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Gun Safe Buyer Guide

Gun Safe Buyer Guide

A responsible gun owner is someone who protects their guns from unwanted hands, but a safe can transcend many levels of security for your protection needs. Adequate protection can help prevent theft, accidents from curious children, and damage from fire. With varying levels of safes available, picking on can be a daunting task. With safes, you get what you pay for, but first, ask yourself what you really need.

Used Gun Safes Online

What type of safe do I need?
Gun Safe Buyer Guide


How many firearms do you plan on storing in your new safe? What other items will be housed in the safe? A good safe is more than just a gun locker--it becomes a secure storage device for your family's other valuables as well. You'll find you quickly fill up even a large safe. Spend the money for the size, protection, and features you want. A safe is a good long-term investment, and can be liquidated in the used safe market if necessary, or upgraded. Consider buying used to get more bang for your buck. Or, buy a quality safe that will hold its resale value if you anticipate a future upgrade.

Fire-proofing

You can spend a lot of money for "fire-proofing" that actually is not very effective. Safes may undergo four different fire resistance tests: 1) fire endurance test, 2) fire and impact test, 3) explosion hazard test, 4) combined explosion and impact test. The product is then rated for each of the tests it has passed, e.g. impact rated. Make sure if sheet-rock is used that it is properly installed. If you have valuable documents and media files, it's not a bad idea to purchase a smaller, commercial-grade fire safe to put inside the gun safe. This gives you double protection.

One-Half Hour Rated Products - The furnace is heated up to 1550F over a one-half hour time period. During this time, the interior of the product cannot exceed the classification temperature or humidity (if applicable) limits.

One-Hour Rated Products - 1700F

Two-Hour Rated Products - 1850F

Three-Hour Rated Products - 1920F

Four-Hour Rated Products - 2000F

Safe Specs

Just because a safe is big and heavy doesn't mean it's particularly secure. Heavy-gauge steel is much more resistant to cutting and drilling than light 12- or 14-gauge steel. Some safes on the market have walls so thin they can be penetrated with a fire ax. We recommend 10-gauge steel at a minimum, and 8 gauge is much better. The safe should carry a UL RSC (Underwriters Laboratories "Residential Security Container") or better rating.




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