Gun safe moving across state

[edporch]

I've moved my 900+ pound safe on my own with a couple of friends, and down a few stairs with a home made ramp, and a come-along tied to the trailer hitch of my pickup, but not down a basement.

I don't know that I'd try going down a basement on my own, but that's up to you, as "Dirty Harry" says "a man needs to know his limitations".

BUT, the MAIN thing I'd do is at LEAST get it down here from NWI, so you're just having to pay the professionals to move it down your basement.

The way I transported it was using a heavy duty refrigerator dolly that also has wheels on the back so it can be laid down.

I strapped the safe to the dolly, and between myself and two other guys we could lay it down.

The trailer I had, had a ramp style back door and we just rolled it up the ramp, then strapped and blocked the wheels it so it wouldn't roll inside the trailer.

Then just rolled it off the trailer when we got to my new place.

 

[Mij]

I've moved my 900+ pound safe on my own with a couple of friends, and down a few stairs with a home made ramp, and a come-along tied to the trailer hitch of my pickup, but not down a basement.

I don't know that I'd try going down a basement on my own, but that's up to you, as "Dirty Harry" says "a man needs to know his limitations".

BUT, the MAIN thing I'd do is at LEAST get it down here from NWI, so you're just having to pay the professionals to move it down your basement.

The way I transported it was using a heavy duty refrigerator dolly that also has wheels on the back so it can be laid down.

I strapped the safe to the dolly, and between myself and two other guys we could lay it down.

The trailer I had, had a ramp style back door and we just rolled it up the ramp, then strapped and blocked the wheels it so it wouldn't roll inside the trailer.

Then just rolled it off the trailer when we got to my new place.

Just a thought, down is easy, isick newton and all that stuff. Up, now that’s a different ball o wax.

 

[Sniper 79]

Sell it and buy several smaller easy to move units you can stash around the house.

 

[edporch]

Just a thought, down is easy, isick newton and all that stuff. Up, now that’s a different ball o wax.

I don't know, I've never moved a safe upstairs.
But I assume you're right.

 

[edporch]

Sell it and buy several smaller easy to move units you can stash around the house.

And thieves can more easily carry them off too.
HEAVY adds security.

 

[Butch627]

Once the dust is settled factoring in time, blood, equipment and money Ill bet selling the old one and letting the buyer cart it off and buying a new one and having it installed is not that much more than moving yours cross country.

 

[Creedmoor]

Once the dust is settled factoring in time, blood, equipment and money Ill bet selling the old one and letting the buyer cart it off and buying a new one and having it installed is not that much more than moving yours cross country.

I believe that would depend on the value of the safe.
Lots of times big heavy expensive safes go cheap or free if someone wants to move them.

 

[Butch627]

I believe that would depend on the value of the safe.
Lots of times big heavy expensive safes go cheap or free if someone wants to move them.

My first big safe was from the 1890's and weighed 5500,bs, bent the stringers on my 7k trailer. 2 more were free, one was 75 dollars and all were well over 3000lbs. Very few people around here are capable and willing to put in the labor of moving heavy safes. I don't have all the cool tools but enough to move them, if I was to charge for my risk and labor to move these things moving them would not be worthwhile to the owner. In all of these transactions the owners had lots of inquiries and even a fair number of people showing up before me but none were able to haul them off. Some of the stories I heard about previous attempts were quite comical.

 

[Creedmoor]

My first big safe was from the 1890's and weighed 5500,bs, bent the stringers on my 7k trailer. 2 more were free, one was 75 dollars and all were well over 3000lbs. Very few people around here are capable and willing to put in the labor of moving heavy safes. I don't have all the cool tools but enough to move them, if I was to charge for my risk and labor to move these things moving them would not be worthwhile to the owner. In all of these transactions the owners had lots of inquiries and even a fair number of people showing up before me but none were able to haul them off. Some of the stories I heard about previous attempts were quite comical.

I feel you, my cousins have a gun store in Md. Got a call long ago if my brother and I wanted a few big Browning Medallion Safes we needed to move them in the next few days.
I built elevators and escalators for a living, a few dollies, a set of tractors, wood rollers and a Johnson bar and those safes found new homes.
A few years later we got my brother a free Browning vault door.
I added a new safe (1200lbs) a few years back, and moved it in myself. Neighbors walked over and saw what was in the big cardboard box and all of them slink'ed away.
And a few weeks ago I moved one of my sons to another room with wood rollers and a johnson bar. It felt like a cardboard box at 700lbs. LOL
The right gear makes it much easier.

