JACK BURTON UNLEASHES GUN SAFE KNOWLEDGE (Interview)

As one starts doing research for gun safes online one of the first websites you notice is http://www.gunsafehaven.com . As soon as I stumbled upon it, it was clear to me the well researched nature of the content along with the passion with which it was written. I immediately subscribed to the blog’s feed, and went back frequently for reference, but the influence the writer had in my own gun safe writing work was bigger than just visiting back, as you will shortly see.

A month and a half ago I received notification of a comment on a post I had done about The Fatboy Gun Safe from Liberty Safe. To my surprise the signature on the comment was from Jack Burton.

Could it be that Jack Burton, the gunsafehaven.com writer?

You see, back when I first discovered ‘Gun Safe Haven’, one of the things I immediately asked myself was if the writer was using the name Jack Burton in homage to the cult character played by Kurt Russell in “Big Trouble in Little China”. I was almost certain about the answer, and since I was also starting to write about gun safes myself, I decided to also create my own writing pseudonym out of a character from a movie. I knew Kurt Russell had modeled Jack Burton partly in John Wayne, so I considered using it but it was going to be too obvious, so I decided to blend John Wayne with Billy the Kid, and just like that BILLY WAYNE, my own writing pseudonym, was born.

Rob – Jack Burton’s Real Name – replied very quickly to my e-mail conveying him my excitement for having him comment on my blog. To me he is a celebrity in the truest sense, I mean I followed him for months and now he had voluntarily commented on one of my posts. But Rob is quick to dismiss any attempts to aggrandize him, in his own words: “I am just a guy who loves firearms and has a high tolerance for research”. That might be true but in my opinion he is one of the true independent forces reviewing and researching the gun safe industry.

His knowledge not only comes from his deep research but also comes from his real life experience. Apart from knowing a lot about gun safes he frequently advocates personal safety in his blog and in public forums as well.

It is my pleasure and honor that Jack Burton, the Gun Safe Jack Burton, accepted to do this interview with me. If you are interested in gun safes do not miss this one. Tight your seatbelts and gear up for a hell of ride (and who knows we might even get a comment from Kurt Russell himself in a couple of months), enjoy:

GUN SAFE INTERVIEW WITH JACK BURTON, by Billy Wayne.

Jack, a pleasure to get to spend time with you, let me start with the obvious. I gather your interest in gun safes grew from your interest in firearms. GunSafeHaven.com has become one of the most reputable sources online to do gun safe research, and that doesn’t happen overnight.  How it all did started for you?

I love weapons in general.  A lot of guys probably have awkward memories of their parents finding Playboys or pot under their beds.  Instead, my parents found trench knives and machetes…I did a better job of hiding the other stuff; I’ve always been fascinated with firearms, but growing up, I mainly geeked out on blades and blunt objects.  It wasn’t until 2004, after I got my first post-college paycheck, that I became a gun owner.  Now, I shoot whenever I get the chance.

GunSafeHaven.com was a project I started up in September of 2009.  Oddly enough, it began out of my interest in Internet marketing.  I wanted to learn the trade in my spare time, and I needed a vehicle.  During my own hunt for a gun safe, I noticed that while the Internet is full of information on guns, there isn’t much out there on gun storage.  I also noticed that the majority of content that shows up in the top of the search engines is rehashed marketing propaganda–not all of it, but most of it.  I decided I wanted to create a site that offered unique information on the subject that you couldn’t find anywhere else.
Because I’m not a safe dealer, manufacturer, or technician, offering unique, credible information has been a bit of a challenge.  In hindsight, when I originally launched the site, I thought I knew much more about the industry than I actually did.  After two years of talking with technicians and manufacturers, reading books like Locks, Safes and Security, and testing products myself, I now realize, I didn’t know a darn thing.  In fact, I’m in the process of auditing, rewriting, and in some cases, removing old posts on the site that aren’t up to my current standard.

At the moment, I think of myself a security enthusiast.  I have fun testing products that aren’t over my head, but for subjects out of my expertise, I’m definitely not above hitting up safe dealers and technicians for information.  Though I’m striving to someday become an expert in the field myself, right now, I’m a bit of an information middle man; just trying to pass on solid value to my readers.

