Safes: 5 Things You Didn't Know

 

Many claims have been made about different types of safes, but what is the real storey? Why do we need safes, and what is their purpose? When it comes to safes, here are seven things you should keep in mind. There are several things to bear in mind when purchasing and installing a safe. For your own safety and to give you a little peace of mind, this information has been supplied. Knowing that you're safe is equally as important as knowing that you're in danger, so don't worry about it. There is no such thing as safety in disguise. You can avoid being robbed if you know how criminals approach your possessions.

First, safes are not what they appear to be.

In the field of security, it is claimed that money buys time. Only a product that makes a thief's life more difficult is what you get when you pay for quality. For a good reason, bank vaults are not positioned in the centre of the store. Insufficient protection is provided by a safe. There are extra layers of protection if you use discretion. The only thing that is impenetrable is yourself.

Criminals' Approaches to a Safe

If you haven't seen it, you've seen it in the movies where a criminal uses a stethoscope to crack a safe's combination. That's not going to happen to you. This means that criminals are more concerned with speed and simplicity than with the finer points of lockpicking. A thief's most common task is to break into a safe. Bolting the safe to the ground is widely accepted as a solution. However, robbers will be able to pry open the safe if you secure it to the floor.

In terms of quality, price equals cost

When it comes to security, the more protection you get for your money, the more expensive it will be. Doors on most safes are stronger than the body, but doors on cheap safes are as weak as the body itself. The more expensive safes have thicker and stronger metal. Drills, cutting devices, and torch attacks are all deflected by the metal in the more expensive variants. Hotel safes are on the other end of the spectrum. By striking the handle with a hand while twisting the handle, these low-cost safes can be unlocked.

Keep Yourself Protected

I get why you'd want to boast about your own safety. Having a safe in your home indicates that you're protecting something of value (and there is something in the safe too). Therefore, you should avoid talking about your safe. In the event that your home is looted by chance, there's no reason for a criminal to be able to access your safe.

As a final precaution, conceal your safe in plain view.

For the same reason that you shouldn't discuss your safety or leave your safe visible, you should also keep it hidden. It's possible that if you mistakenly reveal the presence of a safe, concealing it will protect you. If the safe is adequately disguised, knowing where it is will only be a third of the struggle. The other two-thirds of the time will be devoted to tracking it down and getting entry.

 

Top 10 Must Have Features of a Gun Safe

 

 

Well, what do guns offer? Protection? Is it a show piece? Or is it to threaten others? Guns have evolved from over time as Humans did and they have,in fact,attained such a place that they cannot be dispensed from the lives of people.

When guns offer protection to us, we pay our tribute by placing them inside a safe environment THE GUN SAFE. Wait! Is it the gun which protects us or is it us who protect it? The precise answer is that we protect it until guns have their turn to protect us. Let us have a look at the top 10 "MUST-HAVE" features of a gun safe.

1. ROBUST DESIGN:

Robust design means that the machinery must be able to deliver its best performance in any kind of situation. Be it a hot environment,a cooler one or a humid condition. This machine must deliver equally in all conditions. So, the selection of materials must be of high importance.

2. BIOMETRIC LOCK:

The most difficult security feature to duplicate will be a Biometric security system. With advancements in technology biometric security features are growing stronger and difficult to duplicate. Hence, it is advisable to incorporate the high end technology. It might be costly but the price won't be a justifiable comparison when you consider life.

3. MUST HAVE ALL SORTS OF PROOF:

The machinery must have all sorts of proof. By proof I mean that it must be fire proof, water proof and air proof.

4. RELIABILITY AND REDUNDANCY:

Purchase a Gun safe with the highest reliability. Have the best and it will prove useful during tense situations. Have more than one security feature in your gun safe. Have a mix of different locking systems such as Mechanical, Electronic, Biometric, Remote operated and so onbecause there must be a good backup system.

5. COMPACTNESS:

Well, if the size of the machine is too large then you might have trouble in handling it. Too small a safe will also prove less useful if there are more guns than the slots available. The Gun safe must be designed in such a way that it makes efficient use of the space. If you shift too often then it is a god idea to have a small and compact one rather than a big one.