 

[Sniper 79]

And thieves can more easily carry them off too.
HEAVY

And thieves can more easily carry them off too.
HEAVY adds security

Lag bolts back and bottom

 

[edporch]

Lag bolts back and bottom

True, but I'd rather just have the security of a heavy safe, loaded with stuff that makes it VERY difficult to move.
YMMV

 

[Creedmoor]

True, but I'd rather just have the security of a heavy safe, loaded with stuff that makes it VERY difficult to move.
YMMV

If it's not quick bolted to a concrete floor, once it's flipped on its back most gun safes are an easy pry open from there.
Not really much reason to steal the safe with what's inside.
Plenty of youtubes show how simple it really is.

I have a Milwaukee metal circular saw that can cut around three sides of a gun safe like cutting 3/4" plywood. Then just pry the whole front down.

 

[Creedmoor]

Lag bolts back and bottom

Quick bolts in the bottom to concrete.

 

[edporch]

If it's not quick bolted to a concrete floor, once it's flipped on its back most gun safes are an easy pry open from there.
Not really much reason to steal the safe with what's inside.
Plenty of youtubes show how simple it really is.

I have a Milwaukee metal circular saw that can cut around three sides of a gun safe like cutting 3/4" plywood. Then just pry the whole front down.

And a thief could cut open one bolted to the floor too.
But as far as typical gun safes, a determined capable thief with the right tools can break into any of them.

 

[Creedmoor]

And a thief could cut open one bolted to the floor too.
But as far as typical gun safes, a determined capable thief with the right tools can break into any of them.

Absolutely, but most dont show up with worthy tools to work with.
Im with you on the big and heavy.
But a man with a johnson bar and some wood rollers can move the world by himself.

I know this after building elevators for a few years, it's easier to roll out a safe then break into it.
If it's quick bolted to the floor you virtually eliminate it being rolled out and someone flipping it on it's back and have the door pried open.

 

[edporch]

Absolutely, but most dont show up with worthy tools to work with.
Im with you on the big and heavy.
But a man with a johnson bar and some wood rollers can move the world by himself.

I know this after building elevators for a few years, it's easier to roll out a safe then break into it.
If it's quick bolted to the floor you virtually eliminate it being rolled out and someone flipping it on it's back and have the door pried open.

I agree with you about flipping it on it's back and prying it open.
And depending on where the safe is, it's not too hard to roll it with the proper dolly.

But what really convinced me bolting the safe down doesn't help that much was the case several years ago when ATF broke into somebody's house when they were gone, because a neighbor lied and claimed they had an illegal machine gun.

ATF EASILY SAWED OPEN the large safe WHERE IT STOOD, then took all the firearms and appeared to have cycled ammo through them to check them, then left loose ammo and firearms strewn all over the floor.
THEN just left after leaving a note that said "nothing found".

 

[TJ Kackowski]

I agree with you about flipping it on it's back and prying it open.
And depending on where the safe is, it's not too hard to roll it with the proper dolly.

But what really convinced me bolting the safe down doesn't help that much was the case several years ago when ATF broke into somebody's house when they were gone, because a neighbor lied and claimed they had an illegal machine gun.

ATF EASILY SAWED OPEN the large safe WHERE IT STOOD, then took all the firearms and appeared to have cycled ammo through them to check them, then left loose ammo and firearms strewn all over the floor.
THEN just left after leaving a note that said "nothing found".

As noted above, MOST crooks don't show up with the correct tools to breach a safe.

The ATF isn't in that category ... they're in the prepared crooks category.

 

[thunderchicken]

Well, I don't want to open another thread since my question relates to this issue.
Just this evening, I along with lots of help moved my safe to my new home. Where it is now being located is a old school (1953) hardwood flooring with new carpet on top of that. My question is what's the best way to anchor the safe to the floor without damaging the new carpet?

On a side note, I will never move that safe again. If I ever have a reason to move again the safe goes with the house and I will get a new one. No idea what it actually weighs but it's a Cannon (40wx24dx72h) and took 4 of us to maneuver it and moving a block and a half took 2 hours to get moved and in position.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

Well, I don't want to open another thread since my question relates to this issue.
Just this evening, I along with lots of help moved my safe to my new home. Where it is now being located is a old school (1953) hardwood flooring with new carpet on top of that. My question is what's the best way to anchor the safe to the floor without damaging the new carpet?

On a side note, I will never move that safe again. If I ever have a reason to move again the safe goes with the house and I will get a new one. No idea what it actually weighs but it's a Cannon (40wx24dx72h) and took 4 of us to maneuver it and moving a block and a half took 2 hours to get moved and in position.

Since it's never going to move again, lag bolts through the carpet into the hardwood floor should suffice.

 

[WebSnyper]

Depending on the type of carpet there may be better bits for drilling. Where I bought my safe the seller made me aware of that and said they knew how to handle it. Apparently they didn't tell the installer how to handle that though. As soon as they started to drill, it created a 5 foot pull in the carpet. I ended up getting my delivery for free.

Depends on style of carpet and I guess if they know what they are doing.