Buying a Gun Safe: Ten Features To Look For
Buying a Gun Safe: Ten Features To Look For
Security

Most people view guns as valuable tools that have a few specific purposes. Home defense is one of the primary uses of a gun, but they're also commonly used for hunting, recreational activities, or collectible items. If you ask a hundred people why they own a gun, you're likely to get a wide variety of unique answers.

One thing that a gun isn't typically considered to be is a luxury item. The bizarre reason is that firearms can get expensive very quickly. Most common pistols, shotguns, and rifles range between $350 and $650, but higher quality guns can easily cost more than $1,000. That's not even considering the bullets and attachments you'll need.

If you had a few thousand dollars worth of jewelry, then it's highly likely that you would want to keep it in a safe. Both can hold their value for a long time and have massive desire on secondary markets.

You should keep your guns locked safely in a safe, even if you only have one worth a few hundred dollars. Buying a gun safe might sound pretty straightforward, but there are a lot of things that you'll need to take into consideration.

Choosing the Perfect Safe for Your Gun

When shopping for any product, you must determine the specific need you're satisfying. These same concepts will also apply to finding the best gun safe to meet your needs.

Here are the ten most important things that you'll need to think about when buying a safe for your guns:

  1. Look for a Safe in the Right Size
  2. Efficient Access for Appropriate Individuals
  3. Do You Need a Fireproof Gun Safe?
  4. What's the Best Lock for a Gun Safe?
  5. Store Your Valuables in a Smart Safe
  6. Find a Reputable Gun Safe Company
  7. Know the Security Rating on Your Gun Safe
  8. Decide Where To Keep Your Safe
  9. Look for a Safe in Stylish Colors
  10. Find a Safe With an Internal Light

Look for a Safe in the Right Size

The first thing you need to consider is the safe's size. The best fit will naturally depend on the size of your guns.

A small safe such as the Biocube In-Drawer is enough for a single handgun but won't be large enough to fit a long gun like a shotgun or rifle. On the other hand, the Biocube Professional can store several larger firearms but might be way too much gun storage for a single pistol.

Efficient Access for Appropriate Individuals

The entire purpose of a safe is to limit access to specific items. One of the essential parts of being a gun owner is keeping it out of the wrong hands.

Children and firearms are a dangerous combination that never ends up with a positive result. You need to select a safe that only allows you or other authorized users to access your guns. An excellent way to do this is through electronic locks, or combination locks, with passwords that only you know. These locks allow you quick access and the peace of mind that others will be unable to get in.

Do You Need a Fireproof Gun Safe?

Residential fires are almost always the leaders in fire-related deaths, injuries, and dollar loss each loss. It doesn't take a very long time for a small fire to spread and become uncontrollable inside your home.

The most important thing to do during a fire is to protect yourself and your loved ones. Losing your most valuable items in a house fire can be devastating but not as bad as losing your family members.

Using a fireproof safe is the best way to protect your valuables so that you're 100% focused on saving your loved ones. A good rule of thumb is that the more valuable the items in your safe, the more fire-resistant you want the safe to be, which means getting a safe with a higher fire rating for more fire protection.

The Firecube safe, for example, boasts one-hour fire protection at 1200 degrees. Yet, it's still equipped with the tamper proof bolts and locks of other Mycube safes. It's a great way to keep your valuables protected from fire and theft.

What's the Best Lock for a Gun Safe?

There are probably more types of locks for a safe than you would probably think. The pin and tumbler lock has been around the longest and most commonly associated with safes.

Safe locks have come long since the combination/safe and tumbler standard. Along with the classic pin and tumbler, you can also access your safe using a physical key, locking bolt, numerical keypad, biometric, or wireless connection.

Usually, the best lock for a safe will largely depend on personal preference. But with a gun safe, speed becomes one of the most critical factors. The last thing you want to do when experiencing a break-in is try to spin a dial to enter the correct combination.

Therefore, you should consider using a biometric safe for maximum speed. You must press your finger against the digital reading pad, and the safe will be unlocked.

Store Your Valuables in a Smart Safe

The concept of "smart" technology within the home can be traced back to the mid-1970s. Technology has evolved several hundred times since these humble origins.

