# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  DIY Gun Safe

## sublimeone

Anyone built there own gun safe? Am planning on doing one soon and was checking if anyone had any tips?

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## steven

I'd suggest you look at the time, effort and cost when you can get a good enough gun safe on trademe for $200 ish.

This one went for $180,

Gun Safe Cabinet W/Keypad Lock 5 Rifle Storage | Trade Me

Im planning on going to look at them Sat.

regards

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## ebf

Yup, just buy a decent safe and avoid any interpretation issues. At the moment it is up to our local AO to approve your security, best to have a chat and save some headaches and spending money on something that is not going to pass...

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## samba

its an investment for your investments buy a good one have it for a life time and at the end of the day its a safe for a reason.

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## sublimeone

Yeah good points, I'll keep an eye out on trademe!

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## sublimeone

Had looked into these but they are only 2mm steel on the sides, read it was supposed to be 3mm? Anyone got one of these?




> I'd suggest you look at the time, effort and cost when you can get a good enough gun safe on trademe for $200 ish.
> 
> This one went for $180,
> 
> Gun Safe Cabinet W/Keypad Lock 5 Rifle Storage | Trade Me
> 
> Im planning on going to look at them Sat.
> 
> regards

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## P38

I've built three safes now.

All to B & E Cat specs

The 6 lever locks are the expensive part at around $70 - 80 a piece

The steel was all donated free of charge. 
My employer was throwing out some old welding tables and a couple of decent bits of RHS (400mm square). So I grabbed them, ground the dags off the welding table tops, cut them to size with the gas cutting torch, welded them up, fitted the locks and gave them a paint job. 
Total cost to me for all three was a day pissing around in the workshop, four 6 lever locks, two heavy duty hinges, 6 12mm dyna bolts and two 12mm coach bolts all of which came in under $300.

I ended up with one very large E cat gun safe made from a mix if 12mm and 25mm steel. It weighs in at 370kgs and holds about 20 rifles and two B cat pistol safes that hold a dozen guns each.

All passed inspection without a hitch although the Firearms inspector did ask to see an Engineers certicicate for them.

I showed him my trade cert hanging on the wall and my welding tickets and he was happy with that.

Would I do it for myself again ... Yes but only if I got the steel for nothing again and because I can. 
Otherwise it would be cheaper to buy at you local store or online.

If you only need an A cat spec safe then these are perfectly acceptible and IMO would provide a good level of security.
Gun Safe Cabinet W/Keypad Lock 5 Rifle Storage | Trade Me

Cheers
Pete

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## Nibblet

I have a Buffalo River A-cat safe you can have for $200 if you want. Was going to use it to replace my school locker but will get E-cat safe shortly. Think its the same as the one listed for $330 odd
Gun Safes - Hunting and Outdoor Supplies 
Can post a photo if your interested

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## sublimeone

Thanks Pete, think I will look into buying one now. 

Nibblet, definately interested. Does it have an ammo compartment? Photo would be choice. Where abouts in the country are you? Cheers.

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## steven

The Arms Act / Regs just specifies to keep out of reach of small children and casual thieves for Cat A, so a strong box seems OK, I suppose it depends on the AO. All the Cat A's I have looked at are 2~2.5mm sides with 3mm front, this includes ones in shops for $350 v the Trademe ones for <$200.  Gunshitty for instance does a real cheap and nasty looking one and they want $299.

A Category Gun Safes - Gun City

They also list a box there under cat A with 2mm...

The other thing by the same ppl is a personal safe for about $150 thinking I might use it for bolts etc in a different part of the house.

Cat E seems to be a whole new ball game, if I was doing  that I'd see my AO and ask what would satisy him, but 6mm seems the minimum steel, some on trademe have an engineers report to go with it.  

regards

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## Nibblet

Its the one without the ammo box inside. I use a steel toolbox with padlock for ammo, mags and bolts etc. AO was happy with that. Cost me $15 for toolbox.
I'm on the Hibiscus Coast but work at Auckland airport so if your between there can drop it off. Will post a photo shortly.

