If you want to keep a gun safe from tipping over, the obvious thing to do is to bolt it down and make sure to use 1/2″ bolts or larger to secure it. No matter where you put your gun safe, the best practice is to bolt it down.
If you don’t do that, someone can easily move the safe around without much effort. It can also tip over easily. And if it’s a heavy safe, this can cause quite the injury.
Can you install a gun safe on the floor if you cannot bolt it down? All gun safes come with pre-drilled holes in the bottom. This helps you secure it to the ground so that the safe doesn’t tip over.
What if you are unable to bolt your safe to the ground for some reason? The massive ones you’d need a forklift to move might not fit in your room or be a necessity.
Gun safes under 500 pounds are more prone to tipping over, especially when they are not bolted. It is best to bolt the safe to the floor in order to minimize the risk of injury.
In addition, let’s take a look at this from a security perspective. In my opinion, the gun safe should be bolted down if it is possible.If not, a few dudes with a hand truck could easily pull your safe right out of your house while you’re out.
If you have additional homeowners’ insurance, then your guns are covered, but that doesn’t mean that you should let them get away with your hard-earned property in the first place.
Advantages Of Anchoring Your Safe
To firmly anchor a safe to the floor, you will need to anchor it down safely using bolts. As I’ve said before, using 1/2″ bolts or larger is a great way to prevent your gun safe from tipping over.
That being said, there are other advantages of anchoring your gun safe. Anchoring a gun safe also prevents it from being tipped over and pried open by thieves. Also, it keeps dangerous objects, such as loaded weapons and knives, from falling onto you or your family. Check which are the best gun safes under $300.
Anchoring a safe provides additional benefits besides preventing it from tipping over. These include:
- Secure the safe against theft by preventing thieves from carrying it all. Any safe can be broken into when burglars are given enough time and effort. The safe is thus usually transported away to be opened at a later date if they have enough time on their hands.
- Protect your firearm by upgrading its security. A safe that is bolted down can greatly enhance its security. Safes lying on their backs are easier to break. It is easy for thieves to pick open an unbolted safe when it is not secured because of the high body-to-weight ratio.
In short, it is highly recommended that you bolt down your safe. This isn’t just to prevent tipping over. There are other reasons to do so.
Planning Ahead
That being said, you should always plan ahead. Prior to your safe’s arrival, you should have a plan in place so that the installation team is well prepared.
It’s important to inform your installers if your safe cannot be secured to your floor. To find out more about gun safe installation, contact your local gun safe dealer.
Things To Do If Can’t Bolt Your Gun Safe To The Floor
For some reason, if you are unable to bolt your gun safe to the floor, you will need to look for alternative installation options. The next best thing is to anchor your gun safe to the wall.
Maybe the floor can’t be drilled because the safe is placed on top of a post-tensioned concrete floor. There may be a reason why you can’t drill into the floors of your house since you rent it, or you don’t have the permission to do so.
Or you might not want to create holes in your floor. Don’t worry; we have some tips you can follow to make sure your gun safe is anchored properly so that it doesn’t tip over.
Anchoring A Safe To A Wall
The next best thing if your gun safe isn’t screwed into the floor is to screw it into the wall, especially if you’re renting your house. Rather than having to replace the flooring or carpeting when you move, it is simpler to repair a few small holes in the wall.
A lot of safes have pre-drill holes in the back of the safes. However, most high-end safe makers don’t do this.
A wall-mounted safe is not as easy to anchor as one that is floor-mounted. Installing your safe should always be left to the professionals because they have the knowledge and proper tools for the job. See the best long gun safes under $500 some of which are suitable to be anchored to a wall.
A hole must be drilled through the back of your safe near the exact location of your studs in the wall. A stud-finder is needed for this. Safes should not be anchored solely into sheetrock.
If your safe is attached to the wall by screws, sheetrock does not serve as an anchored material, and the screws could be easily torn out.
For the installers, it is easy to figure out how to anchor the safe into studs. However, the most challenging part of mounting your safe to a wall remains. That is drilling through the back of your safe.
Many heavy-duty gun safes have been engineered to resist drilling. To drill through steel, you need a powerful drill with a strong drill bit.
You need to know what kind of wall you have before mounting a gun safe to it. Holes are drilled into concrete or masonry walls, and then the anchoring bolts are inserted into those holes. Before installing a gun safe, you need to find the studs first.
Use lag screws to secure the safe against the wall after drilling into the studs. When you move into an apartment, back anchoring makes it easier to patch up holes if you need to. If the ground is not available for anchoring, mounting on the wall will provide just as much protection.
Things To Consider Before Anchoring A Safe To The Floor
There is more to anchoring a safe than just drilling some holes in the floor. What type of flooring and what kind of subfloor you use will determine the way to anchor it.
The floor of a basement or crawlspace, for example, can be made of plywood with some beneath-floor joists to provide additional support. Wooden anchors are needed for these.
Otherwise, or if the safe will be placed in the basement, you may need to use concrete anchors.
Other Ways To Prevent A Safe From Tipping Over
A safe can also be fixed to the floor with screws, bolts, or bolt holes. If anchoring a safe to the floor isn’t an option, you may want to consider the following ways:
Safes can be bolted together.
A large safe and a small safe can be bolted together. They will be difficult to tip over if you do it this way.
Fasten steel with bolts.
Safes can be bolted to heavy pallets or steel. This can make it difficult to move the safe through the door.
Conclusion
Safes should be bolted down for a number of reasons. Bolted down gun safes provide greater security. Safes that are difficult to move are less likely to be stolen or broken into.
A gun safe that is bolted down can prevent accidental tipping over and causing injury. It is recommended that gun safes be bolted down to fully utilize them.Additionally, safe installation without professional assistance can be dangerous.
The safe may also be destroyed in this way if you don’t know how to install it properly.The anchoring should be done by a professional, which is why you should hire them. This way, you can be sure that the safe won’t topple over. Hopefully, now you know how to keep a gun safe from tipping over.
Jerry Miculek is an experienced firearms and optics expert. Guns are not just a hobby for him, they are his passion and life. You can learn more about Jerry on our About us page.