Gun safe vs. gun cabinet

Hopalong · Jan 20, 2013

Title says it all. I've recently moved to Columbia and I need a way to secure my long guns. What's the consensus on safe vs. cabinet? I'm still trying to decide how big of one I need, but nothing larger than 24-gun. Obviously a safe will be more secure, but they're also a lot heavier and more expensive. Is that much security worth it?

Mind you, I know the answer. It's like insurance. Is never worth it until it's REALLY worth it. Just looking for any other inputs/advice.

Thanks.

BRONZ · Jan 20, 2013

Well I cabinet will hold out a thief long enough for hime to get a prybar and wont keep out any heat in a fire.
A safe will keep out a thief a lot longer and he has to bring some pretty heavy duty tools to get in but most will keep out heat long enough for FD to get there or the rest of the house burns down.

hitman1415 · Jan 20, 2013

Hopalong said:
Title says it all. I've recently moved to Columbia and I need a way to secure my long guns. What's the consensus on safe vs. cabinet? I'm still trying to decide how big of one I need, but nothing larger than 24-gun. Obviously a safe will be more secure, but they're also a lot heavier and more expensive. Is that much security worth it?

Mind you, I know the answer. It's like insurance. Is never worth it until it's REALLY worth it. Just looking for any other inputs/advice.

Thanks.

Yeah you know the answer already so you just have to weigh your own risk. Also buy at least one with double the capacity you want, those numbers are very misleading .

Hopalong · Jan 20, 2013

hitman1415 said:
Yeah you know the answer already so you just have to weigh your own risk. Also buy at least one with double the capacity you want, those numbers are very misleading .

Agreed; I'm just trying to balance my own notions with experience.

As for size, the 24-gun limit is based on the size of my condo, not my gun collection.

Thanks for the inputs.

SRD · Jan 20, 2013

What did you have before?

boss281 · Jan 20, 2013

I've used cabinets as the odds of a break-in are fairly low, and the odds that one of the douchebags is equipted with tools and the time to get in is still fairly low. However, I'm watching closely the BS O'Malley is trying to push, and may just have to spend $500+ for a safe. I'm just forever low on cash with a long to-do list though, and it's just priorities with a new house and all...YMMV...

Hopalong · Jan 20, 2013

SRD said:
What did you have before?

Small quick-entry safe for a pair of handguns, the rest stored in a closet at a house in the country. That's the main reason I'm asking, I have I real experience here.

rfawcs · Jan 20, 2013

If you can afford it, a safe is always better, if for no other reason for the peace of mind it gives. I would really not like it if someone stole one of my guns and used it to commit a crime.

Weight can be an issue but shouldn't be if your building was constructed in the last 30 years or so. Floor loading should be able to handle it.

Another consideration is how much do you have invested in your collection? Would you really want to replace it? Unless you have a specific insurance policy for your firearms, your homeowners policy would cover little, if any.

SRD · Jan 20, 2013

Until a year ago I had small cabinet (12 gun) that I kept in a closet hidden behind the hanging clothes.I figured anyone breaking in was going to grab the obvious (jewelry,change,TV,etc.) and haul a**.

jrumann59 · Jan 21, 2013

A good safe that will actually protect everything in it will be expensive, around $2K. If you have insurance on your firearms a cabinet with some add on things to keep them secure. While theft sucks and fires suck I look at cabinets/safe as safety if you have curious children lurking around the house. I just bought a $10000 firearm exclusive policy from a company for like $100 year and covers theft from my vehicle and if their is defect that causes catastrophic failure.

Boom Boom · Jan 21, 2013

You're better off with a low-end 12-rifle safe that weighs at least 300 lbs. Fire protection is your choice, depending on your budget. Gun cabinets are often the worst choice. Thieves know what they are and can break them open in about thirty seconds. If there's more than one thief, they might take the unopened cabinet with them, since it's often easier than trying to carry the contents separately.

My lightest safe is more than 900 lbs empty. All my safes are UL-rated for extreme fires and at least very good burglary protection. To answer your question, yes, it's more than worth it if your budget allows and your valuables justify the cost.

To keep costs down, if this is for an apartment/condo, another option is a decent gun cabinet and a good wireless home alarm system with a loud bullhorn inside. No thief will hang around if the bullhorn is blasting. Get an alarm system that's easy to remove if/when you move.

SRD · Jan 21, 2013

jrumann59 said:
A good safe that will actually protect everything in it will be expensive, around $2K. If you have insurance on your firearms a cabinet with some add on things to keep them secure. While theft sucks and fires suck I look at cabinets/safe as safety if you have curious children lurking around the house. I just bought a $10000 firearm exclusive policy from a company for like $100 year and covers theft from my vehicle and if their is defect that causes catastrophic failure.

Care to provide the name of the company?

jrumann59 · Jan 21, 2013

SRD said:
Care to provide the name of the company?

I will look it up when I get home.

sailskidrive · Jan 21, 2013

From a social responsibility perspective, I feel a good lock box/metal cabinet is a minimum. From a theft perspective, you need to evaluate the value of your collection and decide how much it's worth spending to protect it.

5 Mosins, an SKS, and a Mossberg 500 probably warrant a $150 Walmart lock box while 2 SCARS, an M1A, and gran dad's Luger collection probably dictate a call to Liberty Safes.

IMHO a $500 Sentry safe from On Target will probably keep most things reasonable secure while not going overboard. Plus you can lock up other exciting stuff in it. Whoever mentioned an insurance rider should receive a gold star. Of course your insurance company may have expectations for securing the firearms depending on their value.

Mooseman · Jan 21, 2013

Obviously a safe is better than a metal gun locker. A metal gun locker is better than a wood and glass gun cabinet. A wood and glass gun cabinet is better than gun cases shoved under the bed. Get the best that you can afford. If there are young children in the house you want them to be locked up somehow.

Atec · Jan 21, 2013

jrumann59 said:
I will look it up when I get home.

Please do , I also would like to know . Thanks !

pilgrim · Jan 21, 2013

hitman1415 said:
Yeah you know the answer already so you just have to weigh your own risk. Also buy at least one with double the capacity you want, those numbers are very misleading .

Yup, get the larger safe. Use it for other things as your collection grows.

Back home a wood and glass cabinet in the bedroom is fine, no so good an idea in Maryland.

CAS_Shooter · Jan 21, 2013

I have a cabinet. I also have a wireless camera in the room pointed at the cabinet that records five minute segments, round the clock storing five days worth that writes over itself, thus always having the most recent five day period recorded. I also have similar cameras pointed at my front and back doors as well as in the common space someone would have to walk through to get to my gun cabinet. It won't prevent a robbery, but it was a cheap way to at least record who, if anyone, entered my home and, more specifically, who was beating up my cabinet to get at my guns.

For anyone thinking about setting up such a system, all you need is a wireless home network and it really is not a very costly thing to do. I have a mobile app that lets me look in on any camera at any time from anywhere.

Hopalong · Jan 21, 2013

Thanks all for the input. I'm leaning towards a smaller safe right now.

1. More secure. Duh.
2. Combo/electronic access. I'd hate to get locked out of my own gun safe just because I didn't have my keys.
3. Size/weight. I'm in a small condo ATM and will likely be moving a time or two in the near future, so I don't want a bunch of dead weight to have to move around.

Safetech · Jan 21, 2013

Get the best that you can reasonably afford.

Without knowing what your budget is, it's impossible to make a recommendation.

That said, you need to ask yourself: "What to I want my gun safe FOR?"

Keep kids and curious friends out?
Casual burglary attempt?
Serious burglary attempt?
Fire protection? How long?

Gun safe vs. gun cabinet

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