Safes: Cannon - Mesa - Liberty - Sentry

[Daedalus]

I find myself in the market for a safe. Not a room size mega, end of the world gunsafe nor a stick it in your pocket biometric handgun safe. Somewhere in between. Actually, I think what I need is what the marketeers call a personal or executive safe. The search has gone on via the Intranet for a week or so and my eyes are getting bloodshot. I have almost clicked the 'buy' button several times thinking my decision was made. There is always 'just one more' to consider that pops up on the screen.

This will be a handgun only safe with some jewelry and papers thrown in, but not the priority. A 24" height would be ideal as it would slip under the corner return (if that's what it's called) of my desk. Keeping small fingers off of my guns is the primary objective.

You will see by the title of this post I am not looking at high end safes. I'd like to keep the cost around $500 or less so my choices become more limited.

I had almost decided on the Mesa MBF2020 with combination lock. Issues here - they are not available until the end of March apparently because of a 'model year' change. The 2012 model will allegedly be Hammertone Gray. Sounds ugly, but not a show stopper. I then ran across a single review that said Mesa is a POS. Poor quality and finish. Too bad if true. The best price I can find is $519 from Surefire Gun Safes. Has anyone here actually owned or checked one out?

Putting that on the back shelf I then continued the search and the next finalist was the Sentry D880. It's $551 including tax and delivery from Lowe's. I'm comfortable dealing with Lowe's and am confident there would be no problem with returning it if any issues. It also has a combination lock which I prefer to electronic. This is a security safe, not a fire safe, but I'm OK with that. Do you have one or strongly considered this box?

Just this morning the Internet put three new candidates on my list. I don’t know how I missed them before, but I did. The following three appear to be out of the same factory, no doubt Chinesium, and do not appear on the manufacturer’s websites. Strange. They are the Cannon H4, Liberty LH08 and maybe the Cannon EV8. The H4 is $540 at Sam’s Club, the LH08 is $427 at Lowe’s and the EV8 taller and $679 at Costco. What do you know about these alternatives?

Sorry for the long post but my head is swimming. Inputs are very much welcomed!

[sdmc530]

I have two safes,
1. A Champion Trophy 30. I paid 1400 for it. I really like it, combination dial, fit and finish is spectacular. Very heavy and secure. Interior is nice, but could be better imo, but it does the job very well.
2. I have a liberty Centurion, its a 17 gun holder I think or something like that. I got it at lowes for 400 last year. Its doesn't have the fire rating or the nice finish but its still a nice safe. I prefer the inside on the Liberty to my Chapmtion though. All in all both very nice.
Definatly go with the dial lock, my father in law got a safe at Menards I think a Canon and it had a digital lock and has issues with it from time to time. I know because he calls me to come fix it! I have a golden rod in each one too, makes a difference in my weather climate!

Hope this helps out....

[Daedalus]

I have two safes,
1. A Champion Trophy 30. I paid 1400 for it. I really like it, combination dial, fit and finish is spectacular. Very heavy and secure. Interior is nice, but could be better imo, but it does the job very well.
2. I have a liberty Centurion, its a 17 gun holder I think or something like that. I got it at lowes for 400 last year. Its doesn't have the fire rating or the nice finish but its still a nice safe. I prefer the inside on the Liberty to my Champion though. All in all both very nice.
Definatly go with the dial lock, my father in law got a safe at Menards I think a Canon and it had a digital lock and has issues with it from time to time. I know because he calls me to come fix it! I have a golden rod in each one too, makes a difference in my weather climate!

Hope this helps out....

It sure does. thanks! The Champion is way above my wallet stress point though. A mechanical lock is a strong preference. I appreciate the inputs.

Jack

[Grouse]

I find myself in the market for a safe. Not a room size mega, end of the world gunsafe nor a stick it in your pocket biometric handgun safe. Somewhere in between. Actually, I think what I need is what the marketeers call a personal or executive safe. The search has gone on via the Intranet for a week or so and my eyes are getting bloodshot. I have almost clicked the 'buy' button several times thinking my decision was made. There is always 'just one more' to consider that pops up on the screen.

This will be a handgun only safe with some jewelry and papers thrown in, but not the priority. A 24" height would be ideal as it would slip under the corner return (if that's what it's called) of my desk. Keeping small fingers off of my guns is the primary objective.

You will see by the title of this post I am not looking at high end safes. I'd like to keep the cost around $500 or less so my choices become more limited.

I had almost decided on the Mesa MBF2020 with combination lock. Issues here - they are not available until the end of March apparently because of a 'model year' change. The 2012 model will allegedly be Hammertone Gray. Sounds ugly, but not a show stopper. I then ran across a single review that said Mesa is a POS. Poor quality and finish. Too bad if true. The best price I can find is $519 from Surefire Gun Safes. Has anyone here actually owned or checked one out?

