Shotgun Safe - Metal Key or Numeric Keycode?

Shotgun Safe - Metal Key or Numeric Keycode?

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Discussion

GC8

19,910 posts

191 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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The Moose said:
Is it just me thinking that a £35 keypad safe probably isn't the hardest thing in the world to crack?!
Indeed: just YouTube it! Hit with a rubber hammer, they shake open. Most YT videos will now be trying to bump them with the most obscure item - Ive seen it done with a potato!

Snowboy

8,028 posts

152 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Get the wife a shotgun licence.
For £50 for 10 years (or whatever it is) it makes life a lot easier.

You can then legaly keep the keys in a hidden place that she knows about.
She can legally transport the guns.


If the wife doesn't have a licence it is illegal for her to know where the keys are and to have access to them.
That has apparently got a few people in trouble over the years.






nsi

Original Poster:

329 posts

199 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Snowboy said:
Get the wife a shotgun licence.
For £50 for 10 years (or whatever it is) it makes life a lot easier.

You can then legaly keep the keys in a hidden place that she knows about.
She can legally transport the guns.


If the wife doesn't have a licence it is illegal for her to know where the keys are and to have access to them.
That has apparently got a few people in trouble over the years.
Not a bad idea that. It's £50 for 5 years and the process for getting one is pretty straight forward. As you say she doesn't need to come shooting with me but it might come in handy for her to have the license so there's no problem with transporting or accessing them.

However this...
GC8 said:
The Moose said:
Is it just me thinking that a £35 keypad safe probably isn't the hardest thing in the world to crack?!
Indeed: just YouTube it! Hit with a rubber hammer, they shake open. Most YT videos will now be trying to bump them with the most obscure item - Ive seen it done with a potato!
...just sealed the deal for me. I'll get the big boy safe with the keypad on haha!

Now, does anyone know a less expensive shop than that one I linked to? It was just the first one on google to be honest. I noticed at least one poster saying he got stuff for less money somewhere else? (Not ebay.)

s p a c e m a n

10,796 posts

149 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Paranoia and guns, an excellent combination hehe

KingNothing

3,173 posts

154 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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I did get the air of paranoia when I entered this thread too. I'm planning on getting a FAC this year, the rifle I get will be stored in a gun locker/safe by means of key, spare key will be kept at work, primary key kept on car keys, which go with me whenever I leave the house.

theironduke

6,995 posts

189 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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The key to my cabinet lives on my main key set which are always with me or at home, with me. The cabinet itself is in my bedroom so goodluck to any thief who trys to sneak in un-noticed at night!

King Herald

23,501 posts

217 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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nsi said:
Of course they will know, and if they got the keys they may then have access......... Is that really being paranoid?
Put the key somewhere really discrete that nobody will ever look. A small recess atop a door, or behind a high shelf where nobody can see unless they drag in a ladder specifically.

Of course you then have to be careful every time you access the key, that nobody sees from whence it came.

I'd be more worried about the kids finding the car keys and doing a Ferris Bueller, or whatever the kids name was.



WorAl

10,877 posts

189 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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OP seriously, don't go over the top with your cabinet. As long as you are seen to be taking reasonable steps to ensure people don't have access to your cabinet, you'll not get into any trouble. If someone wants your guns, they'll take your cabinet off the wall.

I understand why you're paranoid now, you're new to this, but believe me, you won't get into trouble with the police as long as you don't have a sign in your window saying that that keys to your cabinet are under the mat on your front step.

DIW35

4,145 posts

201 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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I have two gun safes, one for the shotguns and one for the rifles. As my wife also has a SGC, she has the spare key for the shotgun cabinet. The spare key for the rifle cabinet is hidden somewhere that only I know of, which I believe meets the legal requirements.

As for worrying about visiting friends/family/workmen having access to the keys, I don't worry about that any more than I would worry about them picking up my car keys and driving away in my car.

I've never looked at keypad safes so have no idea how they work, but I imagine they would have some sort of backup entry method in order to gain access in the event of a power failure. If that involves a key, you still have the same dilemma you would have with a normal key entry safe, so I wouldn't bother with the additional expense.

Edited by DIW35 on Thursday 3rd January 15:36

Sam99

296 posts

174 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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WorAl said:
OP seriously, don't go over the top with your cabinet. As long as you are seen to be taking reasonable steps to ensure people don't have access to your cabinet, you'll not get into any trouble. If someone wants your guns, they'll take your cabinet off the wall.

I understand why you're paranoid now, you're new to this, but believe me, you won't get into trouble with the police as long as you don't have a sign in your window saying that that keys to your cabinet are under the mat on your front step.
As above.
It seems we are making mountains out of molehills ?????

