How Secure Are Your Firearms?

[Oldtrooper]

In a recent thread on the Browning Message Board I mentioned my stolen OOW 1918A3 ... The thieves wrapped a log chain around the gun safe (which was at my son's farm) and pulled it our the door of the house destroying the door frame in the process. (None of the 24 firearms in the safe have ever been recovered) Luckily, we did have insurance on the firearms that were stolen.

 

My safe is in a corner that does not allow a chain to be wrapped around it ... It would be difficult to even get a tow strap between the safe and the two walls. Additionally, the safe is bolted to a concrete floor. Short of having a vault, I think I have secured it as well as I can. I understand that anything can be stolen, but stealing this one would be a major project that would take some time. Considering the class III weapons in the safe I want to make sure that I have taken all the necessary precautions. My safe also is not accessible to any outside door,

 

Hopefully I have.

[emmagee1917]

I had a collection of over 100 military firearms until I sold them a few years ago . All were in gun safes . Still hae all the safes . Only a few guns in each , so a lot of work on their part for a little return . Most are in my house in rooms with no outside doors and the outside walls open into yards with 6 foot brick walls and neighbors all around . Other safes are off sight and under alarms / security 24/7 . Never let others know what is in where . If I must let someone know , change it around asap .

Chris

[Sandman1957]

Great protocol.

[StrangeRanger]

My refrigerator-sized safe is in the corner of my finished basement. The bottom 4' or so are below ground level. Getting it into place empty was a project in itself. Moving it out while loaded by means of a hand dolly would be a whole different level of pain. Since the only level path out to where it could be put on a truck leads through the garage and there's always a vehicle parked in the way I'm pretty secure. And I'm insured.

[DZelenka]

In safes weighing over a ton each in an interior room with a locked steel door with multiple alarm systems. And insured.

[APEXgunparts]

After the Black Forrest fire here in Colorado Springs I saw a whole lot of heat and fire damaged firearms.
I saw some incredible pictures of big gun safes that had melted.

A lot had to do with the size of the house and position of the safe.

Some guns safes held their own, but the interior heat charred away the wood and ruined the steel parts.

On another forum I saw pictures of a gun collection that had been in the flood in Houston.

Owner thought the safe would protect the guns from looters and water so left them on the 1st floor instead of moving them to an upper level above the water line.
Most safes have a seal that swells in heat and keeps out smoke, but that seal isn't waterproof.

Flood water in town is just so nasty with chemicals, it really ruined those guns in a hurry.

Richard