So, the other day i realized something was wrong with my safe and that i could essentially pull the door right open when the safe is 'locked'. It's a Stack on Buck Commander 24 gun safe. Anyhow, fast forward a few days and today the locksmith came. He basically looked at it for a few minutes and said it was defective, and contacted them and told them to refund/replace the safe as it is irreparable. The issue was that the bolts didn't stick out far enough, so it is either a huge design flaw or defect with the welds.
Now, i'm not bashing stack on as their customer service was superb, to be honest; emails were responded to within MINUTES, and not even a week later they have scheduled someone to pick up this safe and i am getting a check in the mail (rather than a replacement; NO THANKS) for the cost of this safe (600$).

Anyhow, on to the real topic...

Now that i will have no safe soon enough, i'm looking for a replacement. I loved this safe with the door organizer and all, but a safe full of firearms with my daughter in the house that doesn't stay closed is a no-go, even though she can't pull it open herself. Does anyone have any suggestions on a somewhat affordable, GOOD, SECURE safe? Has to be at least the same size if not bigger. This one is the 24 gun model with the door organizer (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Buck-Commander-24-Gun-Fire-Resistant-Electronic-Lock-Safe-Matte-Black-BC-24-MB-E-S/206049197?keyword=buck+commander+24+gun)

Sure enough, it's now discontinued; i wonder why....
I'm willing to put more than the 600$ i am getting back into a new safe; lets say up to $1,000 or so. This one is about 23.5"x20x55. I was thinking of getting something larger but there isn't much more space to fit one, i can only squeeze a couple of inches more in the space i have. I also live in a Mobile Home, so weight has to be fairly minimal.. I had this thing full of ammo and ammo cans full (easily 150lbs or so) on top, nevermind what was in the safe and the safe weight itself, so i'm not worried too much, but i do have to get it in the house in one piece and would rather not find out the hard way how much weight my floor will hold. Has to be fireproof with at least the same rating as my current safe. Not worried about waterproof as my safe is 4' or so off the ground.
Please chime in, i'd like to get one ordered by this weekend so i have somewhere to put my stuff. Sorry for starting so many threads, but now that i have a bunch of guns i'm trying to perfect all of the stuff that surrounds them (optics, safety eqpmt, etc), nor did i expect my safe to open when locked... SMH

First, no NJ state sales tax on gun safes.  Exempt from tax by law if purchased in NJ.

Second, given your budget, check out the safes at your nearest Tractor Supply, Costco, and I am sure some others will recommend a few other places.  If delivery is a consideration then that has to figured in also.

Not too worried about delivery, i drive an F150 and can bribe a few buddies with beer again to help get this safe in....... again.
Yes, i know no NJ sales tax on Safes; that is certainly a plus. I'll be keeping an eye out online. I'm not sure costco and such stock them on hand, and most places that keep them on hand are stack on/rebranded stack on safes (ie field and stream, etc).
While they have great customer service- and ill be totally honest about that- i'm not sure i want to go through this crap 4 months into owning a safe again. Not sure if to give them another shot or get something else.. I can have them deliver the same safe to my home as an exchange/replacement, but im really not sure i want to do that; i think this is a sign that i ought to maybe spend a bit more and get something more secure.

I can't help you with your question other than that you can get a higher quality safe if you are willing to go used. But you should probably support your floor from under the trailer. Even if it doesn't fall through right away you are putting much more stress on the floor than it was designed for. Even in a regular house I called my architect to find out a safe place to put a 95 gallon fish tank on a second floor.

Most cheaper safes you can pick with nothing more then a Bobby pin or paper clip. Read cheap as in sub $1000. I have a stack on and it's fine for its purpose, to keep nosy hands off my guns and in the case of an emergency buy me a few minutes to retrieve my other stashed firearms. Quality safes are kind of a go big or go home kind of deal and I don't have a better option for you. I'd search around to find something that meets your criteria, you might want something RIGHT NOW but you also want to score a nice deal

 

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Did ya check Craigs list? Seems there's always safes on there that got too small.

The defect was the "Stack-on" label on the box.

 

You might take a look at Sturdy Safe for that price range and size.

The specs on the safe you purchased say it is a fire only safe. As others have said safes in this price range are not going to stop a determined thief but they should at least stop your kids.

 

Check out the Bighorn safe at Costco which is on sale now at $599 (they run these sales throughout the year). It is a little larger than the one you had.

 

http://www.costco.com/BIGHORN-Safe-%7C-19.1-CuFt-%7C-30-min-Fire-Protection-%7C-59%22H-x-28%22W-x-20%22D-%7C-Electronic-Lock.product.11625662.html

Comment about the safes with the electronic combos.

