Some people start to wonder whether they need a safe or not. Guns protect the household from burglars and thieves. However, they are something that should never be stored on top of drawers. It is essential to store the firearms out of children’s reach and ensure that there will be no accidents involving the family in the future. Learn more about firearm storage in the home when you click here.
When gun owners start to shop for storage spaces, their primary concerns are often the prices and sizes of the storage box. It is understandable why no one would pay too much for a “cupboard” that has a lock on it, right? However, you might realize that you have made the best decision when you decide to get the best and high-quality safes, especially if you have younger children at home.
These safes were specially manufactured to protect the box and its contents from damage. They have theft-deterrent, locking mechanisms, and anti-fire features that give you maximum protection.
Reasons Why People Buy These Safes
These storage spaces inside the home are a significant investment for many owners. They are more than just a handy solution, and they help with the following:
- Make sure that only authorized people in the house have access to the guns, including family members and anyone who has gotten permission to use the firearms.
- Protect the guns from the weather, dust, and other contaminants that may potentially damage the metals over time.
- Keep the fire away from the gun in case the house is on fire.
- Stop any burglars from stealing the weapon and prevent them from committing crimes.
- Provide an accessible, convenient, and easy storage solution for many.
Although you may find cheaper ones in the market, it is essential to consider and prioritize safety above all others. Others who have invested their hard-earned money to the low-quality alternatives have found out that they were short-changed and the safe did not offer any protection at all. Aside from considering the price, here are other factors that you need to know about.
1. Should Be Resistant to Burglars and Fire
A gun safe has its own separate construction rating that is usually according to the level of protection that it can offer. The best ones from gunsafecoach.com will protect you against burglars and thieves who are trying to unlock the weapon inside the box. They are tested, are subjected to fire, and are given their performance ratings accordingly.
The Underwriters Laboratories, a non-profit organization, are testing the efficiency of various products. This is an organization founded in 1984, and it is approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to grant ratings on numerous things, including safes. For the best protection, you may want to check these classifications:
Class B: These are the storage usually intended to have items worth $10,000 or less. The walls are one-fourth inch thick with a door of half an inch in thickness.
Class C: If you want to take things a step further, select the Class C safe that is best for items valued at $30,000 or less.
UL RSC: The RSC rating is usually given to a save that has survived a five-minute attack from burglars. These attacks may include a wide range of methods, including picking, drilling, grinding, using mechanical tools, and utilizing pressure devices.
UL TL-15: A TL-15 is a certified Underwriters Laboratory that can resist a thief’s attack or attempts of break-in for at least 15 minutes.
UL TL-30: These are designed to withstand the attempts for break-ins and attacks for a total of 30 minutes.
Fire Resistance
UL 350: The safe can withstand an internal temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a given period.
UL 150: Specially designed to protect data disks, photos, papers, and other vulnerable objects from fire.
2. Relocking Features
It’s great to get high-quality locks in the market today. However, even the best ones may get opened or defeated if the burglar has enough determination to open them. This is why a relocking feature is very important since it’s a fail-safe lock that will engage when the primary locks are opened.
The relocking mechanism will kick in place when one destroys the original locks. Even if the thieves have entirely removed the first defenses, the bolts will not disengage until the owner keys in the right combination.
There are two kinds that you need to know about, such as the internal and external relocking system. You will have more peace of mind if the storage box has both. However, do not consider one with no internal or external relocking system.
3. Get Multi-Directional Protection
The basic safes are often designed to have locking bars or bolts on the door’s sides that are opposite the hinges. This will mean that if the burglars try to pry the initial bars and bolts, then the entire thing will open. Fortunately, you can consider various designs today that will further protect you from prying attacks. The best ones will protect the sides, so the doors will not open easily.
4. Fireboard Features
Many people buy a safe not only to protect themselves against burglars but also from fire. The best storage has fireboard layers on the door, walls, floors, and ceilings. The more layers are present, the better the protection will be.
However, you need to be aware that some do not have fire ratings or adhere to the standards, unlike the UL-tested locks. It is common for some brands to exaggerate the fire safety features of some storage boxes. However, a good rule of thumb is that the safe should be able to hold out for at least an hour to a house fire that is 1,200 degrees.
5. High-Quality Construction The interior hinges, steel plates, and a secure bolting system are all features of a safe with the highest security. The thickness of steel is often measured in a gauge. The thicker the steel, the smaller the gauge. Your gun’s storage should be at least 11 or 12 gauge, and it should have a bolting system that will make it harder for someone to pry the door open.
