Do you have a gun safe that needs mounting to a wall? Gun safes can be very heavy, but don’t despair – there is a safe and easy way to do it that you’ll learn in no time at all.
To mount a gun safe to the wall, you first want to make sure the safe you have is rated and able to be wall mounted. Then you’ll need to make the wall strong enough to mount a safe to and level the safe before securing to the wall with provided screws or lag bolts.
You may find another pair of hands helpful in making sure the safe is level and mounting it to the wall. Keep reading to find out the best way to mount a gun safe to the wall!
How Do You Mount a Gun Safe to the Wall?
So, what steps do you need to follow to ensure your gun safe is mounted to the wall correctly? There are a few simple steps to ensure your gun safe is secure, level and will continue to protect your valuable guns inside.
Choose Where to Mount Your Gun Safe
The first step is to choose a secure location for your wall-mounted gun safe. The location should be hidden and out of reach of children/pets and only be accessible to you or trusted persons.
It’s also important for the gun safe to be secured in a dry, humid-less area. This protects the valuables inside the safe and ensures they don’t become damaged in the future.
Check If Your Safe Can Be Mounted
It’s also important to check that your chosen gun safe can be easily wall-mounted. Not all safes can be wall-mounted due to size or weight, so you’ll want to check this before going to the trouble of drilling holes, etc.
You’ll be able to tell if your safe is designed for wall mounting by the holes.
A wall safe that has been properly designed will have mounting holes on its sides so that it can be properly secured away from the floor, whereas some safes will only have holes on the bottom panel, which suggests they’re for floor mounting rather than wall mounting.
Some safes are in-wall safes, meaning that a section of the wall will need to be removed for the safe to sit securely inside it. This is a very sturdy option when mounting a wall safe however may not be convenient if the safe needs to be easily moved.
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.
Select a Safe Area on the Wall
Once you’ve found a secure location for your gun safe, you’ll need to choose a good wall on which to mount it. Some walls may not be as sturdy as others and may not support a heavy gun safe as easily as others.
You’ll need to secure the safe to studs in the wall, which are spaced out and connected via drywall. Drywall is not as secure, so a stud finder is a handy tool in identifying studs within the wall and therefore knowing where to safely secure your guns.
Here’s a video showing a safe wall mount so you can see how this part goes:
Level Your Safe
Leveling is very important when it comes to mounting a gun safe. Without leveling, the valuables inside the safe may move around, which can be very dangerous when storing weapons such as guns.
You can use a level or a plank of wood to make sure your safe is completely level before drilling any holes.
Secure the Safe to the Wall
The last step is to drill your holes and secure the gun safe to the wall. You’ll require a drill to create the holes, and the safe is likely to have screws included when purchasing if it’s designed to be wall-mounted.
Drill holes in the walls and use the provided screws to mount the safe to the wall. You may find washers and larger screw heads useful, especially if your walls are slightly soft in texture.
If you experience issues mounting your wall safely, we recommend reaching out to a carpenter/trained professional to give you a hand with it.
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.
Can All Gun Safes Be Bolted to the Wall?
While most gun safes are designed to be wall-mounted, not all gun safes can be secured to the wall. Some gun safes will only have holes on the bottom panel as they’re designed to be floor-mounted instead of wall-mounted.
If a gun safe doesn’t have holes on the side panels, we don’t recommend attempting to wall-mount it.
Where Should I Mount My Gun Safe?
The best places for mounting a wall safe are away from areas that are prone to fires such as kitchens.
A bedroom is a good area for mounting a gun safe due to privacy, or a coat closet/garage as these areas are often small and may not be easily accessed by a thief/intruder.
Do Gun Safes Need to be Bolted Down?
It’s recommended for gun safes to be bolted down for two main reasons.
They include:
- The first is to ensure that the safe isn’t going to become insecure and fall off the wall, as gun safes are very heavy and could potentially hurt someone if they were to fall.
- The second is security – if a wall safe is bolted down it reduces the risk of it being stolen or broken into and getting into the hands of criminals.
Check out our Do Gun Safes Need To Be Bolted Down Pros and Cons Article for more info.
Now, let’s see what materials are best for a wall mounted safe.
Tips for Wall Mounting a Gun Safe
When considering materials for a wall-mounted gun safe, it’s worth bearing in mind your wall type and the tools that you’re using.
Here are some tips:
- Walls need to be solid and have secure wall studs to safely hold the weight of a wall-mounted gun safe.
- You’ll also need strong screws/anchors to bolt down your safe.
If you don’t think the screws provided are strong enough to hold the weight of your gun safe, you may need to purchase some better ones to prevent the safe from falling at any point.
Conclusion
In summary, to mount a gun safe to the wall you’ll need to be prepared and purchase the correct tools. You’ll need to choose an appropriate area with a strong wall for mounting, and make sure you have access to a power drill and strong screws/anchors.
The safe needs to be level to protect the items inside, and it’s recommended to have a second pair of hands available to make securing your wall safe easier and to avoid any unnecessary injuries.