Safely Buying Safes…Do’s and Don’ts
Top 5 Advices to Buy a Gun Safe
A Gun Safe is an investment for life and special thought needs to be given when buying one. This article will help you to avoid costly mistakes that will affect you after the purchase if not taken into consideration.
Buy Bigger Than You Think – Firearm owners are passionate about their guns and many have a growing collection. If you belong to this category the size of the gun safe you buy should be a decisive factor. It’s not merely about reading the specifications provided by the gun safe manufacturer, which would tell you, for example, that the safe has capacity for 35 rifles; because remember that you might also want to protect other types of items, like laptops, jewelry, documents, collectibles, which would occupy space. Gun Capacity as provided by the manufacturer refers to the highest amount of guns fitting in the safe with nothing in it, so think about what else are you are planning to put in the safe, as well as if you expect your collection to grow.
Get The Right Lock For You – The three basic types of safe locks are: Combination, Electronic, and Biometric; and you should take the time to decide which is best suited for you. As a gun safe marketer, I get the same question asked everyday by customers. Is an electronic lock as secure as a combination lock? and the answer is “absolutely yes” because the security mechanism of a lock is completely independent of the opening trigger system; so the decision should really boil down to “what is practical.” Some people just can’t bring themselves to trust something electronic, or love the mystique of a combination lock, but when it’s about ease of use there is nothing like an electronic lock; just put the code in and it’s open, that’s it. There are different types of electronic locks; the main brand in the market is Sergeant & Greenleaf (S&G). An electronic lock that will not lock automatically when closing the door would be ideal for days in which you are using the safe a lot (the D-Drive in S&G). And then you have the biometric lock option, which opens upon the touch of one of one of your fingers, the next level of practicality, but at the same time they are expensive to add.
Include Accessories – Some accessories are a must when owning a gun safe. Yes, sometimes they add to the price but without them you won’t get too far and m
any of them are inexpensive, like these for example: Anchoring kit for securing the safe to the ground, Electrical Outlet Kit to provide power to all the devices needing it, and the Dehumidifier to protect the guns from the rust produced by humidity. Then on the more expensive side you have the: Accessory Door Panel for storing ammunition, handguns, and media files (special pocket); Jewelry Drawer for all your wife’s treasures, and the Media Cooler which is a small media safe to further protect digital files. From all of the above in my opinion the most indispensable ones are the anchoring kit, the electrical outlet kit, and the dehumidifier. When you buy middle and higher end models many of them include accessories so clarify which ones are included and which ones are not.
If Needed, Contract In-Home Delivery – Gun Safes are heavy things, the weight ranging from 400 lbs to 1500 lbs and moving them without experience can cause damage to the safe or a serious injury to the mover. Nowadays it’s common to find free shipping or delivery to your curb side, and if you have the tools and friends to rescind of the delivery company for taking the gun into your house then proceed carefully and prepare in advance to achieve that task, but if that is not the case, pay the additional fee to get it where you want it because you might be saving yourself a big headache.
Buy Quality – A gun safe is supposed to work when it’s supposed to work. If your house is broken into, and with a simple ax, the burglar is able to break apart the door of your gun safe, you will end up losing your valuables, losing the safe, and very probably you will be in the hands of a company with an unreliable gun safe warranty. The previous scenario is entirely possible with many of the gun safes out there made to save money with the thickness of the steel, just to use one example. I will not hide the fact that I have a predilection for American Made Gun Safes because they have a much higher standard of quality than China or Mexico Gun Safes, and if you are out there for a bargain you can find a great deal even if you stick with gun safes made in the USA. You will get better steel, true fire protection, and reliable warranties; and as important you will help keep the money home.
Moises Szarf
Moises Szarf is the Online Marketing Manager for Liberty Safes USA (www.LibertySafesUSA.com) one of the leading providers of Liberty Safes. He is specializes in Gun Safes, and specially American Made Gun Safes. He also runs a blog for his company called Gun Safes and More.
©2011 Publication or Distribution of this material needs to be done with author’s permission. Violation is punishable by law.