Putting that on the back shelf I then continued the search and the next finalist was the Sentry D880. It's $551 including tax and delivery from Lowe's. I'm comfortable dealing with Lowe's and am confident there would be no problem with returning it if any issues. It also has a combination lock which I prefer to electronic. This is a security safe, not a fire safe, but I'm OK with that. Do you have one or strongly considered this box?

Just this morning the Internet put three new candidates on my list. I don’t know how I missed them before, but I did. The following three appear to be out of the same factory, no doubt Chinesium, and do not appear on the manufacturer’s websites. Strange. They are the Cannon H4, Liberty LH08 and maybe the Cannon EV8. The H4 is $540 at Sam’s Club, the LH08 is $427 at Lowe’s and the EV8 taller and $679 at Costco. What do you know about these alternatives?

Sorry for the long post but my head is swimming. Inputs are very much welcomed!

Well I have more than one safe. All fort knox
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/314746_162789133811404_100002409569163_295115_9150 95067_n.jpg

24x24x60, 26x240x70 times 2.

What you are looking at is a Chinese made safe, at best final assembly in the us. Quality will not be the best. All that being said. safes are nothing but time wasters for crooks. Any crook can get into any safe given enough time. Often the more you spend the more time you get for the frustrating the crooks. Also fire rating should be top consideration.

So it is a given that at this price point it is a chinese safe. What to look for is the UL rating and the tests involved. If it matches UL fire rating it will likely be enough to keep crooks out. As you can see i have 1 dial and two electronic locks. I prefer the electronic.

If it was my choice at that price point i would probably go canon.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11680397&whse=BC&topnav=&cm_sp=RichRelevance-_-categorypageHorizontalTop-_-PopularProductsInCategory&cm_vc=categorypageHorizontalTop|Popular

costco will deliver it to your door. What can you expect at that price point. A safe that will stop most snatch and grab thieves and about 1200 degrees for an hour. Is that worth 5-600 bucks. If you don't have a safe, yes it is in my opinion. If you are looking for a second safe, well I would save up for a US made safe.

as for all the vids out there showing people breaking into them. well yeah, as i said all you really are buying is time. The key is to balance the time you can afford with the money you are willing to spend.

[sdmc530]

It sure does. thanks! The Champion is way above my wallet stress point though. A mechanical lock is a strong preference. I appreciate the inputs.

Jack

Jack, make sure you post what you get. I know I saved two years for a Champion and wish I would of bought 3 not so pretty safes...oh well, it sure looks pretty though, and my neibore is jelouse as hell!

[Dave Waits]

Well, a handgun-only gunsafe isn't really a great idea. Even the heaviest can easily be carried by two men. I have two Gunsafes; A big Browning(875 pounds) with a five-digit spindial and a Steelwater with an Electronic(560-pounds). Of all the gunsafes I looked at the Steelwater was the best safe for the money. It has a lot of features usually found in upper-end safes. If you go to their website, you'll see what I mean. They even dropped on off the end of a forktruck at about twenty feet and it wouldn't open. This was after they busted the dial off,tried to force the lock through the dial-hole, attacked it repeatedly with six foot prybars, cut the hinges off, attacked it with an Ax and several other methods. It's a nineteen gun safe, I bought it for $766.00 delivered to my Deck.
www.steelwatergunsafes.com

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii180/retmsgt123/IMG_0058.jpg

[skosh69]

Well, a handgun-only gunsafe isn't really a great idea.

Well, guess you would not approve of my safe. I bought this same exact safe, but from Costco. Only paid $299 for it and yes, it's bolted down.

http://winchestersafes.com/Home7-GraniteGloss-1.aspx

I did not need a long gun safe, have no plans for any rifles.

[sdmc530]

Well, guess you would not approve of my safe. I bought this same exact safe, but from Costco. Only paid $299 for it and yes, it's bolted down.

http://winchestersafes.com/Home7-GraniteGloss-1.aspx

I did not need a long gun safe, have no plans for any rifles.

YOu got her bolted down, they are not going to get it out, unless you have a wooden floor. You got your bases covered!:cool:

[Snipersnest]

This might help you.

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

[DaFadda]

Daedalus,
I'll weigh in on this discussion. Attached are two photos. In the first, you'll see my Centurion, which I purchased from a divorcing couple for $200. SHE told me I could keep whatever was inside. Just wanted it out of the house. Next to the Centurion is a smaller safe that I purchased from a Credit Union that was closing one of it's offices. The safe is made out of 5/4 welded steel plate and weighs about 875 lbs. I paid $75 for it and had a locksmith change the combo for another $25. Second pic is of the second safe that I bought from the same Credit Union. $50 and $25 to change the combo (same visit by the Locksmith).

