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What features for a Safe?

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  • Republic2020

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    Sep 22, 2019
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    Central Texas
    My batteries are under the keypad on the outside of the safe.

    I’ve had my electronic safe for 10 years now, with no issues. It even fell over on its face during my most recent move and knocked the keypad off. I simply popped it back into place, replaced the batteries, and i opened it right up.

    I once had a seanero when the opposite of what you said happened...

    I also remember my first beer and I went to the moon.
    Target Sports
     

    Vaquero

    Moving stuff to the gas prices thread.....
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    11   0   0
    Apr 4, 2011
    44,207
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    Dixie Land
    My batteries are under the keypad on the outside of the safe.

    I’ve had my electronic safe for 10 years now, with no issues. It even fell over on its face during my most recent move and knocked the keypad off. I simply popped it back into place, replaced the batteries, and i opened it right up.
    My keypad lock control is going strong after about 10 years. Besides, it has a key backup. Pop the keypad off. Insert key and twist. I can't imagine anything being measurably superior.
     

    avvidclif

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    Aug 30, 2017
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    Van Zandt County
    My keypad lock control is going strong after about 10 years. Besides, it has a key backup. Pop the keypad off. Insert key and twist. I can't imagine anything being measurably superior.

    Vaq I agree. Electronics is the way to go as long as it has key backup. Look up Champion safe complaints for grins.
     

    Gunmetal

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    Feb 1, 2020
    32
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    Midland
    I go for a long fire rating, mechanical lock (not digital) and a company that offers great customer support. See Liberty Safes.
     

    lightflyer1

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    May 2, 2015
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    I am cheap, so buy used. You can find some very good deals out there. Just bought one the other day that the owner was moving and didn't want to move it. $200 and it was mine. Wanted some thing smaller to keep guns in my bedroom. It will hold my AR's (8) and 4 pistols on the top shelf. Wife wanted the big safe out of the master closet and in the family room closet. New one is 24" wide by 19" deep by 48" tall. Perfect. For documents we have a small 28" by 28" by 24" for jewelry, documents and money etc... It is a high security safe from a closed bank and got it also for $200. I have insurance on everything so these are just to keep the amateurs out. But if you can get quality for cheap, why not?
     

    lightflyer1

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    May 2, 2015
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    My small safe weighs 800lbs or more. It is a commercial high security safe. I had to rent a commercial safe dolly with stair climbing ability to move it. If they can pick it up and use it for a carrying case they are welcome to it. I doubt any of my 3 safes weigh less than 600 lbs.

    I do have a Fort Knox original pistol box but that is only used to keep the grand kids hands off my weapons when they are here. Not for security from would be robbers/burglars.

    https://www.ftknox.com/product/original-pistol-box-wfront-sight-training-certificate-included/
     

    ZX9RCAM

    Over the Rainbow bridge...
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    May 14, 2008
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    The Woodlands, Tx.
    My small safe weighs 800lbs or more. It is a commercial high security safe. I had to rent a commercial safe dolly with stair climbing ability to move it. If they can pick it up and use it for a carrying case they are welcome to it. I doubt any of my 3 safes weigh less than 600 lbs.

    I do have a Fort Knox original pistol box but that is only used to keep the grand kids hands off my weapons when they are here. Not for security from would be robbers/burglars.

    https://www.ftknox.com/product/original-pistol-box-wfront-sight-training-certificate-included/

    That works....
     

    JakSlapped

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    Jan 1, 2019
    158
    11
    Spring, Tx
    Have you seen the new safe by SecureIt? It’s called a True safe and has concrete walls. Weighs about 1200lbs I think and rated over 2hrs for fire. Not the biggest safe, by any means but is a beast and pricey.
     

