Keep in mind, the fire barrier in the walls does nothing for security — gypsum or concrete, it will crumble. In general, what's the best gauge of steel to start from? Many in the industry set gauge. The door, in most cases, is thicker than the body, given this is a main area of attack. And don't get fooled by thickness measured with your naked eye. In many cases, those massive walls and door are that way due to the fire barrier sandwiched between them.
Honestly, a thin door might offer better security than something that looks half-a-mile thick. One final point, how all that steel is stitched together to become a gun safe is important too. Full continuous welding, as opposed to bolts or spot welds, makes for a sturdier box — not only against thieves, but also fire.
Now you have your gun safe picked out and are confident about its security and fire protection, it's time to figure out how you'll access your treasures. For the most part, modern gun safes use three access methods: combination lock, electronic lock and biometric lock.
As you've probably already guessed, they each have their own advantages and drawbacks. Starting with the most traditional, the combination lock is the picture of simplicity and reliability. Merely spin the dial and unlock the door; the only weak link in the process is you and your faulty memory.
However, if you're in and out of your safe a lot the process of left four, right two, left one gets arduous. Additionally, if you need a gun in a pinch, a combination lock is far from lightning fast.
Electronic locks, on the other hand, speed up the process considerably, just punch in a code. Furthermore, they offer a number of unique features that make a gun safe extremely user-friendly and increase their security.
Many are programmable for multiple user combinations, they don't require a locksmith to change the code, they can incorporate with home security systems and lockout on multiple entries of the wrong code.
The drawback of this system — electricity. If you don't have juice, you can't get to your guns. At a bare minimum this requires constantly staying on top of batteries, at the worst, it means no access to your guns when you need them most. Recently, with concerns of EMP attacks, some manufacturers — Fort Knox, Hollon Republic, Cannon, for example — have begun including a redundant combination lock.
Meant as a backup, for those willing to shell out extra money it could provide a reassuring insurance policy for getting to your guns if your 9-volt battery supply runs thin. Finally, there's the biometric gun safe. A riff off the electric variety, the lock scans a users fingerprint and gives them instant access to their guns. Additionally, it can store multiple users' fingerprints, so an entire family can gain access to a gun safe.
Along with the drawbacks of the electronic locks, biometrics have another flaw — the technology isn't percent. If your hands are dirty or you've been eating cheese puffs you might have difficulty getting into your safe. It might look pretty slick in your main room right next to the TV, but it's an open invitation, letting potential bad guys know you have something worth storing in a safe. A hidden gun safe is a safe gun safe.
Secondly, if you move your gun safe around with a dolly or a buddy's help, so can a crook. Bolt the bugger down! Most every single one comes with floor attachments, use them.
Face it, a gun safe is a big investment in the most literal sense. A general rule of thumb, especially if it's on the foundation, the ground floor is the best place to situate a gun safe. Structurally, it provides the support required to hold the mammoth without damaging your house and it provides a rock-solid surface to anchor it.
However, the second floor in a properly constructed house typically has the chops to hold a moderately sized safe. High-end options, pushing well north of 1, pounds might require consultation and modification by a skilled contractor. Garages are often popular areas in a house to plant a gun safe, however, they can prove treacherous. Not ideal.
A dehumidifier is a must if you stow your gun safe with your cars. Folks living in apartments and condos are in a sticky situation when it comes to gun safes. Gun safes use heavier and thicker 12 gauge steel in the body of the safe, and some use steel as thick as 10 gauge or more.
Door construction is very important. TL Tool Resistant , and U. Fire ratings are often overlooked but should be one of your top considerations. We recommend that you purchase a minimum 1-hour fire-rated gun safe. Safes with less than a 1-hour fire rating rarely survive a home or business fire.
Many customers are misled into thinking that a fire-rated gun safe is adequate to protect your most important documents. Our recommendation is to look for a U. Even better is to purchase a small U. L-rated fire lock box that you can place inside the gun safe. Fireproof safes do a great job of protecting paper documents and even small amounts of cash from heat and smoke damage, however, fireproof safes use very thin gauge metal in the construction of the safe which makes them easier to attack for a burglar.
