Safes: go electronic?

[ShallNotInfringe]

I got an electronic safe about 10 years ago. It has been quite serviceable. I got it for quick access, which it does well. I however wasn't as wise/aware back then as I am now. Having read about EMP (Electo Magnetic Pulse) in the past few years I have been thinking about changing to a manual lock. The last thing I want to do is break into my safe to get my gun. I don't know the likelyhood of an EMP, but if one ever happens then I think I will be screwed. If I got another one I would go manual.

Exactly. Tin foil hat here. After reading One Second After, I have same concerns. Have a MS in electrical engineering, the possibility is not fiction.

Have come to the conclusion that I will go with the wheel type. Next question: best to get for a modest sized collection?

 

[ShallNotInfringe]

I have one of these Cannon lights above my dial lock. Has a strong magnet to hold it in place. The red LED on the bottom comes on for two minutes when you press the button. Simple solution to seeing a dial in the dark. Takes a common CR2032 coin battery. Costs about $20.

Where'd ya purchase it?

 

[Boom Boom]

Where'd ya purchase it?

Mike Thompson (Thompson Safes) in Frederick. Also available online. Search on "Cannon SSL-04".

Next question: best to get for a modest sized collection?

Size is up to you. Often depends on where it's going, ease of access, and structural support. Summit Elite series will not disappoint, http://www.summitsafes.com/products.html. Made in Utah.

 

[ShallNotInfringe]

Mike Thompson (Thompson Safes) in Frederick. Also available online. Search on "Cannon SSL-04".

Road trip is in order. Thanks.

 

[Boom Boom]

Call ahead. He's on the road a lot doing service calls and deliveries.

 

[rascal]

All true. But 90% of the people that will break into your house in the middle of the day when your at work are just looking for things they can grab and carry out very fast. They are not bringing in tools to crack safes.

They just want things they can sell fast. In and out in 5 min or less is what most of them want.

That is true for most break ins. It is just if it is a full size safe for long guns, the reason for the break-in might be the very fact it was noticed. If that is the case it is 5 minutes with an angle grinder if it is 12 gauge and 10 minutes if it is 10 gauge. Lots of cheap safes are 14 gauge which is even thinner. And they don't crack the safe they cut it. If you notice the videos on the safe maker sites show resistance to prying, they wouldn't dare subject their safes to angel grinders because they work.

I am just saying, each person is different, but if you use a safe the less it is noticed the better. because if the reasons your house is being broken into is that someone noticed the safe it will be a very fast job.

 

[Merlin]

That is true for most break ins. It is just if it is a full size safe for long guns, the reason for the break-in might be the very fact it was noticed. If that is the case it is 5 minutes with an angle grinder if it is 12 gauge and 10 minutes if it is 10 gauge. Lots of cheap safes are 14 gauge which is even thinner. And they don't crack the safe they cut it. If you notice the videos on the safe maker sites show resistance to prying, they wouldn't dare subject their safes to angel grinders because they work.

I am just saying, each person is different, but if you use a safe the less it is noticed the better . for f because if the reasons your house is being broken into is that someone noticed the safe it will be a very fast job.

The one thing we are leaving out is most of the time when guns are taken it is someone who knows you and knows what you have and where you have it. Years ago I knew this guy that had an alarm on the first floor of his house. Someone broke into his house by the uses of an extension latter and went through an upstairs window. They took all of his guns and nothing else. It also look like they knew right where to find them because nothing else was touched.

 

[md123]

Safes basically force the intruder to spend time and noise in order to get in. Or if they want to take it, additional head-count. It's a deterrent to rookie criminals but only a speed bump for experienced burglars.

Each person will have to decide what level of deterrent is necessary based on the value of contents and neighborhood etc.

 

[NY Transplant]

Call me old fashion but I prefer the mechanical locks.

 

[NickZac]

Is this a safe that you will be accessing quickly in a defensive situation? If so, digital all the way. If not, provided you are talking about a quality lock, digital and wheel work great.

 

[sleev-les]

I liked the dual entry systems on the Fort Knox safes. Has the electric keypad, but also has a dial in case the key pad fails.

 

[Merlin]

I liked the dual entry systems on the Fort Knox safes. Has the electric keypad, but also has a dial in case the key pad fails.

Now that sounds cool.

 

[sleev-les]

Now that sounds cool.

Its in this vid... Posted from another safe thread

 

[Maverick0313]

Good safe person in Bridgeville, DE area???? Want to get one for new house....

 

[Merlin]

Is this a safe that you will be accessing quickly in a defensive situation? If so, digital all the way. If not, provided you are talking about a quality lock, digital and wheel work great.

Agreed. However 99.9% of the time the most likely defensive situation where you will need to get to your gun VERY fast will start in the bedroom. How many people have gun safes in the bed rooms? For the most part, I can only guess most gun safes are located in a family room, basement, garage, game room, or living room. Not in the bed room where you sleep. All of these location is where your likely to be during your awake hours where a intruder is less likely to show up. In the case an intruder did show up during your awake hours, you have more time to get to where you need to be to get your gun.

But when your in bed sleeping and your awaken by the sound of someone breaking into your home is when you need to be able to get to your gun fast without allot of thought or effort. So unless your gun safe with it's electronic lock is sitting next to your bed, you need to have one gun that is not in the safe that is more readily accessible.

Having said that, a large gun safes for the most part are for your "Over flow" baulk storage of your gun collection in my book, and does not need an electric lock for the fastest entry. If this makes sense, a dial combo that will give you the longest life seems like the smartest way to go.

If you want your one gun that you keep in your bed room secured, let whatever small one or two gun safe you get for it be of a type that you can get into fast. Like some kind of push button or fingerprint bio safe that you can bolt down to something. Or maybe a wall safe of the same type.

