- 1). Check the construction, and look for solid steel walls measuring at least 1/2-inch thick. Avoid safes with walls measured in "gauges" like 10-gauge or 20-gauge steel, and instead, select a safe with walls measured in inches or fractions of inches. Gauge indicates thicknesses in millimeters, and "gauge-steel" will prove too thin to provide even minimal protection from thieves or fire.
- 2). Review the different security ratings that include Class B, C, E, F and M, and avoid safes rated as a residential-security container (RSC). Manufacturers rate RSC safes as able to withstand tampering for a maximum of five minutes, so you should select a safe with a B, C, E or F rating that can resist tampering for 16 to 30 minutes. Choose a Class M (military-security) safe if you need hardened steel capable of resisting carbide drills or high-power rifle bullets.
- 3). Examine the door's construction including doorjamb and bolts, looking for a welded jamb and full-length bolts that extend across the entire inner face of the inside of the door. Make certain the safe has a solid doorjamb with a weld at least 2 inches from each edge of the safe, and avoid doors that have partial bolts. Partial bolts connect to the door via a small bolt that thieves can often loosen, but full-length bolts extend from one side of the safe to the other and secure the door shut using a solid bar of stainless steel.
- 4). Compare extra features like easy-to-access drawers and custom shelves for small belongings. Easy-access drawers should allow you enough room to store small items like jewelry, cash or valuable coins. Shelves help organize your belongings and increase vertical storage capacity.
- 5). Compare fire-protection features, and look for a minimum of 1/2-inch thickness of solid steel with an additional 1/4-inch of heat-resistant drywall or foam. Avoid heat-resistant safes that have a total 1/2-inch thickness because they will consist of 1/4-inch steel and 1/4-inch foam.
- 6). Compare weights, and look for a safe heavy enough to make moving it difficult or impossible. Thieves can simply take light 50- to 100-lb. safes and open them at their convenience somewhere else. Look for 200- to 1,000-lb. safes that thieves cannot move without risking capture.
- 7). Compare costs. RSC safes cost $100 to $200. Class B, C, E and F safes cost $500 to $10,000, and Class M safes cost $10,000 to $60,000.
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