How to Move a Large Gun Safe

Big safes weigh upwards of 1000 lbs. Be careful when moving yours.

Many people use safes as a way to protect their money, weapons or other precious objects, but when it comes to moving a safe from one place to another, there's nothing safe about it. Big safes weigh upwards of 1000 lbs., and the slightest wrong move can cause a harmful--even fatal--disaster. Before transporting your safe, ensure that you have the correct tools and knowledge to do it correctly.

Things You'll Need

• Dolly/pallet jack
• Helper(s)
• Straps

Instructions

1. Find the right equipment. You can use a number of different pieces, but two are most prominent. One is the pallet jack. It looks like a fork lift, only it's meant to be pulled and not driven. Since safes are heavy, get a hydraulic pallet jack.

   The other piece of equipment is a dolly, which the upright-standing piece of equipment service workers usually use when delivering a refrigerator, stove or washer and dryer set. It is the best piece of equipment for moving heavy items up or down stairs. Ensure that it's an industrial dolly (not an appliance dolly).

2. Clear away anything that might impede you while transporting the safe, especially paying attention to hallways. Take pictures off the wall to avoid knocking them down. Also consider taking doors off to create more space.

3. Ask a friend or two to help you. While it's possible to move a big safe by yourself, it's not wise. Safes can weigh upwards of 1000 lbs.

4. Load up the safe. For the dolly tip the safe a bit while another person slides the dolly underneath and straps the safe in. As you tip the safe and dolly backward together, position a person on each side to guide it down safely. Tip it slowly. When you begin to move, pull it instead of push it. Lie the back of the dolly against the stairs to move up or down. Move one step at a time. No one should ever stand beneath the safe in case it falls.

   For the pallet jack, use a dolly to tip the safe just enough to get the pallet jack underneath. Tip the safe back the other way, and allow the safe to sit on the pallet jack, pushing it farther onto the pallet as you go. Secure the safe on the pallet. If you don't secure it, station a person on either side to keep it balanced.

5. Unload in reverse order. With the dolly, ask one person to tip the safe just enough for another person to get the dolly out. With the pallet jack, slide the safe off the pallet and onto the tipped dolly. Unload from the dolly.

References

• Tractor By Net: Moving a Gun Safe
• Gun Safe Buyers' Guide: What to Look for When Buying a Safe