It keeps them from getting
into the wrong hands by storing guns safely and reducing the risk of theft.
Safe storage, mounted trigger locks, or securing guns by a cable may be
required by law in some states and communities. For decades, safes designed
explicitly for firearms have been around, and today's models are flexible and
easy to open, yet robust and resistant enough to keep thieves at bay.
Depending on the type of guns
being stored, the best gun safe for your home will
vary. Gun purchasers should contact their local law enforcement authority
before choosing the Best gun safe to determine
whether they need to buy a specific type of safe.
What to Consider When
Selecting the Best Safe Gun
A gun safe should be big
enough to hold weapons, extra clips, and cartridges, in addition to meeting
potential legal requirements. In the event of an emergency, it should be secure
yet quickly accessible. Gun safes come with a broad range of features, varying performance,
and different levels of security. Here are a few variables to take into account
while shopping.
Dimension/Capacity
Gun safes range in size from
small portable safes designed to hold a single compact handgun or derringer to
large, heavy floor-style safes designed to hold multiple long guns, handguns,
and related surplus items.
Pay attention to both the
exterior dimensions and the interior dimensions when shopping for the Bestgun safe. The exterior dimensions determine whether the safe will fit
in a predetermined space, such as in a closet cubby.
Type for Lock
There are three main types of
locks in gun safes: biometric, electronic, and combination. The perks and
disadvantages of each are listed below.
Biometric: A biometric lock allows the owner to program the
lock's memory with one or more individual fingerprints. The safe recognizes the
print and opens the lock when the user places their finger on the biometric
screen. Biometric locks ensure security as the individual fingerprint of each individual
is unique. However, the lock may not open if the finger (or the biometric pad)
is dirty.
Electronic: An electronic lock requires the user to open it via
a digital keypad to enter a three-to-eight-number combination. Electronic locks
are safe and, if desired, users can reprogram the key codes. Electronic locks
also run on batteries, similar to biometric locks. If the batteries die, they
must be replaced by the user before the keypad is used.
Combination: The combination lock is the most uncomplicated lock
design; think back to school lockers. By rotating a dial back and forth or
aligning the numbers on a vertical-type combination lock to open the safe, a
combination lock requires users to enter a three- to five-digit code.
Keyed: Only a key opens very few gun safes. More
frequently, if the user forgets the code or combination, keys are used as a
backup. The owner may need to call a locksmith to open the safe if backup keys
are not available.
Fire Rating
For a specific amount of time
before the heat enters the safe, a fire-rated gun safe will withstand intense
heat. This safe is often constructed with thicker steel walls and can come with
special seals that expand when the temperature rises to seal the safe door and
keep the fire out. It will come with a one- or two-hour fire rating if the safe
offers fire protection, meaning the contents inside are safe for one or two
hours, respectively, from fire damage.
Security Level
The heavier the steel gauge
(8- to 12-gauge is the best), the higher the fire rating and the more secure
the locking system is in general. A general guideline for measuring the safety
level offered by a gun safe is offered in the following classifications. This
is important not only to guarantee the desired level of protection but also to
ensure that the homeowner's insurance policy covers the guns against losses.
However, individual policies may differ, so contact your insurance agent to
determine what level of security is required for the agency to cover your
investment in firearms.
UL: This stands for the rating of "Underwriters
Laboratories" and is used together with one or more of the following
ratings.
TL: This rating is followed by a number such as TL-15
or TL-30, indicating "tool resistance," indicating that the safe will
withstand attempts to pry it open for 15 or 30 minutes with a pry bar or other
tools. It will usually follow the UL designation (i.e., UL TL-15), indicating
that Underwriters Laboratories determined the 15-minute tool-resistant rating.
TR: This designation specifies that the safe is
resistant to unlawful entry using a torch and can be combined with the TL
designation, such as UL TRTL-30, meaning that for up to 30 minutes, the safe
will resist forced entry by a torch or prying tools.
X6: If X6 appears in the designation, it indicates that
safety tests have been carried out on all six safety surfaces: the front, all
four sides, the top, and the bottom. A rating such as UL TRTL-15-X60 indicates
that for up to 15 minutes, the safe will withstand forced entry by torch or
prying tools on all six sides.
RSC: A gun safe carrying an RSC rating (Residential
Security Container) may deter some thieves, but this is the lowest security
rating level. If the safe has an RSC rating but not a TL rating, an insurance
policy may not cover the financial loss. An RSC rating indicates that the safe
will deter prying for up to five minutes, making the least secure RSC gun safe.
Protection Mechanisms
Some gun safes offer extra
protection, such as mounting holes that allow the user to bolt the safe to wall
studs, floor joists, or concrete, in addition to heavy-gauge steel, a good
lock, and fire protection. If an unauthorized attempt is made to open the safe,
some of the more recent safes may also provide tamper alerts that sound an
alarm, and others will track and log each event when someone tries to enter the
safe.
Portability
Most gun safes can be
attached to floor or wall studs, but portable safes are also available for gun
owners who need to transport their firearms. To reduce the risk of theft, they
may come with steel cables attached to a non-movable part of the car, usually
in the trunk. For stowing handguns under a car seat or in a desk drawer, small,
non-attachable safes are also available. These safes will keep kids out, but
they will not stop a determined thief from carting off the entire safe and its
contents.
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