Used Safes 101

Picture A

Picture B

Used safes, a mystery unraveled. This is a short lesson on used safes. Used safes can be a jewel or they can be junk. I hear you say "I knew that". But can you tell the difference? To the left are two pictures: which safe is the jewel, and which is junk? Take a guess, I'll wait......

What do you know about these safes from the picture? Picture A looks like it made from wood or some other kind of material, Picture B looks like it would be worth a lot of money because it seems to be an antique. It looks like it is really strong and would be good to keep your valuables out of the hands of thiefs. It has thick walls, hard to penetrate.

Let's discuss “Picture A”. This is a gun safe, it happens to be a metal woodgrain finish gun safe. It’s features include:

This is a Cannon T-27 Gun Safe made in 2003 approximately. It would be ideal for home use to store guns and personal valuables (approximate value under $25,000). It has a residential security container (RSC) label against burglary and has a 1/2 hour fire rating up to 1500 degrees against fire. It has a massive 1 inch double steel composite door (the total thickness on the steel in the door is greater than 1/4"). It has a Double steel reinforced door frame. The body is a heavy 10 gauge steel. A good purchase used against both fire and burglary. It has a convenient electronic lock. Six numbers pressed on the keypad lets you in your safe in seconds.

Let’s discuss “Picture B”. This is an old fashion fire safe. It’s features include:

It has big cast iron wheels, this defeats trying to bolt the safe down to the floor (you can't). It has double doors – with a combination lock (inconvenient because it takes so long to dial the combination to get into your safe. While you are trying to get in danger could be approaching swiftly). As for the thick walls, they are two metal boxes with insulation between them. The safe is filled with Asbestos. They often used Asbestos in older safes and and if the safe contains it, it is hazardous to your health. If you find out after you buy it you'll need to pay $5,000 to $10,000 to have men in little white suits and masks come over to dispose of it, and it could cost you your life if you decide to keep it. These safes can and should be tested for the presence of asbestos prior to purchasing.

So to wrap up:

You have to ask a lot of questions to purchase a safe that is a jewel or you can guess and purchase a junk safe.