Securing a 400kg gun safe

[Scuffy]

I’ve recently purchased a Euro grade 1 gun safe that weighs about 400kg.

Getting it into position was a proper challenge.

Now in position (corner of a room)it would appear that the concrete floor is not level so not at 90 degrees to either wall. When tight to the wall at bottom of safe it’s 12mm off plum at the top.

Is there a requirement to have a safe that could not be moved by anything less than 3 people (because of weight) secured to the structure of the house ?

Presume filler pieces should be cut and inserted to fill gaps ?

Thanks

 

[Andrewslater]

I would fix and use wedges and then fill the gap. My person preference would be to wedge the bottom but appreciate this might have some limitations.

 

[Freeforester]

Hindsight: always 20:20, but it might have been better to check the level of the floor in the first instance; can it be raised sufficiently to level it up to plumb? Might be better for operating the door.

While you're at it, I'd check the walls for plumb. If the floor isn't level....

 

[Scuffy]

Walls and floor all off.
The problem is the weight … it not the sort of thing that can be bumped into position!

 

[Mike L]

12mm is naff all, as long as the door open and closes ok, just drill and fix as per normal, then do an aesthetic filling of the gap.

 

[Stalker62]

Is there a requirement to have a safe that could not be moved by anything less than 3 people (because of weight) secured to the structure of the house ?

My view - which as I am not your FEO is irrelevant - is no.

 

[bowji john]

My view - which as I am not your FEO is irrelevant - is no.

Nor I

My answer would be similar - no

I'd be curious to know whether you have a floating concrete floor though - block and beam might not be keen on 400kg

j

 

[nun_hunter]

Walls and floor all off.
The problem is the weight … it not the sort of thing that can be bumped into position!

Does it need securing if it's that heavy? You only need to take reasonable precautions to secure your firearms. A 400kg safe will require multiple thieves and a lot of time to remove not to mention some specialist equipment.

I bet 99% of safes used by members here could be opened by a 10 year old with a cordless angle grinder in under a minute and they all meet the necessary requirements.

 

[bowji john]

Does it need securing if it's that heavy? You only need to take reasonable precautions to secure your firearms. A 400kg safe will require multiple thieves and a lot of time to remove not to mention some specialist equipment.

I bet 99% of safes used by members here could be opened by a 10 year old with a cordless angle grinder in under a minute and they all meet the necessary requirements.

It is similar to locks on doors and windows

they only impress the innocent law abider

 

[Eddie P]

From the HO guidelines on security

14. Safes weighing less than 20cwts should be secured in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions,
or in the case of one already possessed, that from a manufacturer or safe engineer.

 

[mealiejimmy]

12mm is naff all, as long as the door open and closes ok, just drill and fix as per normal, then do an aesthetic filling of the gap.

Agreed, just put wooden beading around the edges so that no gaps are visible
That way, plod can't say there are gaps that a jemmy might fit into (not that a jemmy would do much good on a 400Kg safe - but there's a reason they're called plod )

Cheers

Bruce

 

[billgatese30]

From the HO guidelines on security

14. Safes weighing less than 20cwts should be secured in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions,
or in the case of one already possessed, that from a manufacturer or safe engineer.

For the metric speakers amongst us, thats 1016kg!

 

[Bavarianbrit]

In Germany the home of OTT rules if the safe is when empty over 250kg then they allow to let it stand there with no need to drill & fix.

 

[jb1]

Agreed, just put wooden beading around the edges so that no gaps are visible
That way, plod can't say there are gaps that a jemmy might fit into (not that a jemmy would do much good on a 400Kg safe - but there's a reason they're called plod )

Cheers

Bruce

I would inject some floor leveling compound underneath to reduce any chance of tilting if no fixing are used.

 

[Fair Hill]

I would inject some floor leveling compound underneath to reduce any chance of tilting if no fixing are used.

Steel wedges at the bottom of the safe first to make it level and plumb then fill the gaps with grip fill or Tec 7 would be a better option.
Then fix it to the walls.

 

[Mike L]

I would inject some floor leveling compound underneath to reduce any chance of tilting if no fixing are used.

Thin skin of slfc will just crack unfortunately

 

[Camdig]

If you want to do proper job, I'd level the safe in it's desired position with wedges or shims, I would then use resin and threaded rod and secure base not over tightening the nuts, put a wee shutter round the safe and pour non shrink grout in to fill cavity, the back of the safe would only need a few basic fixings for aesthetic purposes if the base is done right.
As already been said I'd be checking structural integrity of existing floor before going all guns blazing.

 

[billgatese30]

Also, silly question but does it have holes for fixing it in place already? Or is it solid with no holes in the back/base?

 

[HonestJohn]

400kg!!! There’s your security! Ask your feo, they might well just say ‘ok’

 

[Foxyboy43]

From the HO guidelines on security

14. Safes weighing less than 20cwts should be secured in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions,
or in the case of one already possessed, that from a manufacturer or safe engineer.

When I was at skool 20 cwts was a ton. Of course that has probably changed since metrication….