Gun Safe or No Gun Safe???

[RobertNashville]

How do you decide when you need a gun safe?

Background: (1)No children in the home (2)I have a fairly small collection of firearms although what I do have is fairly “high-end”. (3)My home has a monitored alarm system – all windows, doors, open areas (including the garage) is monitored with various types of sensors this includes…this includes a monitored smoke/fire detector. The monitoring is done primarily by land-line but has a cell phone backup.

Knowing all the above, I’ve been wrestling with whether I “need” or “should have” a good gun safe (both to protect from fire and from theft).

To some extent, I feel that a responsible gun owner has a duty to do all he/she can to prevent his firearms from being stolen but is my alarm system sufficient for that? Would a gun safe really make enough difference to justify the expense?

My other thought is that at any given time, about half of my collection is scattered around the house because while I don’t have my weapons only for home defense, I do want them always available for that task if needed; to that end, I always have one of my tactical shotguns in the living room area; my “office” has one of my 1911s in a “display case on my desk (fully loaded with spare magazines and ammunition) and beside my bed is another tactical shotgun and the 1911 I most often carry …the remainder of my collection is kept in the closet off my master bedroom.

If I has a collection two or three times what I have now (and or if I was planning on acquiring many more guns) I don’t think I would need to think twice about having a safe but with the size of my current collection, I would probably only ever have a half-dozen or so handguns in the safe along with two or three long guns. I may buy more firearms in the future but I'm not a "collector" - I have what I have for specific reasons so if I buy more it probably won't be very many more and/or I'll be selling one to purchase another.

So; after this long post; I’m seeking opinions both from those who did decide to have a gun safe as well as those who have specifically decided not to have a gun safe…

How did you decide?

What factors did you take into consideration?

What do you think people should consider when making this decision?

Is an inexpensive better than no safe or would you suggest to only buy a really good one or not at all?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

EDIT:

I thought I should also add that I have a dog in the hose most of the time (although not 100%)...she is a basset hound (in case anyone hadn't figured that out!) and while she is not a "mean" dog by anyone's standards, to someone attempting to break in she sounds VERY mean and quite large. Again, she isn't going to stop anyone physically but I would suggest that she is at least a deterrent.

Edited April 26, 2010 by RobertNashville

[ShamGlock]

If what you have is fairly high end you could proboaly get a good safe for the price of one gun.

[Garufa]

Guns = Gun Safe, regardless of alarm system.

[RobertNashville]

Guns = Gun Safe, regardless of alarm system.

Granted but if, say, half of my gun collection isn't in the safe (because I don't want them there for specific reasons); is having a safe for the other half really worth it???

That's some of the questions I'm asking myself.

[saintsfanbrian]

I agree - if you own firearms you owe it to yourself and society to have them in a safe.

How likely is it that the police are going to show up AS SOON AS the alarm goes off? How long do you think it will be before a robber is able to find one of your firearms while you are not home.

If you add a safe in the mix they at least will take time to either open it or remove it and maybe the police will make it there by then to stop them. Or they will figure it is not worth it to grab the safe and go for all of the electronics which I don't want them to have but would feel more comfortable knowing that Joe Badguy only got away with a TV as opposed to getting any of my firearms and using them on someone else.

[mikegideon]

Get a safe. One of the guys I work with just had a breakin. The thug kicked his front door in, in broad daylight, WITH a monitored security system. This was on a cul de sac in a decent neighborhood. The thug managed to get some valuables, including an expensive camera, and never was caught.

I have a real decent security system in my house, but never felt OK leaving until I got a safe.

I had a great experience with Mark at the Safe House in Nashville.

[RobertNashville]

Get a safe. One of the guys I work with just had a breakin. The thug kicked his front door in, in broad daylight, WITH a monitored security system. This was on a cul de sac in a decent neighborhood. The thug managed to get some valuables, including an expensive camera, and never was caught.

I have a real decent security system in my house, but never felt OK leaving until I got a safe.

I had a great experience with Mark at the Safe House in Nashville.

I've spoken with Mark and if I buy that is almost certainly where I'll buy from.

[Guest clownsdd]

Your alarm system and monitors are nothing more than something to alert the alarm company to contact the police after something has already happened and possibly help identify the perp.

Get yourself a good safe.

[gregintenn]

(2)I have a fairly small collection of firearms although what I do have is fairly “high-end”.

Safe!!! You'll also find it a great place to store insurance documents, family photos, car titles, jewelry, etc. I have two gun safes, and my wife has a smaller safe. They're all crammed full!

[Guest Plus1Hdcp]

Safe!!! You'll also find it a great place to store insurance documents, family photos, car titles, jewelry, etc. I have two gun safes, and my wife has a smaller safe. They're all crammed full!

