Gun Safes for a beginner

[zaprosper]

Like everyone else has mentioned, the safe definitely won't hold as many as they say it does. You need to decide how much you are willing to spend, how much security you need and whether you want to store ammo and other valuables in there as well. You'll want to spend for sure more than 4-500 to get something with a decent fire rating. While that Costco safe may be decent it still doesn't provide much protection if you are concerned about break ins. I would watch cabelas.ca (where i got my safe $500 off) as they have good deals on liberty safes over boxing day etc. The only use for the stack on safes at Canadian Tire is purely as a convenient place to store your guns as it is just a tin box. The only disadvantage with the more expensive safes is they get quite heavy(Mine weighs 700 pounds)

[Nhodein]

I apologize for bump the old topic, but I have some interesting observations that I would like to share, maybe this will help someone in the future because once I was on the lookout for useful advice.

When I was shopping for a gun safe here are the key points I found that guided my decision.

1. Size - You will always find ways to fill whatever size you buy so get something with "growing' room.
2. Fire Rating - You can find ratings from 30 min. up to 2 hours. I opted for one rated for 75 min. @ 1263 degrees. I found out a lot of mfgs lower priced models use sheetrock/drywall for the main insulation layer between inner and outer layers of steel. That is ok as far as insulation goes but sheetrock retains moisture from humidity...not a good idea for a gun safe if you are going to keep in a garage.
3. Theft Proof - If theft is a concern you need to get one that has a least 5 dead-bolt locks (3 opposite the hinges and one on top and bottom).
Hinge design also plays an important part although you probably won't find many options until you get into high-end safes.
My safe is 600 lbs empty and is also bolted to the floor so it is not going anywhere.
4. Lock Design - Electronics are nice when you have kids around as they automatically lock when you close the door. I opted for the traditional mechanical tumbler style so I can keep the door closed but not actually locked for convenience...just my personal preference since I dot not have any children to worry about.

Target World has a good selection of safes. Bass Pro https://secretstorages.com/best-under-bed-gun-safes/ also has many to consider. Tractor Supply, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dunham's Sporting Goods, and Lowe's Hardware all have safes of various prices and qualities. Like I indicated in my earlier post I ended up with a Winchester (made in China) safe from Tractor Supply. I picked mine up in person using a U-Haul trailer with a ramp and a refrigerator dolly.

Thicker steel is always good for a safe. Thick steel is harder for a thief to get through, and heavy is harder for a bad guy move. Unfortunately, heavy is also harder for you to move, but you will probably only deal with this once. If you are smart you will pay for delivery all the way to the final resting place for the safe.

Bolts on more sides of the door is better than bolts on fewer sides of the door. I would dismiss out of hand any safe that has bolts on only one long side of the door and no bolts top or bottom. This design relies on the hinges to provide security, and that is probably a weakness a thief will be able to exploit. More bolts is generally better than fewer bolts.

Bolts near the corners are a good feature. Bolts in the corners are a very good feature.

A mechanical lock will probably be more durable over time than a medium quality electronic lock, however you can easily change the combination yourself with an electronic lock.

500 pounds is absolutely the limit for even considering moving it yourself, and then don't even think about it if you have stairs. Even just one or two steps to get in the house will likely be more than one person can do. If you plan on doing it yourself think about just how you plan on getting the safe out of the truck or trailer. Even two big guys could probably not get a 500 pound safe out of the back of a pickup truck.

If the safe you buy does not have lighting inside it you will eventually want to add some. At the very least you will want to get electricity inside the safe before you permanently mount the safe in place. I added a single heating rod, and lights to my safe. I factored these in to the original price when I was shopping. I just removed the wire from a standard plugging strip and wired it up myself. My safe already had a hole in the metal on the back near the bottom. For lights I just used LED rope light from the hardware store.
There are a lot of useful videos on this subject on Youtube, I'll leave one here, Hope this helps someone. Good luck!
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[8x68]

For moving heavy safes up and down stairs consider renting a battery powered stair climbing dolly. Just make sure the battery is charged! Safe moving company found that out the hard way when moving my safe.

[atlasshaking]

The safe manufacturer in Hamilton is your best bet for a new one. I ran an wtb ad here on the ee for a very long time but I finally got one. There are always used safes coming up for sale because people have purchased too small of a safe to begin with. You just have to keep checking all the time. I got a double door safe for 300 bucks. After an hour of cleaning and a couple of cans of spray paint I'm set for a long time. DO NOT BUY TOO SMALL TO START WITH.

[Chatrbaz84]

Buy a safe that can fit 18 rifles in it .
This is for new guys.

My choice was liberty safe pro 24 .

[Innavedaw]

How many rifles and gun do I need?
I'm not a hunter.

The scientific formula used to determine the exact amount of guns you need is as follows:

If X = guns you have, then guns you need = X + 1.

Don’t fight it...You can’t argue with math.

[Ozzi]

Does anyone have any experience with Huntshield? My local Canadian Tire has a 40 gun safe. I really just want something that is good quality to keep my kids out, and have a peace of mind for myself. I'm planning on bolting my safe to the basement floor, it's also going to be in a locked room.

[8x68]

Does anyone have any experience with Huntshield? My local Canadian Tire has a 40 gun safe. I really just want something that is good quality to keep my kids out, and have a peace of mind for myself. I'm planning on bolting my safe to the basement floor, it's also going to be in a locked room.

I found the safe to be of flimsy and of poor quality. Don't forget if any of your rifles have scopes on them it takes up a minimum of 2 safe spots. I have a Browning Silver series 24 gun safe but I needed a good quality safe with a good fire rating as we are in the country.
Stack on makes decent quality gun safes of varying sizes. Costco has gun safes. Lots of locations that retail safes in Canada. Depends on what you want to spend.
My criteria were:
Fire rating
Locking mechanism
Door composition
Structural integrity/quality
# of firearms
I used this video as a basis for my choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltK-bDbADa8

[OP1Kenobi]

I didn't know there is a such thing as a gun safes for beginner....

Agreed.

I'm a beginner, but I'm sure I'll be hooked to this sport and will purchase more than I can store!

[OP1Kenobi]

I would suggest getting a larger storage for the opportunity to add to your collection.