Greetings-
I just bought a gun safe and thought my experience might be helpful.
I just upgraded from a Granite insulated safe and an Amsec uninsulated safe. The Granite is a nice safe but small. My Amsec is the bottom of their line and is essentially just a sheet metal box (a �residential security container�). It does serve to keep kids out and would probably defeat a determined middle school student, but I finally realized I needed something better. The main thing that convinced me was a visit to my insurance broker to review my homeowner�s coverage. Once I realized how limited my coverage for loss or fire really is I got more serious about upgrading. I did the usual internet research and settled on Sturdy Safe. I also considered the well regarded Amsec BF series.
I ordered a fire insulated Model 6028-6 upgraded with a 4 gauge body and a 3/8 door. It measures 60wx28dx72h and has a 56 gun capacity. It�s their largest standard size. I called Sturdy rather than use their online ordering system and they gave me a break for paying cash up front and I also got a sale price. I would not have gotten the discounts if I had ordered on-line, so it pays to call.
They promised delivery in five weeks and I had the safe sitting in my driveway in six weeks. Shipping weight on the pallet was 1850 pounds. � This thing is a beast. The trucker who delivered it to my driveway told me this was the heaviest residential delivery he had ever made. I had made arrangements for a local moving company to move it into my walk in basement. I told them how much it weighed on the phone. In spite of that, on moving day three guys showed up with a small hand truck. After a brief attempt, cell phones came out, calls were made, more people showed up, more calls were made, still more people and equipment arrived � eventually nine strong men and a heavy cart got the job done. My tip exceeded the cost of the move but was well worth it. I am sincerely glad I try to go the case of beer and a few buddies route!
This heavy safe is now securely bolted to the concrete floor of my basement. In my opinion, this safe has to be bolted down. That may be different for other sizes, but the door on this model is so wide and heavy I could easily see it over balancing the safe and causing it to fall forward. That would be real bad � your widow would end up selling all your stuff. For your own safety I think bolting is a requirement. Besides, a one ton safe bolted to a concrete floor should keep the casual criminal at bay. Also, for a safe of this size you need a concrete floor � I would not consider this for a regular floor.
Overall, I am pleased with the safe. With this company you get a lot of steel, quality welds and a very robust design. However, you do not get anything in the way of niceties. The inside is spray-painted � there is no carpet at all. The shelves are made from plywood wrapped with fabric and stapled. It�s neat and workmanlike, but not at all fancy. You'll even need to provide your own plywood for the bottom of the safe to hide the heads of the bolts you use to secure it to the floor. Sturdy just provides a very thin piece of fabric-like carpet. The standard gun rack is made of welded square tubing with a rubber holder glued to it. Again, it�s strong, secure and plain. The pictures on their website are accurate � what you see is what you get. However, the comparable AMSEC was several hundred dollars more � I would rather have the money than the carpet. I added a goldenrod and a lighting kit and am super happy.
The folks at Sturdy were great to deal with � responsive and friendly. I built a sub-base to hold it a few inches off the floor and they sent me accurate dimensions and photos ahead of time � it really helped. In all, this safe cost me the equivalent of a few guns, but now they are reasonably safe. I would recommend you consider this company; I would do business with them again.
Mark
