It keeps them from getting into the wrong hands by storing guns safely and reducing the risk of theft. Safe storage, mounted trigger locks, or securing guns by a cable may be required by law in some states and communities. For decades, safes designed explicitly for firearms have been around, and today’s models are flexible and easy to open, yet robust and resistant enough to keep thieves at bay.
Depending on the type of guns being stored, the best gun safe for your home will vary. Gun purchasers should contact their local law enforcement authority before choosing the Best gun safe to determine whether they need to buy a specific type of safe.
What to Consider When Selecting the Best Safe Gun
A gun safe should be big enough to hold weapons, extra clips, and cartridges, in addition to meeting potential legal requirements. In the event of an emergency, it should be secure yet quickly accessible. Gun safes come with a broad range of features, varying performance, and different levels of security. Here are a few variables to take into account while shopping.
Dimension/Capacity
Gun safes range in size from small portable safes designed to hold a single compact handgun or derringer to large, heavy floor-style safes designed to hold multiple long guns, handguns, and related surplus items.
Pay attention to both the exterior dimensions and the interior dimensions when shopping for the Best gun safe. The exterior dimensions determine whether the safe will fit in a predetermined space, such as in a closet cubby.
Type for Lock
There are three main types of locks in gun safes: biometric, electronic, and combination. The perks and disadvantages of each are listed below.
Biometric: A biometric lock allows the owner to program the lock’s memory with one or more individual fingerprints. The safe recognizes the print and opens the lock when the user places their finger on the biometric screen. Biometric locks ensure security as the individual fingerprint of each individual is unique. However, the lock may not open if the finger (or the biometric pad) is dirty.
Electronic: An electronic lock requires the user to open it via a digital keypad to enter a three-to-eight-number combination. Electronic locks are safe and, if desired, users can reprogram the key codes. Electronic locks also run on batteries, similar to biometric locks. If the batteries die, they must be replaced by the user before the keypad is used.
Combination: The combination lock is the most uncomplicated lock design; think back to school lockers. By rotating a dial back and forth or aligning the numbers on a vertical-type combination lock to open the safe, a combination lock requires users to enter a three- to five-digit code.
Keyed: Only a key opens very few gun safes. More frequently, if the user forgets the code or combination, keys are used as a backup. The owner may need to call a locksmith to open the safe if backup keys are not available.
Fire Rating
For a specific amount of time before the heat enters the safe, a fire-rated gun safe will withstand intense heat. This safe is often constructed with thicker steel walls and can come with special seals that expand when the temperature rises to seal the safe door and keep the fire out. It will come with a one- or two-hour fire rating if the safe offers fire protection, meaning the contents inside are safe for one or two hours, respectively, from fire damage.
Security Level
The heavier the steel gauge (8- to 12-gauge is the best), the higher the fire rating and the more secure the locking system is in general. A general guideline for measuring the safety level offered by a gun safe is offered in the following classifications. This is important not only to guarantee the desired level of protection but also to ensure that the homeowner’s insurance policy covers the guns against losses. However, individual policies may differ, so contact your insurance agent to determine what level of security is required for the agency to cover your investment in firearms.
UL: This stands for the rating of “Underwriters Laboratories” and is used together with one or more of the following ratings.
TL: This rating is followed by a number such as TL-15 or TL-30, indicating “tool resistance,” indicating that the safe will withstand attempts to pry it open for 15 or 30 minutes with a pry bar or other tools. It will usually follow the UL designation (i.e., UL TL-15), indicating that Underwriters Laboratories determined the 15-minute tool-resistant rating.
TR: This designation specifies that the safe is resistant to unlawful entry using a torch and can be combined with the TL designation, such as UL TRTL-30, meaning that for up to 30 minutes, the safe will resist forced entry by a torch or prying tools.
X6: If X6 appears in the designation, it indicates that safety tests have been carried out on all six safety surfaces: the front, all four sides, the top, and the bottom. A rating such as UL TRTL-15-X60 indicates that for up to 15 minutes, the safe will withstand forced entry by torch or prying tools on all six sides.
RSC: A gun safe carrying an RSC rating (Residential Security Container) may deter some thieves, but this is the lowest security rating level. If the safe has an RSC rating but not a TL rating, an insurance policy may not cover the financial loss. An RSC rating indicates that the safe will deter prying for up to five minutes, making the least secure RSC gun safe.
Protection Mechanisms
Some gun safes offer extra protection, such as mounting holes that allow the user to bolt the safe to wall studs, floor joists, or concrete, in addition to heavy-gauge steel, a good lock, and fire protection. If an unauthorized attempt is made to open the safe, some of the more recent safes may also provide tamper alerts that sound an alarm, and others will track and log each event when someone tries to enter the safe.
Portability Most gun safes can be attached to floor or wall studs, but portable safes are also available for gun owners who need to transport their firearms. To reduce the risk of theft, they may come with steel cables attached to a non-movable part of the car, usually in the trunk. For stowing handguns under a car seat or in a desk drawer, small, non-attachable safes are also available. These safes will keep kids out, but they will not stop a determined thief from carting off the entire safe and its contents.