Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Hi, I am wondering if a 600 lb gun safe (fire resistant) can be put in the bedroom upstairs - as I would want to be able to get the gun at night quickly if any invasion (it is not time to sleep with my Kimber and Remington on the night stand yet). Will it be too heavy?

I kind of want a electronic lock - as I can open it very quickly. But how reliably is it? I do not want to get locked out by power loss or by any wave blast.
But combination lock will take quite a while to open.

Ideally I would like to store some PMs in there as well.

Any suggestions?

Thank you! (really, I would not have had the Kimber and Remington if had not seen this forum!)

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

I don't know about the weight part with your upstairs....depends on the size of your joists and other construction features. Maybe a lighter gun safe would work just as well?

The electronic locks are much, much faster getting open...I have both. The electronic ones also have a key if the electronics fail. I would go with electronic and lighter.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Small handgun safe in the bedroom only if there are kiddies in the house. Otherwise, bolt the BIG SAFE on a concrete floor. Hiding/concealing stuff is often better than an obvious BIG SAFE that anybody with tools can open in a few minutes.

Attachment 16804

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Note: not all of the electronic ones do.

I would go electronic, much quicker and easier. However, be sure to get one that has the override key.

While I do think that the risk of EMP blast is quite low, in the event of an EMP, guns and PM are gonna be what I really want access to.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

You'll be adding things to that safe especially ammo. That 600 lb could approach 1000 lb down the road. Might be to much weight for an upstairs bedroom.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

There's also the free Secret Chambers and Hiding Places.

I like this one:

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Won't everything on the shelves slide off when opened?
:Sorry:

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

I really like boobytrapping with pepper spray grenades. I can pretty well garaunty nobody's walking off with my safe. muahahahaha!

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Go with the combination. Very little to go wrong. Worried about quick access? Try this...

The combination is L30 (x4), R 30 (x3), L20 (x2)...dial in all of the combination, but stop on "0" the last time, instead of turning all the way to 20. Need in, in a hurry? Turn left to "20", spin back to the right, and you're in. The chances of a burglar hitting the right number are slim, and he only gets one chance. If you're worried about that, spin the dial to the right when you leave the house. That effectively erases all of your work, and you have to start over later.

As for the 600 lbs (plus contents) on the second floor? I guess that depends on the house. My question would be...how you gettin' that thing up there? We put one into a basement, through a set of bilco doors, and had to lower it down with a chain on a truck. UP??? No thanks. Somebody's gonna get hurt. :wazzup_sg

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

OR WORSE - the robbers come in for a quick look - see your safe - decide you have something worth hiding in a safe - wait till you come home and put a gun to your forehead to open it! (How much gold or silver is your life worth?)

We were going to get a safe but that bothered me - then I saw a secruity company say the same thing.........

Thank GOD we have an attack cat! :albertein

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

thanks for all the ideas.
Now you pretty much rid me the idea of having a big safe upstairs:-) may not even be a big safe.

So, how do you store the shotgun? I have small kids and I do not want any accident.
One thing I was looking was: load the shells in the magzine tube, but do not chamber it. Put a cable lock that has a 3 digit lock (not the turn-dial ones, but the ones you see on suitcases normally). If I need it, it would take a couple seconds to unlock then pump.
What do you think?

also, where do I put this thing? have to hide - as I do not want a thieve coming in where we out, and rid all my guns :-(

so, what's the best way to locate and secure a shotgun and a pistol (with small kids at home)?

thank you again!

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Some things to look at to get an idea of what is out there.

Liberty Safes

Nothing is bullet proof so to speak. More security=More weight=More money.

1000 pounds loaded is hard to steal. It can be done, but it isn't easy.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

http://www.wall-vault.com/index.html

looks interesting. The only problem is it can be taken out easily once being located by a thief.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Places like that aren't meant to be accessed often. When you do either take everything off or if it's an emergency let everything fall and clean up later.

As to the original question, check out the ratings of your home and make sure to add atleast 100 pounds onto that for contents plus your weight because you'll be standing right next to it when you open it and THAT weight also needs to be considered depending on floor joist layouts and such.

That much weight upstairs is usually a bad idea. Keep it down stairs and if you must keep some sort of safe upstairs get a small pistol one of if you want a longarm get a cheap 99 dollar wallyworld special bolt it inside your closet and just keep one rifle/shotgun in it for defense.

More than one way to store things as runcible posted.

My advice on electronic locks.... aside from emp or battery issues. Every safe that is worth a damn comes from the factory with a combo. At the dealer they install the electronic locks... Factory authorized or not, it's still an aftermarket job where they canabalize your safe in order to install it. You also loose some of the benefits and added security features of a combo.

Most of the combo locks have a key to lock the dial that also doubles as a 'day locking' feature. You don't fully spin the dial, but meerly key lock in a spot that prevents the spokes from turning. Not as secure as if you were to fully lock it down, but it allows you instant access provided you have the key on you. Faster than a combo in a SHTF IMO since you can't miskey any numbers, worst case you just scratch the crap of your dial as your adreniline filled fingers shake and fumble to get the key in.

When you leave simply fully reset the dial and lock it so combo and key are both needed :coolbeer:

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

As a gun and shotgun owner without kids, but very aware of guns and kids, I thought this was brilliant..........totally BRILLIANT.......cause anyone knows - tell a kid not to do something ("don't touch the guns") and its the ONLY thing they want to do!

What a great approach!