Electronic and biometric locks are nice and convienient but
If some loon or strange natural occurence hits the area with an EMP.
You will be locked out of your safe, since all electronic devices will be fried.
Gotta ask What if? …….
That’s true. Nevertheless it is very improbable. I would ask myself, do I want to sacrifice the convenience of an electronic lock for something that really might never happen? Along this line, an electronic lock do needs a battery, if you think about a “survivalist scenario”, say, things going crazier in the middle east, big war erupting, then not being able to buy a battery, therefore getting locked out of your gun safe? So go for the combination lock. Then Again, what a client of ours did recently, is he purchased a big box of batteries for his gun safe. The batteries last about a year.
Where do you suggest putting the safe. i have friends that have them in the garage, in the basement, in the closet. etc… if I buy a BIG safe, it may weigh 1600 lbs and that is heavy to put “upstairs” without extra support under the floor.
Also, almost all that I know do not have them bolted down. Should they be worried?
Every time a safe is not bolted down it’s one more advantage you are giving a burglar, and doing the bolt down is fairly easy. Search youtube for “bolt down gun safe” and you’ll get great tutorials. As to where to place it, it depends. How frequently are you going to open it? How fast you want to get to the safe in case of an emergency? Is it important for you to conceal the safe somewhere it is not seen at first sight?, Does the safe door opens 90 or 180 degrees?. In my opinion, one of the things to consider is the fact that usually the front is the strongest side of the safe, so if you place it inside some type of wall compartment covering the sides, your safe becomes safer, also because it would be even more diffuclt to carry away. But not everybody has that capability. That’s why boltdown and the quality of the safe quality is very important. This a good artcle that talks about all of this: http://ezinearticles.com/?Home-Series-%282-of-3%29:-Places-for-a-Gun-Safe&id=5747356
Hey John…Good to hear from you again…
As for the questions surrounding safes…there are some questions to ask first.
1. What are you going to use it for? Storage of firearms only? Documents? Ammo? Family Jewels? (don’t read into that last one, most married men don’t have theirs any more anyway)
2. Considering the valuables inside, do you really want it in the garage?
3. Does it need to be fire-proof?
4. Is it going to be a “dummy” safe? (meaning; the one with the really valuable stuff is hidden somewhere else)
5. Are you ever planning on moving it? (not by your self…that’s for certain)
If you are using it for storage only, then maybe a garage is a good place. If you need quick access, then that is certainly not a good idea for a location. For quick access, I would just get a smaller one, like what we talked about when you were in my CFP class.
Weight is something to consider, and not having it upstairs can then, determine what you keep inside the safe. Instead of having one huge safe, perhaps getting two smaller ones will work. Having one downstairs that is heavier, and then one upstairs that isn’t as heavy so it won’t go through the floor..hahahaha. (that would be funny however)
Splitting up your valuables does make sense and decrease the ability to access them for the criminals out there. Cost is certainly a factor for most people, that is why they only have one. I have seen some folks who have a huge safe, but it is only to house their huge amounts of firearms for long-term storage. The weight is so great, that they just don’t worry about someone actually taking it. Remember, the greatest majority of criminals out there just want to get things done quickly, so making plans to actually take something that weighs 2000 pounds isn’t in their agenda.
So…knowing what your purpose is, is a good “first step” and then considering the “contents” you are housing is a good second step. (or vice-versa)
If you really have some $$, then consider a “secret room” being installed somewhere, that way no one will find it anyway.
As for locations, I have also seen the places you mentioned…but that decision is going to depend on what kind of space you have and the size of the safe. Closets are good, but the space taken can hurt the “clothing space” you have as well. Garages are an option, but I personally don’t like that idea because they are harder to get to. Some insurances won’t cover garages either, so keep that in mind. Plus if they wanted to “haul it off” then having your safe in a garage is only expediting their efforts.
Behind a wall or in the wall is a good place, but you may have to “build it in”, but it sure helps with the space issue.
I hope that helps out some John…let me know!
Damon
I agree your points. Hereafter I will follow your advice thanks for sharing this useful information.