Firearm ownership has a fun aspect to it, but I think more importantly it comes with a huge added responsibility. What would be your advice to somebody starting their firearm collection with regards to safety, and particularly with regards to the gun safe they choose?

Well, the fact that someone is even acknowledging the need for secure gun storage is a step in the right direction.  One of the most common reasons to invest in a gun safe or security cabinet is to keep a personal firearms collection from unauthorized access; particularly with regard to children.

I’ve gotten into it with a few folks on the issue of keeping guns locked up with kids in the house.  Obviously, no one wants a tragic accident, but I often hear the argument, “I teach my kids proper gun safety, they respect the firearm, so there’s no need to lock it up”…something like that anyway.

Let me just say, I’m 100% all in for teaching your children about firearms safety at an early age; my dad showed me how to shoot when I was seven.  However, there’s a good chance that Eddie Haskell, and the rest of your kid’s friends didn’t receive the same education.  Truth be told, I don’t even trust half of my friends to handle a firearm safely.  Keep your guns locked up, and the only thing you’ll have to trust is the lock.

Safety is a bit of a broad topic, so I’ll hit it from another angle as well; operations security.  The absolute worst thing you can do when you get a new gun safe is to let people know that you have it.  Yes, I realize how hypocritical that is–don’t be like me.  Don’t tell strangers at the range about your new Liberty Fatboy, and how much firepower you have in it.  Don’t display your safe in plain sight of the living room window.

Just use common sense.  It’s tempting to brag about your new toys (believe me, I’ve been doing it for two years now), but you’re much better off if you just keep your mouth shut, and enjoy them for the reason you bought them; security.

I am a huge fan of American Made Gun Safes for all of the good reasons. In my experience they just happened to be better gun safes, and we help to keep jobs within our borders. But at the same time imported gun safes from China, Mexico, or anywhere else, also have a valid role in the market. Which are the best imported gun safes in your opinion?

Anyone who tells you that a residential security container (RSC) is a piece of junk just because it has a “Made In China” sticker on it is…probably right…but not every time.
There are definitely a few decent entry level safes on the market that are made outside of the US, and I’ve actually recommended some to readers in the past.  Having said that, I’ve come to the recent conclusion that there’s no over-whelming reason to buy a safe manufactured in China or Mexico.

Price point is generally the driving motivation behind the purchase of an import model, but when you boil it down, you can almost always find a better American made safe in the same ballpark.  I’d feel comfortable stacking a Liberty Centurion DLX (Liberty’s entry level line–well under $1000) against any Chinese import in the same price range.
Sorry, it’s probably not the answer you’re looking for, but I’m not going to recommend an import…there’s no reason to.

I loved the interview you did with Terry Pratt, Sturdy Safes owner and engine, was he difficult to find? And what did you learn from him?

I’ve had more trouble changing an airline ticket than I did getting a hold of  Terry Pratt.  Last November, I sent an email to Sturdy, asking if they’d answer a couple questions for a post I was writing on American made safes.  Two days later, I had a 45 minute Q&A with Terry over the phone.  The dude is a class act; solid character to the core, and an intimate understanding of the market.

I definitely learned a lot.  He educated me on the fundamentals of steel integrity and composition, how those factors relate to safe construction, and why American steel is among the best in the world (he was also very fond of Japanese steel).  He gave me a comprehensive run-down of how a safe makes its journey from the steel mill to your doorstep, and how just many American jobs are effected in the process.  In addition, he explained shortcuts not only taken in overseas manufacturing, but American as well; general “low-down tricks to look out for”, if you will.

You can tell by talking to the guy that he’s passionate about what he does, and it shows; he’s created a phenomenal business for himself almost exclusively through word-of-mouth marketing…case in point; I just plugged his company without even thinking about it. 

Among American Made Gun Safes I happen to be closer to Liberty Safe (the company I work for is of one of the main Liberty Gun Safe Dealers) because I have been to their manufacturing facility in Payson UTAH. I am also very familiar with AMSEC Gun Safes. But there are other very good gun safe companies that manufacture in the US.  All of them claim they do the best gun safe, but let me ask you personally, which one you think is the best? Or, which one you like the most according to your own taste?

