Where do you have your gun safe (Athol: houses, per square foot)

[Rogdog]

Our house in Athol is on a raised foundation. The floor is wooden I beams and OSB. The foundation is continuous stem wall around the perimiter with a grade beam down the middle so the span is about 20 feet and I think they are on 16 1/2 centers. At least the appear to have standard insulation batts between them. I didn't measure.

Do any of you know of the top of your head what the per square foot loading capacity of this type of floor is?

Do any of you have a gun safe on such a floor? Mine is about 770 lbs loaded with a 24X30 foot print. About five square feet. 154lbs per square foot.

That seems doable.

Any comments?

[KTMMan]

As long as you put the safe next to a load bearing wall with a footing under it you should be fine. That has worked for me in two houses so far. Mine is 740 Lbs. empty. It also stores some lead ingots for more anti-theft ballast and a couple pounds of black powder for the poor misguided soul who cuts into it with a torch or cutoff saw.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by KTMMan

...and a couple pounds of black powder for the poor misguided soul who cuts into it with a torch or cutoff saw.

Now there's an idea I like, never thought about it. I built a gun room in the basement with concrete walls (we did CFFs so it was easy) and an exterior door with deadbolts. Not as good as a safe though. Keeps all the guns, loading equipment, powder, etc out of the way.

[KTMMan]

Toyman, I'd rather have your gunroom,as a safe is never big enough, but lets just add a steel door and frame. And more black powder!

[shoe_in97]

LOL! I read DH this thread, and he got a manic look in his eyes...I can see the wheels turning now! Problem is, there's no room in the safe for the black powder...

[KTMMan]

Awe, one pound of black powder isn't very big. But will sure rid the bad guy of all that ails him.

[Rogdog]

Originally Posted by KTMMan

As long as you put the safe next to a load bearing wall with a footing under it you should be fine. That has worked for me in two houses so far. Mine is 740 Lbs. empty. It also stores some lead ingots for more anti-theft ballast and a couple pounds of black powder for the poor misguided soul who cuts into it with a torch or cutoff saw.

Thanks,

Mine is sitting as you describe and seems fine. When I get to it, I'll make it a little more stealth by burying it under the stairs behind a door and support it from below for my own peace of mind. And to get a concrete slab under it to bolt down into. I've seen this setup and it's pretty cool.

Since black powder came up. I have a story to relate:

One Halloween here in the city, I was "disposing" of a partial can, given to me by my father-in-law for that purpose. He didn't need it and I don't have any blackpowder guns.

My son and I were pouring a small amount out on a paper plate and lighting it off. We got a little bored and started pouring a little more out and flicking matches at the pile from our post in some lawn chairs. That too grew boring so.......

We poured the REST out, probably just under half the can. Moved our chairs back a little and resumed. About a hundred misses went by then one landed right on top of the pile.

For a long pause it just sat there burning, mocking us. Huh? Then: WHUMPH! It flipped both of us over backwards in our chairs (or our reaction did) either way we were both on our backs with our feet in the air. The tree was on fire (smoldering, it's a Mulberry and pretty green) and there was a huge cloud of grey smoke just sitting there in my front yard. It was a perfectly still night and It wouldn't go away. All my neighbors were piling our of their houses because: The street light went out and all the car alarms in the area were going off. The flame ball burned smoke ring-style, perfectly preserving the paper plate and the grass under it but burning a ring around it. And that damed smoke cloud just sat there like a sign. THE IDIOT LIVES HERE!

It's a wonder we both survived into adulthood.

I have other such misadventures for another time.