Greg speaks the truth. Buy larger than you think you need as it will fill up fast.

[nightrunner]

i say if you have more than 2 guns, get a safe. also, think, if you go out of town on vacation or a trip, do you leave your guns out? Id like to have a place to lock all of them up in that instance.

[Il Duce]

im in the market for a safe as well and im trying to find a happy medium in price, room, and safety. even though what i have isnt high end i dont feel comfortable leaving them accessible to anyone

[MCSCOTT]

Currently I don't have a safe, and even though there's pretty much someone watching my house 24/7, and I have a home security system as well, I worry constantly about the fact that my guns are unprotected. I do have a gun cabinet that keeps them locked up from when children are visiting, but it really offers 0 protection against fire or theft.

In the past I wasn't too worried because I only had a handful, and all of those could easily be replaced. This is a very irresponsible way of thinking though, because even though I could replace what gets stolen it doesn't change the fact that I would be arming a criminal. Now that I've had several of the family firearms handed down to me, the collection has grown to include several that can NOT be replaced. Currently I'm saving up for a good safe, because I know I will definately need a big one to hold the ones I get in the future as well as the ones I have now. Getting a good quality safe will finally give me peace of mind in knowing my firearms are protected. I often lose sleep at night worrying about whether I could get all of them out of the house if it should ever catch on fire.

Once I get one, as far as home defense, I will most likely only keep my handgun out for protection. In most cases this will be all I will ever need, but if not it will at least help protect me until I can get my safe open. If you keep one handgun close to you at all times, then there shouldn't be much of a need to hide other firearms all around the house.

[mikegideon]

I normally only keep one gun out. My HD shotgun hangs on the door inside the safe, and is always loaded with buckshot.

IMO, an electronic lock is well worth the extra money. I can get my safe open in a few seconds.

Edited April 27, 2010 by mikegideon

[1gewehr]

There is no way to stop a burglar. What you want to do is make it so time-consuming and difficult that his chances of getting in and out without getting caught go up dramatically.

And THAT is where a safe comes in. When you have a gun safe, the time and effort required to steal your guns goes WAY up! Thieves these days are very aware of burglar alarms, cameras, and also police response times! They know that if they can get in and out without getting caught, then they will probably get away with it. Adding in a half-ton safe slows them down, makes them more noticeable, and easier to catch.

[mikegideon]

There is no way to stop a burglar. What you want to do is make it so time-consuming and difficult that his chances of getting in and out without getting caught go up dramatically.

And THAT is where a safe comes in. When you have a gun safe, the time and effort required to steal your guns goes WAY up! Thieves these days are very aware of burglar alarms, cameras, and also police response times! They know that if they can get in and out without getting caught, then they will probably get away with it. Adding in a half-ton safe slows them down, makes them more noticeable, and easier to catch.

And, it's easy enough to bolt one in so it's virtually impossible to remove, so they have to break into it right there.

[Guest ryanfine]

I don't have a very large collection or a large safe but have already encountered a house fire and a fireproof safe will be a purchase for me in the near future. Can't ever have too much protection

[roverboy]

I agree with the other posts about safes. Anybody that has very many guns or anything valuable should have a good gunsafe. Believe me I know because I need one bad. In the near future I will have one.

[RobertNashville]

I have decided that I will get a safe; all I have to do now is pick it out and get it delivered and set-up!

I just re-carpeted my house and didn't want to have to deal with moving a safe before that was done!

[mikegideon]

I have decided that I will get a safe; all I have to do now is pick it out and get it delivered and set-up!

I just re-carpeted my house and didn't want to have to deal with moving a safe before that was done!

The Safe House delivery service is a thing of beauty.

[Farman]

Absolutely the right decision Robert!!

[Guest Caveman]

I have decided that I will get a safe; all I have to do now is pick it out and get it delivered and set-up!

I just re-carpeted my house and didn't want to have to deal with moving a safe before that was done!

I agree with everyone else, good decision.

[MacGyver]

The Safe House delivery service is a thing of beauty.

Having witnessed it, I agree. It's also probably a lot cheaper than a hernia operation.

[mikegideon]

Having witnessed it, I agree. It's also probably a lot cheaper than a hernia operation.

Hernias, dented walls, scratched safe, and the total destruction of some virgin ears . I think you may have the same safe as me. Browning Bronze in gloss black?

[MacGyver]

Those Browning safes are heavy! I've moved a lot of stuff over the years, but I like my friends. I didn't want to have to call any of their wives and tell them they were dead under a safe at the bottom of my stairs.

I'd hate to run into that guy that Mark uses to help him deliver safes in a dark alley. I think his neck was bigger around than my chest.

Watching them deliver my safe reinforced what your grandad always told you about using the right tool for the job. That special dolly for moving the safe up and down the stairs was really cool.