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how to move a gun safe

How to Move a Gun Safe

Gun safes are made to be strong and stay secure, even if there’s a heavy impact or accident. That’s great for keeping your guns safe—but it also makes the safe very difficult to move. Because they’re so big and heavy, a lot of people decide to let professional movers handle it.

But if you’re ready to take on the task, you can move a gun safe yourself. You just have to plan everything carefully, use the right tools and have a few people to help you out. This guide will show you how to move a gun safe the smart and safe way—without getting too stressed in the process.

Gather Your Equipment

Even smaller gun safes can weigh around 200 pounds. Medium ones can reach up to 1,000 pounds and the largest models can be even heavier. Moving something this heavy is no simple task—you’ll need the proper tools to do it safely. Here are some important items you’ll need:

Appliance Dolly

A standard dolly isn’t strong enough to move a heavy gun safe. You’ll need to use an appliance dolly instead. These are made to carry more weight—usually up to 1,000 pounds or more. Most appliance dollies also come with built-in straps or brackets, so you can hold the safe in place and stop it from shifting or tipping over while you move it.

Furniture Sliders

These are small round pads made of plastic or rubber that you place under the corners or legs of the safe. They help you slide the safe across the floor more easily without damaging your hardwood or ripping the carpet.

Ratchet Straps

These straps are used to keep the safe tightly secured to the dolly. You can tighten them by cranking, which locks the safe in place so it doesn’t move or wobble while being rolled.

Moving Blankets

These thick blankets are used to cover the safe and protect it from scratches or marks while you’re moving it.

Plastic Stretch Wrap

Once the safe is covered with moving blankets, you can wrap it with plastic stretch wrap to keep the blankets in place. This helps hold everything together and keeps the blankets from falling off.

Wooden Planks

You can use wooden planks as ramps to help move the safe over steps or uneven spots. They make it easier to roll the safe smoothly without getting stuck.

You don’t have to but it’s smart to wear work gloves and steel-toed boots. Gloves protect your hands and help you grip better. Steel-toed boots keep your feet safe if the safe slips or falls by accident.

Plan Your Route

Gun safes are large and heavy which makes them tricky to move. If you don’t plan your path ahead of time, you could scratch the walls, damage door frames or ruin your floors. Check your safe’s size and weight in the manual. If you don’t have the manual, you can measure the safe yourself or search for a digital version online.

Keep in mind, the size listed by the company might not include the handle—especially if the handle was added later. If the handle sticks out, the front of the safe could be wider than the back. Be sure to consider that when planning how you’ll move it through your home.

Measure all doorways and hallways to make sure the safe can pass through them. The shortest path isn’t always the easiest. Try to stay away from narrow, steep or twisting staircases—they make it harder to move heavy things and tougher for others to help guide the safe. Most stairs can handle about 100–200 pounds per square foot which is usually enough. But if you’re not sure your stairs are strong enough, it’s a good idea to ask a structural expert or check your local building codes.

Prepare Your Safe

After planning your moving path, start by emptying the safe completely. This makes it lighter and keeps things inside from shifting around and making the safe tip over. Once you’ve taken out all the guns and ammo, cover the safe with moving blankets and wrap them with stretch wrap to hold them in place. The blankets do two things—they keep the safe from getting scratched and also protect your walls and furniture if the safe bumps into anything.

Lift Your Safe onto the Dolly

Never try to move a gun safe alone. Even smaller safes need at least two people. Bigger or heavier ones might need four or five people to lift, lower and move them safely. After the safe is wrapped and ready, carefully lift one side and slide the dolly underneath.

If the safe is in a tight space, you can put furniture sliders under it and slowly slide it to the center of the room. That gives you enough room to fit the dolly underneath. Once it’s on the dolly, secure it with ratchet straps. You may need two or three straps, depending on how big the safe is.

Move Slowly & Steadily

Take your time when moving the gun safe. Go slowly and stay in control, even if you’re just rolling it down a straight hallway. Have someone walk ahead to guide the way, look out for obstacles and help keep the safe moving straight.

Clear communication is really important. Go over the plan with your team before starting, so everyone knows their role. If you ever have to lift the safe make sure everyone lifts the right way—keep your back straight and use your legs to avoid injury.

Load It Onto the Truck or Trailer

Some pickup trucks can carry a small gun safe but a moving truck is usually a safer and better choice. Moving trucks are made to hold heavy items and often have ramps or lifts to help with loading. Most moving trucks can carry between 2,600 and 10,000 pounds, and their ramps usually support 2,500 to 4,000 pounds.

That should be enough for most gun safes but it’s smart to double-check with the rental company to be sure. If the safe causes any damage, you might be held responsible. Once the safe is on the truck, use ratchet straps to tie it down tightly so it doesn’t move or fall over while you’re driving.

Move It into Your New Home

When you arrive at your new home, just do everything in reverse. Carefully lift the safe back onto the dolly, strap it in and roll it inside with help from your team. Make sure to measure the doorways and hallways first to be sure the safe can fit through. Once you get it to the spot where you want it, use furniture sliders to move it into the exact position.

Take off the plastic wrap and remove the moving blankets—and you’re done! Since gun safes are heavy and hard to move, it’s a good idea to take care of them first. Try to move the safe in before bringing in other boxes or furniture, or at least make sure the path is clear so there’s nothing in the way that could cause trouble.

Professional Gun Safe Movers

No Borders Moving & Storage is a full-service moving company that handles everything for you—from planning and packing to loading, transporting and delivering your items. Our team is trained and ready to move heavy things like gun safes safely and efficiently. No matter how difficult the job is, we have the experience and tools to get it done properly.

Get in touch with us today for a free quote!