Alarm System or Gun Safe??

[Hotshot]

I don't have a fortune in firearms but I want to keep what I got and I've got ammo all over the house and hideaways here and there. Not to mention reloading equipment. I'm starting to think an alarm system would be better than a safe.

If you could only have one or the other, which would you have and why?

Thanks in advance.

[brooksjr]

I would choose a good fire rated safe, an alarm won't protect anything from a fire. A lot of people who get alarms never even turn them on after the new wears off.

[nightrunner]

I would rather have a gun safe or even better a safe room. But if funds allowed it, I would ideally like to have both a safe and an alarm system

[nolo]

I would choose a good fire rated safe, an alarm won't protect anything from a fire. A lot of people who get alarms never even turn them on after the new wears off.

Well said.

[Guest Muttling]

Gun safe.

[gary_boom]

Buying a safe is the best money I have ever spent.I have a monitored alarm system also that has a switch in the safe. I live inside the city limits with police and fire response times around 5 minutes. like the post before said an alarm won't protect your guns during a fire but a safe won't protect you while your asleep.

[Guest H0TSH0T]

1. GUN SAFE

2. DOG

3. SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS W/REMOTE WIRELESS RECORDER

4. ALARM

here is why,

1. a safe if often to heavy and bulky to get stolen (bolt it to the floor or weld it to a support ), and if they do they still have to get into the thing. don skimp on cost vs quality a good safe is worth every penny x100$

2. dog is the next best thing next to a live human at the house, it know you and will make noise or bite that ass of an intruder, its a territorial thing. and when i say a dog i don't mean a cat with hair, a poodle, or little ankle biter ect.

3. this is the next best thing in catching the crooks or providing evidence against someone that may wish you harm or losses while on property, i would recommend a camera that is weather proof, ir/night vision, and records sound, and transmits to a secure recorder on a 24-72 hour loop.

4. alarms are not that good at stopping a thief, but may get help to your house if a fire or medical issue or alert police faster when your not around, more than likely the thief will have 4-15 minutes to shop your home as they please and still have time to get away scott free.

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

Alarm. CO and Fire Detection is a big plus. Then get a safe.

[JeffL]

I'm gonna have to go with safe+big dog.

[Guest SureShot308]

Safe, and a midget with a shotgun.

[GoVols]

I don't have a fortune in firearms but I want to keep what I got and I've got ammo all over the house and hideaways here and there. Not to mention reloading equipment. I'm starting to think an alarm system would be better than a safe.

If you could only have one or the other, which would you have and why?

Thanks in advance.

Alarm with monitoring then safe.

Sounds like you are more concerned about breakins then fire. So if I had to choose one.... whew depends on a lot of factors.....maybe the alarm. Why? Because I have a handful of handguns hidden around the house for quick access if there was an intruder (and if they happen to find one of those while I am away - so be it) and the other more valuable stored guns I can hide very well from a thief. Or hide them well enough that the alarm would go off and they wouldn't want to spend much time in there trying to find my crazy hiding place. I would imagine a home invasion where an alarm goes off the thief wouldn't want to be staying for long...quick snatch, grab, and run. Just my .

Make sure you have insurance too. You probably do though.

[dralarms]

I install alarms for a living and I'd go with both, An alarm will help get the cops there but like someone said they may have 5 to 15 min. to ransack your house.

[Guest Packaged Chaos]

Get a safe first especially if you have kids. I got a GunVault at Co-op pretty cheap. Then get Power Wedges for your doors. If you put your alarm contacts near the top (when you get it) if someone tries to kick in the door the contact circuit will break setting off the alarm. Most likely the door jamb will break too. I figure even if the Wedge doesn't keep them out for long it will sound the alarm and give me a chance to get out my gun. Home Security Store | Home Security Camera | Wireless Security Systems i got my alarm there Vista 20 and installed myself. Of course mine was new construction.

[Guest flyfishtn]

Go with a good fire rated safe. People tend to ignore alarms.

[Volzfan]

Safe. An alarm will be good if you are home but if no one is home a monitored alarm can still only notify the Police and the BG still has a few minutes to get your stuff before he flees. More times than not the Police will not get there in time to catch them in the act.

[E4 No More]

As a former police officer and someone who worked for a short while at ADT, I would say the alarm should be the last thing you want. They have a reputation for false alarms that are delayed. In other words, if the alarm goes off you get a call from the alarm company to see if you tripped it by accident. That process can take several minutes in and of itself. If you live in a busy area, (as in police calls), or a rural area your response time can be an hour. Don't think the theives don't know this. The police have an attitude of, "Oh, god! Another stupid alarm call!" Not something that gets a good response.

Fear comes from video and sound stored off-site. It records the crime to be used against them in court, and you can set the cameras up so that they can't tell where it is. Unless you get a newby in the burglary business, the burglar is known in the police records, and they don't want a picture causing their speedy arrest.

Unless you poison-train your dog, they are useless too. Poison training is not hard if you use bitter-root spray and read a how-to book. Some breeds are more protective and intimidating than others, so select your breed well. I have a Rottweiller myself.

Anyway, that's my opinion, and you know what they say about them.

[Guest Muttling]

5 to 15 minutes for police to respond to an home alarm going off????

It aint gonna happen my friend, even when it's a business alarm they give it very low priority as a result of the frequent false alarms they get. Typical response time is on the order of hours and criminals know it.

What's more, a home alarm alerts by telephone signal. If they figure out that the home is alarmed (e.g. posted signs signs or other dead give aways) and the criminals know to cut the phone wires on the box outside the house before setting off the alarm.

Get a good safe and bolt it in place. It will protect against theft and fire far better than an alarm.