Gun Safe Again
 

I'm looking into purchasing a gun safe for my lugers. What type of liner, i.e., foam, etc., would you suggest? The safe in question would be capable of storing 3 or 4 lugers.

The only thing I can say is:
Figure out what size safe you need, and then buy one twice that size. Trust me on this one!

I agree, and you can always store non gun items in it, paperwork, passports etc...

Don't use a foam lining. Foam draws moisture and also melts in case of fire.

If not foam, what is an acceptable liner? What about type of coating on a gun, i.e., oil , silicone, etc. ?

I also agree to get the biggest safe you think you may ever need but do not go overboard. I recently outgrew my small gun cabinet and bought a large fire resistant safe. The fire resistant safes are allot heavier that equivalent size regular safes. Mine wound up weighing about 450 lb empty, and took allot of effort just to get the thing from the trailer into the garage with a good handtruck. I plan to move it into the house after I reinforce the floor.:)

Some like oil, or wax. I prefer a good grease for long term storage. As to the liner. Most companys offer several choices of materials. From carpet,foam to different types of wood shelfs. One of my shooting buddys made his own out of some nice walnut he had laying around.
Also get a good dehumidifier to put in there. I use a Goldenrod,(hope I spelled that right).

At the time I built a safe for my guns, I had about thirty of them. The space I had to work with was a disused closet and was of a given size already. So I built mine to house over 100 guns just because I had the space.

Now it's full... :(

Buy bigger than you need. Seriously...

Take a look at: www.zanottiarmor.com, they are located in Iowa. They make a interlocking safe, breaks apart so you move it in peices and is fire rated.
Frank

I bought a Browning shell and built my own shelves inside so I could configure it the way I wanted. This worked great for a while, but then had to get another one. Now I have two that are full and a gun case that is overflowing. So get as large a one as you can afford and have room for, and if you get a fireproof one, you can also store valuables and important papers (until you need the room for more guns :evilgrin: )

Thanks for your replies. I've ordered a Stack-On safe from Cabelas. They also have a pistol rack available. The pistol rack looks like I can use in the safe ( They have a 4 and 6 gun rack). This safe can handle 2ea 6 gun racks. This solves my ? on another post concerning gun racks.

Previously I stated I was going to purchase a safe for handguns. I've done more research which has prompted me to comment about my effort and to ask another question.

Looking at SentrySafe's web site, they state any of their products classified as "fire safe" are not recommended for storage of firearms. The statement goes on to say safes classified as fire safe tend to produce and retain more moisture than other types. They sell "firearm" safes but are primarily for long guns. In fact, guns that are stored such safes are not warranted by SentrySafe. Such comments concern me to the point I have put on hold the plans I had to purchase one.

My questions: Are all fire rated safes in the "same boat".? If so, what type of safe is qualified for firearm storage that is small enough to hold a few handguns and nothing more?

At this point in time, I'm inclined to keep my Lugers where they are, in a desk drawer.

I hate to say it, but as you try to save money, it invariably bites you in the rear. Buy a nice, stand up safe. I personally was unsure about a fire safe, they are rated for x number of hours (or less) at a certain tempurature. If it is a major, house down burning fire, you are screwed no matter what. What you want is something that will keep everything safe while the firemen put the fire out (thank the lord for firemen).

Mine were only smokey and that was downstairs (mine is not fireproofed), but the borestores smelled and I replaced them and cleaned all my guns.

Also, one reason folks suggest a golden rod is to keep moisture out, I have never used, nor needed one, but if I move to NH, I will install one.

Ed

PS: Buy gun insurance, you can get around 30K for around $100 a year, that relieves a lot of stress...

Amen on that!! It's like us bikers always say. "You put a ten dollar helmet on a ten dollar head". :)

Where do you buy gun insurance?? I've been putting it off but really need to attend to that.

Steve, I think I am usng Collectors Insurance? It was discussed at one time, but not sure? Also, the NRA insurance is fine, but too expensive for me...

Ed

Thanks Ed. Maybe I'll see what Nationwide has to offer and go from there.

I've been thinking of selling off a goodly part of my collection and starting to focus a bit more. Maybe I'll see where that brings me and look in a couple of months. I'm thinking of moving in a year or two and I'd hate to move them without insurance.

There is no such thing as a fire-proof safe, but the more fire-resistant you can get, the better. I chose a Liberty Presidential (their middle of the road design), because one of my clients was burgled. They took his safe out of his business during a long holiday weekend. When it was recovered several days later, it had been sawed on, hammered on, attacked with a blow torch and thrown into a 30' gully and had been so heavily damaged that it couldn't be opened. My client sent it back to Liberty, at their request, to be covered under their warranty. The contents were recovered from the safe relatively unharmed and the factory replaced the safe with a new one.


"In a home fire, the peak temperature and duration of the fire can vary depending upon the size of the home, the materials used to construct the home, the response time of firefighters, etc. It is estimated that the typical peak temperature in a home fire ranges between 800 to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. The typical time for firefighting authorities to bring a home fire into containment is estimated at 15 to 30 minutes."

http://www.libertysafe.com

Certainly nothing is safe from someone with enough desire and enginuity, but 90% of the criminals out there just need a good deterent.

Steve, collector insurance is specialized, from what I gather, they will give you a better rate and less hassles if needed, for the specific item. Your insurance for home / car would be a lot more I am sure.


Ed

Ed, do you mean that collector insurance is the name of a company or a type of insurance? Would Nationwide not have collector insurance?

I only mention them because I get a home & multiple car discount with them and thought they may be the better way to go...

Do you have a website or telephone number for the folks you use, by any chance?? :)

I have my insurance with The Rielly Insurance Group for various reasons, which I have previously mentioned in other posts. (The bill comes from Chubb and the check is made out to Chubb.) www.historicfirearms.com

In essence, it seems like Rielly had a little less red tape, and, more importantly, answered my questions instead of treating me like a 6 year old.

As to Nationwide, you should check their prices and compare them to the others. You will find that the rates are much higher than those of the companies that write specialized insurance.

(I do not know how true the following is but I have heard that a few companies will not insure anyone who has firearms. I do not have any personal experience with this.)

If I had my collection as a rider on my homeowners policy, I would not be able to afford the insurance.