6. SECURE ENVIRONMENT:

The guns must be provided with a sterile environment. If there is humidity inside the gun safe, then the guns may rust. So, it is essential to check and maintain the machinery every now and then. Have a detailed knowledge on how it works and then try to do the maintenance work. Advanced gun safes with secure environment must be preferred over a less secure but cheaper one.

7. TRACKING SYSTEM:

You might think this as an irrelevant one. But tracking your gun safe is always a good idea. In the case of a theft or if you lose your machine, it will be easy to track it with a GPS system rather than doing it manually. In addition to that, if the machine has a feature to inform the police in case of breaking it, then you have James bond technology in your home.

8. ALARM:

Having an alarming system in your gun safe will help you at times of crisis. The alarm will alert you and your neighbors, and it gives you some vital time to prepare for the unexpected. It is vital to have an alarming system and please do ensure that the machine/ equipment has this important feature. Don't feel that an alarm might disturb you. It is for the better good.

9. FLUORESCENCE:

Gun safe is certainly not a toy. But having a fluorescent feature in it will help you to operate it in darkness. This might help a burglar as well. But the odds are in the favor of the owner. He has the keys to open it. If a person intends to catch the burglars red handed, then this will be the perfect add-on.

10. OPTIMUM WEIGHT:

Too much weight will be a burden and the inverse will make it fragile. It should be of optimal weight.

What Makes A Safe Gun Cabinet For Your Shooting Accessories

Shotguns and rifles must be secured at all times, and since February 2011 it has been a crime to fail to take 'reasonable precautions' to prevent someone under 18 from gaining access to an air rifle. Whilst this does not mean it has to be in a cabinet, in practical terms a cabinet is the best option to demonstrate you are acting responsibly.

Outwardly many gun cabinets are very similar, but in practice there are substantial but subtle differences in design which go into the construction of the better cabinets which meet the British standard BS 7558/92.

Whilst there are good cabinets that haven't been tested for the standard, for peace of mind it is worth getting one that has. Small differences to look for include features such as anti-jemmy flush fitting doors, a minimum of 2 mm hardened steel construction and full length joint welding. The locks are a vital part of the cabinet and it is worth getting quality locks as there is nothing more frustrating than getting your guns stuck in the cabinet when the lock fails and you want to be out shooting. There are 2 types of locking mechanism commonly found on cabinets:

• Single key, which should be at least 7 lever, that throws a series of bolts. Ideally you want at least 5 bolts spread along the length of the door to be really secure.

• Double key. Generally with this style, you should have separate locks top and bottom, again at least 7 lever, which each directly throw a single bolt.

Your cabinet must be firmly secured, ideally flush fitting to a solid wall with expanding bolts, or similarly strong fixings. Fixing to internal plasterboard walls or thermal block, from which the cabinet can be easily levered away may not be approved. Make sure the cabinet you choose has holes to be secured with at least 4 bolts, and ideally to both the wall and floor. The cabinet should be in an occupied part of the premises; outbuildings and sheds are less likely to be approved. To keep your guns in the best possible condition and prevent rusting, it is also a good idea to have the cabinet placed in a warm dry place so this generally excludes outbuildings.

Another thing to check when choosing a cabinet is to make sure it is large enough, especially if you have a rifle with a scope and silencer. Some cabinets designed for shotguns are cheaper but are not deep enough to take a rifle with a scope on, and if you have to remove the scope, you will need to re-zero it afterwards, which will be endlessly frustrating.

You also need to think about security for your ammunition, which should always be stored separately. There is no requirement to secure air rifle or shotgun ammunition, but it is best practice to do so. Rifle ammunition must be stored securely. The best rifle cabinets have a separate top compartment which is operated with a different key to get around this problem, or even better, get a separate small cabinet in a different part of the house for ammunition.

One last thing to remember once you have your cabinet is that it is important to ensure that you are the only person with access to it. In practice, this means keeping the keys securely and in a place that only you know where they are. There is no point taking all these precautions and then leaving the keys out!

John Jones is one of the managing partners at the leading Hereford based department store Philip Morris & Son.

The store supplies a massive range of country clothing and shooting accessories, along with table ware and other home favorites.