Alan Adamson Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Not a thread to debate which safe, etc.... but I'm curious...How do people store their Pistols in a safe to best protect them in the case of a fire. For example.... Do you store them loose? (not in any other type of case, cover, etc), Do you store them in the snap plastic boxes that you see so many guns come in? Or do you store them in some other form of cloth type case (gun rug, etc). Reason I ask... I've heard for fires with safes and for example, guns that were stored in the plastic/foam type cases, while not burned where a melted mess. Where as guns in gun rugs were better protected. Sure this will depend on the safe used, and again, I'm not wanting to debate that aspect... Just wondering what is the best protection, while in the safe for fire. Thanks, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Adamson Posted November 6, 2011 Author Share Posted November 6, 2011 As a quick follow up... these seem to be highly recommended for inside the safe storage.... The wool/fleece would also inhibit some of the melting/burning, etc... http://www.borestores.com/index.php Still curious what others do. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) I use one of these: They make them to hold from 1 to 10 guns. Versalite Gun Racks Edited November 6, 2011 by warpspeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I keep the handguns in individual lined cases. A little housekeeping may also be in order. The only items within the safe that will easily burn are some important papers stored within a separate metal box. No ammo, primers or powder are in the safe. Although not part of your question, I feel that the location of the safe will have some bearing on the survivability of your guns. Some friends take great pride in their collections and safes and have them located in their home offices or dens. If their house burns, the rubble around the safe may burn for hours. In my case, I have the safe in the garage at the furthest corner from the house. Should the house catch fire, the unattached gargage may be spared. If not, its location is an area that will hopefully burn for the least amount of time. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGabe Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I set up some peg board with stanoffs attached to the door to hold my pistols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Homeowners insurance typically covers firearms up to your general personal possession limits for losses from fire, but limits coverage to a very small amount for losses by theft or mysterious disappearance - making protection from theft much more important than fire resistance when setting up your ordnance locker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) I am working on 18 years experience in the fire service and have mentioned this advice in quite a few threads concerning safes. GET INSURANCE ON YOUR GUNS!!!!! While a good many of the higher quality safes have a ul fire rating that appears very high (1200 degrees for 30minutes etc) what they don't specify is how the safe performs at much lower temperatures for exponentially longer time frames (24-48hrs.). Keep in mind the time from getting the fire out until you are able to safely access your safe may be a significant amount of time. Regardless of the manner in which you choose to store the firearms in the safe, I have seen firsthand, countless time where the firearms were not destroyed, however there was enough damage to the weapons to make there repair or restoration cost prohibitive. Most homeowner's/rental policies do not come close to covering the money we have in guns, get some extra. Edited November 6, 2011 by smokshwn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EkuJustice Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 +1 on the versalite gun racks. The problem with foam/cloth etc cases is it can become a breeding ground for rust. A plate rack from walmart also works well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I am working on 18 years experience in the fire service and have mentioned this advice in quite a few threads concerning safes. GET INSURANCE ON YOUR GUNS!!!!! While a good many of the higher quality safes have a ul fire rating that appears very high (1200 degrees for 30minutes etc) what they don't specify is how the safe performs at much lower temperatures for exponentially longer time frames (24-48hrs.). Keep in mind the time from getting the fire out until you are able to safely access your safe may be a significant amount of time. Regardless of the manner in which you choose to store the firearms in the safe, I have seen firsthand, countless time where the firearms were not destroyed, however there was enough damage to the weapons to make there repair or restoration cost prohibitive. Most homeowner's/rental policies do not come close to covering the money we have in guns, get some extra. I could not agree MORE! I have extra insurance on my guns, and I pay very little for the coverage I get. Replacement value with NO DEDUCTIBLE. My Homeowners ins. only covers $2000 for firearms, and that's AFTER the deductible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Just curious - who do you guys have your insurance through? