Opinions? Are these "enough" of a safe to justify their relatively high cost? Zanottis use 3/4" bolts which seem rather small to me for this price range. For example, a Fort Knox Defender uses 1 1/2" bolts (twice the diameter) in a similarly priced safe. The modularity is the one thing that has me sold on the Zanotti, as I move around quite a bit and could really use this feature, but I am concerned about the true security that the construction of the Zanottis offer compared to similarly (and even lower priced) safes. Talk me out of a Zanotti!

It is my understanding that the Zanotti safe is designed for very specific purposes..........portability and/or to fit into small spaces that other safes won't. In my house, I have my "Man room" that has room enough to fit large safe (Two actually). So a Zanotti wouldn't be my first choice as a stand alone vault. But if I was limited to space, say a closet, where a full size safe would not fit, then the Zanotti would probably fit the bill. Or if I was moving a bunch and the larger, full size safe would be a major pain to move, then again, the Zanotti would get the nod.

Anyone else

Okay, about the 30th time I've posted this........but here goes:


I don't own one.  A buddy bought one.  Cost was pretty comparable to my Cannon.  


I can't see the size of the bolts mattering much.   Nobody is going to pry the door off, whether it's 3/4" bolts or 1 1/2"

Zanottis don't have fire protection.

Zanottis appear to be custom order from factory only


He said they do appear pretty well made

My buddy won't do a review for me, sorry.   Too lazy I guess.  I haven't seen it 1st hand, or I'd write a review.


Pics:

Quoted: Okay, about the 30th time I've posted this........but here goes:

Thanks. Did a google search and didn't see your post before. That's a big one. Looks like a ZA-III.

Your buddy needs more guns.

I have one except for lack of fire  and the slightly higher price i have been very happy with it
i sold safes and this was the one i picked out of what we carried
My only complaint is the locks are a little cheezy and  start to "slip" if you open it alot
meaning you have to go past the numbers a little
I called the and they sent me a little tool and instrucions on resetting the combo on the lock it was quick and easy  I had had the safe 5 years at that point opening it at least once a day  after reseting about 3 years ago no trouble yet
The comapny was very nice to me  I just do not sell safes anymore  they were a major PITA
I would say thay are as nice as any other we carried

Quoted: My only complaint is the locks are a little cheezy and  start to "slip" if you open it alot meaning you have to go past the numbers a little

So they do not use Sargent & Greenleaf locks?

I love my ZA2.  I have no complaints.

Quoted: Quoted: My only complaint is the locks are a little cheezy and  start to "slip" if you open it alot meaning you have to go past the numbers a little So they do not use Sargent & Greenleaf locks?

No what a locksmith told me they are a knock off

mine was giving me trouble  not wanting to open I found out  it would open by going  past the line of the number in the combo but not to the next number (half way in between if that makes sense )
I called zanotti and they were aware of the problem and were nice about it , sent me a little tool and instructions for resetting the combo on the lock
have not had any problems since but i do not open it nearly as often
I was a bit disapointed as  we have sold safes for years and the only locks we had a problem with was zanottis , mine that slipped and another that just flat broke( the dial locked up) and a locksmith had to come drill it
The safe itself is nice but the lock is crap

Quoted: Zanottis don't have fire protection.

They are rated for 20 minutes at 1200 degrees..

Quoted: Quoted: Zanottis don't have fire protection. They are rated for 20 minutes at 1200 degrees..

Hmm learn something new everyday

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Zanottis don't have fire protection. They are rated for 20 minutes at 1200 degrees.. Hmm learn something new everyday

As I understand it, they are not lined. So, that rating must refer to the fire resistance offered by the steel alone. Regarding the locks, that is rather chintzy to not use a S&G lock. They sure charge enough to not need to cut corners where it counts.

I called Zanotti today to ask a few questions. Their message says that they are closed for the holidays until the 3rd of January. Must be making quite a margin to be able to close that long.

Quoted: I called Zanotti today to ask a few questions. Their message says that they are closed for the holidays until the 3rd of January. Must be making quite a margin to be able to close that long.

Dozens of small businesses that I work with close between Christmas and New Years, even some big ones do.  Just not enough traffic to warrant staffing.

I bought a ZA-II a year ago.  It's a very nice safe and the company is great to deal with.  They do cost a lot for what they are, a Cannon or something will cost about 1/3 less and give better protection, but you can't take them apart like you can the ZA.  A ZA will break down to be fitted through small areas, easy to move, etc, etc.  They do have their purpose.

The weakest link in the ZA is the back of the safe which is not very thick.  It's designed to be placed up against a wall and anchored to the floor.  

