Gun Safes vs. Gun Cabinets

If you own a firearm, you are probably familiar with or own a gun safe or a gun cabinet. While these two are very different in many ways, many people confuse one for the other. Let’s look at the key characteristics, distinctions, benefits, and drawbacks of gun cabinets and gun safes. Having a gun is a full-time task in and of itself. You can’t make a guess, and you can’t forget. You must understand how to use, handle, and store your weapon properly. Never use a weapon unless you are fully familiar with its features and how to use it safely. 

Safes for firearms

Gun safes are similar to regular vaults and safes, but they are constructed specifically to store and protect different firearms types. They’re used to keep valuables safe and have biometric, key, or combination locks. Safes are typically made of very sturdy and heavy materials to ensure that they cannot be carried out of your home or company by burglars.

Cabinets for firearms

A gun cabinet aims to showcase and display your weapons. They’re similar to regular kitchen cabinets, except they’re specifically designed for firearms. It can be built-in or freestanding and typically has glass doors. Depending on your budget and your weapons collection size, you can get premade or custom-made gun cabinets.

Advantages and Drawbacks

There are benefits and drawbacks of both gun cabinets and gun safes, and here is a couple of them:

Gun Safes vs. Gun Cabinets

Aside from your budget and available room in your home or company, you must consider what you want, what you need, as well as the specifications, materials, capability, and other characteristics of each product. Don’t worry; we’re here to make your life easier! If you can’t decide between a gun cabinet and a gun safe, we’ve compiled a list of items to think about.

The capacity of the Gun Safe

Gun cabinets usually hold 5 to 32 weapons at a time. If you have more than 32 guns, a gun safe is your only option. If you have too many weapons and ammunition in one place, it’s better for you, your family, and your employees to keep them in a safe or vault where unauthorized people can’t get to them.

Components

Gun safes are usually constructed of heavy-duty, high-quality steel that is at least 1/2 inch thick “thick enough to withstand a lot of force and violence. It’s also big, so robbers and burglars won’t be able to carry it. Although most gun cabinets are made of sheet metal or solid wood that is about 1/8 inch thick, “thickening

It is easily harmed and cannot withstand a great deal of force or assault. When purchasing a gun cabinet, be cautious whether it is made of sawdust or solid wood veneer. It can sound and appear to be solid wood, but it is not. As a thin layer of the veneer, they use sawdust composite.

Fashion 

Both the gun safe and the gun cabinet have attractive designs. On the other hand, gun cabinets are typically more rustic, while the other is more modern and can have a more contemporary style with different designs.

Some gun safes have a rather functional design. That is to say; they can now appear to be very decorative. Some old or vintage-styled gun safes have this feature. However, some gun safes now come in a variety of designs and sizes.

Gun cabinets do not typically have a key or a combination to recall. This is a benefit in terms of easy access to your weapons, but it is also a drawback in defense. Your children can also easily access your weapons if your gun cabinets do not have any locks. To display your weapon collection, gun cabinets are made of wood or sheet metal with glass. But, an ordinary person with a crowbar can easily smash the glass and steal your weapons.

Although nothing is fully theft-proof, gun safes are designed to deter theft with their sturdy and heavy construction and thick, high-quality materials. If you are finding for the best gun safes, you can lookfor the Sportsman steel safes website.

Fire-retardant

Gun cabinets will not be fireproof in any way, but gun safes will be to some extent. The interior walls of safes are lined with a fireboard. Yes, you can line your gun cabinets with a fireboard, but it won’t be as “fireproof” as a gun safe.

Even when lined with fireboard, gun safes are not fully fireproof. Most safes begin with a 30-minute fireproofing rating, and larger safes are available, but they are also more expensive.

The cost

The most significant distinction between a gun safe and a gun cabinet is the price. Gun cabinets are much less expensive than gun safes. Again, we should investigate the materials used, the features, and the firearm capability of each. Gun safes start at around $400-500, while gun cabinets start at around $200-300.

Which one is the best access for you?

Gun safes and gun cabinets are available in various models, capacities, sizes, materials, and price points. Although gun cabinets are great for displaying your valuable firearm collection, they aren’t particularly secure against unauthorized entry. If you have children in your house, a gun cabinet might not be the best option; instead, invest in more stable gun safes.

Also, if your home is at risk of burglary, invest in a gun safe, which is heavier and comes with a variety of locks to keep your weapons safe from criminals. If you want to show off your weapons, however, gun cabinets are the way to go. It will allow you to show your firearms without being obstructed.

Gun safes are slightly more costly than gun cabinets, but if your family’s safety is a priority, we strongly urge you to invest in one. However, keep in mind that both gun safes and gun cabinets are not a substitute for insurance. It’s a good idea to get your weapons and other valuables inside your safes or cabinets insured if the safe or cabinet fails.