    Mohawk600

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    Mar 31, 2018
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    Austin
    I have two safes..........maybe not the best, but what I could afford at the time. One is a Stack-On insulated, with manual combo dial. Fire rated...........holds about 6 long guns and a bunch of pistols on shelves. I also have a Liberty........also manual combo dial and fire rated, don't remember the model but it is big and heavy. Both would be hard to move without forethought because they are both heavy. I think they are both rated to 45 minutes at around 2000 degrees..........both located on an extierior wall in my 1st floof efficiency apt. in a 3 story building. I pray there is never a fire here but I hope they will survive relatively intact if it happens.
     

    Time On Target

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    Feb 22, 2016
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    Want people to poke some holes in my home security. When we built the house I had my son-in-law come over and paid him to help me, he is a certified pipe and pressure vessel welder. We took out the inside sheet rock in a room, put in two layers of fire rock then had him weld into place 3/4" thick hardened steel plates which are fastened to the floor, then put in another two layers of fire rock. The steel fire rated security door is fixed into the steel frame that is part of the steel box and it has a throw bar on the inside. Added to that is one of the old style tornado shelter hand turned fans in case we are using it during a tornado or a home intrusion.

    Inside that is my old fire safe which is bolted into the floor and the ammo safe which is over 1,200 lbs between it and the ammo in it and it is fire rated. Alarm system and a phone line also terminate into that room with a old style dial phone that doesn't need additional external power.

    This is a room where we also store most of our emergency and bug out materials. Other handguns are in secured and bolted in place small gun safes that are a lot less secure but you are going to have to beat them out of a large piece of solid furniture and know where they are first. So it keeps the grandkids safe from loaded guns.

    All of the windows have hurricane screens on them which will take some effort to either cut through or rip out of the windows, two bedrooms have ones that lock and are swing out for fire egress. Front door is solid wood and I replaced all of the builders screws with 3" stainless steel ones. Back door is glass but inside a hurricane screened back porch which again will take some effort to get into.

    Add to that my neighbor is a friend and is with the criminal investigation unit of the Harris County Sheriffs department and parks his truck at his house when he isn't on duty. Also within two blocks are two DPS officers and two Sheriff Captains so there is huge police presence in the neighborhood which hasn't stopped crime but we have less issues than other neighborhoods around us.

    One change is that as I am getting older I have two places in my back that I cracked my spine and it is getting harder to unload all of the guns out of the safe to get to the ones in the back. Is there a good safe with easier access ie slide out rifle and shotgun holders or some other way to get to the guns easier than the old style with the holes through a carpeted panel?
     

    avvidclif

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    Aug 30, 2017
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    Van Zandt County
    You didn't mention the top of your "safe room" but if it's built like the walls you have effectively built a large safe albeit without a combination lock (which could be fixed).

    Why put a safe inside a safe? Put floor to ceiling gun racks on the walls as needed and enjoy using them and looking at them. End of access problem.
     

    Byrd666

    Flyin' 'round in circles........somewhere
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    Dec 24, 2012
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    Hill County
    I was going to mention access from above and, or, below. Since this is essentially a vault, other than the one fan you mentioned, what other ventilation do you have? Humidity control? Plumbing, since it is a "safe room." Electric, if required. Ingress and egress control. And by whom, when, with what? Temperature control?
     

    Time On Target

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    Feb 22, 2016
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    The steel and fire rock is all sides and the top; the bottom is straight to the concrete foundation with fire caulk sealing it. The current main door has a high security key lock to get into it that only has two keys, my mother in law who lives at our house does not have one. It stays locked and the entire room is against an outside wall that we also treated the same way as the other four walls. It has electricity to it, although it doesn't have water or bathroom access. The box for the internet, phone, and security systems are located in this room as a box.

    The reason I still have two fire safes in there is A. I owned them and it didn't cost anything, B. I am trying for layered security, so even if you breach the home, then you have to breach the door or walls, and then you have to get into the safes. It then becomes too much work for what I have in them, not to mention it will take too long. From what I have seen most home burglars want to be in and out in less than 15 minutes. It is going to take longer than that and a lot of noise which if my neighbor is home is right beside a Sheriff's deputies house and both of us watch after each other.