The metal is primarily used to hold the fire retardant material and can be easily punctured, cut, or sawed with simple hand tools. DO NOT store high-value contents, such as large amounts of cash, jewelry, or precious metals, in a fireproof safe. Over the past 60 years, we have seen too many fireproof safes that have been easily broken into after the owners mistakenly thought the safe would be protected against a burglary attack.
These safes are engineered and designed to protect your valuables against both burglar attacks and fires. With these safes, you get the best of both worlds: fire and burglary protection. We find that many customers want to protect both important documents as well as high-value items. For these customers, a composite safe is a perfect solution. As your content value grows over a period of time, the safe you originally purchased some time ago may not be adequate to protect those contents.
Burglar ratings are a mix of manufacturer standards and Underwriters Laboratory burglar ratings. A general guideline for the type of safe versus content value is as follows you should always ask your Insurance Broker to contact Underwriters Laboratory for additional recommendations on content value storage :.
Many of our customers have outgrown their safes and wish they invested in something a bit larger. Often, customers are surprised to find that they can purchase a safe that is substantially larger for just a bit more money. It used to be that floor safes offered burglary protection and some degree of fire protection provided the safe was installed in the floor surrounded by concrete. Floor safes are great for gold, silver, coins, jewelry, and other valuables because they are engineered to protect against burglary attacks.
Most people assume floor safes will provide excellent fire protection because five sides of a floor safe are surrounded by concrete.
With the door exposed and made of ONLY metal, heat from a fire rapidly enters the safe. Therefore, most floor safes are not a good product to protect against the ravages of a fire. There are no floor safe manufacturers we are aware of that list a fire rating or fire test. For over 60 years we have been drilling open all kinds of safes including floor safes.
One drawback of many safes is that guns can get dinged as much going in and out of the safe as they can in the field.
A raised floor is a nice touch. It helps keep you from banging the toe of the stock against the bottom of the gun safe as you take rifles and shotguns out. Every manufacturer offers fire-resistant safes. Instead, gun safe manufacturers contract with independent labs, and as a result, their claims often conflict. Do your due diligence. In populated areas, home fires burn, on average, for about half an hour at 1, to 1, degrees.
If you live in the country, far from a fire station and the nearest hydrant, you risk a longer fire. Burglaries are much more common than catastrophic house fires, but you still might want fire protection. Fire will. Choose a safe with an electronic lock. Electronic locks become more popular every year. They are reliable, and less expensive to replace or repair than conventional locks if they are attacked. If you live in a humid climate, you might want an optional dehumidifier for your gun safe.
A power cord means you can forget about replacing batteries, and a cable lock lets you tether this safe in place. Two sizes are available. If you own a full-size rifle or shotgun, you know it can be challenging to sort through safes and cases to find an option large enough for your firearms.
This safe has room for six long guns up to 50 inches long in addition to a shelf to hold your handguns, ammunition where permissible , or other valuables. Lock and unlock the door with the electronic keypad or a backup physical key.
Keypad beep tones can be turned on or off. Pre-drilled holes and included hardware allow this safe to be hard-mounted inside your home with minimal effort. Part of being a responsible gun owner is using proper storage and security practices, and I strongly encourage you to add a layer of protection with a high-quality safe.
We found quality products from reputable manufacturers offering a variety of sizes, locking mechanisms, and materials. Before you make a purchase, think about these key factors to determine which type of safe is best for you. How many firearms do you need to store? Do you have other valuables you want to protect? Do you need your safe to be portable or will it be kept inside your home?
Answer these questions to determine which size of safe is best for you. If you have long guns that only come out for range time and hunting trips, you might be happiest with a vertical safe. If you have a little of everything, simplify life by investing in one safe that can hold all your firearms. Traditionally, gun safes used combination locks with heavy-duty bars that extend from the door into the reinforced metal frame.
That kind of safe is still very popular, especially for long guns and larger collections. These dials feature far more numbers than the combination lock in your gym bag , prevent the security risk of buttons that show signs of wear as you repeatedly enter the same code, and have a high-end feel. Some safes use a digital keypad or unmarked buttons that must be pressed in the right order or combination. These are easy to use and take less time than a rotary dial.
The most advanced locking mechanisms use a biometric scanner that only allows the safe to open when it detects the appropriate fingerprint.
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