Most “gun safes” are scamware, they promise security, but can be opened with a can opener.
...and the REAL reason for his research is revealed...
In StackOn’s case, you get what you pay for. Many of them aren’t as secure as a school locker.
They keep small children out and slow burglars down.
It appears the majority of the problem may lie with “keypad” operated safes.
My gun safe has a conventional dial-type combination lock. I’m sure it can be “cracked” or “picked”, but there is certainly no pad that that can be “peeled away” to reveal the locking mechanisms innards.
The only time our guns are in a vault is when we go out. Other than that, good luck.
It will keep the grandkids out, and that's all that's intended.
A determined thief can overcome almost anything, including hauling a big fancy gun safe off behind their truck.
I was watching a video at Gander Mountain showing professional burglars going after a big heavy 5 foot high “bank vault” style gun safe. They were using pry bars doing what the video referred to as a “peel” and it only took them about 10 to 12 minutes to break into that safe.
Old school: Keep guns in Liberty Safe. Take one out at night and put it by bed. Put it back in safe in morning. No one is breaking into a Liberty Safe.
Those are not really safes in the anti theft sense. They are designed to make it very tough for a kid or unauthorized person to handle the gun, while keeping it available to you. They are VERY good at that.
The smartass writing this forgets one thing, it probably isn’t intended as a safe if you can put it under one arm and walk away with it. Its probably meant as a massive safety increase over sitting in a drawer.
If it can be carried out of the house, it’s not a gun safe. Its a gun case.
” however, the three-year-old son of Detective Ed Owens died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the boy’s sister was able to remove a handgun from their father’s department issued Strong Box.”
“What? Yessir, -of course- it was stored inside the issued strongbox just as department SOPs require. Yes, those boxes we all resisted and bitched about. My 3 year old must have been a safecracker. In fact, I think I will now sure the box maker for a few million.
This story is so obvious it’s laughable.
Just open the closet.
A $99 bedroom safe, bolted to the floor of the closet, is a must own. You are protecting against robbery from a friend, teen ager, housekeeper etc. All jewelry can be put away for a quick outing. It will also keep a gun safely put away but within quick reach. Of course it is no substitute for the granddaddy safe that keeps the most important items. Coming home to a robbery and not having taken the smallest of protective measures will really ruin your day.
I have a few insecure lock boxes because I have small children who have friends.
My long guns are in a locked closet with hinges that are locked, but I haven’t gone further. I have friends with INCREDIBLE gun safes, setups you wouldn’t even believe.
My reasoning is: If I’m not home, the thieves can crack any safe at their leisure (as cited above). If I am home, and awake, I have a good chance to use a weapon. If I’m asleep, the dogs will wake me up, see above.
If my alarms, and dogs, fail and a thief has a gun in my six year old’s ear, I will open the safe.
All this adds up to no safe.
There is a brand “Canon” that warrants replacement of the safe and it’s contents (guns only) if it’s cracked in a private residence.
I use a vline pistol box, which has a mechanical push-button lock.
The video of the little kids bumping open one of the stack on boxes is terrifying.
Liberty!
99% of homeowner gun thefts are committed by family, friends or acquaintances of the gun owner. If we're going to the trouble of securing the collection, we should go to the trouble of keeping said collection a secret as much as possible.
Buy the safe but keeps the weapons in a hidden compartment in a wall. The thieves will waste their time breaking into the safe. If you have an alarm system with cameras you give the police a chance to catch the thief.
If you are home you can pull out a weapon stashed around the home in hidden compartments.