Entry Level Gun Safe @ Costco

[911scanner]

This was not a thread regarding firearms insurance. Thanks for all of that insight everyone.

Thanks to xdm45 as well, for reminding all of us that this isn't a $1500-$10k+ RSC or safe.

If you can afford $1500+, do not buy this Bighorn RSC. If you don't have that kind of money and currently use your bedroom closet or under your bed storage, than this might be a good option beyond nothing.

And to make any RSC more secure, don't forget to bolt it to the floor butted up against a wall or two. Perfect security, not at all. Delay until the cops or I arrive, I hope so!

[20mm]

If you can afford a $600 for a safe, you might want to save a bit more and get a $1400 or $1600 one that provides better security and storage for a lot more firearms. Always buy bigger than you need.

[XDM45]

One advantage my setup has is the fact that it's NOT a safe, its a fire cabinet. It looks like a normal filing cabinet, but it's not. I've posted info and photos on this forum before, so you can find out about it. (Caveat: In my case, I have pistols, no rifles yet, so I can get away with it.) It's a Schwab 5000. Anyway, my point being is to think outside of the box. The idea is safety and security; protection from children, crime, and fire; so gun safes aren't the ONLY option. In some cases, they are the best way to go, in other ways, not so. What other options are there? Good question. I found one that works for me and my situation, but it's by far not the only one.

One major flaw with gun safes is they are gun safes. They LOOK like a gun safe, because well, that's what they are. No matter HOW much your little you spend, whenever you look it screams "GUNS!!" (ok, not literally screaming, but you know what I mean. Maybe a screaming gun safe is an option, but it's not one I've ever heard of <GRIN> )

What's your goal and your priority? Fire? Theft? Flooding? Children?

I know IT is unrelated to this, but hear me out.... as someone who has worked in the IT Security field for awhile now, I can tell you that NOTHING is 100% secure and safe. There are things you can do to make yourself more secure, certain things that are more securable than others, but nothing and no one is 100% secure without fail or flaw. There is ALWAYS an Achilles's Heel. Security is not a piece of hardware, software or a configuration; it's a balancing act, a way of thinking, acting, being and living on a 24x7x365 lifestyle. There's always a way in and always a way to block someone. It's a balance between total usability of a system and wide open anything goes. It's like that with life offline too. It's not about the complete elimination of risk, because that's impossible, it's about the mitigation of risk.

Let's face it, by posting here, by putting up photos, saying where we'll be at which range, there's risk. Some of it we accept, which is fine and expected, we can't live in a bubble, but we assume this risk knowingly, openly; it's the seemingly innocuousness things which we don't consider, the small pieces of things that leave trails, that can trip us up. Remember that amateurs hack computers, professionals hack people - because people are the weakest link in the security chain. I know you may not think this applies to a gun safe, but it really does. It's all in how you look at it.

Remember what I said about security being balance? Security is done in layers as well. A very general example could be where your first layer is not telling people you have guns on,line and off. Don't put NRA stickers on your car, etc. The second layer, is keeping your front door locked the third is your house's location, the safe's location, the fourth layer is the combination, keys, etc. It's a lot more complex than just that, but you get the idea.

Sorry for rambling on in a way, but there is so much more to consider about a safe than just the safe itself.

[20mm]

What's your goal and your priority? Fire? Theft? Flooding? Children?

Space Aliens!

[GordyTheCook]

know I'm crazy but the cost of my guns is irrelevant in the end. Its what they will be used for if some one steels them. How much is a life worth to you. I am looking for a safe to fit my needs as we speak and when I only had two or three guns I would keep my non carry guns slide or frame in my trunk so there was nothing to steel at home and nothing to steel from my car. The only place my gun is safe is on my hip. I don't want to be that guy who's gun got used in a violent crime.

[XDM45]

know I'm crazy but the cost of my guns is irrelevant in the end. Its what they will be used for if some one steels them. How much is a life worth to you. I am looking for a safe to fit my needs as we speak and when I only had two or three guns I would keep my non carry guns slide or frame in my trunk so there was nothing to steel at home and nothing to steel from my car. The only place my gun is safe is on my hip. I don't want to be that guy who's gun got used in a violent crime.

You're quite sane, and I agree.

