Calling All Gunners, Need Recommendations

5/6/2004 | BattleFlag

[Redcoat LI]

Pick it up,I have the model shown above in .40 S&W,it's a smaller model,but a great weapon.

The model you were looking at is also available in .40 S&W,as well as 9.mm

[BooBoo1000]

If you are going to shoot that 357 Mag, wear your ear plugs permantly.

[eXe]

You are right about that LDA trigger, I have one lowly 1911 and was getting a new recoil spring at the local gun shop when the guy showed me his new toy.. that para trigger is so smooth it was a real surprise

[LibWhacker]

Yep, cleaned him out. Got a couple of thousand dollars worth of his stuff: a 6" nickel S&W .357 magnum I had given him a few years earlier and all his cameras.

They drilled a series of holes in the side of the safe, then used a cold chisel to knock the center part out. It was an older safe that I think he picked up at auction somewhere. Very heavy he said. The outside plate was a quarter inch thick, then it was lined with fireproofing. Inside that was another steel lining - no more than sheet metal. Checking Liberty's specs, they don't seem to be much better, at least in terms of thickness. It looks like you have to buy their top-of-the-line "Presidential" safe to get 3/16" plate.

I agree with your logic completely. 'Course, if you run into professionals like my brother seems to have, you're just going to lose an expensive safe, too. :-(

Maybe the best thing is some kind of Hidden Safe, especially if you have a really big collection.

[LibWhacker]

The insurance companies ought to give people a break, if they own a safe. I don't see why not. The risk for them is certainly less. I think if I ever do buy a safe and my insurance company doesn't give me a break for owning one, I'll do some shopping around for a different insurance company! :-)

[CurlyDave]

Think about why you want this safe in the first place.

I have a gun safe to keep casual intruders, neighborhood kids, and my own kids' friends out. This is part of responsible gun ownership, and also protects me from Kali's laws about safe gun storage. No safe, no matter how big or strong is going to keep a professional out.

My protection against fire and professional theft is in the form of a rider on my homeowner's insurance and a set of digital pictures of my guns stored on a CD at work, so it won't burn down with the house.

The safe is not fireproof and I am not sure that it is even a good idea to keep guns in a fireproof safe. The fireproofing works because it is a hydrated material which releases water when it is heated. sounds to me like the guns might survive a fire, but be pretty pittted & rusted afterwards. I would rather have them be total losses replaced by insurance.

Documents and small valuables go into a second, small document safe. This one is fireproof and bolted to a concrete floor from the inside. For a document safe, the first line of defense is concealment, which is not very practical with a gun safe.

I am not going to post my methods of concealment on the internet, but devote some thought to it and you will be amazed.

Total cost was $300 for a Browning gun safe at auction, and about $150 for the document safe.

BTW, no matter how nice looking it is, don't put your gun safe in the rec room or anyplace where visitors might see it in your house. It is an advertisement that you have guns & valuables in there. Don't just think about your friends coming to your house: plumbers, repair men, telephone installers, etc. come & go over the years.

[Mulder]

I am looking for recommendations for gun safe makers, models and features.

Don't buy a safe to accomadate everything you have right now. Figure up all the stuff you'll want to put in there over the next 20 years, and multiply by 3 to get the right size safe.

I'd get the largest safe you can fit in your house. Go with one of the standard companies, such as Fort Knox, or Liberty. There are others too.

Don't plan on moving the safe yourself. Let the experts do it. Moving a safe is a real pain in the butt, so look around for a dealer that will move the safe inside your house. Also, get them to bolt it to the slab.

Next, I would like your recommendation on a concealed carry .45ACP pistol.

First, you need to decide what trigger system you want to go with. You can get double-action, single-action like a Sig; cocked-and-locked like a 1911, or double action only like a Glock.

I'm not a 1911 expert, so others can help you here. Although I have a friend that carries a Kimber and he is very happy with it.

If you want a DA/SA trigger, I'd recommend a Sig or an H&K.

[Monty22]

One of the reasons I keep them in the safe is I have silica in there and a golden rod heater to keep rust and moisture away.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I understand that the shortest Kimber is not so reliable, while the next shortest is.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I am not going to post my methods of concealment on the internet, but devote some thought to it and you will be amazed.

---

Here's a concealed gun cabinet idea. Buy empty electrical box/panels , and connect them with scary looking conduit to no-where. Plaster them with "High voltage" stickers. They are lockable, and will be invisible to thieves, mounted in garage, shop, closets, etc.

