What’s the best gun safe out there? Fireproof? Real hard to break into? 30+ guns?

You didn't mention your budget.

Good one!

Asking for a friend. <10k

The most important things to remember with safes is to put them in the right locations and attach them very well to the walls and floor. Also remember if they say 30 gun safe, you'll be lucky to get 20 in there unless they are all small handguns. I'd think you could get a pretty nice safe under $10,000.

https://rhinosafe.com/ironworks-aiw7256x-72h-x-56w-x-27d-68-long-gun-safe-130-min/ - I love the looks and reviews of this safe. It would certainly fit your criteria if its installed correctly and it should actually hold 30+ guns.

For $10k, your friend may want to build in a vault.... just a thought.

I dug beside the house. Blocked up a room poured a concrete roof making the top a porch. I cut a hole into the basement. I have a 10'x18' concrete room outside the footprint of the house at one of my houses. Made a steel bar door like a jail cell but that's hidden behind a tool box and peg board that swings out reviling the secret room. Cheap effective door vs a vault door but hidden so well it dose not even need a lock.

It can fit 30 guns and loots of room for reloading, gun smithing ECT.. if I would buy a safe it would be just for a decoy . My room Cost under your budget.

I haven't attached my two safes to the wall or floor. I've relied on their weight and size to deter burglars.

I've never had my theory tested, knock on wood.

They fireproof safes by lining them with Sheetrock. They use more sheets to up the fireproof rating. Since the sheetrock isn't attached to the exterior of the safe, every sheet reduces the interior volume.

Jim

Good work! Sounds like you're securing your guns from more than burglars--like maybe government, perhaps?

Jim

If I had $10K budget I would build walk in vault

things to look at

the door edge is it rolled sheet steel or plate steel

many of the low dollar safes have rounded edges because they are sheet metal over some sort of gypsum or concrete board , when they talk about prying a safe open this is a major factor if they can bend the metal and crush the fire barrier then they can get the edge bent back beyond the bolt engagement

the other thing is the electronic safes ,with keypads rather than dials , have that as a point of failure


a strong steel front around the door or it makes no difference how well the door is built stronger safes have indivigual holes for the locking pins to go into as opposed to a peice of angle iron or sheet metal that the lugs engage

mounting makes a difference

adding things around your safe to make it harder to pry at or cut at

many of the common safes can be defeated in under 2 minutes If you have 2 guys with big pry bars and they can first tip the safe over

securing it to floor and walls prevents tipping

building around it creates other barriers to getting at the sides , back or giving room to pry

adding barriers around the safe can also increase fire protection

if you build a closet around the safe once installed and you double line inside and out with drywall you can increase the fire protection significantly

if your wall around your safe is 2 sheets 5/8 drywall 3/4 inch plywood , studs , 3/4 inch plywood and 2 sheets 5/8 drywall and you put a metal exterior door with a deadbolt on it you have put a barrier to your barrier.

every safe can be defeated it is just a matter of how long and with what tools

Same here. Mine are 1100 pounds each EMPTY. If a bad guy can move that alone I will hold the door open for him.

Had a home designer tell me once if you are concerned about fire, but the safe in a basement. Heat goes up. Safe in a basement might get wet, but won't be damaged by heat of the fire.

they don't have to move it . just tip it over in many cases

no room to work around them , and secured to floor and or walls is ideal

This. They tip it then pry the thin steel past the locking bars. Experienced thief's get access in just a few minutes to most security cabinet's marketed as fire proof gun safes. Once I saw it it is part of what prompted me to build the room. That and I also eliminate the leaking and pressure on the wall in the basement.

Till now, you just told everybody all about it!

Just the opposite of what I heard. The coals fall to the bottom and keep the heat there for the longest period of time.

I cleaned up after a pole barn fire , right next to where the big air compressor had been was a hole through the concrete floor to take wiring to an outdoor pedestal outlet a ways fromteh building

the heads from the compressor , the motorcycle's engine block that had been parked next to the compressor , and some other chainsaws and such were all solidified puddles of aluminum on the concrete to give you an idea of the heat

in that 6 inch pvc were wires , then a wad of fiberglass insulation just 2 inches below the surface of the concrete the wires were no longer melted


so yes coals could end up on the safe and maintain heat longer

however in that same fire we had a row of fire resistant filing cabinets , the ones that didn't survive the intense fire , broke open falling from the second floor

will your safe break open on the fall?

if you put your safe in the basement build a closet around it and do a few layers of inexpensive drywall on that closet you will not have heat from below , you will have greatly reduced heat from the top and sides and it can't fall any where

you could also use cinder block to build up around the safe on the basement floor then make a top over the safe of concrete

and of course you hope the fire gets out before the fire has fully consumed the house to coals in the basement

ideally you or the fire department gets it out before the fire has weakened the structure to the point things fall through floors

if you are to coals in the basement any safe is likely to have taken damage to the guns inside

no safe lasts forever in a fire , they are rated for minutes at a temperature

Just make sure it has locking pins on minimal of 3 sides 4 is the best. I got one that is "fire rated" (no such thing as fireproof if house burns to the ground). to 2400 degrees for 45 minutes. PLUS mine is water proof , good feature if putting in a basement or under ground.

I think on a concrete floor, on an.outside wall is best.