In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Gun Safes - Install your own or???

ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
edited April 2015 in General Discussion
Here's the part I have wondered about - How many people with BIG gun safes have them delivered and professionally moved in? Because that means lots of people you do not know, know exactly what you bought and where you put it.

One fellow I know went to an industrial rental yard for the gear to pick his safe up, deliver it, move it around and put it in place. Used only family for helpers.

Comments

  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,054 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think I would trust The professional "strangers" more than I would some of people in my family!! [:0]

    The pro's probably do safe moves 3 times a day, think they care about yours?
    It's just another job to them.
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    Nope, the pro's wouldn't give a hoot about anything I could afford to buy.

    But I have seen a walk-in gun safe and a gun room with a sort-of vault door.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    I had both of the large safes delivered. As mentioned, it is just another delivery job to the guys in the truck. Unless you ramble on about the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of collector firearms you plan to put into the safe, they have no clue what you're actually going to do with the thing...And could not care less.
  • Mk 19Mk 19 Member Posts: 8,170
    edited November -1
    I'm with Mark, Have them professionally installed by people that know how to do the job properly. Then you can also have them drill the floor to properly mount the safe, redhead fasteners with grade 8 hardware. No one is going to get that safe out then. If your worried about the delivery guy just announce to each of them that you have the safe to store old family photo albums.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mk 19
    If your worried about the delivery guy just announce to each of them that you have the safe to store old family photo albums.


    I know a guy who has a collection of old baseball bats...Some of that timber is worth a surprising amount of $$$! He bought one of the smaller ten-gun safes with a fire liner for his bat collection.
  • fordsixfordsix Member Posts: 8,722
    edited November -1
    give them a beer and take their picture[^]
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,734 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Does lowered into place through a basement stairwell by a mini-excavator count as "a professional installation"? Since the excavator operator is a "gun guy" and I've trusted him with my safety several times while doing waterline work, I feel OK with him knowing about the safe. Otherwise, I'd rather have one of those "assemble in place" safes.
  • diver-rigdiver-rig Member Posts: 6,342 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have installed gun rooms in basements. Build block walls with conduit for electrical, fill every core with rebar and concrete. Form up, and pour a ceiling full of rebar and beams under to support. Then install the safe vault door.

    Never knew any of the people I worked for, and never went back and stole from them.

    Wish I could afford to build one in my house.


    But I move my safes around myself. Really easy with the right equipment to move them with. I do it myself with no help at all.
  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,875 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Last year I bought a Zanotti modular safe for my kid. It comes in 6 boxes, the shipper dropped them in the driveway. One person can move & put the safe together, although it's an easy job for 2.

    Neal
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nmyers
    Last year I bought a Zanotti modular safe for my kid. It comes in 6 boxes, the shipper dropped them in the driveway. One person can move & put the safe together, although it's an easy job for 2.

    Neal


    Interesting idea:

    http://www.zanottiarmor.com/index.html
  • austin20austin20 Member Posts: 34,829 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They loaded on my truck with a fork lift.
    My son, brother,nephew and I unloaded it and with the help of a rented appliance dolly we moved it into the basement.
  • William81William81 Member Posts: 24,585 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had to hire this time around...too many steps for this ole buzzard. Too easy to hurt myself.
  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,041 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have my own forklift. Why would I have something delivered?
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
  • wpagewpage Member Posts: 10,204 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I like multiple smaller safes for all things of value...[:o)]
  • Dads3040Dads3040 Member Posts: 13,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had the guy I bought mine from move it here when we bought this place 15 years ago. At 1600 lbs empty, I didn't really want to screw with it.
  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,054 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Alpine
    I have my own forklift. Why would I have something delivered?


    That was YOU???

    Timothy%2BRaines%2Bforklift%2Bchase.jpg
  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,184 ******
    edited November -1
    It's the unprofessional installers I worry about.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
  • wiz1997wiz1997 Member Posts: 1,051 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If looking at the modular safes you put together yourself or a gun vault door SNAPSAFE may have what you are looking for.

    They have a very high fire rating and look pretty simple to assemble.

