Tag: Amsec gun safes

Gun Safes and Fire: Seals Are Important

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Just as important (maybe more important) as the insulation used in gun safes, is the type and number of seals used around the door.  Some manufacturers claim to have terrific fire ratings – numbers made up based on the amount of drywall they use – but then poor fitting doors and inadequate seals allow heat and smoke to rush to in during a fire.

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This portion of a fire test graph illustrates my point perfectly.  It comes from Intertek ETL Laboratories, an independent testing lab.  Results were released this January for fire tests done on four gun safes in December 2013.  Temperature is shown on the vertical axis, time on the horizontal.  During the test, the furnace temperature was raised to 1200F in 8 minutes, then held steady until the end.  Temperature sensors were located inside each unit 7” from the top.  A safe is considered to fail when it’s inside temp hits 350F.

Looking at the test curves from right to left, the curve furthest to the right is for an American Security BF gun safe.  This safe lasted for 126 minutes before the internal temp reached 350F – over two hours!  I cannot name the other manufacturers here, but they are very well known.  The next curve to the left is a top-of-the-line unit with a 2.5 hour “fire rating”.  Few companies claim to have a fire rating that high, but when this safe was tested by ETL it failed in only 69 minutes – less than half what the manufacturer claims.  The next safe has a 60-minute rating but it lasted only 47.5 minutes.  The final unit is said to have a two-hour rating but, incredibly, it failed in just 9 minutes!!  That’s some kind of great fire protection, isn’t it?

Next time:  Explanation for the successful test and the failures.

Vault Doors for Secure Rooms

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Recently we have been selling vault doors across the country, more than ever before.  This is a reflection of increasing home construction, and also an increase in the number of homeowners who want the security of an in-house vault room.

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If you dream of having your own vault room, be really careful of what door you buy!  There are a number of companies producing low cost, poor quality products which might disappoint you.  Ask lots of questions and get good, knowledgeable answers.

  • How much steel are you really getting?  (Not how thick the edge of the door is.)
  •  Is the inside emergency release easy to use?  Would your children be able to work it?
  • How many seals does the door have?  (A single heat-expanding seal will allow lots of smoke to enter before the seal expands.)
  • Does the door come with a commercial grade lock or a low-cost model?  (Even well-known lock manufacturers make locks that we won’t use.)
  • Can you lock yourself inside quickly if you need to?
  • Does the door have an inside trim flange or will you need to cobble up some kind of trim when the door is installed?
Hot and Cold Door Seals
Hot and Cold Door Seals

I had a recent example where the homeowner bought a vault door specifically for emergency protection for his family, only to find later that you cannot lock yourself inside in an emergency.  Was the seller ignorant of this fact or just dishonest?  Some manufacturers (even well-known brands) are also making up numbers, claiming that their doors have 60- or 90-minute fire ratings, when they have never been tested.  All of the vault doors we sell have fire linings to be “fire resistant”, but only one brand has actually been tested and certified.

The point of this post is that if you are going to buy a walk-in vault door, do your homework!  Only buy from a reputable manufacturer and a dealer you trust.

We sell Fort Knox vault doors more than any other. We also sell American Security vault doors, Golden Spike and (when someone needs a certified fire tested door) Sentry/Schwab.

Safe Warranty Cards

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Most safes come with a safe warranty card when they are new. Whether you buy your safe from Hoogerhyde or someone else, make it a point to fill out the warranty card and mail it in. Having the card on file with the manufacturer will increase the chance that you will get help if you should have a problem. Read the warranty too, so you know what is supposed to be covered and for how long.

Choose a Safe Manufacturer that Stands Behind their Products

Some companies, like Sentry Safe, Gardall Safe, American Security and Fort Knox are very good at helping a consumer with a problem. Several others, however, are terrible. Buy your safe from Hoogerhyde and if you have a warranty issue, you can expect a good result. We work with great manufacturers who stand behind their products.

No Gun Safe Shortage at Hoogerhyde

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National debt levels and problems with our government in Washington have increased fear that our economy may collapse in the future. This made many people start buying silver and gold, and they want solid protection for their metals. Then the tragic Sandy Hook shooting caused talk about gun control, which fueled a tremendous spike in gun sales. These two factors have caused safe sales to skyrocket!

Gun safes, especially quality-built American Made safes, have become scarce. I have spoken to gun safe dealers who simply have no inventory. Hoogerhyde Safe, however, has a huge inventory of about 80 gun safes, and more on the way. From 60” X 24” to 72” X 51”, all MADE IN AMERICA by Fort Knox, American Security and Heritage. Nationwide there is a gun safe shortage, but not at Hoogerhyde!! Buying directly from the factories in large quantities gives us buying power that many dealers just dream of.

P.S. We also have all three models of the best handgun safes on the market, the hard-to-find Fort Knox Pistol Safes. Fast, quiet, strong.  Most handgun boxes are quick to use but VERY easy to break into. With thick steel and strong latches, Fort Knox Pistol safes will actually keep out thieves! Real security – what a concept.