Gun Safe Question ( purchase)

Bensimp

Hi Guys

Newbie to this. Gun Safe question,

I am taking up Target shooting with a sporting rifle and scope.

What size / type of safe should I get, dimension wise, and what type, storage wise? as when I look online most safes seem to be directed towards shotguns so I am not sure if a rifle and scope will fit in the safe comfortably.

Also, should I future proof by getting something bigger that would hold 3 - 4 guns. Reading online some say that 2 guns safes are tight at the best of times and also better to go bigger for more room as guns won't rub off each other causing marks/ damaged etc.

Should I get a safe that has separate ammo lock storage inside it?

Any recommendations of type of safe and sellers appreciated.

otmmyboy2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058212553/gun-safe-question-purchase

So two angles here, first the legal/Guards:

You will need "a gun safe which complies with BS 7558", which is affixed to a solid structure.

Next legal thing is the ammunition storage, which requires ammunition to be stored:

(a) in a receptacle that is locked, and

(b) separately from any firearm in which the ammunition is capable of being used.

Once these two requirements are sorted you are golden from the legal/guards side of the fence.

Next angle is the practical side of things.

Most 2 gun safes are pretty tight on space, and while they could comfortable accommodate 2 shotguns they are, usually, unlikely to accommodate a rifle and scope(depending on the specific rifle, scope, and safe that is).

Personally I would opt for a 3-4 gun one out of the gate(never can have enough secure storage space honestly.

If you want to get a feel and look of 2 vs 3-4 gun safes for size hop into your local firearms dealer and ask could you nab a rifle off the wall(one with a scope and moderator, for an idea of the max size dimensions that your future rifle will be, assuming you don't have that picked out already), and stick it into the respective safes and see what you are happy with.

Also a lot of safes will specify whether they are 2/3/4/5 gun safes for shotguns or rifles with scopes, the latter obviously having a bit more room to accommodate same.

If you are only ever going to have a single scoped rifle then realistically even a pokey 2 gun safe would be fine, but going across the hobby most shooters tend to have several after a while, so future proofing is definitely a thought, as you mentioned.

As far as separate locked ammo storage within the safe I would err on the side of another entire container for ammunition. The cost of a lockbox will often be less than the cost of a larger/taller gunsafe to accommodate the ammunition, and certainly a "receptacle that is locked" leaves you a lot more leeway in terms of cost and size than a gunsafe's ammo box.

IE, after the sporting rifle you decide you'd like to do a bit of clays on a Sunday also. Get 250-500 rounds of shotgun ammo on the licence so you can buy a slab or two at a time and that is your in-safe ammunition storage filled, even with zero rifle ammunition stored. 😉

At which point you'd likely need to get an external receptacle(love that legalese) for storage anyway.

Types of safe largely depend on personal preference, so again I'd recommend head over your your local firearms dealer and have a gander at a few. For the quality unless you are spending a mint most gunsafes are much of a muchness.

Sellers wise if you want cheap there are several around on donedeal and probably adverts.ie at any time, and beyond that shop around either online or in person and see where has the best priced one you want which will deliver.

Cass

Excellent information there by otmmyboy2. For recommendations I'd look towards Infac. I have multiple safes and one of them is Infac. The others are Buffalo river. The Infac is about 2 to 3 inches deeper than the BR (Buffalo River) ones. What this means is when I store my scoped rifle in the BR one the scope either touches the rear of the safe causing the rifle to sit up off the foam slot so I have to sit the buttstock out as close to the door to allow it to sit in comfortably.

While the BR is marked as an 8 gun safe in reality I can get about 4 scoped rifles in it (without touching or damaging each other) ad thats it. Now obviously the larger the rifle (and I mean physical size, not caliber) the more room it takes up so when I put my 308 with its large scope and heavy barrel in I have to turn it slightly sideways to fit in comfortably so I lose 2 slots for one gun. Sometimes, like with my target rifle, this can be 3 slots.

Now to my Infac safe. It is about 3 inches deeper than the BR one. This allows me to put each rifle into its own slot and because the foam slot is also sitting further off the back of the safe the rifle sits more upright and it means the Infac 8 gun safe could hold 8 guns or 5 to 6 large rifles whereas the BR is 4 at most with possibly 3 depending on the rifle.

My larger rifles are about 9 inches from the top of the scope to the bottom of the stock and about 2.5" wide. Why safe manufacturers don't take into account is a mystery to me, but regardless look for a safe with a deep internal measurement, and if looking in person try find one that has the gun slots that sit further out from the back of the safe giving a more upright storage position.

Bensimp

Thanks otmmyboy2 and Cass both for your feedback and advice.

I actually was looking at the Infac SD5 . I'll pop to a dealer in the coming days and have a look.

garv123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118004828#Comment_118004828

for 50 quid extra I'd get the SD7, lets face it, no one ever buys 1 gun 😁

Nothing worse than trying to mind guns to get them into the safe or having to take out 1 to get at another. the sd5 is 250x330mm (WxD) the SD7 is 350x350mm.

Bensimp

I actually bough the SD7 . It was the same price as the SD5 if collected. €299 in Sportsden Navan .

A beast of a thing to lift and move, but looks great with plenty of room, plus the top safe box is handy addition. I bolted it to a wooden floor but with the weight / height of it there is a slight sway and I think with some brute force I'm sure it could be pulled out of the floor board as there are only two floor anchor points. I'll have to find a wall to anchor it to later.

Next mission, Find a good .22 sporting rifle, bipod and scope, may have to start post on that!

Cass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118014520#Comment_118014520

Now all you have to do is fill it. 😁