You can now find smart tech in your thermostat, light bulbs, appliances, television, and about a hundred other household items. You can also add safes to the ever-growing list of intelligent tech-enabled objects.

An intelligent safe operates pretty much the rest of these items. Using a designated app, you would be able to access your safe remotely. In addition to a wireless locking mechanism, you would also be able to keep a running inventory of the contents of your secure, grant access to other users, and receive instant notifications whenever the safe is being opened or tampered with.

Find a Reputable Gun Safe Company

Reputation is one of the essential things in the business world. People stick to one company over another because of brand loyalty. Brand loyalty comes from a history of quality products and top-notch customer service.

In terms of gun safes, you'll have a variety of options to choose from. Ideally, you should look for a safe manufacturer with a long and trustworthy history of creating high-quality safes.

Know the Security Rating on Your Gun Safe

Gun safe ratings are based on various tests to protect a safe against burglaries. Underwriters Laboratories conduct these tests as they have been the leader in safe security ratings for nearly 100 years.

The engineers at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) put a safe through a rigorous testing regimen to see how a safe can withstand various break-in methods. They'll test for a safe's ability to repel hand tools, torches, chemicals, and even explosives.

UL's ratings can be confusing, but the higher the number, the better. For example, a TL-15 rating means the safe was tested for a net working time of 15 minutes using various attacks. A TL-30 rating means the safe was tested for 30 minutes, and means the safe was tested for 30 minutes on all 6 sides. You should look for a safe with a TL-30X6 rating or higher for the most security possible.

Decide Where To Keep Your Safe

Location is one of the most important things you must consider when buying a gun safe. It would be acceptable to store a regular safe in the basement or office area as you probably don't need access to your passport in an emergency. The most common reason for owning a gun is self-defense. It's not going to do you much good to have a weapon if you have to travel down a few flights of stairs to get to it.

Ideally, you should have a gun safe in two separate locations: the garage and the bedroom. The garage is where you can keep your large firearms. After all, a hunting rifle isn't exactly ideal for close-quarter home defense. But for smaller firearms, you should keep a gun safe somewhere in your bedroom. You'll be able to access it during the night in the event of a break-in and defend your home from intruders.

Look for a Safe in Stylish Colors

Owning a safe that comes in black is pretty straightforward, but it's also quite dull. A safe is a weighty object. But that doesn't mean that you can't have some fun with it, especially if it's going to be a mainstay somewhere in your home.

Take the time to explore all the potential color options available with your gun safe. Look around and see if you can't find a color that matches well with your paint scheme. Just because your safe is stylish doesn't mean it's less effective than a black and boring one.

Find a Safe With an Internal Light

What if you had to acess your gun in the middle of the night? Turning on the lights of your bedroom could inform the intruders that you're awake.

While emergencies are far from the most important reason for owning a gun safe, you don't want to take any chances during a break-in. An internal light can help you to see your gun, remove it from your pistol holder accessory, and promptly load it without alerting the burglars.

The tables will have turned as you'll now have the element of surprise on your intruders.

The Perfect Safe for the Things That Deserve Safekeeping

Owning a gun is an enormous responsibility, and you should take it seriously. You'll need to consider a lot regarding the safety and adequate storing of your firearms. The good news is that one place can meet all your requirements for a safe gun.

At Mycube, a wide variety of gun-safe options can meet all your needs. The Biocube Mini is an excellent biometric option that's small enough to fit comfortably in your bedroom and large enough to hold your handgun. Look no further than the 57" tall Biocube Professional for larger weapons. This safe will allow you to secure a small armory of firearms and bullets properly.

No matter what you're looking for, Mycube has the solution. Visit Mycube today to browse the wide selection of gun safes. You have nothing to lose as each safe comes with free shipping and a 35-day free trial. If you don't like your safe, return it, and you'll get your money back. If you like the safe, keep it and enjoy a lifetime guarantee.

Sources:

Cracking the Code: A Glimpse into UL's Burglary Testing of Safes | UL Solutions

Brand Loyalty Definition | Investopedia

The History of Smart Home Technology | Family Handyman

U.S. Fire Statistics | United States Fire Administration

Children and Guns/Firearms | AACAP

How Much Do Typical Guns Cost? | Backfire

2. Guns and Daily Life: Identity, Experiences, Activities and Involvement | Pew Research