I can tell you that I know some LEO's, and I did some work for this one Secret Service guy years ago, and they all stash guns in different location around their house. They all had at least one on each floor of their home. They are in a profession where they expect intruders and running to a large gun safe with an electric lock is the last thing they want to have to do.

Just another way of looking at the gun safe thing.

 

[Merlin]

Its in this vid... Posted from another safe thread

I like that guy in the Vid, however I wish he would get to his point way faster then he does. I feel like I want to pull the words out of him...LOL

 

[NickZac]

Agreed. However 99.9% of the time the most likely defensive situation where you will need to get to your gun VERY fast will start in the bedroom. How many people have gun safes in the bed rooms? For the most part, I can only guess most gun safes are located in a family room, basement, garage, game room, or living room. Not in the bed room where you sleep. All of these location is where your likely to be during your awake hours where a intruder is less likely to show up. In the case an intruder did show up during your awake hours, you have more time to get to where you need to be to get your gun.

But when your in bed sleeping and your awaken by the sound of someone breaking into your home is when you need to be able to get to your gun fast without allot of thought or effort. So unless your gun safe with it's electronic lock is sitting next to your bed, you need to have one gun that is not in the safe that is more readily accessible.

Having said that, a large gun safes for the most part are for your "Over flow" baulk storage of your gun collection in my book, and does not need an electric lock for the fastest entry. If this makes sense, a dial combo that will give you the longest life seems like the smartest way to go.

If you want your one gun that you keep in your bed room secured, let whatever small one or two gun safe you get for it be of a type that you can get into fast. Like some kind of push button or fingerprint bio safe that you can bolt down to something. Or maybe a wall safe of the same type.

I can tell you that I know some LEO's, and I did some work for this one Secret Service guy years ago, and they all stash guns in different location around their house. They all had at least one on each floor of their home. They are in a profession where they expect intruders and running to a large gun safe with an electric lock is the last thing they want to have to do.

Just another way of looking at the gun safe thing.

Great points! One of my favorite gun safes is actually the 'globe' safe...it's literally a globe...but with a gun in it. Many of the decoy safes are great for pistols and there is absolutely an advantage to having more accessibility via different points of access.

I personally have a mini gun safe for the bedroom for a single home defense pistol...of course at the expense of it being far easier to break into, and a larger tool resistent and fire safe for everything else...even if the tool resistent safe had a digital pad, the door is stupidly heavy and the safe is too large to have right next to a bed. I've read that some of the digital locks tend to not fare against humidity as well as wheels over a period of years, although I imagine on a decent safe that is serviced as should this is a non issue.

I have noticed that some safes with UL Group II combo wheel locks with a relocker have the option for a digital lock that is NOT equivalent in its compliance...if that is the case, then IMO the wheel combo is 100% better given the safe could theoretically lose RSC compliance with a cheap digital pad. I have noticed that on some of the higher end safes, the digital pad upgrade is quite costly.

Some safes can take something like a Medeco key for 'day' usage (in which it could actually be used for night usage if the safe is close by and the door isn't stupid heavy)...it's a very nice addition though as you can lock the safe under secure key and bypass the combo if you are going to be in and out of it a lot, and then when you are away you can lock-lock it via the combination lock.

 

[BigCity]

Mine is a regular dial. I have a smaller one with the buttons.

Nice meeting you Tuesday.

 

[ShallNotInfringe]

Mine is a regular dial. I have a smaller one with the buttons.

Nice meeting you Tuesday.

Looks like I am going for the dial version.

HB131 leaves no other option. And I'm not sure even that will suffice - I really want a definition of "access". The change to "unloaded" is disconcerting as well.

The big question is if we squeeze ourselves to comply THIS TIME, how long until they change the rules again?

Nice meeting you (and everyone else) on Tuesday!

 

[skibernie]

I'm going to go ahead and "hijack" this thread rather than creating a new one since we're already talking about safes. My wife and I are going to be losing 20% of our pay due to Obama. I'm in the market for a safe for my 4 long guns. My budget is limited to in the area of $300. I could probably talk her into a little more, but not much. My intent is primarily to prevent guests from having quick access to my guns, and to "deter" any intruders. And by this I mean that I know I cannot get an impenetrable safe, but I'd like one that looks intimidating to a common thief that they may pass up in the event they are burglarizing my home when I'm at work. I can bolt this safe into the walls on two sides since it'll be in a closet, which I figure will help to deter the flip and pry methods to an extent.

Any recommendations on a safe that fits these needs?

Edit: My guns are current locked in individual carry cases, which doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy because they're easy to carry out of my home and break open. I need a "safe" or sturdy lock box ASAP.

This is what I bought - available at most Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_387166-1028...safe&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=gun+safe&facetInfo=

And this is the review I wrote:
First - please understand that it's a relatively small security container - you can realistically fit 6-8 guns if you use both sides. If you utilize one side for shelves then cut that number in half. But if that is all you need then you will arguably find none better in the price range. I can't foresee myself outgrowing the capacity as my needs will limit me to a small number of guns.
Second - this is not built to resist a determined thief (research class b or better safes for that measure of security and be prepared to spend thousands more) but there are several things you can do to make it harder for a thief:
- secure with lag bolts
- locate in a small closet or alcove (limiting the space someone can apply a pry bar)
- build a shelf above to deter tipping
This is perfect for someone who owns limited weapons and understands the limitations of this type of container.

I have it lagged to a concrete floor with with epoxied in sheaths and screwed into the supporting studs of the closet I built around it. I feel it's secure enough for most type of break-ins.

Total cost with safe, lags, wood for closet was under $450 when I bought the safe.

Is it going to resist a determined thief with time on their hands - no. But at 245 pounds unloaded and secured to a concrete floor they are not walking out the door with it either.