If the safe is in a fire and the combo melts off how do ya get in? I have a friend who is a locksmith and he swears he can get in any safe with the electronic keypad.

I have a 200 year old safe with 4" walls stuffed with white hard powdery stuff,  asbestos I'm figuring, the locksmith who showed me how to change the combo swears no one will ever get into it.

Why not look for an older one with the old combo lock?

As others have said, in that price range you're looking at RSCs not safes.

 

In either case, look at Sturdy, amsec, graffeunder, etc.

 

Spend a little more but it'll be much more secure.

 

One more point - forego fire proofing for more security. If any of these containers end up in a fire, the contents are going to be ruined anyways.

 

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If the safe is in a fire and the combo melts off how do ya get in? I have a friend who is a locksmith and he swears he can get in any safe with the electronic keypad

Many have a keyed backup. And a good locksmith would also be able to get into any safe with a combination lock.

In either case, look at Sturdy, amsec, graffeunder, etc.

 

Spend a little more but it'll be much more secure.

 

One more point - forego fire proofing for more security. If any of these containers end up in a fire, the contents are going to be ruined anyways.

 

So going with these brands would be a much better choice than the Costco sale?

So going with these brands would be a much better choice than the Costco sale?

Different animals all together.

 

Bighorn and the like don't hold a candle to real safes.

 

It really depends on what your security needs are.

 

 

 

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The more you have to spend the better safe you can get (generally speaking). But often you are getting just a larger safe not a more secure safe.

 

Most safes are rated RSC (UL Label - Residential Security Container) so they tend to be easier to break into (check Youtube for some interesting video's). This rating will withstand 5 minutes of attack without using any sophisticated tools. The higher ratings of TL-15 and TL-30 can withstand up to 15/30 minutes but using more power equipment. Their prices are significantly higher.

 

Some safes have no ratings so you might want to stay away from them.

 

And as others have said you will always (ALWAYS!) outgrow the safe and want a larger one.

I ended up with a Liberty Revolution 18 and I'm very happy with it's quality.  It may be a little overpriced, but I am very happy with it.  Still as others said is a RSC, not a SAFE!  But for me, it fits my current needs

 

The new models are the Centurion and they have a 24 gun model that is currently on sale for 699 (http://www.libertysafe.com/safe-centurion-safes-ps-23.html?tab=colors)

Also comes with a door organizer right now.

 

There is a NJ dealer in south Jersey, where I got mine from and was very happy with their service.

 

Good Luck

I can't help you with your question other than that you can get a higher quality safe if you are willing to go used. But you should probably support your floor from under the trailer. Even if it doesn't fall through right away you are putting much more stress on the floor than it was designed for. Even in a regular house I called my architect to find out a safe place to put a 95 gallon fish tank on a second floor.

I agree. My safe is placed on one of the (really large) metal beams, and its a new home so its relatively strong. A 95 gallon tank is much heavier though, even per sqft. I had a 75 in here briefly and i was too scared even with bracing and its been in my mothers garage since.

I saw the liberty sale.

 

I am also fully aware that they are not super safes, ANYTHING can be broken into. Im not building ft nox i just want something thatll put up a fight, not something where the door will open when you yank on it and its supposed to be locked.

I am limited by weight, so anything insane is going to be too heavy, anyways.

As for fire proofing, i realize that its fairly pointless unless i get the higher end stuff (2hr fire rating, etc.); i dont care for the fire proofing but its standard on most low end safes or whatever you would rather call them.

So, ill reword it.

Id like a metal box that is slightly harder to get into and is somewhat affordable.

Keypad a must for quick access, but must have a keyed backup.

 

As for the keypad melting, you can get in with a grinder or the backup key. Either works.

Lambo, here's a place you should look into; https://www.lackasafe.com/

Btw, if you own a Lambo, you can't skimp on a safe

Hahaha it's just a username that i've been using from back when my father had a Lambo kit car (was actually a VW or something, i believe, but it sure as hell looked cool).
I'll check it out; thanks!

They don't have a fancy showroom, it's a warehouse, but well stocked. They sell and refurb real safes. Looks like they do quality work. Very knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with.

I have a Cannon from Costco. It's fine for a smash and grab. If you can, use the bolt holes in the bottom to bolt it to the floor. It's a lot more difficult to pry open a standing safe. Thieves will tip the safe, as it is easier to get leverage. There are many YouTube videos about prying open tipped safes, and some companies use them as demos to show off their products.

