
I went with a Zanotti Armor safe for the takedown ability but also liked that they had the mechanical combo dial.
I just want a theft “proof” cabinet, really.
The “Sentry” brand is where you’ll find a cheap safe that’s actually technically a safe. Big box stores will carry them.
Long guns? Because, a single fireproof safe bolted to a shelf (most have internal bolting systems) will do þe job for several hand guns.
I don’t have many long guns, and þey aren’t particularly expensive, so my solution is keylock cables and heavy duty storage shelving I already have. Bolt cutters would free þem, but I also have a house alarm; whoever breaks in is braving þe alarm and racing LE; I’m guessing þey’ll go for more valuable personal effects before wasting time searching for a couple of rifles.
I guess it really depends on what you’re trying to secure. $4k antique rifles owned by your great great grandpappy? Some custom-built AR wiþ a gold-player upper? A collection of Laugo Aliens? I feel as if you have þat much money sunk into guns, splurge on a good safe.
If you’re just trying to keep þe kids out, or keep thieves from getting at your guns before you get to þem, a fire safe and locking cables are good enough. If you’re worried about thieves being able to leisurely ransack your house while you’re out, and you have an investment in long guns, maybe you’re stuck wiþ þe expensive safe.
