Need advice about protecting firearms from theft

[cubbyjg]

So recently there has been a spike in home breakins and theft in the area i live in. Due to the spike, i went ahead and purchased a small safe from Lowes to store my firearms in. My ideal safe would be a true gun safe that weighs 700lb+ and could be bolted to the concrete. I could not go this route because i live with my parents (paying student loans off), and i live upstairs. I also didnt want to keep it in my garage since the garage is not connected to the house. The safe i have now weighs about 80lbs empty and if a crook really wanted to and had help, they could try and carry it out. I am now looking for an alternative method to protecting my firearms from theft. Has anyone ever used the racks sold at http://www.lockinggunracks.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ? Any other alternatives are appreciated.

[The Annoyed Man]

How about a Stack-on Gun Cabinet? It's not as heavy or secure as a safe, but it would seem to me to be more secure than an open rack. It only costs $140. That is, admittedly, more than the $80 for the open rack, but it doesn't require any installation, or drilling into the walls of your parents' home, and at that price it is still pretty affordable. At 76 lb, it weighs approximately the same as your small safe. Add the weight of several long guns and some ammo, and it would be impractical for a thief to try and pick it up and carry it out.

[10Shooter]

When I was looking for safes, I investigated http://www.zanottiarmor.com/safes.htm I originally wanted to install in a closet.
A local store actually had them I when to look at them, they appear good, I was impressed. However, I ended up with a Liberty Safe and changed the original placement location of a closet to a different area. Safes are like cars, they are many, many options, more than you would think. Take your time, investigate, ponder, look at "features", ponder some more, then decide, you may have it for a long time.
One other hint, buy bigger than you think you need.

[The Annoyed Man]

One other hint, buy bigger than you think you need.

You got that right.

[Purplehood]

How about a Stack-on Gun Cabinet? It's not as heavy or secure as a safe, but it would seem to me to be more secure than an open rack. It only costs $140. That is, admittedly, more than the $80 for the open rack, but it doesn't require any installation, or drilling into the walls of your parents' home, and at that price it is still pretty affordable. At 76 lb, it weighs approximately the same as your small safe. Add the weight of several long guns and some ammo, and it would be impractical for a thief to try and pick it up and carry it out.

A dolly is really handy when you just need to steal that cumbersome safe and have limited time.

[tboesche]

I have a Stack On gun cabinet. Installed it in my closet and used Lag bolts to secure it to the studs in the wall. Could a thief steal it. Yep, but they are going to have to work at it. It's full and I now need more space. My next one will be an actual gun safe that is bolted to the floor and has a lot more space in it.

What I really want to do is have a hidden room with the safe installed inside.

[hangfour]

In my view the trouble with any gun safe is that it is an advertisement that guns are therein. 'Professional' burglars are very clever and will find a way to get whatever they want. You might want to check out the movie "Street Thief - Who is Kaspar Carr?". It will give you a sense of how creative and persistent a thief can be.

So ... I hide my guns around the house in 'creative' places that don't require a safe. It's amazing what you can do with a few dollars worth of velcro ... I would bet that a thief would wear himself out hunting down where the guns are in my house.

[Rex B]

I just bought the $299 safe (probably the 80-lb safe). Stack-on brand? 10-gun?
Lag-screwed it through the back into the closet studs, big 5/16" lag screws 3" long.
I also have one of the $99 cabinets beside it for ammo and less valuable guns.
Both are crammed full and I'm trying to figure out where to install a much bigger safe.

[cubbyjg]

I will have to look into the Stack on cabinet. It may not be the best, but if it makes it harder for them to get to my firearms its better than nothing. I will also have to spend some time finding the clever hiding spots in my house.

[UpTheIrons]

I hide my guns around the house in 'creative' places that don't require a safe. It's amazing what you can do with a few dollars worth of velcro ... I would bet that a thief would wear himself out hunting down where the guns are in my house.

Hopefully the thief that we hope never shows up hasn't thought about those places in other homes and found items hidden here and there. Maybe I'm paranoid, but every time I think that I've found one of those places where a crook would never look, I second guess myself. Then again, maybe my house doesn't have any clever hidey-holes.

For the time being, I've got a 14-gun (Yeah, right!) Stack-On RSC, until we can afford a real-life heavy-duty safe.

[CompVest]

I think that if the would be thief is smart enough to figure out how to steal/break into my safe, they are smart enough to find any "clever" hiding places I may think of. If the thieves are that smart I had better keep one gun with me at all times and put the rest in a bank vault!

[cubbyjg]

I considered the safe deposit box but then my collection is fairly small and i like to have at least 2 firearms near me when i am home. Anyone keep a safe or something in the attic?

[Bart]

Only you can decide what level of security you want, based on your expected threats. The cabinets are good for keeping firearms out of the hands of children. They're also good to deter smash and grab burglars, especially if you bolt or screw the cabinet to the wall. They can be defeated with a crowbar or tire iron, but so can many RSCs sold as safes at sporting good stores.

[jamisjockey]

In my view the trouble with any gun safe is that it is an advertisement that guns are therein. 'Professional' burglars are very clever and will find a way to get whatever they want. You might want to check out the movie "Street Thief - Who is Kaspar Carr?". It will give you a sense of how creative and persistent a thief can be.

So ... I hide my guns around the house in 'creative' places that don't require a safe. It's amazing what you can do with a few dollars worth of velcro ... I would bet that a thief would wear himself out hunting down where the guns are in my house.

I'm hoping your post is in jest.
Had a good friend who's townhome was tossed in Virginia. Two teenagers had about 15 minutes of free time in the house and royally trashed it. Cushions on couches were pulled and opened. Couches turned over. Freezer opened and emptied. Several AC vents were pulled out of the drywall. Dresser drawers emptied. Mattresses overturned. They bypassed his large stack on. Pistol safe was taken. They took several backpacks from his closet and filled them up with whatever they found.
One was caught later when a cop saw him in an alley trying to open the pistol safe with a large rock.
He had just left for work, and his wife arrived from taking kids to school...hence they knew it was a 15 minute operation. She opened the front door and found the house trashed.
With more than a few minutes in your house, I'd bet a paycheck that an experienced thief would probably find most of your guns.

For the OP:
See if your parents don't mind if you bolt the stack on to the wall. Stacking your ammunition in the bottom of the safe will make it heavier to haul off.

[rm9792]

I agree with the adding of weight. Store all your ammo in it to add weight. 1k rds of 45 or 9mm is pretty heavy.My 1000# safe is likely over 1500# with all the ammo and guns in it. Of course I have STEEL guns not tupperware....(flame suit on)!