Weapon safes are one of the most important investments you can make. Be it your home or a high-stress environment like Iraq or Afghanistan you MUST have a secure safe that you can count on at all times. There are many types of gun safes to choose from and before you go shopping there are a few considerations you need to make.
To that end, here are the Top 5 things you should know before buying a gun or weapons safe for your home or office:
1. Storage capacity - Storage capacity is one of the biggest factors in deciding what model of gun safe is right for you. You'll need to think about how many guns you have now, whether you'll want to store additional items in your safe and how many guns you'll have in the future. Measure your guns from the base to the tip of the barrel so you know exactly how tall your safe needs to be. Make sure to get a gun safe that can contain all you need to store with room to expand later on.
2. Top material construction - Gun safes keep guns out of the hands of children and burglars as well. While burglars can break into a gun storage case, a gun safe is a different matter entirely. The heavy duty material of a safe will help protect the guns from fire and break in. You can easily check the strength of a safe by its weight. Steel is heavy and a quality safe should have a solid steel door and walls.
3. Safe locks - Gun safe locks come in three different varieties. They are either key locks, combination locks or electronic keypad locks. Key locks are the cheapest available, but they are difficult to use in an emergency and can be picked easily. Combination locks don't make for quick opening, but they are less likely to be broken into. For the best marriage of security and quick access, an electronic keypad is the best bet.
4. Fire protection - Many people use their gun safes as a secure place to store valuables as well. Jewelry, heirlooms and important paper work can be held along with guns. Most safes are fireproof because they are made of metal but there are different levels of fire protection. Fire protection is based on the levels of heat that the safe will tolerate. The typical levels of protection are 30 minutes under high heat, 60 minutes or 90 minutes. You should make your decision based on how close you live to a fire department.
5. UL certification - Look for a gun safe that has certification from Underwriter Laboratory (UL). UL has standards for residential security containers that will ensure that you're buying a quality safe. The higher the UL rating, the harder it is to break into the safe.
These considerations are all that you need to make an informed decision when buying a gun safe. By purchasing your next gun or weapons safe using these guidelines you can be sure that you are buying a quality safe that will stand up to your everyday requirements.