Safe Rooms

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onJuly 29th, 2011

When I say “safe room,” one of two things probably comes to mind—a place to hide from home invasion, or a place to store a lot of guns.

Actually, you can have either or both with a little clever architecture. If you want a truly secure panic room, you will need to have reinforced walls, floor, and ceiling, and methods that go beyond the scope of this post. However, if all you need is a secure place to regroup and call for help, or store a large number of valuables, you can achieve this with an interior room and a vault door.

Whether you need a security door, fire door, or combination-locked vault door, check out our selection at http://www.gunsafes.com/Vault-Doors.html

Vault doors lock securely, and can be opened easily from the inside, but not the outside.

Styles of vault door vary, but most have thick steel plates filled with insulation. These doors feature from 10 to 20 locking bolts that penetrate into the doorframe, making the door virtually pry-proof. Higher-end doors also feature re-lockers, so if someone attempts to drill the lock from the outside, a re-locking mechanism will engage extra security bolts or lock existing ones into place.

If you have renovation and remodeling experience, you will be able to install one of these doors with some assistance. If you don’t, be sure to contract the job to a trustworthy source. It’s not only a matter of personal safety, these doors weigh several hundred pounds and need to be installed correctly in order to function properly.

So whether you need a retreat or a walk-in gun closet, look into making your own safe room with a vault door from GunSafes.com

Super Secret Safes

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onJuly 19th, 2011

If you’ve seen even a handful of mystery movies,  no doubt you have witnessed the scene: someone carefully moves the oil painting aside,  revealing a safe,  then procedes to open it,  placing the very important item inside,  securing it,  then taking a quick look around to make sure no one was looking.

In the movies,  someone always knows the combination,  or finds a way to thwart the plan,  usually with the old switcheroo.

In real life,  wall safes are a great option,  and not just because they look cool and add an air of mystery.

Wall safes have the advantage of being out of sight,  giving you one more layer of protection from would-be thieves. Wall safes are also easy to access,  since there is no bending or stooping required. Since wall safes are smaller than traditional safes,  they are much easier for the average homeowner to install.

GunSafes.com has a great selection of wall safes,  as well as other types of diversion safes. Check them out here: http://www.gunsafes.com/Wall-Safes.html

For tips on installing wall safes,  visit our GunSafes Wiki: http://www.gunsafes.com/Installing-Wall-Safes-is-Easy.html

You don’t have to be a double agent or a minister of finance to have a wall safe,  just an Average Joe who wants security and convenience.

The Right Safe for a Tricky Space

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onJune 30th, 2011

If you have been putting off buying a safe because it’s just not convenient to your lifestyle, you might want to give modular safes a look.

Modular safes are shipped in easy-to-assemble pieces, and require no special tools to put together. Each piece of a modular safe can be moved by a single person, and their light weight means you can transport and set up modular safes in places that conventional safes can’t go.

Modular safes assemble from the inside out, so a potential thief can’t simply disassemble your safe to get inside.

Once assembled, a modular safe is as sturdy and reliable as a traditional gun safe, and has many of the same safety features, including fire rating and theft deterrents.

If you live several floors up, have limited space, or tend to move a lot, check our modular safe selection at http://www.gunsafes.com/Modular-Safes.html

Hiding your Handgun

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onJune 28th, 2011

If you keep firearms, especially handguns, for home protection, you need a safe but accessible place to keep them. The bad guys know about your nightstand, and the kids can find it under the mattress. So what’s a person to do?

The answer, of course, is to check out the variety of pistol safe options at GunSafes.com!

We have small safes that can function as end tables; boxes that can be bolted to floors, walls, or under shelves; biometric vaults that open with the touch of your fingers, or safes that open with a simple touch-combination. There are even stand-type devices that keep your pistol in the ready position, key-locking safes, digital locking safes, and dial-locking safes. We have safes that look like refrigerators, and safes that look like electrical panels. We even have safes that fit inside your vehicle’s console.

No matter what type of pistol you are using for home defense, or what type of method you prefer for accessing it, we can help. See what we have to offer at http://www.gunsafes.com/Pistol-and-Handgun-Safes.html

You’re sure to find something that will work for you!

