Getting a long gun safe inside an apartment complex

[lilro]

Thanks all. That snapsafe seemed perfect until I saw the price. Ouch. Guess it's blankets and a dolly and whatever safe I can find locally.

[amd64]

Keep an eye out for openings on the 1st floor in your complex. Most good safe delivery companies can also do discreet deliveries.

[monk]

I was thinking that when I get a proper safe I'll find some refrigerator box and cover it up that way. Don't want nosy neighbors poking around.

[elsolo]

Wrap it in a moving blanket, strap it to a dolly, wheel it in.

If anybody does ask, it's a curio cabinet.
If they do figure it out, at least your guns are finally locked up.

Right now you are relying on the hope that:
-Nobody knows you have firearms.
-Nobody is going to break-in to steal your other stuff and find your guns.

That's relying on "hope" more than the Obama election campaign.

[battleship]

Yup wrap in moving blankets and shrink wrap.

[stevec223]

safe

i saw a sentry(?) corner safe the other day...holds maybe 2 rifles with a handgun shelf...hand pad on top for combination...very small but might be what your looking for...might be a stack-on...at jr sports in livermore...good luck!

[Bobby Hated]

i have the same problem. my real safe at my parents house is 500+ pounds. too big to take up 3 flights of apartment stairs.

but those sentry safes are too small in my opinion. the 10-gun one is only 130lbs. i could carry that out over my shoulder.

i want something in the 250-300 lbs range and <$500. any suggestions?

[B. Wong]

How are you guys securing those sentry cabinets in you apartments? I figure without bolting it down it becomes a box for quickly stealing all your guns.

[elsolo]

Lag screws into the floor.
The carpet hides the 5/16" holes after removal.

I have always been more worried about opportunity thieves, teenagers and dopers, not pro thieves with tools and a truck.

Before the safe got too full, I stacked boxes of bullets (not loaded ammo) in the bottom making it a few hundred pounds heavier.

Even if you don't bolt it down, it's a lot harder to move a big box out than a loose firearm.

[Whacked]

I have a stackon cabinet.
Luckily, when I brought it into my apartment, nobody was around to see me.
bolts in nicely.

I have taken the cardboard box, turned it inside out and cut some pieces off so it fits over the locker nicely. then took a sharpie and wrote 'blankets and winter stuff' on it.

I also have a 'dummy' pistol safe out in the open in the living room.
I have it secured TIGHT. inside I have a small stack of old magazines, some junk mail, and a couple partial rolls of toilet paper
The thought is that they will target that and not go looking for something else.

I am mostly worried about snatch-n-bail type of breakins. I've been house-burgled twice (not at my current location and I think one was a roomie) in this town and both cases thats what happened. they were in-out in under a couple minutes. thankfully at those times my firearms were at my parents.

when I go to the range, I scope things out so nobody will see me loading my truck. same when I return (sit in truck and pretend to be talking/texting on cell until its clear works well)

when I finally move out of this hole, the new place will have a nice fireproof and heavy safe along with a german shepherd or 3

[Agent 0range]

How are you guys securing those sentry cabinets in you apartments? I figure without bolting it down it becomes a box for quickly stealing all your guns.

2 bolts in the floor and 2 in a stud in the wall.

[Whacked]

^^^^^ +1

If on first floor slab on grade, or concrete floors in general:

Concrete wedge anchors.
You will need a drill bit for the concrete too.
Some high strength epoxy wont hurt.

when you move, just grind them off flush (once you remove the cabinet)

But the first defense in keeping them safe, don't let anyone know you have guns. especially your neighbors.

[B. Wong]

I figure if I'm on the first floor then I'd be able to bolt it to concrete, but if I'm upstairs I'd have to figure a way to line up the bolt holes and the floor beams.

Also if I have to drill my safe to bolt it to the wall, is that a good idea? I feel like drilling it would compromise any minimal security it provides

[elsolo]

Four lag crews into 3/4" plywood subfloor pretty damned secure, trying to line up on the 2x4's isn't much more secure.

drilling a couple more 5/16" holes in the backside of the safe won't compromise it's integrity.