Securing new gun safe ?

V

Vick Brown

Member
Got a new Cannon fire safe for my B-day this year, (I now qualify for the old farts hunt), and as I was able to move the safe in the house with an appliance dolly I figure a thief could move it out with one too. As I was prepairing to drill some lag holes into the slab floor my wife tells me a story about moving a similar safe at her work. Seems the guys moving the safe did not know that it was lagged to the floor and just tipped it up to get the dolly under it, the lags didn't even slow them down just left craters in the slab! Any one have any ideas on securing the safe to my floor?


Thanks,
Vick
 
Vick,

That all depends on the size of "lag" your willing to put in. You can increase the hold in the concrete by using a special epoxy grout made for setting machine anchors. Most common anchors depend on "gripping' the concrete for their holding power.

When using the grout system, you drill a much larger hole and put your anchor in loose. When you fill the hole with the expanding grout, it is definetly locked in when cured. Large machine shops use this system to hold their machines in one spot and to keep them anchored.
 
First, make sure you aren't drilling into any plumbing or wiring in your slab. The rule of thumb for screwing something together (safe to floor) is the screw has to go into..as far as it went through. I would get as long of 1/2 to 5/8" anchor bolts as you can and put one at each corner. I bet the safe your wife saw being moved didn't have the bolts or shields very deep into the concrete. We have some bigass tap-con type cement anchors that they use for fastening silo's down. They take a 5/8" hole and you screw them into the cement.
 
Yeah When we put up large columns we use those 5/8 tapcon anchors to hold the support braces in place. I guarantee those won't come out from a dolly. Then it is just up to the strength of concrete which in homes is usually between three and four thousand psi. If the crooks still are able to steal it then there was nothing you could have done to stop them.
 
Once you have bolted the safe down you can bolt it to a wall to keep it from being pulled out or up, or build something above it to keep it from being pryed up or out.
 
I agree with Hunting dave that epox grouting will make a permanent job. I just hope you never have to move it youself. The only way would be with a gas ax.
 
Oh you can still move the safe. Just back the nuts off, same as you would with any anchor.

The epoxy grout would be definite overkill but it's not going to let loose under any conditions. I do agree with Harker and others that the tapcon anchors will hold against a huge load when properly installed. Just make sure your hole is deep enough and NOT drilled oversize in diameter. Check your first hole, NOT the bit, bits can and will sometimes cut alot oversize.

Double anchoring to wall as well is good extra insurance.
 
the anchor bolts are a good idea but I am with Wispete if you can still move the gun case you just need to get more guns to put in it
 
" Death and taxes may be the only things certain in life, but at least death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets."


It does when the inheritance tax gets messed with!
 
Thanks all,

I ended up using 5 1/2" X1/2" heavy duty concrete anchors and updating my insurance policy.
BTW the safe is a bit heavier now.
Vick
 
Slab floor I guess that means concrete.. Lags are for wood.. To keep it from going anywhere you need concrete floor anchors. That is how we mount Telephone Central Office equipment that has to meet earthquake standards. There are two basic types of anchor, bolt type would probably be best for a vault, or the stud type that stick out of the floor and you put your vault over and then put washers and nuts over the studs and tighten them down.

Believe it 1/2" to 3/4" floor anchors are not comming out if its a good slab and you set the anchors right.
 
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