If you own a gun or willing to buying one, proper security for it is the first thing to take into consideration and gun safes are exactly what you need to accomplish that. When you are looking to purchase a gun safe, you need to look at different things to identify the best for your guns.
There are some major things which make a gun safe superior.
In this post, We will talk about five most important features a gun safe must possess.
#1 Sufficient Space For Your Guns
Bigger safe is better for storing different things in it. It is also up to you to think what would be the best size of your safe according to your need and budget. If you own a small firearm like a handgun and have no plans for another, then you probably don’t need a much bigger safe.
However, if you are a hunter and have different sizes of arms and ammunition to store, then a large gun safe is highly recommended. There will be enough space for other accessories like scope, parts for your gun, etc. to store in a large safe.
We also recommend getting a safe which is a little bigger than what you need because safe isn’t something we replace every year.
#2 Secure Lock
The locking system is no doubt an important thing in a gun safe. Gun safes come with different types of locks like bio-metric (fingerprint recognition), dial locks and digital keypad. The bio-metric lock is very quick and easy but you need to pick one with an enhanced battery life or one that supports external battery backup.
It takes time in dial locks for giving the right combination. You have to input the combination in digital keypad lock to open the safe. It also needs batteries to work and same point for external battery applies here as well.
#3 Weight
The weight of the gun safe is another important thing to look after while buying. It will be hard to move or steal if the gun safe is heavier and made tough.
Another option is to mount the safe to the floor through bolts if it is not much heavy. Either way it ensures security.
But before you go grab the heaviest safe in the market, a word of caution, be sure to consult an architect to make sure that your house supports the weight of the safe. This step is essential if you are planning to keep the safe on second floor.
Besides if you change houses frequently, these heavy safes will be a burden for you.
#4 Thickness of Steel
The thickness of gun safe ensures safety from lawbreakers to drilling it. Plates on gun safe are of different gauges. The smaller the gauge, the thicker the steel. By the thickness of steel, a gun safe is more secure.
A quality gun safe should use a minimum of 11 gauge steel in the body of the safe. Here’s an excellent article on safety of gun safes from The Safe House Nashville.
#5 Fire Protection
Fire safety cannot and shouldn’t be ignored when it comes to gun safes. You should check about the fire rating while buying.
The rating is defined as X amount of Minutes at Y amount of Fahrenheit. You should pick the gun safe which can hold fire for about 60 minutes, if not longer.
Unfortunately, a safe which is built to protect your valuables from fire won’t be able do a good job when it comes to protection from burglary. So its wise to invest in a safe which is fire safe and burglar rated.
Conclusion
Well, I just covered some of the most important features to look for while purchasing a gun safe (or any safe for that matter). These features make a gun safe reliable.
Hope this article has helped you get some tips on choosing a gun safe for your needs. If you are looking for recommended brands, then you cannot go wrong with Steelwater, Cannon and Barska gun safes.