Leadfoot

1,904 posts

282 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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WorAl said:
you're paranoid now. you're new to this
This.

Stop making it more complicated & expensive than it need be.
Buy a single key Brattonsound or similar & hide the key.
Don't tell the missus where it is & you've complied with the letter & spirit of the law.
Don't bother with a safe for your cartridges - you'll be buying them be the thousand & that takes up a fair bit of room. They're completely safe unless you put them in a gun. If you're worried about kids getting to them just put a lock on a cupboard door.

You're making a big deal out of something simple because you're new to gun ownership. The novelty will soon wear off & you'll be wondering why you made the whole exercise so expensive & so much of a faff.

Buy a second safe for the valuables so you wife can get to them. I've been meaning to get one for ages as it's too much of a pain in the @rse putting them in the gun safe.


Snowboy

8,028 posts

152 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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I don't keep my keys on my keyring.
But I can see why some people do.

Nearly all gun laws come down to 'Don't be an idiot.'

When the feo checks the safe (if it's like mine) he takes a firm hold and tries to pull it off the wall. Mine uses 4 coach bolts with big washers. It didn't move.

Imagine any given saturday, you are in the lounge watching tv, you kid has mates round they are elsewhere in the house.
Is there any chance they could get the keys and access the safe.


JREwing

17,540 posts

180 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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I've always used a key safe with the key(s) hidden safely. And also, do get one larger than you currently need. I regretted only buying enough space for the guns I then had.

Greg_D

6,542 posts

247 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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theironduke said:
Does anybody have, or know anybody who does have, a dedicated gun room in their house? Vault door, no windows and racked out inside? Always loved the idea of this if I had a euromillions win!
no, but i have one planned for the next extension in the house,

Basically a large walk in cupboard with a vault door, enough room for cleaning and display, should be ace - i don't NEED one, but will be a real man den, none the less.

One thing to be aware of whenever discussing safes and whatever is the really low absolute requirement for security. The commercially available safes are well over the top in relation to the law, the minimum legal requirement is a physical restraint on a wall that is not open to public viewing. A friend may have a pump action mounted via a basic trigger lock in a cupboard adjacent to the side door, should the gyppos come calling.
If you read the firearms security handbook (and i have) the actual requirements are tiny.
Legally, the kitchen table is a perfectly suitable place to store your shotgun shells.

Now i know that sensibly you need a proper safe and an ammo cupboard, but the point i'm making is don't get all overwrought about it, pretty much anything is legal.

KingNothing

3,173 posts

154 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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OP, put your entire house in a numerically locked safe, it's the only way to be sure tongue out

Big_Dog

974 posts

186 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Right, either take the forends off and hide them/put them in another safe. If semi autos the slide.
Or put key operated gunboxes (two 3 gun boxes are more use than one 6) In a lockable cupboard. You could even fit a numeric keypad to that door wooden/steel door. Keypad locks are simple to fit and C£30 from Screwfix etc.
As above poster says it's about layers.

Agrispeed

988 posts

160 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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we use a double lock rifle cabinet, with the good stuff separately tethered to the back of the safe, the ammo for the rifle is in one locked cabinet on another floor, and the shotgun cartridges are separate from those, again locked away, the keys are hidden in another cabinet.

remember the police will want the cabinet to be fairly easy to access and get to, as it reduces the risk of people leaving guns out because they cant be bothered to open the safe.

If you want more than 5(?) guns you need a alarm for the safe. Personally I would Buy a 5 gun safe, as that can store .22/.177 and most shotguns happily, and i would put the cases in elsewhere, as you want them to be open in the cabinet (apparently stops them sweating or rusting?)

Personally I would have a key one as its less likely to bork, and just hide the keys in a draw somewhere.

Cartridges would be fine as long as they are out of sight (although I would put them in another room). smile

theironduke

6,995 posts

189 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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Agrispeed said:
If you want more than 5(?) guns you need a alarm for the safe.
Presume you mean FAC stuff? I've got 8 shotguns and the cabinet isn't alarmed, FLO happy with it all last time he looked in March last year.

Agrispeed

988 posts

160 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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theironduke said:
Agrispeed said:
If you want more than 5(?) guns you need a alarm for the safe.
Presume you mean FAC stuff? I've got 8 shotguns and the cabinet isn't alarmed, FLO happy with it all last time he looked in March last year.
I think it varies from force to force. The woman who visited me from Devon & Cornwall police said that over 5 and we would need to alarm it. we do have FAC/Shotguns in the same cabinet though, although FAC stuff has to be tethered, so couldn't be taken if they broke in anyway.

I think you could also have another cabinet in another part of the house for the other license holder though, which would be acceptable, It all gets a bit complicated though...

Life Saab Itch

37,068 posts

189 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
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