[GunnyB]

Funny you should mention the HK USP Compact, I handled one about a week ago at a local shop. It was there on consignment $690 which I assume is a good price.

For concealed carry, the HK USP Compact in either .45, 9mm, or .357 SIG is an excellent weapon. I carry one all the time, and though I've fired about 15,000 rounds through it, it has never malfunctioned, even without the normally scrupulous cleaning I do (being a former Marine and all...). The principle advantages of the HK is that it is a tough little weapon, easy to break down for cleaning, and it extremely accurate. I recommend that you get some decent luminescent sights for it for low light use (about $100).

I have a Kimber Ultra Compact, several other pistols (Wilson Combat and other HK in different calibers), but I always carry my HK Compact .45.

As for a safe, I am totally happy with my Browning Gold Medallion, which can be gotten at just about any decent sporting goods store or gun shop for around $1000. It will hold the number of weapons you are looking to store, as well as all the ammo, and other "bits" you'd care to secure. Heck, I even store my wife's jewelry in it... Just a bit more justification for getting a decent safe ;-)

[BattleFlag]

Thanks for the valuable input guys, it is GREATLY appreciated!

• Adrastus - I checked out the Beretta .45 online and it looks like a fine weapon, I will look for an opportunity to handle one soon, thanks!
• cryptical - Yours was the first but with subsequent recommendations for the USP Compact .45, it's on the short list for sure, and could you explain the "bang list" mention, I'm not up on the whole ping list concept here. thanks!
• Yasotay - On your reccomendation I have checked out the Fort Knox safes, thanks for the heads up!
• The Grammarian - Anyone have any input on the Walther P99 for the Grammarian?
• DocRock - Thanks for the heads up on the "TL" ratings!
• Billthedrill - Thanks for reenforcing what my gunsmith was telling me only 2 days ago about leather, point taken!
• Warthog - My prayers go out to you and all gunners in the PRC, may the day of your liberation be soon!
• joesnuffy - Thanks for the DoubleTap heads up!
• chookter - Thanks chookter, another vote for Liberty!
• Towed_Jumper - Thanks for your frugal recommendation!
• LibWhacker - Thanks for your extended input!
• fourdeuce82d - Thanks for your tube length input!
• Redcoat LI - Thanks for your in depth HK recommendation!
• eXe - Thanks for the LDA bump!
• CurlyDave - Thanks for you in depth, thought provoking reply!
• Mulder - Points well taken on professional installation, thanks!
• Beelzebubba - Thanks for your council on longer over shorter barrels and the jam-up idea about the electrical box, something I would certainly steer clear of! (the box, not the idea)
• GunnyB - Thanks for the HK bump Gunny, and the Browning mention! The shop down the street has Brownings in stock.

Thanks again all!
(and thanks in advance to anyone else who lends their expertise)

[fourdeuce82d]

Thanks for your tube length input!

Sigh. The only time I've ever heard that in my life...and it's from a guy. *grin*

[Redcoat LI]

My pleasure.

Re:bang_List,when you run across it ,bookmark it,it is not a traditional ping list.

As jim Scouton says on american Shooter:Keep em' in the 10 ring.

Shoot some black powder sometime,flintlock preferably.

[cryptical]

cryptical - Yours was the first but with subsequent recommendations for the USP Compact .45, it's on the short list for sure, and could you explain the "bang list" mention, I'm not up on the whole ping list concept here. thanks!

Go here, then bookmark it. It'll usually have most of the 2nd amendment/gun news stories.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/involved?group=152

The master list is at:

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[BattleFlag]

"Sigh. The only time I've ever heard that in my life...and it's from a guy. *grin*"

Ha!

Actually this did cross my mind, this being that there might be more than one way to take that statement but I just shook it off as being overly paranoid about saying something stupid.

Plus, I would hope that if you did hear it from the opposite sex it would be in greatly different terms.

[Tijeras_Slim]

No reccomendation on a safe, but I like the midsized LDA (Commander sized barrel with a compact frame). I also shoot a conventional 1911 quite a bit. The LDA trigger pull is long, but light and smooth. Since I shoot revolvers lots, it is no problem. Sort of the best of both worlds.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Had one, very ergonomic with lots of nice features. Got rid of it because the control layout was causing "muscle memory" conflicts with smooth operation (particularly reloads) of my 1911. If it was your primary piece, particularly for CCW, it would be a good choice.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Huh... I've never actually been thanked for my input. I'll make sure I reply to more of your posts. That was classy... :)