Liberty Safe consistently pumps out quality RSCs and offers one of the best lifetime warranties bar-none.  AMSEC has a handful of top-notch units as well, including one of the only UL TL-30 listed “gun safes” on the market. But the make that takes the cake, in my opinion, is Graffunder.

My love for basic shelter and sustenance prevents me from fitting one of their safes into my budget, but if I had $10K worth of wiggle room, I’d strongly consider one.  They’re adored by their customers; they baffle techs, and have earned the respect of their direct competitors. There are a lot of fine gun safes on the market, but I’ve yet to find one that seems to yields more awe than Graffunders.

What’s the gun safe with the best ‘price/value’ in the market in your opinion? 

My answer to that is almost always going to be a moving target, but since I chumped out on my answer to your foreign import question, I’ll spare you the diplomatic rhetoric, and drop a name.

The next unit I buy will likely be a Sturdy Safe.  They take out the middle man to pass more savings on to the customer (pardon the cliché).  They’re like the Original Mattress Factory for gun safes…only they don’t have annoying commercials.  Their security and fire protection exceeds nearly all expectations based on what you’d normally find in a gun safe, and their warranty and customer service record is matched by very few other manufacturers.

Another thing to consider–though it’s not for everyone–is to keep an eye on Craig’s List and other classifieds for local retailers and offices going out of business.  Every now and then, you can find incredible deals on large commercial safes, which can be converted into “gun safes” with some smart accessorizing.

To prove a point, I just took 10 minutes to browse Craig’s List for safes on sale in my state.  I came across a TL-15 security/fire safe, nearly six feet tall for $1400.  You’re not going to find anywhere near that level of protection in a “gun safe” without spending upwards $5K.  There is, of course, a bit of a catch.

For one, you’ll have to do some DIY accessorizing to accommodate proper gun storage–a nominal time and financial investment.  You’ll also have to have at least a basic understanding of what to look for, making sure you’re not buying a $1400 paper weight.  Lastly, the particular safe I’m looking at weighs over 3500 lbs.  You almost have to hire a professional safe mover to handle it properly, which may set you back an additional $1000, give or take a few.  Still, for $2500, it’s potentially an unbeatable deal.
I plan on buying, moving, and converting a commercial safe as a project for the site…but that’s a ways down the road.

Let me ask you, being somebody that is constantly exposed to the gun safe consumer, have you stumbled upon some interesting gun safe stories, if so, do you mind telling us one?

What I’ve found to be most interesting is just how many people out there don’t know how to use the Internet.  I get an email every month or so from a furious safe owner who’s locked out, demanding that I send someone out resolve the issue immediately.

Google is a great tool for getting information, but it’s not magical; just because you randomly landed on my site when searching for “locked out of my [fill in the blank] gun safe”, doesn’t make me the guy responsible for fixing your problem.

It takes every bit of my willpower not to be a jerk and screw with them, but I usually just end up sending them an email, politely explaining that I’m not the manufacturer of their safe.  I also usually include the real contact information for someone who can help them out.

Fun times…

I know that the issue of personal and family safety in general is one that you care about deeply, what advice would you give to young heads of family (or old, for that matter) as to how to start protecting  their families and properties?

Be vigilant–don’t allow yourself to get complacent living in a “nice neighborhood”.  A couple months ago, I wrote a post, Home Defense My Way – Cheap and Easy, where I set up a home security solution for under $1000.  It took a little bit of time and money, but family safety and peace of mind makes it worthwhile.  Taking simple steps like locking your doors and windows, making friends with your neighbors, and investing in smoke detectors, security lights, and an alarm system can go a very long way.

Firearms are part of my home defense solution; a Mossberg 500c, #3 buckshot, and a Shotlock Shotgun Vault were all included in the said $1000 subtotal.  Assuming you feel comfortable around guns, and exercise safe handling and secure storage practices, there’s no reason they can’t be a part of yours as well.

I could type all day on the topic of home defense armament, but I’m only going to say one thing; buy one or two reliable guns (unless you already own them), learn how to use them until you can clear a stovepipe in your sleep, and keep them in a location where they’re locked up, but within arm’s reach.  Once you’ve done all that, then you can dream about beefing up your arsenal and modding it to your heart’s content.  Keep the fundamentals in check, and the rest will follow.

Thanks for making me rack my brain a little bit, Moises.

Stay safe!