Gun Safes
If you own a gun you’re going to want to keep it safe, and there is no better way to do so than by keeping it in a gun safe. Whether it be from children, intruders, or disasters (sometimes the three are indistinguishable), you can rest easy knowing that your arms are out of harms way and not in the wrong hands.
Purchasing a gun safe is an investment, so you’ll want to take care when choosing the right one for you. The ultimate purpose of keeping your guns in a safe is to protect them from any unwanted outside forces, so if a burglar breaks through the lock or a fire burns through the material, your safe and it’s contents are ruined and your investment was all for nothing. Keep this in mind when shopping around for the best price, because while some safes may seem a little pricey, you must remember that quality is of the upmost importance when protecting your valuables and minimizing your liability.
That's not to say you shouldn’t find the best deal.
By doing a little research you can still find high quality gun safes at discounted prices. To find out more you can read the sections on discount safes and used safes.
What to look for in a gun safe
Note: Click on any of the images below to purchase, find additional specs, or browse similar safes.
Size
One of the first things you should consider is size. You’re going to want enough room for your entire arsenal, and if you want to keep things nice and organized you will need ample space. Most gun safes specify the number of guns they hold. For instance, this Liberty “Fat Boy” Gun Safe has the dimensions 60.5"H x 42"W x 30.5"D and holds up to 64 guns, which, as you might guess, is larger than most safes.
If, on the other end of the spectrum, you only own a hand gun or two, you may want to look into purchasing a pistol or a hand gun safe. They are much smaller and a lot less expensive.
To maximize the space that you do have, you can also consider gun safes that utilize the door back for extra storage. For instance, this Browning Bronze Series Gun Safe has the dimensions 44"W x 60"H x 27"D and holds up to 52 guns with the back door able to store long guns, hand guns, and many other small valuables.
Looks
A gun safe can quickly become another fixture in your house hold, so you’ll want one that looks nice. Many manufacturers allow you to customize the interior and exterior colors, making it easier to incorporate both looks and functionality into your safe.
This Rhino Series Gun Safe has all the functionality of other top of the line gun safes, and the gold handle with gold trim and gold hinge caps gives it a classy look too.
Security
An unsecure gun safe defeats the purpose of owning one at all, that is why top notch security is of the upmost importance. Many gun safe manufacturers have developed patented security features in their on-going effort to outdo the competition to become the most secure safe company in the industry. This works out well for the consumer because that means there are plenty of very secure gun safes to choose from. To give a run down of all the different types of unique safety features would be too exhausting and confusing. When shopping for specific safes the manufacturers will proudly display their innovative security features along with the rest of the specifications.
To give you a head start, some of the key features you should look for include material type, thickness, fire resistance, water resistance, lock type, and mounting hardware. You can read the section on safe security to find out more about each of these security features.
Accessories
Many safes come with an array of optional and additional accessories such as lights, mirrors, humidifiers, shelving, pistol holders, etc. Follow the link to find out more about gun safe accessories.
Pricing
Pricing for gun safes is determined through a combination of size, looks, security, and accessories and can range anywhere from several hundred dollars to over of $5,000.
For instance, this Stack-On Gun Safe looks nice, holds 10 rifles or shotguns, has decent security features with a hardened steel plate behind the lock, although it is not fire proof, and is priced for around $600.
By comparison, the three different gun safes displayed earlier in this page are all priced in the $2,500 to $3,500 range. They look great, have a lot of storage space, have excellent security features, including fire resistance, and come equipped with some nice accessories.
This Browning Platinum Plus Gun Safe, however, is top of the line. It has an awesome look with beautiful craftsmanship and a gold plated handle. It has plenty of storage space with a roomy and organized feel. It has premium security features including 120 minute fire protection. It has every accessory you can think of and it can be purchased for just under $6,000.
The bottom line is that there are many variables to consider when shopping for your own gun safe. Price, accessories, security, looks, and size all play a part, and there are many companies offering superb products all across this spectrum, and just like any other major purchase, you are going to want to be thoughtful in your decision.