Thread: My first gun safe

I am getting my first gun safe for my first rifle. Sure, I can buy the cheapest safe there is to get past the house inspection... but I don't want to waste money... in needing a new safe in a few years. Better to get the one good safe now. I can see myself in the future owning, perhaps 6 rifles at most and at least one will be a 338 Lapua Rifle and at least one other target shooting rifle.

The video below is to my probable first rifle buy...

https://youtu.be/9kEs8Jd2xwo?list=PL...RVmz-lmeOH7n33

Is there anything to avoid in getting a gun safe... or anything that is a must or needed?

Thanks.

Buy the biggest and best you can afford. They never hold as many as stated, especially once scoped.

Check the max internal length vs your intended contents. I've got 2 shotguns and a Martini Enfield that won't fit in 2 of mine, I use them for ammo and general storage now. That could be the option if you want to keep the cost down at this stage.

One thing which may seem petty but buy a safe that the door opens 180 degrees. Or at least well past 90 degrees. I had two safes that doors opened 90 degrees and I wouldn’t have another like that.. As others mention divide what the tell they will hold in half. And do the gun rests allow you to easily store rifles with larger scopes.

If you top to tail even with scopes, you will exceed the rated capacity of most safes. Back firearms get a bit hard to remove but just put your least used at the back.
The 90-degree door is not an issue for me as I always aim to install a safe in a corner. Can bolt thru 2 walls then. And if possible, have the lot mechanism nearest one wall.

Some of the basic ones will fulfill the requirements but are pretty flimsy and kinda shit.

I ended up getting a Spika one. Felt much more solid and better locking mechanism. Bit more expensive but worth it and will last forever (if you get one big enough)

Originally Posted by camenzie

Some of the basic ones will fulfill the requirements but are pretty flimsy and kinda shit.

I ended up getting a Spika one. Felt much more solid and better locking mechanism. Bit more expensive but worth it and will last forever (if you get one big enough)

Just got a Spika ammo safe. Most impressed.
A lot of the others I would only rate as "cabinets"

I think you're on to it, plan for the future. A safe advertised as 6 gun is probably more like 5, or even 4 unless you want your expensive rifles piled on top of each other. Make sure it is has the capacity to hold a shotgun. Shotguns tend to be longer and this caught me out. Next time around, I'd go for a combination safe so I don't have to carry a couple of big keys around with me all the time and no, hiding the keys in the house is not an option!

This was supposed to be a reply to Roktoy, but it got lost in translation: true , this is - I have one that should hold five but two of the four current occupants are o/u shotguns that require less width, and it's already crowded with two other scoped rifles.

if you plan to put the safes on a solid floor or concrete, waterproof around it before you place the safes on.

Originally Posted by MB

... Next time around, I'd go for a combination safe so I don't have to carry a couple of big keys around with me all the time and no, hiding the keys in the house is not an option!

I wouldn't go for a combination lock, it's a pain to open.
go for a digital lock, so much easier to use,
waterproof around and set up a 240V connection for light or dampchaser.

Originally Posted by Snap 4T

wouldn't go for a combination lock, it's a pain to open.
go for a digital lock, so much easier to use,
waterproof around and set up a 240V connection for light or dampchaser.

I didn't know combo locks were that bad.

Slightly off topic, but there's quite a few posts about damp gun safes and rust etc. Every time I see them, I think you've got bigger problems than your guns rusting! Admittedly, not a very helpful observation to someone in that situation.

Originally Posted by Snap 4T

if you plan to put the safes on a solid floor or concrete, waterproof around it before you place the safes on.




I wouldn't go for a combination lock, it's a pain to open.
go for a digital lock, so much easier to use,
waterproof around and set up a 240V connection for light or dampchaser.

Only if it comes with a key back up.

Also don't panic about ensuring your first safe will cater to all future needs. The scenario of two three gun safes has some advantages over the scenario of one six gun safe.

My first safe was a large cabinet.
It was good enough for A-Cat stuff.
When my needs grew, I installed in a second (better) safe.
The rifle was moved into that while the original cabinet then became my ammo locker.

Also consider:
There has been a trend recently for the inspecting officers to debate just how many rifles you will store in your safe; a max number.
They will try to talk your max number down.
Whatever number ‘you both agree upon’ will be written down by them on the inspection form.
Agreed: there doesn’t seem to be anywhere for them to actually ‘store’ this quasi ‘approved number’ but they are doing it.

Good luck.

If your looking at getting safes such as spika/ridgeline that cost $600-$1000, be wary that they're just as thin as the cheaper safes (3mm door, 2mm box) as well as having comparable locking bolts. One system that initially caught my eye was the Lokaway models with the anti pry tech, but after doing some thinking the most likely attack on a safe in this day and age would be from a cordless angle grinder not a pry bar. With that being said I'd buy a thick (6mm) large safe (space for 10-15) and put it in a wall.