How to Move a Gun Safe – Step-By-Step Guide

Prepare the Gun Safe

The first step is to prepare your heavy gun safe for the move. Make sure to remove all the contents, including documents, banknotes, jewelry, guns, and other critical items. Not only does this step reduce the weight of the heavy safe, but it eliminates the chances of harming your valuables while in transport. 

You must also double-check you lock and close the door before moving. Unintentional door opening during the transport process can cause not only damage to the safe but also create personal injuries. Another way to secure the safe is to wrap thicker furniture blankets around it so that you cover all surfaces

Obtain the Best Moving Equipment

The best strategy to move a gun safe is with a dolly, and not an ordinary one. It would be best for you to get a heavy-duty appliance dolly. That way, you can feel confident that the dolly will withstand the large dimensions and weight of your gun safe. If professional movers turn to appliance dollies, you should do the same for the safest possible move.

Before you rent the dolly from a nearby moving company, you need to understand your safe’s exact weight and dimensions. You can usually find this information within the safe’s documentation. Communicate this information to the professionals, and they will ensure you get the right product for your needs. Supporting ropes and straps are also good things to have, in addition to the dolly.

Outline Your Game Plan

To execute the move safely, you should have a clear plan of how you will move it out of the house or building. This game plan also includes where you will go outside toward the vehicle. You should be clear about what your goal is and how you will achieve it. Do not be hasty in your move – you should always look out for challenging corners, tight spaces, and flights of stairs.

So, how do you form a robust game plan? Start by measuring all tight spots and doorways throughout the route. Analyze these measurements by comparing them to your safe’s dimensions so that you know the current move is practical.

Take the time to remove any items from the floor or obstacles in the path. If you trip on a random object, it can cause severe injury and halt the move.

It would be wise for you to discuss the plan with the other movers and helpers. If everyone is on the same page, the project will go much more smoothly—outline clear warning signs among the team to alert each other if danger is looming. As you execute the move, you should have a person walking in front to ensure the project is going as planned.

Safeguard the Floors and Walls

Moving a massive gun safe is no small task. Although you have a confident plan and a reliable team of movers, one small mistake could throw off the whole project, including damage to the floors and walls.

It is wise to wrap the safe in moving blankets, but you can take it a step further by adding protection to any tight spots along the route. Add padding or covering to tight corners, door openings, furniture pieces, and other walls. Focus on places where the gun safe could rub or touch throughout the project.

As for the floors, you could place old blankets, rugs, and cardboard on the critical surfaces. With this extra level of protection, it will be difficult for the safe or dolly to scratch the floor. If the safe happens to fall off the dolly, the blankets or cardboard will better brace the fall.

Carefully Load the Safe onto the Dolly

You already have the best equipment in your appliance dolly, but now comes one of the more critical steps in the whole process: loading the safe onto the dolly. Here is a simple and straightforward approach to follow:

• Align and place the dolly next to one of the safe’s sides
• Position all your helpers on the opposite side of the safe and slightly lean it back
• Underneath the safe, slide the dolly in place until the safe is resting nicely on the dolly.
• With the help of your rope or supporting straps, you can now tie down the safe against the dolly. Try your best to tighten it as much as possible to eliminate any movement.
• Tilt the dolly back on its wheels while keeping the safe stabilized and balanced to eliminate tipping. You should distribute the strongbox’s weight equally on the dolly while your helpers support it

Safely Load The Safe onto the Truck

Most of the hard work is over now that you reached the vehicle. So, how do you load the safe into the truck?

The best strategy is to utilize a loading ramp. This feature is a necessity for any moving truck or vehicle. Before you arrange for it on moving day, you should double-check to make sure it has a loading ramp.

As you move the safe into the truck, you should have one person pulling the dolly upwards while everyone else remains behind to push the heavy load. The best thing to do here is to keep the momentum going up toward the truck without rushing things too much.

Final Reminder: Safety First

No matter what your goals are in moving the safe, your safety and the well-being of your helpers should always come first. Your gun safe, and its contents are valuable, but your health is even more vital. Follow these safety tips when making the big move:

• Know your strength limitations
• Invest in the safest and most optimal moving equipment
• Get at least three helpers to ensure a smooth move.
• Wear flexible, comfortable clothing and close-toed shoes
• Protect your fingers and hands by wearing strong work gloves