Considering locations for installing safes

Equipment and accessories for shooting. Safes, firearm storage, bipods, carry cases, slings etc.

Considering locations for installing safes

Post by jwai86 » 04 Jan 2023, 1:19 pm

I'm considering where in my residence I can install a rifle safe, and later a handgun safe. The rifle safes I'm currently looking at are the Lokaway LBA14 or LOK2K, or the Spika S2CH.

https://www.horsleyparkgunshop.com.au/p ... 60-a-b-cat
https://www.horsleyparkgunshop.com.au/p ... 0x340-55kg
https://www.horsleyparkgunshop.com.au/p ... 0x360-81kg

The roughly drawn diagrams below show the dimensions of the two wardrobe spaces I could use. The spaces have depths greater than 36cm, so that won't be a problem for the above safes.

Image

The wardrobe space in the top diagram is in a study room, and the window faces the rear of a building, although it has no windows on that side. Unfortunately, there isn't enough height to stack a small handgun safe on top of a rifle safe, so that would have to go elsewhere. The Spika S2CH can fit both handguns and rifles at once within the height restrictions and sort out my handgun storage sooner, but its Category H compartment is significantly smaller than a separate safe.

The wardrobe space in the bottom diagram is in my bedroom. There are three shelf compartments next to the larger space that could fit a small Category H safe. However, the window faces out to the main access point to my particular group of units within a larger apartment complex. I keep the blinds drawn for obvious privacy reasons, but that window is potentially a security risk.

Finally, there is a small room in my garage space on the floor below that doesn't have space restrictions. The garage space is secured by a lockable door, but I can't keep an eye on the safe like inside my unit, the garage floor is a common area obviously accessible from the street by the driveway, and the floor has had issues with flooding in the past, although the worst issues were resolved some time ago.
jwai86
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by No1Mk3 » 04 Jan 2023, 1:57 pm

First off, as you intend to also store handguns at some point you will need to observe Level 2 storage which I'm sure you have already looked into, but are you aware that if you store outside your dwelling in a position that is not directly observable from your dwelling then you need a monitored alarm, firearms must also be fitted with trigger locks etc? I would discount your garage space as very inconvenient and costly. Second, buy the Spika and put it in your spare room, keep the handguns in bags for ease of space and later if needed look at upgrading to the Spika 3CH, or just go with the larger safe to begin with, even though it shows a couple of hundred dearer. Third, do you really need a study? Doesn't "Gun Room" sound much better? Cheers.
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by No1_49er » 04 Jan 2023, 1:58 pm

Keep in mind that your Cat H safe may have to be secured to the floor and wall, i.e., two surfaces fastened to the building. A shelf wouldn't come anywhere near to being a solid "floor".
Proud member of "the powerful gun lobby" of Australia :)
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by jwai86 » 04 Jan 2023, 2:18 pm

No1Mk3 wrote:First off, as you intend to also store handguns at some point you will need to observe Level 2 storage which I'm sure you have already looked into, but are you aware that if you store outside your dwelling in a position that is not directly observable from your dwelling then you need a monitored alarm, firearms must also be fitted with trigger locks etc? I would discount your garage space as very inconvenient and costly. Second, buy the Spika and put it in your spare room, keep the handguns in bags for ease of space and later if needed look at upgrading to the Spika 3CH, or just go with the larger safe to begin with, even though it shows a couple of hundred dearer. Third, do you really need a study? Doesn't "Gun Room" sound much better? Cheers.

Thanks for reminding me of those things with the garage space. I wrote it down as a possible option, but knew it wasn't necessarily a good option.

The study is more like a hobby storage room at this time. It's got the PC I'm posting this reply from, as well as a pile of other things that hold my interest like scale model kits, books, manga, figures and more.
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by Pendous » 04 Jan 2023, 5:14 pm

NSW storage requirements
SAFE STORAGE LEVEL ONE - Category A&B Requirements
SAFE STORAGE LEVEL TWO - Category C,D & H Requirements

NSW level two states, and/or wall or floor so a shelf could be considered not compliant.
Outside the box, there is no requirement to position vertically?
Horizontally may raise challenges though with regards to accessing and opening.
As mentioned a shared space, garage, could be argued as not being 'an inhabited
dwelling' or 'a person’s principal place of residence'.
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by jwai86 » 04 Jan 2023, 5:39 pm

Pendous wrote:NSW storage requirements
SAFE STORAGE LEVEL ONE - Category A&B Requirements
SAFE STORAGE LEVEL TWO - Category C,D & H Requirements

NSW level two states, and/or wall or floor so a shelf could be considered not compliant.
Outside the box, there is no requirement to position vertically?
Horizontally may raise challenges though with regards to accessing and opening.
As mentioned a shared space, garage, could be argued as not being 'an inhabited
dwelling' or 'a person’s principal place of residence'.

A concrete wall forms the back of that wardrobe space, so it is possible to push a handgun safe all the way back inside a compartment so that its rear makes contact with the wall for the purposes of installing the bolts. The shelving would only superficially surround the safe.

Failing that, the study wardrobe has two large spaces shown in my diagram that similarly have a concrete wall at the back. The rifle safe can go in one, and a handgun safe can go in the other.
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by Pendous » 10 Jan 2023, 8:19 pm

If fastening to concrete or brickwork use these,
1sahg_hex_screw_anchor_1-4036105438.png
1sahg_hex_screw_anchor_1-4036105438.png (167.41 KiB) Viewed 1388 times

Easy to install and much easier to remove.
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by jwai86 » 13 Jan 2023, 12:34 pm

I ended up going with the Spika S2CH to keep my Category A, B and H storage in one place. It's now securely bolted inside the study room wardrobe after a locksmith did the installation today. He used a set of bolts that he said are superior to the ones supplied with the safe. The wall turned out to be made of brick and rendered with concrete, but this wasn't a problem.

The space next to the safe looks to be a good spot to stow my rifle bag and other shooting gear. I'll have to get around to cutting a 36cm x 36cm square out of the section of carpet that was peeled away so I can put it back on the floor while accommodating the the safe's footprint.
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Re: Considering locations for installing safes

Post by Barbarian » 15 Jan 2023, 8:29 am

jwai86 wrote:I ended up going with the Spika S2CH to keep my Category A, B and H storage in one place. It's now securely bolted inside the study room wardrobe after a locksmith did the installation today. He used a set of bolts that he said are superior to the ones supplied with the safe. The wall turned out to be made of brick and rendered with concrete, but this wasn't a problem.

The space next to the safe looks to be a good spot to stow my rifle bag and other shooting gear. I'll have to get around to cutting a 36cm x 36cm square out of the section of carpet that was peeled away so I can put it back on the floor while accommodating the the safe's footprint.


When I did mine I cut a sheet of heavy rubber and put automotive carpet down with a cutout for the safe.

Most of my jackets aren't all that out of place next to the shooting bags and other gear anyway. Though the garment bag with my suit jacket might be a bit odd.

Though I did set up extra safes with shelves in my workshop for ammunition. Technically in plain view but honestly the tools and motorcycle in the same room are just as attractive for thieves. So I just blacked out all the windows.
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