Ho

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Agreed. Brilliant!
:thumbs up

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Great idea too. I was and still is thinking how to gun-proof my kids - they are 3 and 7 (girls).
Now I would need to find a range in northwest Illinois that allows small kids there...

I think I would go with a combo now for a bigger safe. But most likely a smaller safe for my Kimber TLE/RL II (the TLR-2 mounted light with laser is coming next week, can not wait!) Thank you for the trick!

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Thats the ticket. Even if you lockup every gun you own and lockup all the ammo, what are the chances your kid will wander into a friends house and stumble upon a gun? If you taught your kid right, he won't touch it and won't even think about it.

If you didn't teach him/her jack-crap they're likely to learn the hard way - killing themselves or someone else.

I simply cannot fathom why parents don't teach their kids about simple things like guns and drills and saws ect. ect.

Don't just tell you kid not to, expalin to them what can happen and show them to be sure.

The most idiotic thing a parent can do is say "don't ever touch a gun they are evil" in the next breath they tell their kids cops are the good guys and your friend.

How the hell can a cop be good and carry an evil gun? Thats the paradox the kid will be confronted with. Guess what'll happen next.

Kids and guns mix perfectly... once they have been properly introduced that is.

Myself, my wife (our parents), the 9 y/o are all living proof of that.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

This is exactly what I do...don't have kids though. When nieces and nephews come over, I spin the dial.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

where can I buy those pepper spray grenades?

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Among other places,

http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/pepper/Fox/index.htm

Fox Labs is by far my favorite.

I have nothing useful to add about gunproofing kids though I thought that story was awesome! My own experience was so completely different than anything I can imagine anybody else went through I don't think it could even possibly relate. When I was a kid, even very small, weapons and tools were good, normal things and I was encouraged to know all about that stuff. Before I was even in school I was running around outside with machetes pretending the tall weeds were badguys. I never had an accident and I never considered doing anything antisocial with any implement. I guess it was a cultural thing. My family basically acknowledges that badguys exist, we are to oppose their evil and weapons are the tools that aid us towards this end. I had knives, bows, spears, etc, and under supervision I was allowed to shoot guns even though I never got to have one of my own till I hit the double digits. While I had a keen interest in guns and I did in fact on a couple occasions sneak a peak at them when my parents weren't around I knew how all of them worked and had no intention of testing the trigger or pointing them at anything or anyone. I wouldn't let any friends I had over go anywhere near them. I hear all these stories about kids pointing guns they find at their friends and pulling the trigger and I just don't get it. Why? I can only guess it's a cultural thing. My traditional culture is a hunter/warrior society and I guess I just had/have a completely different outlook on life. I mean, you never hear of kids accidentally stabbing eachother with steak knives they find in the kitchen, why should guns be any different?

That is one thing I find interesting about the internet, some people have points of view that are just completely alien to me.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

On my 4th birthday my father told me to go over to my grandfather's house (we lived next door). He met me at the door and put a huge rifle in my hands that I was barely able to carry back home. That "huge" rifle was a .22 that I learned to shoot on. From day 1 we learned gun safety and proper usage. All the guns were proudly hung up on the gunrack on the wall without any locks or prohibitions. We could shoot anytime we liked with any level of supervision. WE NEVER PLAYED WITH GUNS OR TREATED THEM WITHOUT THE PROPER RESPECT!!! Because we weren't prohibited there was no 'thrill' from playing with them in an improper manner. And, because we knew what they were capable of we never messed around. Once a little kid has seen a gun kill an animal they aren't game to try and kill themselves or someone else. Anti-gun crusaders have it all backwards and that's the way they want it.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

True enough, I've had some pretty interesting arguments with coworkers over the gun control issue, I argue that we should end all family businesses as well since approx. 30% of youth fatal injuries occur in family businesses and we shouldn't farm or ranch anymore either as that is one of the leading causes of death in youth. Another problem is people just can't accept honest to goodness accidents anymore and someone must be responsible. As REV mentioned when was the last time you heard of knife control laws, we could give some examples of where they're a problem. I can't carry a 2" knife in some public places but how many of us could do serious damage with assorted items within the place we can't take the knife into.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

This is a symptom of a god-less society. More people who qouted scripture like 'the lord giveth, the lord taketh away' and they wouldn't be tied up in knots looking for reasons when often there is none. They have no faith, so they put their faith energies in man-made things like a government to protect them.

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

Well, I guess I'm not the only one, and that does much to restore my faith in humanity and the basic goodness and sense of most people. That's absolutely right about anti-gunners, too. To hear them talk you'd think everybody was just a weapon away from massacring our neighbors! That then begs the question, does the AG crowd really think that way? Are they trying to ban weapons to compensate for their own personal failures in morality and anger management?

Re: Gun safe - electronic lock or combination?
 

My father "Gun proofed" me the same way many of you were. I don't remember how old I was when he first let me shoot a gun but I was pretty young. He would take me hunting and fishing. When you're a 6 year old and you see what happens to a deer when it gets shot, or your dad lets you shoot his hunting rifle and it bruises your shoulder you learn to respect guns. I remember one time we were out shooting gophers and I started crying because I thought they looked like my hampster.

He would always tell me never to point the barrel at anything I didn't intend to shoot/kill and to check if a gun was loaded every time I picked one up. The danger of horsing around with guns never was really an issue because they weren't mysterious to me and I was shown how dangerous they were and not "told".