How to Move a Gun Safe: Best Way You Need to Know

It’s that dreaded moment. The time when you have to move a gun safe from one place to another. Gun safes are notoriously heavy and difficult to move, much like that furniture you inherited from Grandma. Everything about the process basically sucks, but it is doable. Follow this simple series of steps on how to move a gun safe and you’ll have that thing in its new location in no time.

Initial Steps

Get the safe as light as possible by removing anything that doesn’t need to be inside.

Ammo, anything else that can be put in a separate box for now, should be taken out.

If moving to a new house, park the moving truck with the rear-facing either the sidewalk or driveway that you will be approaching from. Lower the ramp and be sure the path to get to the truck is made as easy as possible.

For larger safes, provide the team with worker gloves if they don’t already have some. I also find it helpful to provide pizza and beer to those that help me move – it seems to get everyone in a better mood and creates a team atmosphere. Here is a great video.

• Cover walls, door openings, other furniture, and important items with scratch resistant material. Anything that the safe will pass by in the home should be protected.
• Clear the path with which the safe will travel to an extra foot on each side, wherever possible. A bit of wobbling and curving will likely occur during transport. You don’t want anything to be struck by the safe should it or your team become frenzied.
• Get a plank of wood or other solid object to act as a ramp if there are any steps leading from the front door to the vehicle or other area where the safe will be. If this doesn’t seem doable, you’ll need a couple extra people on the lower side as you move the safe down the step.

Moving Larger Gun Safes (over 3 feet tall, too heavy for one person to lift)

Gun safes are heavy in order to make them near impossible to steal should someone intrude into your home.

Moving them about is intentionally a process. I moved my 800-pound gun safe from our old house in Naples, Florida to our new spot in Lyndon, Washington and learned the hard way that gun safes aren’t the most transportable of items.

We spent an extra grand on gas on the drive because of the added weight. However, I picked up these tips:

• Get a furniture dolly, or a forklift if you can. I recommend buying one from a home improvement store instead of renting or borrowing one. That way, you’ll have it whenever you need it.
• When you’re ready to move, have a team of people stand on one side of the safe and lean it back. Slide the dolly underneath the safe and stabilize
• I’ll note here that it is super important that the safe be balanced well on the dolly. Due to immense weight, it can fall over and crush individuals if not properly set. Here is a video on the process.
• Ensure your path is cleared, and begin slowly moving the best gun safe out of the room.

Corners and Immovable Objects in the Way

Going around corners can be tough. The most important thing is to remain calm and proceed slowly. If you can, have a person position themselves on the far side of the safe (the side opposing the direction you are turning into) to provide added support from the back side. This person can forcefully push into the rear as the safe is moved around the corner. Go wide – by this I mean swing the dolly a bit further out than you initially think is necessary. That will allow the safe and dolly to be turned at an easier angle without striking the wall or toppling onto the person guarding the rear.

Loading into moving trucks/vehicles

Ready to exert some strength? Good, because this is the time to show off how those gym sessions have sculpted your muscles.

• Assemble the entire team (add a few extra people if you can) at the bottom of the ramp leading into the back of the truck.
• Everyone will need to position themselves comfortable behind the safe. If you have any truck straps, this is a great time to tie them around the safe and have one person stand in front of the safe and pull while everyone else pushes. While pulling won’t be super effective, the main benefit here is that this person acts as a sort of guide to ensure the safe doesn’t derail or fall off the dolly.
• Once you start pushing the safe up the ramp, DON’T STOP! Momentum is the most important factor here. Get those grunts out and keep pushing. By the time you reach the top of the ladder, you will have enough momentum to easily move the gun safe into the desired position inside the truck.

Moving Smaller Gun Safes

With smaller ones, the process of how to move a gun safe is basically the same buy slightly less intense. Follow the above steps and make adjustments where necessary – you won’t need as many people or as much strength. If the safe can be carried, be sure to have at least two people for added support. Set the safe down gently and be mindful of doorways, walls, and protruding objects when passing through hallways. Do not set the safe on top of anything else – it’s weight may crush other objects.

Conclusion

Now you know how to move a gun safe. The process is tough but can be enjoyable with friends and a good attitude. One thing to keep in mind is that when moving the gun safe to a new house, identify in advance the best location for the safe. In the garage or a room where it will not need to be moved ever again. If you enjoyed this article, please share. Knowledge is power, just like teamwork! If you have any tips or anything, feel free to leave them in the comments and we’ll get a discussion going. Check out my recent post about best ar10 scope