Advice on What Safe in the Garage

[Federalist]

[MallNinja]

I hear that this is a great safe.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11312440&search=safe&Mo=30&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=safe&Ntt=safe&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

But if you're willing to spend more, the Bighorn might be better. At the price of the Bighorn, you may also want to look into AMSEC BF series.

[odysseus]

I would recommend that your safe be blocked in whatever way you feel is necessary from being seen when you open your garage door, and/or have a contractor, utility, plumbing, etc. person over. Do you have a home alarm system? You should consider it too as an extra layer of security.

All of these gun safes to varying degree can be compromised if given time. Also do you have certain tools nearby that can make breaking into it easier? All things should be considered.

[jamesob]

mine is in the garage simply because it will not fit threw the doors. whenever the garage door is open it is easy to see, that bugs me a little.

[H.M.]

Hang a sheet on it at least. Then they can guess what's behind the sheet but at least they don't know.

You can also glue one side of a bunch of cardboard boxes to the front so it looks like a stack of boxes from a distance. Mark them 'tax files', 'clothes', etc.

Federalist, how hard is it to open your garage door? Pretend you don't mind breaking it and think about how quickly you could get through.

[not-fishing]

I got a dark brown Liberty that they anchored to the concrete. It sets next to my reloading bench and has a Nosler bullet poster taped to the side.

The front I cover with an old brown sheet and the rifle cleaning kit/bench sit on top.

My Garage is so cluttered with the wifes "stuff" stacked around you can't really tell were the safe is unless it's open. which I never do with the garage door open

[9mmepiphany]

i couple of things i'll mention that i learned when researching the same thing.

1. put some insulating material under the safe before bolting it to the floor...prevents rust on the bottom of the safe and controls interior cold better.
2. if possible, put it behind some something. i have a column in my garage, i have metal shelves in front of the space between the column and the wall, the safe is on the other side and opens in the other direction.
3. drape the exterior with cardboard...no one looks at cardboard in your garage

[esskay]

I'm a fan of thick steel! 7 gauge is nice!

http://www.sturdysafe.com/gaugethicknesswar.htm

Also, if you can store any power tools/pry bars/etc that you keep in the garage and might be used on your own safe in a locking cabinet, that would probably be a good idea too.

[RudyN]

I am about to get a safe and it will also go in the garage. I have a spot for a 30" wide safe next to the water heater. Unfortunately that is the only spot I have available, but it is right next to some wood shelves and what I intend to do is make a fake door so that it looks like the is only a wood cabinet there. It will also be bolted to the garage floor.

[ChrisTKHarris]

I can't speak for the construction, but whatever you do get the bigger safe. A 10 gun safe really can only hold about 4 long guns and a few handguns.

A gun safe is kind of like a TV, when in doubt always go bigger otherwise you'll regret it later.

[esskay]

I am about to get a safe and it will also go in the garage. I have a spot for a 30" wide safe next to the water heater. Unfortunately that is the only spot I have available, but it is right next to some wood shelves and what I intend to do is make a fake door so that it looks like the is only a wood cabinet there. It will also be bolted to the garage floor.

A cabinet shell is a nice touch. Having had a water heater go bad and leak water in my garage, right next to it would not be my first choice of locations! But since you don't have a choice maybe be sure to get a good drain pan underneath your water heater and run a drain line away from the safe? (at least as far as needed with the grading of your garage floor?) When my plumber replaced my water heater he installed a very deep lipped hvy duty pan and ran a drain line and punched it out the side of the garage to drain outside. It also tends to be warmer around the water heater, a dehumidifier/etc for your safe would probably be a good idea too.

[ChrisTKHarris]

A cabinet shell is a nice touch. Having had a water heater go bad and leak water in my garage, right next to it would not be my first choice of locations! But since you don't have a choice maybe be sure to get a good drain pan underneath your water heater and run a drain line away from the safe? (at least as far as needed with the grading of your garage floor?) It also tends to be warmer around the water heater, a dehumidifier/etc for your safe would probably be a good idea too.

Perhaps build up a base and put the safe on a base and then drill through both the base and concrete slab?

[Faust]

Buy the biggest strongest safe you can afford; that sturdy safe looks good, but it depends on the level of security you are willing to invest in.

[El Gato]

Have a friend who had one in the garage... thieves stole a tow truck, backed it through his garage doors... put the cable around the safe and drug it out.. then used the winch to pick it up and put it in another truck..or so it was assumed...nobody saw it because it was in broad daylight...

another friend had to put his in the garage...he built a very heavy duty plywood cabinet round it...think he labeled it baby clothes or something and a lock on the cabinet...but he was also facing the street...

not facing the street is good... bolting it to the floor is good... building a heavy cabinet around it so that they cant simply pull a snatch rope around it is better...

big is better..heavy is better...I have access to alot of lead ingots... can you say bullet caster... so I lined the bottom of my safe with ingots... alot of ingots... and it's a big safe...that's another way of doing it.. make it like 2000 pounds...

good luck and have a good time picking it out...and make sure you lock up the essential components to like.. your cutting torch...

[Casual_Shooter]

I'd also go with a Sturdy or other 7ga+ steel safe. Build a cabinet around it. If you have a home alarm, arm the cabinet door. And then don't tell anyone you have a safe.