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Guy locally had a major fire in his gun area. Powder & primers going up and all. The open guns stashed in the safe in padded Dawson bags survived. Maybe the insulation helped, maybe just luck, maybe just Dawson bags are that good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Mine is through Grange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSteel Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Off Topic..... Chris, my cousins and I had Mattel Sonic Blasters as kids. Had to use 2 fingers on the trigger after we had the dad's pump them up.... Great Avatar!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 My Homeowners ins. only covers $2000 for firearms, and that's AFTER the deductible. I suggest you re-read your policy. Most policies have low dollar limits on certain items like firearms for losses by theft (as such items post a particularly high theft risk), but do not impose any such limit for loss by fire. It's something to consider when deciding between a couple of safes and one is thicker steel but less fire resistance than than the other - forcing a trade-off between the two. Most policies consider firearms lost by fire to be covered under the "household contents" limitation, with no separate cap. Another thing to consider (and not just because of the gun issue) is to pay for a "replacement cost endorsement", since absent such an endorsement, EVERYTHING you own will be depreciated based on its useful life - and you may find that your furniture, clothes, guns, antique dildo collection, and household furnishings are only paid at 50% of what it costs to replace them. If you have guns lost by theft, be sure to itemize the scopes as a separate item. I know this worked for a friend who lost some guns in a residential burglary about 20 years ago. While a good many of the higher quality safes have a ul fire rating that appears very high (1200 degrees for 30minutes etc) Actual UL ratings on gun safes are pretty rare - usually, it's "self rated" or a rating from a second tier testing lab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 (edited) My Homeowners ins. only covers $2000 for firearms, and that's AFTER the deductible. I suggest you re-read your policy. Most policies have low dollar limits on certain items like firearms for losses by theft (as such items post a particularly high theft risk), but do not impose any such limit for loss by fire. It's something to consider when deciding between a couple of safes and one is thicker steel but less fire resistance than than the other - forcing a trade-off between the two. Most policies consider firearms lost by fire to be covered under the "household contents" limitation, with no separate cap. If you have guns lost by theft, be sure to itemize the scopes as a separate item. I know this worked for a friend who lost some guns in a residential burglary about 20 years ago. Having just changed insurance carriers this last year I found this to not be the case. Of the 9 different companies I got quotes from (Dave I am with Farm Bureau now) only one had a firearms (called sporting goods) limit of $5000 the others varied from $1000-2000. Only one included sporting goods (firearms) as household contents. Obviously YMMV but it seemed that almost every insurance company had built in reservations about covering firearms and/or paying out firearm claims should they become damaged under the policy. Infer what you will about said companies but I would have never went through 9 quotes if that wasn't the case. While a good many of the higher quality safes have a ul fire rating that appears very high (1200 degrees for 30minutes etc) Actual UL ratings on gun safes are pretty rare - usually, it's "self rated" or a rating from a second tier testing lab. That's why I included a qualifier to show that even a high quality safe with a UL listing was not foolproof or that at the very least many interpretations can be applied to the standard rating. Now to the specifics of my coverage, the company I am with allowed me to increase my contents coverage to include my firearms while in my home and I was able to purchase a rider that covers up to three firearms and accessories anywhere I am traveling in CONUS ($15000 CAP). Edited November 7, 2011 by smokshwn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prreed10 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I'm insured through Collectables Insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbear Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 i have mine insured through state farm under a personal articles policy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill M Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I had a house fire about 18 months ago. My guns were in a well rated safe. The outcome for the guns and scopes was not a good one. The water the firefighters used turned to steam, which by time I got my safe open rust was everywhere. The scopes got looked like the glass was etched. My important papers that were in a safe in the safe looked like nothing happened, so I was lucky there. Though I totaled all my guns, the biggest lost was my dog. Our insurance company actually took care of us better than we ever hoped for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogiebb Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 (edited) I have mine thru State Farm as well under a "Personal Articles Policy" best thing is that its not a rider/endorsement its a "policy" that covers me even on "Mysterious Disapearance" with NO Ded... how do i know? i wrote my own policy Edited November 7, 2011 by ogiebb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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