New to Gun Safes

I will be bringing home a 500# gun safe and may need some tips and advice on getting it in the house and setting up the “right” way.

Once home I think I will need to borrow a skid from work to get it out of my truck (assuming it comes on a pallet and will be upright). Once it is unloaded I will need to transfer it to my front door (split entry), and down the stairs. I was thinking of using moving slings but that seems dangerous for the person who is leading on the stairs. Also thought I may be able to slide it down the carpeted stairs on the safes side. Any advice on this is much appreciated.

Once I have the safe in its new home I should be looking for a dehumidifier and a light for interior accessories, from what I’ve seen in others. Are there any products that I should pick up or stay away from? Should I have a piece of carpet beneath the safe as it will be on a concrete floor? Keep it on the pallet?

I have always left my guns in their cases or leaned them in a corner of my basement, rarely cleaning them. Now having less air movement I am guessing they should be cleaned and oiled before they are stored? Should I be opening the safe periodically to circulate air?

I could easily be overlooking the simplest aspects of owning and maintaining a gun safe, so please, treat me like I know nothing. For what its worth this is titled as a 48 gun 36x59x20″.

I would just hire someone to move it in, way easier. That being said, be sure your stairs can handle the load of two or three men and the safe.

Always take the safe off the pallet. Opinions vary on whether you should affix the safe to the ground, neither of mine are. They are sitting on thin pieces of composite decking on the concrete. Be sure you have some sort of de-humidifier in there and a way to read humidity. Desiccant packets will not suffice. You’ll want lights inside also, it makes things much easier. Avoid battery operated lights at all costs, they will fail or die when you need them. Most competent safes have a hole somewhere on the back, bottom or side for power wires to enter.

Always store all guns well oiled, regardless if they’re in a safe or in a case under a bed.

*All this info was learned prior to me surrendering all of my firearms to the local authorities so my home could be a gun-free zone.

Call a piano mover. They like safes, lighter and less delicate than a piano. They were about half the price of a moving company when I called around for mine.

I have lights and heater in mine. Not sure the heater is value added, but wouldn’t be without the lights.

I worry about the electric heat stick drying out stocks so I leave it off quite a bit. And.of course keep the guns oiled. That’s what I used to do when I had guns…

a heavy duty two wheel dolly is what I used for a 40 gun safe. imo that’s the best and cheapest route to go…….

I also bolted mine to the floor

Most places that sell safes know companies to move them.

Use a cheap moving dolly that has 4 wheels. About 12 bucks at Menards or FF. Are your steps carpeted? If they are I slid mine down on its side. Couple guys up top with straps around it and a couple guys guiding from below. In the basement put composite boards underneath it like AE suggested.

I have moved my 700# safe 3 times, and a 500# safe of my son’s once. Bought a HD dolly, with rear wheels at the start for about $150 from I think it was Northern tools. Safes just roll on the flat, and can easily go up one step by just tipping on one set of wheels, or a couple of steps by just tipping back and sliding in, and lifting upright again. 500# isn’t too bad to get down basement stairs, can easily be done with 3 big guys, or 3 guys and a wife. Fortunately, my wife’s not a complainer. I left the safe strapped to the dolly, and tied ropes to the dolly with big knots tied in them for a good hold, to lower down the stairs. Put 1 person below, and three on top. If your worried, put the person you like the least on the bottom (just kidding). the hardest part is the first stair or two, when tipping over the first stair. If your stairs have a molding strip, I recommend supporting that strip underneath. Also depending on your stairs, you may want to brace a 2×4 in the middle underneath for some additional support. 500#’s isn’t bad, and it has probably taken me longer to write this, than to actually do it. Getting it off the back of a pickup, is another matter. Have enough help for that. If your anywhere near me, you are welcome to use my dolly. Wausau Wi.

Thanks for the replies.

I moved the safe around with a skid-steer from the truck to the garage. Then I tried to lift one side to get a feel for the weight, and at 160 lbs myself I quickly realized I was not the man for the job.
I considered calling a few buddies to help me, also considering leaving it in the garage until I move next spring.
The safe was a gift so I took it now, without a real need. I can wait a while to use it.

We used the straps and slid on its side down the stairs. We were nervous but it worked without any issues. I suggested using the winch on the atv to slowly lower it down the stairs but 3 guys on the top running the straps and two guys making sure it isn’t hitting the walls was what we ended up doing. 700# safe that has to be brought back up the stairs due to moving…

I just moved a safe of 700+#’s, and straps to lower down the stairs worked very well. Once at the bottom, we tipped it up onto ‘golf balls’!! We then just rolled it over the carpet to its place in the ‘man-cave’. I chose to leave the gold balls under the safe to keep it up off the floor a bit. Probably used about 30 golf balls, and one person on each side, and one in back tossing the GB’s to the person in front as we slowly rolled it into its place….