Is a Gun Safe An Essential Item?

[Hobotorium]

Since I live in a second story apartment a safe isn't a realistic option for me, but I have a metal gun cabinet mounted to the floor in a closet. I figure it's enough to make it so that the normal thief doing a smash and grab looking for high value/low volume items such as laptops, cash, etc will just ignore it or figure it's not worth the extra time spent trying to get it open.

[David]

This is in my office, and I like it so much I think I'm going to put one in my house.



I've seen used vault doors/frames go for $2,000 or so, and if a guy is handy he could build a filled cinderblock room in a basement fairly cheaply. The whole thing might not cost much more than a super high-end safe.

Now how much fun would this be?

[Snakeman721]

This is in my office, and I like it so much I think I'm going to put one in my house.



I've seen used vault doors/frames go for $2,000 or so, and if a guy is handy he could build a filled cinderblock room in a basement fairly cheaply. The whole thing might not cost much more than a super high-end safe.

Now how much fun would this be?

If I was a burglar and saw that door (not the bank vault, but the combo lock door), I'd be swinging away with a sledgehammer at the wall 2' on either side. Unless the walls are poured concrete with a good solid re-bar mesh embedded, it won't take too many swings to bust through. Cinder block would be a piece of cake, even filled with concrete....re=bar rods embedded in the cider block hollows would slow me down , but not too much.

[jdege]

But only if he can find them. [...] I prefer stealth over strength.

There's a saying among computer professionals - security by obscurity isn't.

[David]

If I was a burglar and saw that door (not the bank vault, but the combo lock door), I'd be swinging away with a sledgehammer at the wall 2' on either side. Unless the walls are poured concrete with a good solid re-bar mesh embedded, it won't take too many swings to bust through. Cinder block would be a piece of cake, even filled with concrete....re=bar rods embedded in the cider block hollows would slow me down , but not too much.

For those who need a room, rather than a cabinet, to store guns, a vault is a good option. If a burglar has the time and privacy to get through a vault with a sledgehammer, then he's got the time and privacy to get through a safe. Few of them are much harder to get into.

[RobD]

But only if he can find them. [...] I prefer stealth over strength.

There's a saying among computer professionals - security by obscurity isn't.

+ 1

[Snakeman721]

If I was a burglar and saw that door (not the bank vault, but the combo lock door), I'd be swinging away with a sledgehammer at the wall 2' on either side. Unless the walls are poured concrete with a good solid re-bar mesh embedded, it won't take too many swings to bust through. Cinder block would be a piece of cake, even filled with concrete....re=bar rods embedded in the cider block hollows would slow me down , but not too much.

For those who need a room, rather than a cabinet, to store guns, a vault is a good option. If a burglar has the time and privacy to get through a vault with a sledgehammer, then he's got the time and privacy to get through a safe. Few of them are much harder to get into.

Just saying it's easier (and probably quicker) to bust through cinder block walls than a thick solid steel door, that's all.

[1911fan]

But only if he can find them. [...] I prefer stealth over strength.

There's a saying among computer professionals - security by obscurity isn't.

+ 1

I completely agree. In a computer where you have all sorts of tools, diagnostics and programs to scan, search, etc to find stuff.


In tangible property, however, if they can't find it they can't steal it. Simple. I seriously doubt I am ever going to run into a meth head with the time, patience, and skills to figure out where my stuff is. I also don't ever see my meager selection of run-of-the-mill shooters ever warranting the attention of a skilled theif. It's just not happening.

I have supplied stealthy hiding places to others and so far none have lost anything despite one break-in and one roomie theft. Within twenty minutes in any home, I can find places that it would take a skilled search team hours to find. I build for a living. I know what's there and what's space and voids. Much of what people presume to be solid in any structure is not. Same with furniture. Flip a sofa over and remove the dust cloth at the bottom. See how much space is there? How about that kitchen table. A small box tucked behind the skirt board can only be found by crawling under the table and knowing what to look for. Box springs, door ways, duct work, even appliances have a lot of dead space if you know where to look. Is that hanging wardrobe on the closet the wife's winter coats or is it a hanging gun case? I have even built a extension to some ductwork in one house to hide stuff. Unless you had the time to trace every floor duct and the knowledge to see some duplication it would be hard to know it was just a hiding space.

If you have an attic with access and batt insulation, lifting a couple of batts and sliding a few gun cases underneath is gonna be hard to find in the three to six minutes most burglars will invest in a home robbery.

How about that dropped ceiling soffit over the bath tub a lot of houses have. Adding a "heat vent" or "cold air return" on the side would never draw attention but can give ten or more cubic feet of storage.

Like I said. There are a lot of places in a home to hide things and unless a burglar has knowledge of you owning a lot of stuff and has the time to spend going thru the house they are not going to find it. They do not have diagnostics nor do they have x rays etc needed to find stuff

Thieves want big screens. Jewelry, guns out in the open, and cash.

[cobb]

If I was a burglar and saw that door (not the bank vault, but the combo lock door), I'd be swinging away with a sledgehammer at the wall 2' on either side. Unless the walls are poured concrete with a good solid re-bar mesh embedded, it won't take too many swings to bust through. Cinder block would be a piece of cake, even filled with concrete....re=bar rods embedded in the cider block hollows would slow me down , but not too much.

For those who need a room, rather than a cabinet, to store guns, a vault is a good option. If a burglar has the time and privacy to get through a vault with a sledgehammer, then he's got the time and privacy to get through a safe. Few of them are much harder to get into.

If a thief has that much time and privacy, they have the time and privacy to beat and torture the home owner and family until they give up the combination.

[Snakeman721]

If I was a burglar and saw that door (not the bank vault, but the combo lock door), I'd be swinging away with a sledgehammer at the wall 2' on either side. Unless the walls are poured concrete with a good solid re-bar mesh embedded, it won't take too many swings to bust through. Cinder block would be a piece of cake, even filled with concrete....re=bar rods embedded in the cider block hollows would slow me down , but not too much.

For those who need a room, rather than a cabinet, to store guns, a vault is a good option. If a burglar has the time and privacy to get through a vault with a sledgehammer, then he's got the time and privacy to get through a safe. Few of them are much harder to get into.

If a thief has that much time and privacy, they have the time and privacy to beat and torture the home owner and family until they give up the combination.

Unless the family is not home...then they have time to figure out a way inside the room. The armed meth-head that does a home invasion might do the torture thing, but a professional burglar will scope out his target house first, wait till you're gone, then take his time to steal everything of value. My whole point was that cinder block walls are easier to smash though than the steel combo lock door.

[grousemaster]

I just picked up a Liberty Centurion yesterday. I know it's not the greatest but seemed much better quality than the Stack On products in the same price range.

[David]

My whole point was that cinder block walls are easier to smash though than the steel combo lock door.

Agreed, 100%. I wish there were a way to secure and display firearms. A hidden, reinforced room in a house with an alarm system is about the best I can think of, but I'd still worry every time I left for the day.

[jspace]

But only if he can find them. [...] I prefer stealth over strength.

There's a saying among computer professionals - security by obscurity isn't.

Both true, but...
Hiding things in that manner probably isn't the best idea with kids around.
Kids like to get into things. In MY case if my future hypothetical kids take after me, there is no chance in hell I'll be able to hide everything from them. It's probably best to point out that those are daddy's guns, that they can be dangerous, and that if they behave they can use them under supervision. Stuff like that.


Then again, hiding guns everywhere in your house is very Michael Westen