What Are the Most Reliable Gun Safes?

Gun Safes, Why You Need Them

Okay, so maybe you don’t need something that extravagant. Still, proper storage of firearms is something many people don’t think about. A recent statistic shows that more than half of all gun owners do not store their weapons safely. This is a serious problem considering the number of deaths attributed to unintentional shootings.

One study shows that more than 400 unintentional shootings occur each year, with many of those being attributed to unsafe storage. In many cases, these are caused by children who should never have access to firearms snooping where they’re told not to. You know that kids can get into all sorts of trouble when left unattended, but this trouble can be fatal to both your kid and you.

While many people have heard of the rules of firearm usage, such as “treat every gun as if it’s loaded” and “keep your finger off the trigger”, they tend not to realize that many states also recommend, or even mandate proper storage at home. Washington State, for example, has “unsafe storage of a firearm” listed as a criminal offense.

For those reasons, as well as for the obvious personal safety concerns, many people will purchase gun lockers or safes. Most of them understand the importance of keeping your firearm secure, and thus treat every weapon as a valuable on-par with personal documents and money. Even with that comparison, it’s a lot harder for your passport to kill someone.

Security For Your Security?

Before you even begin thinking about purchasing a safe, you need to know what you’re looking for. There are a few important details to consider when looking through safes, so let’s go through them now.

1. What kind of gun(s) do you have?

This may seem silly and obvious, but different guns need different amounts of space. Not only that, but many officials recommend storing your guns and ammunition separately. Even different ammo types are different sizes, so finding a case that can securely store both your large hunting rifle and your concealed-carry handgun can be tricky.

1. Where do you want to store them?

Depending on what you plan to use your guns for, you may need to store them in different locations. Hunting rifles, for example, may need to be kept in the garage, since they’re too large to store inside your house proper, and aren’t practical for self-defense. Handguns, on the other hand (pun intended), should be kept in the bedroom or basement – somewhere you can have easy, quick access to them if an intruder barges into your home.

There are a few places you shouldn’t store your guns, depending on what kind of safe you have. Lightweight safes should never be kept in locations where outsiders can easily find them, since they can be removed readily due to their mobility. Safes without fire-resistance shouldn’t be kept near the boiler, and large lockers that can topple probably aren’t good in the nursery. This may seem like a lot of common sense, but convenience often overrides our mental faculties, so don’t just throw your hands in the air and give up.

1. What features do you want/need?

Gun safes come with a lot of bells and whistles nowadays, but here are some of my personal observations.

Keys carry risk. Keys are easy for criminals to steal, and even easier for you to misplace. Losing a key at a critical moment could be disastrous, so they carry plenty of risk. On the other hand, having a key-based lock means your safe could almost never be opened by someone without one. Combinations can be guessed (or found if you’ve written them down) which carries its own amount of danger.

Alarms are essential. Many gun safes now have alarms built in that activate when the safe is tampered with improperly. This could be your only warning that someone unwanted is trying to break into your safe, which could be a life-saver.

Heatproofing tends to be a good idea. Housefires are common, and the chaos caused by them might pull your attention away from the lethal weapon kept in your living room. Fire damage can seriously impair your safe’s functions, so make sure your box is as flameproof as can be to prevent unwanted structural failure.

1. What is your budget?

The final consideration is budget. This one is about as simple as it gets; how much are you willing to spend on a locker? Of course, you shouldn’t cheap out on features just to find a bargain. This is the kind of thing you buy with longevity in mind. Like a new car, you want to make sure this safe has everything you want, else you might find yourself seriously regretting your decisions later.

The Next Step

Now that you know what you’re looking for, the next question is “where do I find it?”

The internet has everything you need nowadays, doesn’t it? Websites like gunsafecoach.com can offer you impressive deals, and often have filters or tags so you can easily find what you need. Searching in-person is also helpful, so you can ask attendants about the various features included or see if they have any professional recommendations for you.

You might not believe it, but even your heavy, hundred-plus-pound safes can be delivered to you. This can be handy when you don’t have the means to transport them yourself but can be a hinderance when searching. Your first priority should always be safety, however, so don’t lose yourself in the convenience of it all.

Conclusion

Your firearms are dangerous, which is why you want to keep them out of the hands of criminals or children. A good safe or locker is key to accomplishing this, so I hope this article helps you make up your mind when it comes to purchasing one. Injury and death are always risks when handling firearms, so do your part in reducing both by purchasing a proper gun safe today.