How to Buy a Gun Safe

BF6024BK_OpenA gun safe is a great way to protect your investment, keep your guns out of the wrong hands, and to keep your guns within reach if you need them to defend yourself. Narrowing down the choices to find the right gun safe is easy with our tips below. If you plan your purchase correctly, a quality gun safe can last a lifetime. Visit our showroom today to speak to a gun safe expert.

Size

Most safe buyers purchase a safe that meets their needs today, but often over time they accumulate more items they would like to store in their safe. Be sure you aren’t buying a safe just for your needs today, but that will meet your needs in 5, 10, or even 15 years. You will also need to think about the length of your weapons when selecting your safe. Measure your longest rifle or shotgun to determine what interior safe height you will need. Most importantly, make sure the safe you choose will fit through your doorways, stairwell, and will fit where you want it. If you like, our safe technicians are happy to come measure your home to ensure an accurate fit and discuss the details of your safe delivery.

Capacity
Gun safe manufacturers advertise the number of guns that can fit in their safes. A typical 30” wide gun safe will be advertised to hold 24 guns, but this is almost always impossible as most guns are equipped with accessories. If your guns have scopes or if you have bolt action rifles, you may only be able to fit half that number of guns.

Burglary & Fire Rating
Most big-box store gun safes offer no burglary protection than an easily defeated lock. To save money, cheap imported gun safes are made of very thin sheet metal, plastic and drywall. These safes are light, flimsy, and easily defeated by burglars. If you have a valuable collection of firearms, you will want to consider a UL burglary rated gun safe. These safes offer between 30 and 120 minutes of fire protection, lifetime warranties, and are designed to resist sophisticated attacks from burglars. These safes are made with thick, high-quality steel, advanced concrete mixes for fire protection, and will be very heavy (4,000 lbs). If your collection is very valuable and requires the ultimate in security from burglary attacks, choose a TL rated safe. These safes have passed the most rigorous burglar test using advanced tools and break-in techniques. These are the best safes for true collectors. For a basic collection where you aren’t concerned about very skilled safecrackers and burglars, choose a fire rated gun safe with a few key features including a relocker and a ball-bearing hardplate to deter drilling attacks. We like Liberty Safes and American Security safes due to their quality materials, warranty, and performance under UL’s testing. They have excellent pry resistance and have undergone and passed some incredible tests.

Slide Out Gun Rack

Slide Out Rifle Rack

Organization
Premium door organizers are included in all of our gun safe purchases. These take advantage of the space on the door to increase your safe’s capacity and convenience. All of our safes are equipped with adjustable shelving systems. For long guns, you can upgrade your safe with a slide-out gun rack or AR storage racks which accommodate extra large front sights or optics.

Lock Types
Our safes come equipped with electronic locks, but you can get a combination dial lock if you prefer. EMP proof electronic locks are available on our Liberty Safe lineup. Electronic locks are convenient and unlock much faster than a traditional dial safe. To keep your electronic safe lock operational, you will need to change the batteries on an annual basis. If your safe has key access, know that this is the least secure lock option for a safe. If you need your guns close by for protection, consider a fast-action pistol safe or even a fast-open under the bed safe. These can be opened using your fingerprint, a code, or even a radio frequency key fob or bracelet.

Installation
Deciding where to install your safe is a critical aspect of your security. If your safe is less than 1,000 pounds and not bolted down, a burglar can move it fairly easily with an appliance dolly, burglars will often save time by taking the whole safe home to break into it. Keeping your safe out of sight and bolted to your floor are the best deterrents for a thief. For more information about where to install your safe for maximum security, click here!

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Drawers for Safes

 

Accessories
There are some great safe accessories on the market today, but don’t sacrifice security for fun accessories if you are on a budget. All of our gun safes can be equipped with LED lighting or a clip-on light kit, and maple wood drawers for jewelry and documents. An electronic dehumidifier or desiccant packs will constantly guard your guns against the threat of rust, pitting, and moisture damage, which is critical in southwest Florida.

To learn the biggest gun safe buying mistakes, click here.