Gun Safe in Closet: 10 Things To Consider
It's no secret that owning a gun is extremely common in the United States. There are currently more guns in America than there are people. It's estimated that there are roughly 393 million privately owned firearms in America. That's a ratio of about 1.2 guns for each citizen.
Of course, not everyone in the country owns 1.2 guns. There are plenty of people that own several guns to serve a variety of purposes. Some people own guns for home security, others for hunting, and some collect antiques.
Whatever your reason for owning guns, the most important thing is to keep them safely locked up. Ideally, you should store your firearms in a safe that meets specific requirements based on your needs. Too many things can go wrong if you aren't securing your guns in a safe.
10 Things To Consider When Putting a Gun Safe in Your Closet
You can stash your gun safe inside your house in dozens of places. The basement, garage, walls, and bedside table are a few of the most common ones. There is no wrong answer when finding the perfect place, but there is one solution that's a little bit better: the closet.
Storing your gun in the closet will help you to keep your firearm nearby in case of an emergency without signaling that you have a gun safe. The most significant advantage of keeping your gun safe in the closet is the natural camouflage you can use to hide it. But before you start browsing for a new gun safe, there are a few questions that you'll need to take into consideration first:
- Is Your Gun Safe Bolted Down?
- Does Your Gun Safe Have Internal Storage Compartments?
- Does Your Gun Safe Have Auto-Locking Doors?
- How Many Bolts Does Your Gun Safe Have?
- Does Your Gun Safe Have Rechargeable Batteries?
- Does Your Gun Safe Have a Warranty?
- Is Your Gun Safe Made of Thick Steel?
- Does Your Gun Safe Have a Biometric Lock?
- What Are the Dimensions of Your Closet?
- Where Is Your Closet Located?
Is Your Gun Safe Bolted Down?
Bolting down your safe is an excellent way to secure your guns further. Most small safes are heavy and awkward to handle, but they aren't impossible to move. If a thief notices that they can simply pick up the safe, they'll just steal the whole thing and worry about opening it later.
The best way to prevent this from happening would be to bolt down your gun safe. Bolting down a safe isn't a complicated process, but it can be challenging without suitable materials. Fortunately, every Mycube safe for sale comes with a free bolt-down kit that includes everything you'll need, except for the power tools.
Does Your Gun Safe Have Internal Storage Compartments?
There's a reason why you store your toothpaste in the same area as your toothbrush. Both items are essentially useless without one another. The same is true for guns and bullets. A gun is just an oversized paperweight without bullets; bullets are tiny hunks of metal without a firearm.
Although you need to store your guns and your ammo in separate locations, if you own multiple guns, divide your ammo so it's stored with the gun it won't work with. Internal storage compartments can help you stow away other important documents or accessories with ease.
Does Your Gun Safe Have Auto-Locking Doors?
You probably already have some experience with auto-locking doors in your everyday life. Most new model cars come stock with power locks set to lock at specific times automatically. For example, if you reach speeds above 10 MPH, your doors' automatic locks will be triggered.
The automatic locks on a safe operate similarly. The trigger wouldn't be based on speed. Instead, the lock is automatically triggered whenever you close the door. A safe is useless if you can just turn the handle and open it because you forgot to lock it. An automatic safe will prevent slip-ups and keep everything secured as long as the door is closed.
How Many Bolts Does Your Gun Safe Have?
Chances are that you currently have a deadbolt installed on the front door of your house. A deadbolt is a lock that is moved without a spring mechanism. It's typically heavier than spring bolts found in door knobs and much more resistant to prying or kicking. Additionally, a deadbolt must be engaged whenever the door is shut, making it very hard to bypass without a key.
The bolts on a safe operate the same way. These bolts help prevent thieves from using a crowbar to break into your safe physically. Quite simply: the more bolts the door of your safe has, the more difficult it will be to break into. Deciding between a two-bolt safe and a three-bolt safe might not sound like a big deal, but it can make a difference if you ever experience a break-in.