Unless your like P38 and have your ticket for those fields or have mates that do I think building E-cat is pointless. Just Spend the $1000 and be done with it. And always go way bigger than you need. Fireproof ones are good for passports, cash etc, not just guns.

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## Nibblet

Sorry for the crap phone photos but you get the idea. School locker with some reinforcement is great but only if you get it super cheap (mine set me back $12.50) otherwise spend the money and buy a safe designed for the job.

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## Savage1

Jeez that's a nice looking safe nibbles, looks familiar! I didn't get the ammo compartment one because If they manage to get into the safe they will have no trouble getting into the ammo compartment with the bolts etc, just get a small safe from Bunnings for $20-30 and bolt it to the floor in another room/cupboard. Much better and safer (pun not intended).

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## steven

@savage, yeah I agree, better to get 2 seperate safes.  I looked at Bunnings and again there seems to be small safes on TM at 2/3rds the price and it looks like the same model.

Hotel Home Office Safe | Trade Me

but Im considering one a bit bigger at $130~150 odd as I need a bit more space.

Anti-burglary Large Electronic Digital Safe | Trade Me

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## Nibblet

Yeah I may as well follow suit and get my E-cat.
If you get that little one for $5 would be mint. Jut remember the bigger you go the more space it takes up. I reakon shallow but wider ones are better.

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## steven

Given the changes that are proposed re: making some of the present cat A's semi-autos into cat E's "cause I say so" an E safe might be the safer bet.

regards

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## sublimeone

Thanks Nibblet, 

Much appreciated but I actually managed to get one through a friend of a friend closer to home (tauranga). 

Appreciate the offer tho. 

Cheers





> I have a Buffalo River A-cat safe you can have for $200 if you want. Was going to use it to replace my school locker but will get E-cat safe shortly. Think its the same as the one listed for $330 odd
> Gun Safes - Hunting and Outdoor Supplies 
> Can post a photo if your interested

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## Wirehunt

> Given the changes that are proposed re: making some of the present cat A's semi-autos into cat E's "cause I say so" an E safe might be the safer bet.
> 
> regards


What sort of thing are they talking about now?

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## steven

@wirehunt  Seems the recent butt slapping the Police got over mis-applying Cat-E rules to Cat-A have caused them to try and get the regs/law changed such that anything they deem to be Cat-E can be made Cat-E just cause they say so.   Kind of a paraphrase I know but I wouldnt buy a AR1/15 right now unless you are happy to get a Cat-E licence, and hence safe.

:/

"07 December 2012 Arms Amendment Bill 285 passed third reading"

National Shooters Association NZ

Has some more info.

If its got that far its very likely it will go through...

Also in the USA AR10s, Ar15s and AK47s, AK74s are likely to get "severly" restricted (haha its the US right!).  I would hazard a guess that what ever happens there will flow onto us so the Police's/Pollies butts are covered if anything happens.

 :Sad: 

NB.  The army it seems also thinks that semi-autos are dangerious (no sh** sherlock, duh its a gun) so there may well be considerable "professional" pressure to limit semi's, lots of politics Im sure.

Me, I only want bolt-action anyway so no biggee, present Cat-A should be fine for me, though (F)TR rifle has a pistol like grip very often so who knows.

regards

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## Wirehunt

Fuck me, we are turning into aussie.

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## steven

When you listen to (US) Pollies saying there is no reason to own a AK47 / M16 then you know you are the wrong side of a purely emotive argument.  The public wants to "feel safe" and the Pollies saying they will make them feel safer from those nasty gun nuts who think guns are fun..   I mean jumping out of a plane with a parachute is fun but of no reason than you like doing it....we take away parachutes as well? uh no.  Fast cars banned? ppl far more likey to speed in those, lets ban those as well.

