Moving a gun safe can be a tricky task, as they are typically extremely heavy and bulky – so what’s the best way to safely move a gun safe avoiding any injury/damage?
To move a gun safe, make sure that you’re well prepared and have planned your route accordingly. It’s best to have multiple strong people with you that will be able to help, as it would be unsafe to attempt moving a large gun safe on your own without the help of trained professionals/movers.
Keep reading to find out the safest way to move a gun safe and other points you’ll need to bear in mind to keep everyone out of harm’s way, and your flooring/property safe.
What Equipment Is Needed to Move a Gun Safe?
To move a gun safe as easily as possible while making sure everyone is safe, some key pieces of equipment are recommended.
These include and are not limited to the following items:
- Heavy-Duty Dolly Cart
- Moving Straps
- Work Gloves
These are just a few items that we recommend everyone uses when transporting a gun safe to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
If you’re moving the gun safe downstairs, we strongly advise using a Stair-Climbing Dolly Cart, as this will make maneuvering the gun safe far safer than using a standard dolly cart.
- Transport is also important too.
- If you’re taking the gun safe by road from one place to another, you’ll want to make sure that the vehicle you have in mind can handle the weight of the gun safe you’re transporting.
- Not all trucks/vans are equipped to transport items of such a heavy weight, so it’s important to double-check this before you load the safe onto the vehicle.
Here’s a training video used to train movers on how to move a safe:
Can I Move a Gun Safe by Myself?
We strongly recommend that you don’t attempt to move a gun safe by yourself. Gun safes are extremely heavy, and you could do yourself a permanent injury if the safe isn’t moved in the correct way.
If the gun safe you have is entry-level and fairly small, you may be able to move it by yourself, but this will require some forethinking and research to avoid injuries.
We recommend checking the weight of your gun safe before attempting to lift it and preferably hiring professional help from trained professionals to help move the gun safe.
If you’re able, we advise hiring professional movers to assist you in moving a gun safe, as professionals will be trained in the safest way to move a safe and are experienced in knowing the best ways to achieve this.
If this isn’t an option, we at least suggest getting some strong friends to give you a hand to reduce the risk of injury and potential damage.
You can reduce the weight of a gun safe by making sure the safe is empty prior to attempting to lift it and even removing the door of the safe if you can.
Many doors on gun safes are removable, so you may find it easier to transport one without the additional weight of the safe door.
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Can You Move a Gun Safe with An Appliance Dolly?
You can certainly move a gun safe with a heavy-duty appliance dolly. Proper equipment such as appliance dollies are designed to carry items of a substantial weight by spreading the weight of the item out and usually have wheels to make moving large items much easier.
We also recommend using supporting straps or ropes and thick moving blankets to help move a gun safe. The right equipment will make all the difference when it comes to moving such a heavy object.
Can You Lay a Gun Safe Down to Transport?
Most large gun safes can be laid down to transport without any major issues, providing the safe can be tipped up the correct way when you reach your destination.
It’s important to make sure there are strong, trained people at the other end who can help tip the safe up the right way to ensure you don’t experience issues after the safe has been transported.
You’ll want to be careful doing this to ensure that the internals of the safe are protected and if there are any contents inside the safe that these aren’t damaged either.
It may be safer just to remove the contents of the safe before moving it and laying it down to prevent any concerns here. This includes shelving and interior panels within the safe as well as actual guns/valuables.
Do I Need to Protect My Floors When Moving a Gun Safe?
You will need to keep in mind the type of flooring you have when preparing to move a gun safe. If you’re using a dolly, the wheels can easily snag on the carpet or become difficult to turn. You don’t want to damage your carpet or run into difficulties when trying to maneuver a heavy safe on a trolley.
Tiles can also be a tricky surface on which to move a gun safe, as tiles can crack under the weight of such a heavy object – particularly when the weight is focused on two trolley wheels.
To protect your flooring and make moving a gun safe easier, we recommend using a roll-out mat or blankets to protect your floor and provide some padding. A mat/blanket will prevent your floors from becoming scratched and snagged and may allow the trolly to move more easily across the surface of the floor.
Another option to protect your flooring is to use a hard surface such as wood, to help distribute the weight of the gun safe more evenly and reduce the pressure on specific areas. This option could be limited however due to corners and smaller spaces.
Conclusion
In summary, it is possible to move a gun safe properly by ensuring you’re prepared and are using the correct safety equipment to keep people safe and avoid injuries. Recommended equipment includes a heavy-duty dolly cart, moving straps, and gloves, plus plenty of strong people to help.
If you can hire professionally trained movers this would be the safest way of moving a gun safe, and you also want to ensure that floors are protected using either blankets or a hard surface to evenly distribute the weight.