How To Contact Stack-On Safes

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onOctober 15th, 2010

Are you trying to contact the Stack On Safe Company?  Did you lose your Stack-On safe key or combination?

You may be wondering “How do I get into my Stack-On Safe?”.   We tend to get a lot of calls when people mistake GunSafes.com for Stack-On Safes. 

To contact Stack-On, click here, or give them a call at 800-323-9601.   They’re located in Illinois so they are on Central Time.

Stack-On

I cant open my rhino gun safe. How do I open my safe?

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onSeptember 10th, 2010

Don’t panic!!  The Gun-Safe-Guru is here to help.  Whether you have a Rhino Safe or a BigHorn safe, read on to find out how to get into your safe.

If you forgot your Rhino Safe combination or you think you are punching it in correctly but it’s not opening, I would contact Rhino Metals technical support.  They can be reached at 800-701-9128.

The first thing that they might ask for is your safes serial number.  This would be handy to have before you call.  You can usually find a safes serial number on the outside back of the safe, towards the bottom.  If you can’t locate this number, Rhino Metals can help you out at 800-701-9128.

If you already know the combination, but you’re having trouble dialing it in, click here for their safe lock manuals.  These are also helpful if you are having any other problems with your electronic or manual dial lock.

If your safe is beyond repair and needs to be replaced, take a look at the Rhino Safe selection on GunSafes.com.

How to open a Sentry Safe

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onJuly 26th, 2010

Whether you inherited it or purchased it brand new, you may be asking the question; How do I open a Sentry Safe?  GunSafeGuru threw together a quick Q&A to answer your gun safe questions.

Q:  I lost my Sentry combination; how do I open my Sentry Safe?

A:  The best thing to do in this case is to go to Sentry’s lost combination website.  From this site you can download all necessary information needed to fax or mail in your combination request form.

Q:  I lost my Sentry Safe Key; how do I open my safe?

A:  Don’t worry, replacement keys can be ordered direct from Sentry.  This link will bring you to Sentry’s website where you can order replacement keys by telephone, mail, or online.

Q:  Where can I find my Sentry Serial Number?

A:  The serial number is typically found on the front of the door, lower right corner on a small sticker; the right outside wall of your safe; or under the keypad/dial on the front of safe.

Q:  Can Sentry store my combination?

A:  YES!  Simply go to Sentry’s  combination registration page to create an account and store your Sentry combination on their website.

Q:  How do I dial the combination lock on a Sentry Safe?

A:  To download a manual with specific instructions on how to dial your Sentry combination lock, click here.

Q:  How do I register my Sentry Safe?

A:  Click here to register a Sentry Safe and create a user account with access to your combination online.

Q:  I need to replace my Sentry Safe.  Where can I buy one?

A:  For a ton of gun safe information, advice from industry experts, and the best prices on the web, the GunSafeGuru recommends GunSafes.com for all you Sentry Safe needs.

How do I get into my safe if the battery dies?

By Gun-Safe-Guru, onJune 29th, 2010

I’m asked this question all the time:  “How do I change the battery on an electronic lock?”.  With electronic locks becoming more and more popular, this question often comes up when people are researching which style of lock to buy.  Electronic locks offer a much quicker method of getting into a safe and also give you the ability to easily change your combination at any time.  However, in order to supply the e-lock with power you’ll need to supply a battery.  When the battery dies, how do you get into the safe?  Many small home/office safes and handgun safes offer a backup key that allows you to get inside to change the batteries.  So what about getting into a full size gun safe that doesn’t have a key backup?

The great thing about electronic locks is that you don’t have to get into the safe to change the batteries.  The battery compartment is located inside the keypad on a full size gun safe.  Another nice feature is that the lock will warn you when your battery is low, either with an audible alert or a low battery light. 

While there are many other reasons for choosing an electronic lock or a manual dial lock, the battery issue shouldn’t be one of them.  As long as you replace the battery when you are alerted to do so, a dead battery won’t keep you from your valuables.