[Hmac]

know I'm crazy but the cost of my guns is irrelevant in the end. Its what they will be used for if some one steels them. How much is a life worth to you. I am looking for a safe to fit my needs as we speak and when I only had two or three guns I would keep my non carry guns slide or frame in my trunk so there was nothing to steel at home and nothing to steel from my car. The only place my gun is safe is on my hip. I don't want to be that guy who's gun got used in a violent crime.

If you're looking for a safe for that level of security, you won't get it for $500 at CostCo.

[20mm]

know I'm crazy but the cost of my guns is irrelevant in the end. Its what they will be used for if some one steels them. How much is a life worth to you. I am looking for a safe to fit my needs as we speak and when I only had two or three guns I would keep my non carry guns slide or frame in my trunk so there was nothing to steel at home and nothing to steel from my car. The only place my gun is safe is on my hip. I don't want to be that guy who's gun got used in a violent crime.

How much is a life worth to me? It really depends on whose life it is. With a bit of ingenuity you could hide your firearms in a wall or other dead space with little risk of a robber finding them. The cost to do this is normally much less than any safe or strongbox.

[GordyTheCook]

know I'm crazy but the cost of my guns is irrelevant in the end. Its what they will be used for if some one steels them. How much is a life worth to you. I am looking for a safe to fit my needs as we speak and when I only had two or three guns I would keep my non carry guns slide or frame in my trunk so there was nothing to steel at home and nothing to steel from my car. The only place my gun is safe is on my hip. I don't want to be that guy who's gun got used in a violent crime.

How much is a life worth to me? It really depends on whose life it is. With a bit of ingenuity you could hide your firearms in a wall or other dead space with little risk of a robber finding them. The cost to do this is normally much less than any safe or strongbox.

A vary good idea and a trick I have used in the past. Down side, some how kids can find any think. But yes the under the floorboard trick is always a good one

[MNGunner]

Dumb question:
If a burglar brings a heavy duty angle grinder and cutting disks, what will a RSC costing $1500 do that a $500 RSC won't do other than take the burglar maybe a few more minutes longer to make a hole large enough to remove the guns? And of course cost $1000 more to replace.

[7808]

for the same argument im hearing here, i was considering going to discount steal, firing up the welder and making my own "gun safe" more of a locking steal chest thats some what pry-proof and too heavy to move without sevral people, also include some kind of fire proofing, even if its some kind of blanket i lay over it. i know most fire proof safes just use sheet rock layer. either its going to stop the half ass thief or there getting in no matter if i spent $200 or $1200. money probably better spend on a security system

[MNGunner]

A vary good idea and a trick I have used in the past. Down side, some how kids can find any think. But yes the under the floorboard trick is always a good one

Yep, had my father had guns when I was a young boy, the only thing that would have kept me from finding them and getting at them would have been a safe/RSC that would have shown parmanent damage from forced entry.

[Punisher102]

Here is food for thought.

A lock only keeps an honest person honest.
A thief will take it weather its locked or not.

A safe be it a 500 costco special or a 5000 fort knox is just gonna slow a thief down. If they really want it, they are gonna take it. Nothing you can do about it.

[MNGunner]

Here is food for thought.

A lock only keeps an honest person honest.
A thief will take it weather its locked or not.

A safe be it a 500 costco special or a 5000 fort knox is just gonna slow a thief down. If they really want it, they are gonna take it. Nothing you can do about it.

With the exception that your average random burglar, a meth head or an urban punk with it's pants already hanging down is very unlikely to arrive prepared to deal with either, and the better the protection, the less likely it is that he's going to be able to "engineer" a solution on-site.

[Evad]

Here is food for thought.

A lock only keeps an honest person honest.
A thief will take it weather its locked or not.

A safe be it a 500 costco special or a 5000 fort knox is just gonna slow a thief down. If they really want it, they are gonna take it. Nothing you can do about it.

With the exception that your average random burglar, a meth head or an urban punk with it's pants already hanging down is very unlikely to arrive prepared to deal with either, and the better the protection, the less likely it is that he's going to be able to "engineer" a solution on-site.

Even a stack on wouldn't likely get opened on site. So a stack on connected to studs would suffice in 90 percent or better of burglaries is my guess.