If you are considering the purchase of a large gun safe to store your firearms and other valuable items you may be wondering if it has to be bolted down. Understanding the pros and cons of bolting a gun safe down will help you to make the safest decision for your home.
A gun safe doesn’t have to be bolted down however doing so offers multiple benefits such as:
- Injury prevention
- Prevents theft of entire safe
- Prevents safe from being tipped over and pried open
- Possible insurance benefits
For more information about whether or not a gun safe needs to be bolted down and other helpful tips continue reading.
Bolting Your Gun Safe Down – Reasons Why You Should
There are no laws saying that you have to bolt down your oversized gun safe however you are a safety-conscious person who understands the importance of keeping your firearms locked up.
So ensure your gun safe is being stored in the safest manner the section below will give you the reasons why you should bolt a gun safe to the ground.
Injury Prevention – Safety First
On average a large gun safe can weigh between 200 and 1600 pounds. That is a lot of weight especially if your safe is full of firearms and other valuable items.
Depending upon the size of your gun safe the door can potentially weigh close to 600 pounds. If you do not have your gun safe bolted down you run the risk of the safe tipping over while the door is open.
To prevent yourself from being crushed it is best to securely bolt the gun safe to a wall or the floor.
Children can get into some surprising situations sometimes, so although, highly unlikely it is also good to have your gun safe bolted down to prevent children from climbing on and tipping the safe and getting hurt.
It is a good idea to have a building inspector or safe expert take a look at the locations you think you may want to put your safe.
They can tell you if the building can withstand the weight of the safe and advise on the best way for it to be bolted down.
You can find Quality Gun Safes Here on Amazon or check out my other favorite places like Brownells or OpticsPlanet for good deals on gun safes.
Keep Your Prized Possessions In And The Burglars Out
Aside from safety, the main reason you keep your firearms and other valuables locked in a safe is to prevent them from being stolen.
If your gun safe is properly bolted down a thief will generally not bother with trying to remove it because it is too much work and too time-consuming.
That is not to say that it won’t happen, but it is less likely. Additionally, bolting a gun safe to the floor or a load-bearing wall will prevent a thief from tipping the safe over.
It is very common for a burglar to tip over a large safe. The reason for this is that it is very difficult to pry open a heavy safe door when it is in the upright position.
When it is tipped onto its backside the door (with a lot of effort and the right tools) can be pried open and the contents retrieved.
Insurance Benefits May Apply
Some individuals own large collections of firearms, some of which may be worth a lot of money so they put insurance on the items to protect themselves in the event of a theft or damage as a result of an attempted theft.
Check out our Article On Gun Safe Cash Value and what an insurance company will cover.
Policies may vary but some insurance companies will offer discounts to those who bolt their gun safe down as it adds extra protection to the assets.
Now you know why it is best to bolt a gun safe down but you may be wondering why some people may not bolt a gun safe down.
Here’s a video showing how to bolt a gun safe to a concrete floor to show what you’ll be getting into:
Why Not To Bolt A Gun Safe Down
Although it is always the best policy to bolt a large gun safe down for the reasons listed above there are some circumstances that may prevent or hinder people from doing so. Those reasons are listed below.
Always On The Move
For some, bolting a gun safe down is not always possible especially if they move a lot. When you bolt something down that generally means you plan on keeping it there for a long time.
If you know that you don’t stay in one place for very long this may pertain to you. People in the military or who have jobs that require relocation every so often likely won’t bolt their safes down.
Additionally, a person may not want to or be allowed to bolt a gun safe down because they are renting the apartment or property and cannot make physical changes to the structure.
Must Have Good Bones And Foundation Support
In order to mount a large gun safe it is necessary that there be a structure sound enough to hold the weight of the safe. This means you must be sure your floor is in good condition.
If you wish to mount your safe using a wall mount it is important that you use a strong load-bearing wall that can hold up if someone were to try to yank it from its spot.
For extra protection, a gun safe can be bolted through the wall and the floor. Those who live in older homes or are renting a top-floor apartment will likely not bolt down a gun safe.
Missing The Mounting Holes
They say if there’s a will, then there’s a way and that may be true but if you have a gun safe with no pre-drilled mounting holes then you may be out of luck.
It is not uncommon for a safe to come without a predrilled mounting hole but they can be added by a professional who is experienced in this field.
Don’t Be A Dolt – Bolt Down Your Vault
As you can see from the information in this article, it is definitely best to bolt down your oversized gun safe if possible. For extra stability and more difficulty for robbers, it is possible to mount a large gun safe to the wall and the floor for even more protection.
