Buying a gun safe is a big investment decision. This is why you need to ensure that you choose something that will meet your need. Unfortunately, there are so many gun safes out there that come with various features and prices. This can leave you confused when making a buying decision.
Since there is no one-size fit safe for all, you want to ensure that you buy a safe that has all the features you need. To help you make an informed decision, we have created a guide that will provide you with the factors you need to consider when buying a safe. These are:
Quick access:
How easy will it be to access your gun when you need it? Even when you are familiar with your gun safe, it can take you up to a minute to access your gun. If a gun safe is hard to open, it may be of little help in a high adrenalin situation. This is why you need to choose a gun safe that will allow quick access to your gun. Such a safe can be opened in a few seconds. It can also be installed in a convenient location. With such a safe, you can defend your home easily when the need arises.
Fire or water safety
The fire rating of your gun safe is a key consideration. This is especially important if you will be storing money or important documents in the gun safe. In case of a fire, your valuables will be protected in a fireproof or waterproof safe. The majority of modern safes have fire protection that ranges from 30 minutes to 120 minutes and a heat test rating of 1200 to 1800 degrees. If a safe has less than one-hour protection, it may not be the best choice for protecting your valuables against fire.
You will also want to pick a safe that will protect your valuables from floods. Even if your area isn’t prone to flooding, a pipe may burst in your basement putting your valuables at risk. If you would like to buy a waterproof safe, check for one that has been rated to withstand 12 inches of water for 72 hours.
Thickness of the wall
The majority of home and gun safes have walls that are made of steel. Choose safes with thick steel walls so that they are tamper-proof. Check the gauge of the steel to determine the thickness. At the minimum, choose a safe that is made of a 14” gauge steel. When looking at the wall thickness, consider also the door construction. Choose a safe whose door is made of a minimum of a ¼ of solid plate steel.
Anchoring option
One of the easiest ways for a burglar to break into a safe is by moving it to an area where they have the tools and time to break into it. Even when you think that you have hidden your safe well, you will still need to anchor it. This is why you should choose a safe with an anchoring option. The good news is that the majority of safes come with anchor holes and can be easily anchored into concrete.
Locking system
Another important consideration is the locking system of the safe. There are generally four types of locking mechanisms used in safe. These are biometric, keypad, combination, or simplex. A biometric lock uses unique features of your body to open the locking mechanism. These are often locked using the fingerprints. The greatest advantage of such a locking system is that it takes a few seconds to open the safe, providing you with quick access to your gun.
The keypad or electronic locks involve putting in a passcode to open the lock. If you are the type who loses your keys regularly, you may want to choose a digital gun safe. With this type of gun safe, you will only need to set up a pin to open the safe. However, if you struggle to remember your pin, you should consider a keypad safe.
A mechanical or combination lock consists of a circular dial that has numbers. You need to spin the right combination of numbers to open the lock. Some mechanical locks such as the Simplex lock contain a mechanical keypad instead of a dial. Finally, there is a key lock. As the name suggests, this uses a key to open.
Size and storage capacity
The size and storage capacity are the other key considerations when buying a safe. The size you choose for your lock will depend on the items you intend to store in. Start by making a list of items you are planning to store in the gun safe. Do you want to use it to store long guns, pistol, cash, or jewelry? After determining the valuables you plan to store, you should choose a size that will fit those items. For instance, if you will be storing long guns, you will need to choose a large model that will easily fit these items.
Prize
Just like safes come in a wide range of features, they are also available at different prices. This is why you need to consider your budget when choosing a gun safe. While it can be hard putting a price tag for protecting your valuables, you don’t want a safe that will be more expensive than the valuables it holds. When considering how much to spend on a safe, consider the valuables you will be storing inside.
Conclusion
When it comes to buying the best gun safe, the most important thing is to choose something that meets your need. Are you concerned about fire more than theft? If your answer is yes, you will need to choose a gun safe with the best fire rating. Do you want a gun safe that will fit several long guns? Again, if your answer is yes, you should choose the biggest gun safe. However, you will also need to consider the above factors before making a buying decision. To learn more about the gun safe, you can visit Gun Safe Coach.