As Texans, we love our guns, but have you ever tried to move a full gun safe? They are notoriously heavy and hard to move – 
that, after all, is kind of the point. There may be weight limits to what can be moved and insured by a moving company, so give us a call if you have any questions.
Hiring movers to handle safely moving gun safes can make life easier, and there are some steps to take that are the same whether you are moving it yourself or calling in the experts.
Overall, planning is absolutely key to an accident-free move of something so large and heavy.
First, find out the weight of the safe. The easiest way to accomplish that is to know the make and model and find the weight that way. The weight is of an empty safe – which is important. You do not want to be transporting your firearms while still in the safe, nor do you want anything else to remain in the safe as it may become damaged during the move.
Special Equipment Considerations
The weight of the safe will determine what kind of special equipment might be needed. It might be necessary to remove the door and handles, as much of the weight of a safe is in these components. Depending on the make and model, the safe may need to be laid flat to remove the doors and handles. There may need to be a lift gate on the moving truck to get it into the cabin. Four-wheel dollies and long rectangular padded bars may be used to actually move the safe.
This is not something you want to do in sandals – make sure everyone has closed toed shoes if not steel toed shoes. Make sure you have straps, gloves and some good friends.
Plan the Route
Always protect the floors by placing heavy blankets down and have a clear path planned out from the safe to the moving truck. Gather together 3+ people to help with this move and go over the path with everyone. Stairs and doorways and any place the requires the safe to tilt should be pointed out and everyone made aware of. If moving the safe on a dolly, make sure the straps are very secure.
It is extremely important that the safe is balanced well on the dolly. It can be very dangerous if it is not properly set and fall over and crush people that are in the way.
Anything that the safe will pass by should be protected, with special attention made to have an extra foot of space on either side when possible.
If there are stairs, consider getting a plank of wood or solid object to create a ramp. Even if you are taking it a step at a time, you should have an extra couple of people on the lowered side as you move down or up each step.
Moving Time
Once everything has been planned out and explained, it is time to move the safe. Make sure everyone has proper clothing, the path is prepared, and people know where they should be and when.
Proceed slowly, and have someone guide the turns. Expect to go wide in order to turn at an easier angle without striking a wall or toppling onto someone.
Pulling won’t be very effective, but having someone guide from the front while the heavy lifting is done with pushing is how to get into motion.
You will want to guide it to its destination and make sure that nothing is underneath it on the moving truck. Having it positioned so that it won’t tip over during transit is very important.
When you get to the destination, all the same rules apply.
Following these tips should help keep everyone safe. We’re here for you to do it the right way and take any worry away too – give us a call at 469-336-8000 if you have a safe to move and we’ll take it from there.
