Tag: gun safes

Coolest Gun Safe on the Market, From Fort Knox

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Fort Knox Safes is famous for allowing the consumer to customize the gun safe he wants.  This year Fort Knox introduced two more options that offer cool new looks, more ways to get your gun safe your way.

Old, very retro industrial design is fashionable.  This is especially true where old factories and warehouses are being converted into desirable apartments and condos.  Fort Knox’ new “Distressed Industrial” finish fits right in.  Each gun safe is different with the addition of big rivets and random distress marks to the paint.  Besides rehabilitated industrial buildings these units look good in your work shop area or man cave.

DISTRESSED 4 002DISTREESED FINISH 006

The other terrific new option is Fort Knox’ crane hinge.  This is also a throw-back to the old days.  A hundred years ago very heavy safes and vault doors were frequently built with crane hinges to help the doors move more freely.  This system makes safe doors that are actually double-hinged, so they move in a more three dimensional manner.  Crane hinges are available on all Fort Knox gun safes (except Mavericks) and in all finishes.  D6031 and D7240 shown.

If you want to really impress your friends — and get serious security at the same time — get a Fort Knox gun safe or vault door with the new Distressed Industrial finish and crane hinges.  Awesome!

TL Rated High Security Gun Safes

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Customers that do research in order to find the best gun safe on the market sometimes decide they need a “TL” rated gun safe.  But while they find all kinds of units with Residential Security Container (RSC) ratings, they cannot find any TL’s.

Very few gun safes qualify to carry TL ratings.  You are basically buying a jeweler quality safe with a gun rack interior.  Here are the reasons most manufacturers do not offer them:  While buyers like the idea of getting a high security unit, few are willing to spend $5000 to $10,000 for that security.  High security gun safes do not hold as many rifles, because thicker walls leave less interior space.  Few homes can accommodate the weight and dimensions of a TL rated gun safe.  Most dealers don’t carry TL rated safes because they cannot move them.  The majority of manufacturers use production techniques than are incapable of producing TL rated safes.  The costs of U.L.’s TL certification tests are too expensive in relation to the low volume of potential sales.

That being said, if you are serious about a high security TL-rated safe, here are some options:

Amsec RF6528, TL-30, Exterior 72h x 35w x 29.5d, 3455#, 24 gun max.
Amsec RF582820X6, TL-30×6, Exterior 64h x 34w x 29.5, 3418#, 24 gun max.
Amsec RF703620x6, TL-30×6, Exterior 76h x 42w x 29.5d, 4578#, 58 gun max.
Fort Knox L Series 5520, TL-30×6, Exterior 63h x 28w x 32d, 3716#, about 20 guns.
Fort Knox L Series 6532, TL-30×6, Exterior 73h x 40w x 32d, 4512#, about 50 guns.
Fort Knox L Series 7240, TL-30×6, Exterior 78h x 44w x 32d, 5460#, about 55 guns.

RFX-wPDO

“TL-30” means the unit has been tested for burglary resistance through the front.  “TL-30×6” means it has been tested for burglary resistance through all six sides. These safes have legitimate two hour fire ratings.  Freight and delivery are expensive on these units.  Pictured is an Amsec RF6528, gun racks covered by shelf pieces.  Note the door is 6″ thick.

The decision whether to purchase a high security gun safe depends on a number of factors like where you live, security systems in your home, and the value of its contents (I suggest $80,000 and up).  Yes, they are expensive; but if you need the best protection a TL rated gun safe is a great investment.

Use Discretion When Buying a Gun Safe, Part 2

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Additional thoughts about being discrete concerning your gun safe:

  • Don’t allow your safe to be delivered with a truck or trailer advertising gun safes. The truck should be unmarked so your neighbors don’t all know about your safe.
  • It is best if delivery is not subcontracted out to a delivery company. That allows more people to know about your safe and possibly see the combination.
  • It is best to not have a safe drop-shipped to your home. Someone in the freight system will know about your safe and may have the opportunity to find the combination.
  • Do not place your safe where it can be seen through a window – don’t temp someone who might look into the house from outside.
  • It is best to place the safe in a room where it is least likely to be seen by house guests.
  • If possible put the safe inside a closet or in a room with a locking door.
  • If possible, avoid putting your safe in a garage because it is more likely to be seen by neighbors, snoopy kids, delivery personnel, landscape workers, etc. If you must put it in the garage, anchor it to the floor.
  • Do not tell all your friends that you bought a safe, and certainly do not post it on your Facebook page.

A quality gun safe is a major purchase, almost like buying a car.   Most people want to show it off, but common sense says you should keep it private.

Use Discretion When Buying a Gun Safe

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There is a gun store in our state that also sells gun safes.  When they sell a safe they put a “sold” sign on it which includes the buyer’s name, address and phone number.  But the safe along with the customer’s information remains on display until it is picked up or delivered.  Dozens of people every day could potentially write down the safe model and customer information with the intent to break into it after it is installed.  But consider this:  A thief might decide that since the buyer obviously has things in the house that need to be in a safe, it might be better to visit his house now, before the safe is delivered!

I related this to a customer who had visited that gun store.  He observed the same thing and said he would never buy a gun safe there because of the store’s complete lack of discretion.  But he stated “It’s even worse than that. I asked to see the interior of a sold safe, and the store employee wrote the combination for me on a paper so I could open it to look.  I could have gone to that guy’s house when he was away, opened the safe using the combination, and cleaned it out, without needing to take any tools.”

Be careful when investing in home security.  Protect yourself by being discrete, and buy from a place that also practices discretion.  Stores like the one above are one of the reasons I always say “Buy your guns from a gun store, but buy you gun safe from a safe store.”      

Getting Service After You Buy Your Gun Safe

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A man whose gun safe we drilled open in late November relayed the following story:

Early in 2015 Jeff purchased a gun safe at a box store thinking it was decent quality and American made.  (It wasn’t because this “manufacturer” imports 100% of their product.)  Jeff’s safe malfunctioned and locked him out in late September.  He was disappointed but not too concerned because opening day of deer season was still eight weeks away — surely he would have no trouble getting to his favorite rifle by then.

Jeff tried numerous times to call the company’s warranty department to arrange for the gun safe to be opened.  Eventually he got an answering machine and was able to leave a message.  After waiting a week or so without getting a return call the process was started over again.  A few weeks later he reached a real person who apparently dropped the ball, because nothing happened again.  He started over once more but the “customer dis-service” continued until after opening day of deer season.  Jeff ended up borrowing a rifle to hunt with.  He was not happy.

Obviously, few warranty issues take that long to get resolved, but some gun safe companies are known for their poor customer service.  A little online research will tell you which companies to avoid.  Buying you gun safe or vault door from a business that can service them will also save you from this kind of trouble.