Gun Safe: My New Jewelry Box
I was a bit disappointed at leaving my firearms safe-jewelry box behind in the People’s Republic of New Jersey (PRNJ) when I moved, but the cost of loading, storing, and eventually unloading, a 900 lb. safe in and out of PODS, just didn’t make sense. My cousin had talked about moving it, but then fell down the stairs to get out of the commitment. My safe is critical storage, as not everyone in my immediate family is into guns. I don’t want children, or adults with no firearms knowledge, getting into my guns, resulting in an accident.
As a result, I needed a new safe, post-move. My first thought was that since I have been a prepper for some time, I might need a bit more “safe space” than I had previously. As a result, I first considered larger safes.
Two or three of these might do the trick!
My wife, who still thinks I may actually put jewelry in our safe, thought this one might be adequate, particularly if we didn’t put any guns in it. 😊
If I move again (unlikely, but possible) I would like to avoid leaving behind a huge $1,000+ safe, even if it does weigh 900 lbs. or more. As a result, I decided to look for a safe that could be moved. What I found was the concept of a “modular” safe. A modular safe comes in sections, floor, sides, top, etc. so that it can be disassembled and moved around and reassembled when necessary, but you need to be able to open the safe to take it apart.
SnapSafe
The leader in modular safes seems to be SnapSafe, a subsidiary of Hornady, best known as a manufacturer of ammunition. If I get one of these and have it dropped in front of the garage, I can pull the parts into the garage and assemble it right where I want it to go. If I change my mind, I can disassemble it and move it.
Another advantage is the “EMP proof” lock. Most safes now come with a guaranteed EMP fry-able digital lock. These are easier to reprogram than the old combination locks that most people think of when they think of a safe, but one has to wonder whether they will work after a disaster. SnapSafe has addressed this fear by incorporating a key backup into the locking mechanism. If the digital lock fails, just use the key. This seems simple enough and I don’t know why other safe manufacturers with digital locks haven’t gone the same way.
I don’t really expect to have a problem with an EMP locking my safe permanently, but why take a chance? The only insurmountable problem with modular safes seems to be price. The price is higher than a plain old safe without the “some assembly required” feature. Somehow, buying a safe from Ikea didn’t seem right to me, particularly if it was going to be priced higher than your run of the mill safe. However, if you need a safe now, and know you’ll eventually be moving, this may be the way to go.
Liberty Safes
My cousin, who fell down the stairs in order to avoid moving the old safe, is a fan of Liberty Safes, particularly the “Fatboy” series, so I checked them out as well. Liberty Safes are solid boxes and not easy to move. (Good in a safe until you need to move it.) They seem to be popular safes and have a good reputation. However, when I checked their website, everything seemed to have a digital lock. I couldn’t see any advantage in the event of an EMP. My cousin’s safe is a Liberty Fatboy with a mechanical combination lock, so he had it before the whole digital lock craze took over.
However, I then found a website gunsafes.com which was excellent for comparing safes. I found numerous Liberty Safes with mechanical locks on the site. If you are not going to move the safe once it is in place, Liberty safes are a popular way to go.
Conclusion On My Jewelry Box
As I was sitting around pondering this decision, an ad for a July 4th sale on Liberty Safes popped up from a local retailer. The promotional price was quite attractive, so I placed an order for a Liberty Fatboy, with a mechanical lock. The new safe will weigh 915 lbs, a 15 lb increase from the safe I left in PRNJ. I am now waiting for delivery. I expect it to be a permanent improvement to our home. 😊
Your move from PRNJ is an inspiration. Mrs. Funkengrooven and I are moving to a new property in a way more backwoods location than our previous house. The previous house was nice enough but sat about 10 feet from a main road. Not a defendable position at all. Her brother will be looking after some of my armory until we are settled.
I then might go and buy a new gun-safe. larger, of course, than the one I now have. I’ll be sure to check the sites you mentioned.
Had exactly the same problem when we decided to move. My safe was in the basement, ( never gave a thought to the future when I had it delivered). Needless to say, that is where it stayed. At the new homeplace I found just the safe that I wanted through the Exchange. Delivery was free and I had it installed in an attached garage. Probably cheaper than trying to get the old one moved!
Moving = gift to new homeowners for sure. I had mine put in the basement as well, and when I asked the movers about getting it back UP the stairs if we ever moved I never heard 5 men laugh so hard all at once.
Also, by shear fortune because the safe I bought was on sale and the next larger one was a crapload more expensive, my safe BARELY fit the stairwell. No way would the bigger one have fit, and I’d have ended up divorced if I would have sacrificed a closet for it and no way am I putting it in the garage. So before you buy make SURE your dimensions are OK for all the way from your front porch to the final resting place. (Many times they can remove the door for transport and then put it back on – ask first.)
I considered the modular ones as they seemed useful from an OPSEC POV but indeed much more expensive. If I ever am forced to move I will definitely be considering one.