Thread: DIY Gun Safe

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

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

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...

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.

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

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?

Originally Posted by 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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

@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

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.