I need a gun safe. it will end up holding at least a few shotguns/rifles and some assorted handguns. I have a local store that can accommodate but wanted to hear Meso suggestions. Does anyone have a prefered online location? just local merchants like I have? thanks guys.
Not nearly as fun as gun shopping, but still very important!
Although I won't provide a direct source, I can tell you that most people do not purchase an adequate safe.
With a safe, you will get what you pay for... You are purchasing a DETERRENT and NOT some unstoppable force. ALL safes are breakable. The only variable is TIME and DIFFICULTY.
How many hours of being in a house fire do you want it to resist?
How much time are you looking to deter a criminal by?
Make NO mistake... ALL safes are breakable by criminals. A safe is a measurement of how much TIME and WORK you are adding to a criminal to get to your belongings. A good safe will add unwanted HOURS to a criminal's work.
Much like choosing insurance coverage, your needs will depend on the value of the items and the level of security you are choosing to purchase.
Don't buy an expensive safe and NOT bolt it down either! I guarantee you a criminal will simply pick it up with their friends, load it in their truck, take it home and toss that thing outside a 2nd floor window and it's opening easily.
With this in mind, you should be able to have a salesman tell you the fire rating of the safe and how thick the steel is and also what kind of hinge system it has. If the salesman looks clueless to these questions, keep shopping elsewhere.
I would not trust ANY safe for under 2 GRAND!
Check this video out. A $1,000 safe broken into in 1 minute and 40 seconds!
Does your "local shop" sell something similar??? Most adequate safes will require you to make a trip to purchase or have it delivered.