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g407/DaFadda/P1020546.jpg

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g407/DaFadda/P1020545.jpg

Take your time. Look for banks/credit unions that are closing. They open and close branches all the time. They do NOT want to deal with moving or storing safes. So... they go out the door at a ridiculously low price. The safe company offered to pick them up FOR $100. They would then scrap them.

DaFadda

[Daedalus]

Thanks for all the info, team. I wish I could put in a full size gun safe. Actually, I can afford the safe but the alimony would ruin it for me :p

The smaller 'credit union' safes are exactly what I have been looking for. No luck yet, but I will continue to haunt Craigslist. The small community bank in my hamlet just closed down. Sorry to say they didn't sell off any goodies!

Meanwhile, I am going to stop at Cabela's tomorrow while I'm in the area. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky on an in-store unannounced sale.

[DaFadda]

Daed... Yes they did sell stuff off. And if a branch has closed... call the main office and ask. If the main has closed, look em up on the web and find someone who is "in charge." Serious.... my Mrs works for a Credit Union. She's the one who taught me this trick. lol... in fact.... she's taught me LOTS of tricks....
DaFadda

[Daedalus]

Well, checked out the Chinesium low end Liberty 'safe' at Cabela's yesterday. It looks like a nice piece from the outside, there just isn't much to it. In all honesty it would fill the bill for keeping grandkid fingers off of the bang switches.

Tomorrow I will be checking out a used Gardall fire/security safe. The price is right, it has surface rust and does not look 'pretty'. Maybe I will come home with a project - who knows?

[sdmc530]

Well, checked out the Chinesium low end Liberty 'safe' at Cabela's yesterday. It looks like a nice piece from the outside, there just isn't much to it. In all honesty it would fill the bill for keeping grandkid fingers off of the bang switches.

Tomorrow I will be checking out a used Gardall fire/security safe. The price is right, it has surface rust and does not look 'pretty'. Maybe I will come home with a project - who knows?

They are really easy to refinish, the inside and outside. The outside can be painted like a classic car, really easy. The inside is easy too....a really fun project I would say for the right price...good luck!

[DaFadda]

Good luck Daedalus

[Daedalus]

The small Gardall model 1511 (used) was the wining candidate. I'll take some before and after photos when I start the cleanup. It's actually a lot better looking in person than it looked like in the Craigslist ad.

I couldn't pull off the DaFadda level of a deal, but it was 'more than reasonable'.

Thanks for the input, guys.l

[Neener Neener]

I have a Liberty, which is a fantastic safe. That being said, I wish I would have know about Cannons at the time. Their warranty blows Liberty's away......or at least used to. At one time they paid shipping both ways if it had to go back to the factory.

[Daedalus]

It is not ideal but the price was very right. A fair amount of the crud and some of the surface rust came off with 0000 steel wool. I may tweak it a bit more in the future but, for now, it's good to go.

Here are quick before and after shots:

BEFORE CLEANING
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a112/daedalusnj/Before1.jpg


AFTER CLEANING
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a112/daedalusnj/After1.jpg

[sdmc530]

I like it.....I would paint that thing so glossy and have the chrome redone you could land a 787 with it...I really like that style, classic!

[DaFadda]

GREAT! For the cost of some 1/4" diamond aluminum plate at Home Depotty.... you can create additional shelves. Hope you got a good price on it. It will last for many many years!!
daFadda

[Daedalus]

Thanks, guys. I ordered some of the special shelf clips online today. I hadn't thought of diamond plate; that's an interesting idea. My plan was simple plywood with carpeting or something to cover it up. Then a couple of those handgun holder rack things.

[Riverpigusmc]

I have a Liberty, which is a fantastic safe. That being said, I wish I would have know about Cannons at the time. Their warranty blows Liberty's away......or at least used to. At one time they paid shipping both ways if it had to go back to the factory.

If anyone tries to break in your safe or if it is in a fire, Liberty will now replace the safe..they stepped up their game

[Riverpigusmc]

Kewl beans..glad you found something that works for you

[DaFadda]

Just out of curiosity..... What's the combination? I'd like to see if its the same as mine.:outta:

DaFadda

[Daedalus]

Just out of curiosity..... What's the combination? I'd like to see if its the same as mine.:outta:

DaFadda

Ummmm... good thing you are a man of the cloth, Fadda! :)

Actually, I don't know. Do you mean I need to know the numbers for that spinning thingy to get it open again?

[sdmc530]

funny story, I got my Chapion safe and it was shipped to my via con-way freight. anyways during shipping the combination had changed from the factory, I couln't get it open. I called Champion and they helped but it took me 3 hours of "fiddeling" to get it open....crazy, now my combination is not even on file with Champion....I like it that way though.