heritage safes

NickZac said:

How much security do you want? Do you want a safe that favors fire resistance, or favors burglary resistance, or both? What CF size as you looking for?

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Hankhank said:

they want 350 for delivery

im looking at the bigger models

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Atec said:

Heritage is a good safe !

NOW BEFORE Nickzac starts in on thread just ask yourself how much do you want to spend . Or he is going to have you looking at a Graffunder 110,000 dollar safe. And normally delivery shown below ! J/K Nick ..........

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NickZac said:

I lol'd. I'm just a complete nut here.

Heritage makes nice safes.

I know a guy with a Heritage who's house was pretty much destroyed in a fire and everything in the safe was OK.

The more I read about safes, the less I like how they are marketed. IMHO, for potential buyers, it is very important that they go in with a basic knowledge and understanding, that that they already know requirements that the safe needs to meet. Not letting the safe dictate is really important. Some things to think about would be...
-Size...keep in mind collections grow but the heavier the safe, the greater the shipping difficulties

-Protection from a brute force attack-generally, the heavier the safe, the more serious the armor. Most gun safes today favor fire protection over burglary protection, and use lower density composites (some exceptions). The difference between low density versus high density composites is the difference in the composite not being and being part of the armor. How much protection one needs from a brute force attack is a personal call. As a general rule, the main safes today are plate safes (steel slabs) and composite safes (multiple 'sandwiched' layers of thinner pieces of steel and composite material of various densities). Plate safes can often be found used for a hella good deal...but their downside is weight as they cost a lot to ship.

-Protection from fire-a need for a time rating long enough that the fire will be put out before the rating period expires, a high enough testing temp to replicate a temp likely to be seen in a house fire, a low enough internal temp that keeps contents from being damaged, and, in some cases, a model that has passed a 'drop' test when heated (if putting this on anything but ground floor).

-Weight-if this is not an super heavy safe, bolting to avoid a 'carryout' is worthwhile

-Strategic placement-can it be fit it in an area that would make maneuvering tools difficult or make the criminals easily seen or caught? Can it be placed somewhere that contractors and other people in the house WILL NOT see?...keeping out of sight can prevent someone from having a 'bright idea'.

-External versus internal-a safe that has thick walls should be listing their internal dimensions...mainly because the internal size is 'sizably' less.

-Lock type-favoring a manual combo lock is IMO the way to go given it is reliable and generally the least expensive. There are different levels of locks...again the call of which is right is user-dependent. IMO it is nice to have a main safe with a dial lock, and then a quick-access pistol vault like the Fort Knox Pistol Box...so you get the both of best worlds.

-Other features-a 'day key', pre-wiring for an alarm, legs to elevate the safe in case of a flood...or security features like relockers, carbide plates, reinforced skeleton, double fire protection, special paint/coaoting, handle type, etc.

-Insurance-some insurance companies will only care if you have a safe with certain fire or burglary ratings. Knowing this ahead of time is huge because over the years, you can save a lot of money through your investment. For example, my jewelry insurance on my watches fell by a good 50%.

All of this is stuff to think about before going to the showroom...with the main reason being that the sheer quantity of options are so overwhelming...and it is almost surely the case that one model or model type is going to fit one specific user better than others.



It all comes down to what people want to spend and what they favor in terms of fire and burglary protection...in many cases, fire protection may be valued over burglary protection given we can influence the criminal element through environmental manipulation but we cannot change a fire's mind...and given many people here have dogs, strategic placement, and someone home most of the time with a gun, a criminal would have to be out of their mind to try to get to the safe!...even if it was a cardboard box filled with guns, they would be in for a really bad day if they decided to go for the metaphorical gold. I agree pricing against Sturdy is also worth a look to compare features. Fort Knox is another. Amsec and Brown make wide product lines and so certain tiers may also be good to compare against.

Brown Safe also has a really good explanation on fire and security ratings, which may be helpful when choosing the level of fire protection or burglary protection one wants.

Many of these companies, such as Sturdy, can build a safe with 'double' fire protection...if one lives in a remote area that is pretty far away from town (or a fire hydrant), this is a great investment given the house will likely burn longer than someone living 2 miles from the fire department. Heritage makes models with anywhere from around 40 minutes to two hours of fire protection.r

It's also worth noting what the tested temp is. It may be 1,100 F, or it may be twice that, or it may be something else. Also, its worth considering what the internal temperature must stay below in order to get this rating (with the UL, the standard is 350 degrees for paper with a few other types of ratings for other materials...paper combusts around 425-ish IIRC). There are many different groups that test fire ratings, so shopping for protection beyond the temp your house fire could be, an internal temp rating that is below the point in which valuables are damaged/destroyed, and, if the safe is not kept on ground floor, that a drop test has been performed to simulate it falling through the floor...all are important aspects. Just my 3 ¢'s.



And on a side note, Continental is a great place to buy from. They will treat your home as if it is their own, take many precautions, and get the job done right the first time.

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