I got mine safe (vintage 4 # safe) from the City's police property room before they tore the building down to build a new one. Not bad for a case of beer eh!
It took the better part of the day to load it on my truck with 3 guys. Once home, I had to build a wooden ramp up to my back door and lower it down the stairwell on a piano skid via my truck & crappy hardware store rope.
Well the rope broke and the safe slid down the stairs and got pinned between the cart & upper floor support or "I"-beam. Had to kick out a basement window to get downstairs so I could free the skid from the safe. Then I was able to position it properly in my den.
I knew the 4 digit combination number but had the same problem of not knowing the rotation sequence! Thank god the door was left open and I was able to access the lock panel & see the tumblers to figure it out!!!
I gutted the inside shelving and replaced it with 3/4" plywood walls,(top & bottom). I partitioned off the safe in the middle with storage shelving on one half and a 12 position long gun rack on the other half.
I should have made more racks!!!
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Carl,
For that kinda money (4K'ish...), maybe you can build your own safe with solid concrete & steel walls and a heavy thick safe door & frame combo! I think they sells the doors w/frames so guys can customize their own room to taste. This may be over kill but I know some guys who have done this.
Just a thought is all.
HC