As for the fire protection, all safes should be put in the basement anyways.  If there's a fire, the coolest place will be the basement on a concrete floor against a concrete wall.

I don't own one yet, but I've already rationalized a Zanotti

Here was my thinking:

a. I've do offsite backup of my important computer files (I keep a cloned drive at work). That way when a 747 crashes into my house...well, you get the picture

b. The important papers (paper, flammable, duh) no one is going to steal. They can go into a dedicated and inexpensive Sentry fire-safe (and already are). I ought to put them in a safe deposit box.

c. Jewelry and guns are relatively inflammable. I think they have a reasonable chance of survival in a Zanotti in my basement.

d. Getting a one-piece safe into my basement would be a project. Can it be done? Sure. Do I want to do it? No. Do I want to pay some pro's to move it and watch them make mincemeat out of the stairs and walls? No. Me and another guy can carry/cart each Zanotti piece down. The door is the heaviest part.

e. If they are going to drill/peel/whatever the Zanotti then they'll get in pretty much just about any other safe in that price range. Let's face it: drilling the easiest attack. I've seen more than one Mosler drilled quite easily (because the S&G locks broke!) I doubt anyone is going to go to those lengths for the contents of my safe. Anyone that serious will attack the mini-mansions all around me before bothering with my humble abode. But it'll keep out the riff-raff quite easily.

f. Zanotti's command a premium price because they are unique in their take-down style construction. Capitalism at it's finest! I figure I make some of that price back because I don't have to pay someone to install it or for the repairs I'll have to make to my home after some of it gets crushed in the process.

aa

P.S. S&G locks are little better than the others. The mechanical ones we have at work are quite cheaply constructed (I've installed/replaced a few myself) and drift all the time. Of course our safes get opened every single day, so there is a bit more wear and tear involved. We also have a lot of problems with the electronic series S&G's, I've got one right now that doesn't generate enough power to reliably throw the bolt.

Quoted: I can't see the size of the bolts mattering much.   Nobody is going to pry the door off, whether it's 3/4" bolts or 1 1/2"

Seems like it's not a very hard thing to do:
Prying the door off method

A little concerned that the Zanotti does not have top and bottom bolts.

Based on the above pictures. There is no way on God's green earth I would ever expect that safe to last for 20 minutes in a 1200 degree fire. I was always under the impression these were NON-firelined safes.  That being said, my email is giving me a fit so this is the answer to the one you sent me:


I have heard of these safes but never really looked into them since I never had anyone who needed that kind of specific situation.  Like I said, If you can't get or can't afford top or bottom bolts, Then make sure its a recessed plate door to prevent or deny prying.  This safe you're looking at has both PLUS its a 3/16" door which is quite good although 1/4" would be better obviously. It would be nice if the sides were 3/16" instead of 1/8" but I see how its that way due to the way its assembled.

The  big push in the industry has been FIRE PROTECTION. A lot of test results have been skewed to make the respective safes look better to the uneducated public.  Yes they will protect your stored items as long as the fire company gets there and vents the structure so the heat doesn't build up to the test maximums. Similarly to opening the oven door. lots of fire but no heat.

As far non-firelined goes the Zanotti is better that most that are currently available.   If you forced me to give an opinion, the only two firelined safes on the market that are really worth what you pay are Fort Knox and Champion. The National Security division owned by Liberty Safes is also still a front runner since they have not changed the basic design. But the price is as beefy as the safe.

Hope this helps you out.  Just curious if you have a price list on the Zanottis.  OH YEAH.  Decide if, after you put all your stuff in the safe, if someone(s) can pick it up and carry/drag it out of your house. I ALWAYS recommend that lighter weight and smaller safes be lagged to the floor and if possible to the wall to deny leverage.  Also in your case a dessicant box is a definite for humidity control. If you lag it to the wall you wont have access to the rear for an electric dehumidifier like a goldenrod. I have a big dessicant box in mine because its loaded with coins and I choose not to drill through the fireliner to run electric.  Good luck.

I'm going to post this on the forum site also

I am looking at a ZA-1 safe. This is the smallest model. I have a small space in a clost to put the safe and I dont want to pay movers to move a regular safe. The price is just under $1000. By the time I add carpeting and shelves I am looking at $1200. The ZAII model will be near the $2000 mark with carpeti ng, drawers, etc. I dont really care about spending the extra few hundred dollars. My guns are worth much more than the safe. And like most of us I have firearms that cant be replaced. It seems to me to be money well spent

The ZA I weiths 350 pounds. I doubt anoyone will be able to haul it off by the time I add ammo and guns.

