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Thanks for all the responses. We’ve gone with a Big Horn safe from Costco. Heavy safe, good price and free shipping.
Becky
I have a gun safe at my primary residence. I bought the Big Horn safe from Costco and it is rated for 30 min. It cost $599 and they delivered it. It is a good size – they claim you can store 24 long guns. It has adjustable shelves to store handguns, etc.
One correction on a prior comment in this thread – there is no law stating that ammunition needs to be stored separately from guns. While this is a good safety measure, there is no law. Ammunition is not required to be locked up.
However, there is a law stating that firearms must be unloaded during transportation.
General comment on house fires: My father-in-law’s house burned to the ground in the Oakland hills fire of 1991. It was a three-story structure, that got reduced to 1′ of ash and some scrap metal. However, a few things that were under the garage and next to a concrete retaining wall survived. So, what makes it through a fire depends on the nature of the structure and where the items are located in it. Things in a area with a lot of fuel around it will get destroyed or thoroughly baked; items located where there is not a lot to burn will have a better chance; location may be more important than rating time.
Liberty safes in san jose and Bass Pro shops in Manteca have safes. Costco has them too online and in the stores sometimes and will deliver too
i would look at sturdy safe company in Fresno. they aren’t cheap but for what you get it is excellent value. they have a lot of info on their site about fire ratings which would be good to read up on.
i look at a safe as a lifetime investment so even it is costs a few thousand dollars it is worth it for the security it provides for irreplaceable things.
also google the video of the guy breaking into a safe with a fire axe. it goes to show how many of the thinner safes really don’t do much.
I think it really boils down to the value of your weapens and sentimentally or replaecment cost in the event of a fire or breakin! I personally would go for at least 45 miniutes if you can for the mountain home. In addition, with a better safe your going to delay or discourage a theif from messing with your collection ifit will involve to much work to break in.You can probably get more safe for your $ by going used off Craigs list! As noted, make sure to bolt it to the floor and wall. Bill
I picked up a 10 gun Winchester safe at Tractor Supply for about $350. Fairly small, about a square foot and 4 foot tall. Keep in mind that to be legal your ammo has to be in a separate locked cabinet. The fire dept. may be useful for your questions about fire duration though.
I don’t have a gun safe at my cabin, but I do at home. It is NOT fireproof. The brand name is Stackon. It’s heavy gauge steel bolted to the wall and floor. It’s available at Dick’s Sporting Goods, was on sale recently for around $100. You use a key to open it rather than a combination.
We’re looking to buy a gun safe for a few rifles we and other family members have but don’t know about the usefulness of it being fireproof up here. The prices climb based on 30 minute, 45, 60 or 70 min. resistance. Given that our biggest fire risk is a forest fire, does anyone have advice about whether this will make a difference? Or even for a house fire; does 30 minutes cover most house fires? If anyone has a used safe to sell that can hold 8 rifles plus a couple pistols and ammunition, please let me know also.
Thanks.
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