Looking at finally buying a gun safe. Probably 30-36 gun. I want room for all the extras plus important documents and such.

What’s a good fire rating? Any brand better than the rest? Anything else to consider besides fire ratings?

Eric

if you want to house 36 guns, buy a 72 gun safe. they never hold the number of guns theyre advertised for. probably get the biggest safe thatll fit your wall space.

Good to know!! Thanks fossil

What fossil said. Made in US. Check out insurance co. raiting. Research, research, Reasearch.

What is the insurance company rating??

check with your home owners insurance provider. your guns may not be covered in case of fire or theft, unless you have a separate rider for them. some companies pay a "flat rate" per gun, regardless of what it was worth. also keep a list of make, model, caliber and serial numbers for each gun.

If you get a big one put it on concrete . Garage or basement. If you put it in the basement get one that water proof. I have a dial which takes longer to open but battery ones can be opened pretty easy with and extension cord and plug in. Mines fire rated for 45 minutes at 2800 degrees. Best ones have pins on at least 3 doors. People will show some one getting in different madel but they have to lay them on their backs. Mine is bolted to the floor in my garage.

Yes most co have riders for guns and jewelry . 10 bucks per thousand on my policy

X3

Dont place against an outside wall, metal detector and a cordless sawsall and they can load it in the back of a truck faster then the cops ciuld get there if your not home

Amazing how fast they fill up with everything but guns, buy the biggest u can afford. I bought Fort Knox brand, I like it, just need another form wife’s stuff.

Insurance company rateings are a number system that rates your gun box, a number of factors go into the rating, fire resistance time and temp., gauge of steel, length of time a pro. burglar needs to defeat it. And other factors. Usually the higher the number the better the box. None of the gun safes that are sold as such are true safes. They are safety storage containers or some such. Again research and then research some more. As has been stated, most home owners insurance companies top out on firearms, jewelry, art, precious metal bullion, others, and require a separate rider. A business is another animal. Some company's, not all, will sell an umbrella policy. This will cover all but you pay for what you get. Did I mention research? Good luck.
Case.

Whoever tests them to see what they will hold must use only handguns and BB guns without scopes!

Don't know how they get that number, just figured outright lying.

Bear in mind that the way safes get a fireproof rating is that the inside is lined with gypsum, Plaster of Paris. It's cast into the walls. There is something called "combined water" that is in the gypsum. Plaster of Paris is a white powder. It's made by heating the gypsum up to the point that it releases the combined water and the rock breaks down into a powder.

When you put water in Plaster of Paris the water recombines with the powdered gypsum and solidifies. So..... you line the safe with gypsum and when it's in a fire the water that is combined in the gypsum is released into the contents of the safe. That water is what keeps the contents from catching on fire. The water can get hot enough to turn into steam inside the safe. Anything you put in the safe that water can damage will be damaged. Yep, it won't catch on fire, so it's "fire proof". However documents, gun powder, wood and anything else you may put in there will be badly water damaged and/or destroyed.

If there is a safe that has been in a fire get it open as soon as you can and dry out all your metal parts so they don't rust or corrode up.

Yes, attach the safe to the floor. I did mine with concrete wedge anchors.

I was going b to buy a huge one. Then I dug out the basement wall to fix the drainage tile. Then I made a 10'x18" block room with poured ceiling, cut a hole in the wall and made a concrete gun room and porch on top. Then I moved.


Now I think I would rather have 2 or 3 small to mid size safes. They are easier to find a spot to put, don't put so much weight I'm one spot on the floor, and there is a saying about eggs in one basket.

The thickness of the steel shell is important when it comes to burglar protection and fire protection. Most safes are 10 or 12 gage steel. 10 gage is just over 1/8" and 12 is under 1/8. It does not take a lot of imagination to get in even a 10 gage safe if you can access the side. Kinda like opening a sardine can minus the pop tab, then bust the sheetrock (fireproffing) and reach in and empty the safe.

Not many even offer thicker metal but some do. I have 1/4" steel all around and it is just common sense that it takes longer to heat all the way through 1/4" than it does 1/8". Mine was manufactured by a local company who does not sell nationwide. His lead time runs around 12 months from order to completion. And he has a name brand safe that was either 10 or 12 gage that had been burglarized and emptied while the owners were gone to the store.

Any of them can be compromised but the heavier ones take more time, effort and tools to crack.

If you get a thin wall, frame it in so the sides have extra protection.

My advice would be to get one with a dial, I have a winchester that the keypad is messed up and I see a lot of that on utube with the keypad.

And when you get the big one, get 4 or five strong men to help move it in.