    I would probably want to replace the door with a safe door which would also require replacing the door frame. I would also think about another layer of steel plate and some more fire rock on the inside and maybe having someone who is a fire specialist do some calculations on it. Not sure either reworking the inside of the safe to pull out or replacing it with a safe that already has that feature would be less expensive and less of a pain.
     

    avvidclif

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    Aug 30, 2017
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    Van Zandt County
    The steel and fire rock is all sides and the top; the bottom is straight to the concrete foundation with fire caulk sealing it. The current main door has a high security key lock to get into it that only has two keys, my mother in law who lives at our house does not have one. It stays locked and the entire room is against an outside wall that we also treated the same way as the other four walls. It has electricity to it, although it doesn't have water or bathroom access. The box for the internet, phone, and security systems are located in this room as a box.

    ------With a locking door adding a combo lock would be simple but probably not needed as long as long ------as you can unlock either from the INSIDE.

    The reason I still have two fire safes in there is A. I owned them and it didn't cost anything, B. I am trying for layered security, so even if you breach the home, then you have to breach the door or walls, and then you have to get into the safes. It then becomes too much work for what I have in them, not to mention it will take too long. From what I have seen most home burglars want to be in and out in less than 15 minutes. It is going to take longer than that and a lot of noise which if my neighbor is home is right beside a Sheriff's deputies house and both of us watch after each other.

    ------Camouflage the safe room door or hide it and move the Safe's outside and in a different area of the ------house. Use them as bait and store extra ammo, more weight. The delaying tactic works just as well ------with the gun safes outside, they'll try there first instead of last.

    I would probably want to replace the door with a safe door which would also require replacing the door frame. I would also think about another layer of steel plate and some more fire rock on the inside and maybe having someone who is a fire specialist do some calculations on it. Not sure either reworking the inside of the safe to pull out or replacing it with a safe that already has that feature would be less expensive and less of a pain.

    Some answers above:

    Figure out how you are going to breathe in there. I'm not familiar with the fan you mentioned but air requires a way in and out.

    The lines going in need to be buried from the street to the house and enter below the slab.

    Put a passive cell phone repeater in the room. Basically it's 2 antennas with a very short run of coax. Then you have redundant commo.
     

    Time On Target

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    Feb 22, 2016
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    Ok the fan pulls outside air from roof level and then expels that air out through a pipe through the roof. This allows the air to recirculate through the room while not coming from inside the house. Yes there is a filter there but if someone wanted to gas us through it yes they could although that seems like I am in full scale war zone then and frankly with the amount of ammo and firepower I have it will get messy.

    All of the lines come in through a PVC pipe that is through the foundation and was laid as part of the foundation. There are some small penetrations at downward angles to allow wiring to go out to the rest of the house through a curved steel pipe welded into the frame. We have a repeater that is connected to the whole house and is hidden in the attic.

    The camera at the door and back of the house feeds into this box, as long as we grab the iPad we can view everything or we can view through our smart phones while also sending it to the Cloud. Which may or may not mean help is coming if my daughter and her husband see it they are 25 minutes away. Local police are 5 minutes on average response time, not I have a large contingent of upper level law enforcement living in the neighborhood, although if everything is going to the devil then you are on your own. That case again it will get messy prior to retreating to the room.

    Note all of this is with the understanding that you cannot keep someone from robbing you, you can only make it not worth their while to do so because you have raised the risk of getting caught. That said this is also put together since I live South of Houston in the Hurricane zone of the Gulf Coast (not right on the coast but close enough) that I want something that will withstand those winds and tornado winds. We made it through Harvey with no water in the house so I am a lot less worried about flooding than wind and with a newer neighborhood there are not huge trees.

    You basically asked a lot of the same questions that I did when coming up with this and so far I am satisfied that while it isn't foolproof it is about as good as I could get without living in a bunker.
     
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