Annoying thing is when to came down to it it actually took me a while to think of someone balanced enough as my second reference for getting my FAL.  Most ppl I know would say no on principle, ie that guns are bad so dont give him a licence, not that I am.  eg All my childrens friends mothers banned "war toys" so the kids just picked up sticks and ran around "shooting" those.....so a toy gun ban so worked....not...tried to do the same with war based PS3 games, now they come around to my place....doh.

</rant>

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## Nibblet

FTR is bolt action so doesn't matter about pistol grip. And that bill has been changed slightly on the D/L so police can't dictate whats E-cat out of personal preference. (I think).... 

Just buy my safe and you will be sweet.

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## steven

Got one of these on trademe to hold ammo, bolts and mags....should get it this weekend, I'll comment on how well I think its made.

Anti-burglary Large Electronic Digital Safe | Trade Me

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## steven

@nibblet got an updated link on what the police are and are not allowed to do?

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## Savage1

> @nibblet got an updated link on what the police are and are not allowed to do?


Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms and Import Controls) Amendment Bill 285-2 (2011), Government Bill &ndash; New Zealand Legislation

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## steven

Ok, so while not the police, nothing stopping the police requesting,

"The Governor-General may by Order in Council do any or all of the following things:

    describe a kind of component as a pistol grip for the purposes of the definition in section 2 of military style semi-automatic firearm:

    “(b) declare semi-automatic firearms (other than pistols) of a stated make and model to be military style semi-automatic firearms for the purposes of this Act:

    “(c) declare semi-automatic firearms (other than pistols) of a stated description to be military style semi-automatic firearms for the purposes of this Act:

    “(d) define or describe features of a semi-automatic firearm (other than a pistol) as features of a military style semi-automatic firearm for the purposes of this Act.

Which means the same thing really.....

:/

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## Savage1

> Ok, so while not the police, nothing stopping the police requesting,
> 
> "The Governor-General may by Order in Council do any or all of the following things:
> 
>     describe a kind of component as a pistol grip for the purposes of the definition in section 2 of military style semi-automatic firearm:
> 
>     “(b) declare semi-automatic firearms (other than pistols) of a stated make and model to be military style semi-automatic firearms for the purposes of this Act:
> 
>     “(c) declare semi-automatic firearms (other than pistols) of a stated description to be military style semi-automatic firearms for the purposes of this Act:
> ...


No it doesn't mean the same thing, not by a long way, there was pretty much this same provision in the last Arms Act, just a bit broader.

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## scottrods

> Got one of these on trademe to hold ammo, bolts and mags....should get it this weekend, I'll comment on how well I think its made.
> 
> Anti-burglary Large Electronic Digital Safe | Trade Me


I do hope it's better than some of those digital ones on youtube. Rock them 15deg, drop them and they open - hey presto  :Sad:

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## steven

Well possible, however they are supposed to be bolted down....and are only for anti- small kids and casual thieves...

 :Wink: 

I'll try rocking it and pushing it over....if its crap I will say so.

 :3 8 14: 

Just found this as well no silly digital key board,

GUN SAFE 5guns | Trade Me

Feedback is appreciated, ie if they are a joke, let me know, but having looked at 2 budget ones in the local shops that are $100+ more...

I see your point ie youtube,

How to break into most digital safe&#39;s - YouTube

 :Wtfsmilie:

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## marky123

Hello
I'm in Napier and am after a safe if there's one going
MARK

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## steven

> Got one of these on trademe to hold ammo, bolts and mags....should get it this weekend, I'll comment on how well I think its made.
> 
> Anti-burglary Large Electronic Digital Safe | Trade Me


These are not too bad, a little rough and ready but for $150 I can live with it. OK for holding ammo, mags and bolts away from the rifles.  Runs on 4 x AAs internally and you need the key at the same time to open. If the internal batteries go flat they supply an external 4 battery holder with a 3.5mm jack that you can plug in to bring the digital bit back to life....comes with wheels as well making it easy to roll into place then bolt down.   No idea if its going to stop a Pro for long, probably not, but then it isnt $600+

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