    I plan on putting one in a spare closet with a door that is not wide enough to get a normal safe into. Closet's big, door small

    http://www.snapsafe.com/
  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,519 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My first few safes, I put them in with only my father and I and they weighted over 900 lbs. That is where pvc pipe and brains come into play[;)] My fathers brains that is[:D] The last two I had put into the basement, I had two guys from Lowes bring them down. I tipped them 100 each and they didn't ask any questions or even care. They just wanted to get out of here.

    The first two are on the first floor and we just backed the pickup to the steps and rolled them off into the house, and down the hall. Easy peasy. The last two, these guys had some straps that went around the safe and under the safe. They said it was no problem.

    I don't think you can get around them not being curious when they are bringing in a "GUN SAFE". I am pretty sure they don't think your putting grandmas curios in there. [;)] JMHO. Oakie
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    I have been involved in moving large expensive objects down hallways. Think a very big crane lifting up several stories and setting the load into a loading bay, through a removable wall section on the corner of the building. Then 15,000 pounds and $17.5 million dollars of machine is pushed down the hall about a hundred yards by one man, with another in the front steering.

    They do it with compressed air sliders underneath. There's a guy who does nothing but roll along the rack of air controls, watching the pressures and flows, keeping it all balanced. Around corners, through doors and into the factory.

    That's what I always wanted, a gun safe that needed that sort of moving apparatus.

    Luckily, I could never afford enough toys to go beyond a closet space, so I've avoided the extra expense.
  • montanajoemontanajoe Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 57,893 ******
    edited November -1
    ...gonna get help with this one,,,

    2014-great-american-outdoor-show-champion-safe.jpg
  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,041 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by babun
    quote:Originally posted by Alpine
    I have my own forklift. Why would I have something delivered?


    That was YOU???

    Timothy%2BRaines%2Bforklift%2Bchase.jpg



    No. I don't have a reach forklift.
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
  • topdadtopdad Member Posts: 3,408 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    When my son worked for tractor supply, he was the safe
    delivery guy. It was done on his own, and not by TSC.
    They just referred buyers to him when they asked about
    delivery. He must have delivered hundreds of them, and
    it was surprising how many weren't for guns. He said
    some folks were secretive about their plans, but by far
    most would show off their collections of guns or what ever
    other valuables they had. I helped him with a couple of
    the big ones. It's unbelievable where some people want to
    put those things. I'm proud of my son, and don't believe
    the thought of going back into someones home after a delivery
    would ever enter his mind.
  • USN_AirdaleUSN_Airdale Member Posts: 2,987
    edited November -1
    when i bought my 1200 lb. safe from a 6' 8" 240 lb. muscleman, he delivered it, put it on 1" PVC pipe and rolled it right in place, no expensive rental equipment or fancy do-dads, he had 6 4' long PVC's when he rolled it forward i took the rear pipe and placed it in front, done that till safe was near the 6" high pedestal i made, he leaned it back and pushed it in place, i then finished the job by bolting it to the pedestal, which i constructed inside the room i had the safe placed, the pedestal weighed about 1,000 lbs it self. [:D]
  • sandman2234sandman2234 Member Posts: 894 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought one a couple weeks ago to due to a flood in the house (from plumbing). Going to have to have all the floors in the house refinished, so strange people I don't know will have access to my gun room. Picked it up at the store, they loaded. Started moving guns and quickly realized I didn't buy a big enough safe. Didn't figure my Bride would appreciate another purchase of that magnitude so I went to {elsewhere} and found another. Picked it up inside a jewelery store, had to get it out, load it, haul it home, unload and get it in the house. The second one is on wheels, non-steering, and I decided that there was too much chance of it rolling out the door, so I put a 600 pound smaller one on top of it, so it won't clear the door. Getting that second one on top was the hardest part, by far!
    David from jax
  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by montanajoe
    ...gonna get help with this one,,,

    2014-great-american-outdoor-show-champion-safe.jpg


    or these ... http://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/safe-room.html
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,724 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    bought a big safe on sale and got it home and then did some more house measuring...no way it would go unless in the dining room..close but no banana unless build supports...wife said NO.....so loaded on bucket of utility tractor and sold it to a friend about 30 miles away ...drove it on trailer here and off there and left it in his garage where X was
  • toolmaniamtoolmaniam Member Posts: 3,213
    edited November -1
    Had them load it on my trailer, took it home and unloaded it with my tractor bucket onto the deck. Then me and two of my sons took a dolly and wrestled it in the house.
Sign In or Register to comment.