Gun safes

[gunner40sw]

I figured this might be the best place for this question. I needed some more room so I got a great deal on a used gun safe yesterday. I have my other safe in my basement but this one is to large to fit in the house so it will have to stay in the attached garage. I live in northern Illinois and the garage is not heated so what do I have to do so my guns will not be affected by the temperature changes. 

[LuvDog]

If you can, put it against a shared wall with the house interior.  Also desiccant packs and a golden rod or golden rods depending on its size.  A small computer fan to circulate air would also help.

[malobukov]

Temperature is not a problem, but humidity is. Too much and steel starts to rust, too little and wood starts to crack.

 

In my experience dehumidifiers you can put in the safe are not as effective as a dehumidifier you put in the room where the safe is. But with large temperature swings even that won't work, as relative humidity depends on temperature.

[jim m]

I'm in NE IL. also. Raise it up off the floor, a skid or 2/4's.  golden rod,  inside wall of garage if possible.  should be good to go.

[Smithcity]

Agreed, fight the humidity, Illinois is damn humid. Or....get rid of the safe and go for the Secure-It Model 52 and put it in your closet. When I fill my ridiculously heavy safe, I'm expanding into secure it safes, makes more sense.

[Mercs]

I live in northern IL and my advice is not to store guns in your garage, period. Unless it’s climate controlled you are fighting an uphill battle. It’s like trying to build a house on a swamp


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[38super]

Use a 20W incandescent bulb

[quiller]

On 8/3/2018 at 6:42 PM, jim m said:

I'm in NE IL. also. Raise it up off the floor, a skid or 2/4's.  golden rod,  inside wall of garage if possible.  should be good to go.

Second this. Off the ground will allow air to circulate and the golden rod will keep the inside nice and thoasty. 

[David.Hylton]

If it is off the floor then a jack or furniture/appliance dolly can get under it.  Make sure it is anchored securely so it doesn't walk away. Use and interior wall. Crooks can cut through an exterior wall and take it all.

 

I use a string of rope lights to heat the safe which reduces the humidity.  The light is a bonus.

 

 

[Mercs]

If you’re in a populated area, it’s really not a good idea to put a safe in your garage. The garage is the easiest to break into. Can someone see the safe if the garage door happens to be open? You can bolt the safe down all you want, but it likely won’t take longer than 5 minutes to cut through it with a carbide cutting wheel or even a plain old fiber wheel. I know huge safes bolted down were always a thing, the pastime carrying through the 1980’s; but with the advent of the cordless angle grinder, no one takes the whole safe anymore. Not trying to be a smartass, just grew up in Chicago where one needs to really weigh all these factors heavily. That’s my two cents on that

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stuey]

If you’re in a populated area, it’s really not a good idea to put a safe in your garage. The garage is the easiest to break into. Can someone see the safe if the garage door happens to be open? You can bolt the safe down all you want, but it likely won’t take longer than 5 minutes to cut through it with a carbide cutting wheel or even a plain old fiber wheel. I know huge safes bolted down were always a thing, the pastime carrying through the 1980’s; but with the advent of the cordless angle grinder, no one takes the whole safe anymore. Not trying to be a smartass, just grew up in Chicago where one needs to really weigh all these factors heavily. That’s my two cents on that
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I am going to second this advice. The last place you want to put a safe is in the garage. You have temperature issues and it is a security risk. There have been instances where thieves have used tools in a persons own garage to get into a safe. If you talk to police or security experts they will tell you not to put it in the garage. In the house you have another layer of defense protecting your valuables.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jimboslice]

Just to add to what a few others are saying... a non climate controlled garage is a bad place to put it if you're worried about the "fire rating" because over time the expansion foam that seals the door if a fire happens, can rot because of too many large temperature swings. it might not be as big of an issue where there's higher humidity year round but here in the west it rarely gets over 50% humidity for most of the year.