Floating Gun Safe.

Looking for some advise. Last Friday morning during all that rain my sump pump failed and my basement flooded. there was roughly a 12" to 18" of water where my gun safe is located. By the time i got home my guns were submerged to just below the action and the stocks had been under water for roughly 3 hrs. all of my lumber stocks are swelled, the laminant ones seem to show the most damage. A crack has formed in my old 6.5x55 Swede. I cleaned/lubed the actions and pulled off the recoil pads to dry the stocks and they all seem to be in working order but there is astetic damage. I also had a brand new compound bow in its hard case full of water. My question is what should i ask/expect of insurance. Any advise or experiences would be apreciated. Thanks in advance.

We just had a flood, luckily enough I had everything put up on a 2x6 stand so the 2" of water from the sump pump sticking did not damage anything. That being said my insurance company would have covered the contents no differently than the other contents. If you have some collectible ones then you may need to get some replacement cost estimates from a dealer but using used numbers online may be enough for you. It has been suggested to me that I document my guns and give that to my insurance company, I am not a fan of this but I think documenting them to know exactly what you had before something happens is always better than after the fact.

You should expect your insurance carrier to pay for re-stocking the guns.

If metalwork is damaged, then they will either pay for restoration, or replacement.

I hope they will be ok. I would suggest if possible not to keep the guns in the basement especially if you have a sump pump as I do. I commandeered a small closet on the mid level of our home ( 4 level side split ) that I keep my cabinet in. This also offers another layer of security as I have a deadbolt on the closet door with the locked cabinet inside.
If this is not possible then Fox's suggestion of getting the cabinet a foot or more off the floor is likely the best and easiest solution.

thanks for the info all. i also live in a 4 level side split and the safe will br moving up a level after all of this insurance BS smooths over. in the 5 yrs i have lived in the house we havent had any water issues but i guess i learned a valuable lesson. I always learn the hard way. i figure i will submit the replacement costs with the contents list, including the safe and see what happens from there. Its hurts a bit to restock a couple of them as i hand finished the stocks myself. Hate to see my hard work go in the trash.

Gosh that sucks Jmac . I hope the insurance doesn't Dick u around to much. They will likely try. I once learned the hard way regarding su mps, buy and store a spare pump ready for instalation in case u have another failure and keep a small generator handy in case power goes out so u can at least keep the basement dry.

You probably also have a deductible so remember that part as well. deductibles usually range in the area of 500 - 2000. I know my deductible is 1000.00

You should check your insurance policy as most only cover a certain amount for sporting goods unless you tell them up front when purchasing your insurance and then they issue you specific riders for additional coverage on items you specified.