That's why the Biocube Professional features six pre-drilled bolt holes (and an installation hardware kit), along with 12 tamper-proof bolts and an auto-locking door.
Does Your Gun Safe Have Rechargeable Batteries?
Digital safes offer an additional layer of security than analog safes, but they have one requirement: a power source. Most safes will come with batteries that can last for around a year or two. You'd need to change your safe batteries around the same time as you change your smoke detector batteries.
On the other hand, you could just get a safe that comes with rechargeable batteries instead. Some safes permit you to recharge the safe's batteries externally. For others, you might have to remove the batteries and charge them for a little while. Either way, it's much better than potentially forgetting to replace the batteries and having a safe that won't open.
Does Your Gun Safe Have a Warranty?
It's almost always better to buy something that comes with a warranty. A warranty is a guarantee from the manufacturer that the quality and condition of the product will maintain a certain standard for a specified period. If the quality and conditions fail to reach this level of guaranteed sophistication, the product can usually be serviced or replaced for free.
You've probably encountered warranties before buying a new car or appliance. Safe manufacturers are also prone to offering warranties to guarantee their products. A faulty gun safe is a useless item, and having a warranty can cover any issues that you might experience.
Is Your Gun Safe Made of Thick Steel?
There are all kinds of different materials used to make safes today. For example, portable, lightweight safes are available entirely made of plastic. While a plastic safe might be suitable for protecting some items, it will not cut it for protecting your guns.
Whether you should get a steel safe or a plastic one isn't debatable. A little more open to debate is how thick of a safe you will need. Ideally, you should opt for a safe between 12-gauge (2.057 millimeters) and 6-gauge (4.166 millimeters) thick. It might cost a little extra for a safe with thicker steel, but it's a much safer way to store your guns.
Does Your Gun Safe Have a Biometric Lock?
When you picture a safe, imagine it with a rotary combination lock, numerical keypad, or keyhole. There has to be some way to open up the safe, right? In modern society, technology has provided safe manufacturers with a new way to open safes: biometrics.
Biometrics are specific measurements related to an individual's unique physical attributes. In order words, it would be a digital mapping of your fingerprint, voice, or retina. The problem with the old ways of opening a safe is they aren't 100% secure. A combination can be forgotten, numbers on a keypad can be seen by others, and a key can be stolen.
With biometrics, you'll always have the key in your hands. You simply have to press your finger onto the pad, and the safe will unlock. It's pretty much impossible to beat a level of convenience like that.
What Are the Dimensions of Your Closet?
You need to ensure that the safe you buy fits comfortably inside your closet. Long gun safes can get pretty big and bulky. You'll need to measure your closet to make sure that your gun safe will fit, the door can open, and you'll still be able to use the closet for additional storage.
Where Is Your Closet Located?
The last thing to consider is the layout of your bedroom and the closet. If your bed is far from your closet, you might want to consider rearranging your bedroom. The whole idea of having a gun safe in your closet is to help keep your firearms nearby but out of the sight of potential thieves. Moving your bed will help you get closer to your closet and, eventually, your gun safe.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of things that you'll need to take into consideration when you're looking for a way to store your guns properly. The perfect weapon safe will vary from person to person, and you'll have to find one that meets all of your specific needs. It might be a little bit of a hassle, but gun safety is the most important responsibility of owning a gun.
If you want to keep your gun safe in the closet, you'll need to shop carefully. Many gun safes are too big to fit comfortably in an area with limited space. Fortunately, safes such as the Mycube Biocube were designed for this purpose. With this particular safe, you'll be able to meet all the criteria listed above and keep your gun adequately secured.
Sources:
Biometrics | Homeland Security
Standard Sheet Metal Gauge Thickness Chart | Cable Organizer
Warranty Definition | Investopedia
Solved! What Are the Two Main Types of Door Locks, and Which One Is Best for Me? | Bob Vila
Do Car Doors Lock Automatically? Let's Find Out | Car Phrases
What Burglars do First When They get Inside Your Home | kgw.com
Americans' Views on Guns and Gun Ownership: 8 Key Findings | Pew Research Center