Yeah i'll probably end up getting a cannon or something like that. Seems like thats all there really is at/under a grand. The Liberty safes are nice but the lower end ones don't seem to be the greatest and the price jumps from 700$ to nearly twice that to upgrade to the slightly higher end units.
Might end up getting stuck with another rebranded Stack on or Buffalo or Cannon or something. Think i might see if they could still just replace this one for me and i'll just get a bigger/better safe for firearms when i move, and just use this one as an Ammo safe (i'll remove the partition and what not and just put shelves in it for valuables and ammo and stuff) in my future garage or basement or whatever.

 

Also, my safe IS bolted to the ground. Or, well, i put two Lag's into the floor. Not Optimal, but just further delaying the inevitable. Unfortunately, the way my home is i have no access to the underneath because its covered with this thick plastic stuff that is full of insulation to protect the pipes and what not under the home, otherwise i'd weld up a custom plate that would really make it impossible to remove without climbing under the home to unbolt the safe. Hopefully i'll move out of here and to a bigger place sooner rather than later. I contemplated bolting it to the wall as well. Might do so this time around.
 

Yeah i'll probably end up getting a cannon or something like that. Seems like thats all there really is at/under a grand. The Liberty safes are nice but the lower end ones don't seem to be the greatest and the price jumps from 700$ to nearly twice that to upgrade to the slightly higher end units.

Might end up getting stuck with another rebranded Stack on or Buffalo or Cannon or something. Think i might see if they could still just replace this one for me and i'll just get a bigger/better safe for firearms when i move, and just use this one as an Ammo safe (i'll remove the partition and what not and just put shelves in it for valuables and ammo and stuff) in my future garage or basement or whatever.

 

Also, my safe IS bolted to the ground. Or, well, i put two Lag's into the floor. Not Optimal, but just further delaying the inevitable. Unfortunately, the way my home is i have no access to the underneath because its covered with this thick plastic stuff that is full of insulation to protect the pipes and what not under the home, otherwise i'd weld up a custom plate that would really make it impossible to remove without climbing under the home to unbolt the safe. Hopefully i'll move out of here and to a bigger place sooner rather than later. I contemplated bolting it to the wall as well. Might do so this time around.

 

You can always invest in a security system with cameras. I know it's to late by that time but at least a piece of mind and helpful it they're on camera.

You can always invest in a security system with cameras. I know it's to late by that time but at least a piece of mind and helpful it they're on camera.

That coupled with a dog is a good starting point.

 

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I considered it but a mobile home in a park with a bunch of outdoor security cameras is a bit shady. Im fairly sure it would draw attention and curiosity, and if anything itd make my home a bigger target. Theyd also probably think i was cookin' something, and i dont mean dinnet. Im going to have to find something soon and order it, in the meantime ill delay the trucking company as much as possible. I like the centurion but then i have no space for my handguns; this one has a nice door organizer. Seems like prices have gone up, too, so my 600 bucks wont get me much, now.

... this one has a nice door organizer....

Keep in mind that the door organizers take space from the shelves in the safe (the front to back space is a bit smaller with a door organizer).

On SOME models. The stack ons i saw that dont have one still seem to have the same sized shelves, i think. Could be a slight difference, i probably wouldn't notice.

As for dogs, can't have em where i live. Sucks, but on the other hand my place is too small and i don't have a big enough yard. I'd go nuts having to walk the dog multiple times a day... Don't have the time for that crap.

As for dogs, can't have em where i live. Sucks, but on the other hand my place is too small and i don't have a big enough yard. I'd go nuts having to walk the dog multiple times a day... Don't have the time for that crap.

Put a very very large dog water bowl next to the door. Also get a chewed on very large dog toy next to that. Can't hurt.

OP: Not sure if you've seen this link or not. You should. Besides safe reviews, he also has alternative storage methods.

LOL my own safe story, OK I'll embarrass my self here.

Who remembers the government auctions when they had the book the size of a 1" phonebook back in the late 80's early 90's?  I do... had a friend buy some really nice stuff super cheap at Picatinny Arsenal so he said you know they safes. I was building a new home I sad Ok sounds good, they had a double door measuring about 72"x60"x30" deep, cool I put a bid of like $30.00 and won, awesome. Well you had 24hrs to remove so I get a trailer and 3-4 friends and drive to get it.
OK this is where dumb sets in. It was laying down on it's back. We couldn't even pick up one of the doors open. We couldn't move it. So some guy comes over in the hugw forklift with 4' tires and said I'll put it on the trailer but guarantee the tires will pop or axle will break. Needless to say I donated to our government.

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