Sovereign, did you ever get your Zanotti? If so, how about a full report on assembly and such? Thanks!

Quoted: [snip] OH YEAH.  Decide if, after you put all your stuff in the safe, if someone(s) can pick it up and carry/drag it out of your house. I ALWAYS recommend that lighter weight and smaller safes be lagged to the floor and if possible to the wall to deny leverage.   [snip]

One of the great things about zanottis'  Buy one bigger than the doorway in and out of the room, and lagged to the floor or not, they can't get the safe out of the house!

Quoted: Quoted: [snip] OH YEAH.  Decide if, after you put all your stuff in the safe, if someone(s) can pick it up and carry/drag it out of your house. I ALWAYS recommend that lighter weight and smaller safes be lagged to the floor and if possible to the wall to deny leverage.   [snip] One of the great things about zanottis'  Buy one bigger than the doorway in and out of the room, and lagged to the floor or not, they can't get the safe out of the house!

And since you don't need to pay anyone to install it theres no risk of an inside job

Blackops_1.

Sir, FWIW I gave myself a ZAII for Christmas, I didn't get all the extra drawers just the standard configuration shown in their brochure.  The ZAII I have weighs 600 lbs. empty and with the help of my neighbor I was able to take it into an upstairs BR in my home and assemble it.  I realize there is always a chance of a house fire but I'm am more concerned with keeping the guns out of the reach of my sons curious friends. I paid just over $1300 dollars for the safe and an additional $230 for shipping.  All of the other safes on the market would have incurred a price for professional movers to move a safe of any other manufacture to the location in my home that I want it.  I haven't had good experience with professional movers, not only did I not want them moving a safe for me, I don't want them to know I have guns.  JMHO, 7zero1.

Quoted: Sovereign, did you ever get your Zanotti? If so, how about a full report on assembly and such? Thanks!

Sorry for the delay. I did get a Zanotti ZA-1. Don't have much time right now to do a full review. It is perfect for my situation: moving a lot and small space. If you own a house and don't plan on moving you will get fire protection with other safes for around the same amount. There kind of isn't a reason to get a Zanotti unless portability is an issue. Zanottis do, however, give you more interior space for the same size exterior as other brands, due to no fire lining. The ZA-1 is basically a 6026 model as marketed by other makers for exterior dimensions. There is no way I could fit what I can in my ZA-1 in a 6026 by Fort Knox, etc., I would have had to move up to a 6031 in a firelined safe. Definately is a well built safe and goes together real snug. I had to stop and think about it a couple of times to figure out how I was going to get a couple of the pins in there. The bolts are only 3/4" but it is not an issue imo. They are full width locking bolts, unlike those short bolts you see on the cheaper safes produced by some makers, which can be defeated. The safe is plate steel and the steel is thicker than other safes at its price point. It is basically a very utilitarian bare bones piece, which is kind of what I want anyway. It is a real safe, not like some utility cabinet compromise. Let me just say that if you know that it is right for your needs, but aren't sure a Zanotti is worth it, don't be concerned- go for it. That was the one thing holding me back, but after buying it I can't believe I waited this long to get one.

Anyone have a price list?

Quoted: Anyone have a price list?

ZA-1         $1,089
ZA-2         $1,238
ZA-2 6FT.  $1,607
ZA-3         $1,700
ZA-3 6FT.  $2,120

You can get a better price and quicker ship time by going through a dealer/distributor. Even if the safe is not in stock they can get one drop shipped to you quicker than if you place an order through Zanotti direct.

Quoted: Quoted: Sovereign, did you ever get your Zanotti? If so, how about a full report on assembly and such? Thanks! Sorry for the delay. I did get a Zanotti ZA-1. Don't have much time right now to do a full review. It is perfect for my situation: moving a lot and small space. -snip-

My problem is I can't get a regular full sized safe into the house due to some odd home design quirks. I'd have to buy 2 or more of the small ones  that cost almost as much as the full size to house what I have now, much less leave space for the future.

Thanks for the report, I'll check out the tip on the local distributor.

I've been thinking about getting one of these.

Anybody have leads for dealers with decent prices?

Quoted: Anybody have leads for dealers with decent prices?

These guys are somewhat close to you:

ZanottiArmorSafes

You can call Zanotti and they can give you other dealers. I bought mine from Merle Pauley out of Rockford, Ill. Saved over $100 off of a ZA-1. The shipping is what kills, though. I paid $260 to have it shipped from Zanotti. If you can pick one up yourself, you will save the most.