What are the security options for gun safes? There are so many questions a gun owner needs to ask themselves when choosing a safe. Do you want a biometric or keypad lock? Do you want a safe that’s built for quick access or maximum security? Are you looking for a handgun vault, or a gun cabinet suitable for storing an arsenal? A gun safe is more than a big hunk of metal with a lock. It’s an investment in responsible gun ownership. Given that, it’s worth making sure you have all the features that you need.
Security options for gun safes - what kind of lock?
One of the most important choices for a gun owner is deciding what kind of locking mechanism they want. A good lock should balance considerations of security, ease, and speed of access, and overall practical. A gun safe lock can be mechanical, electronic, or biometric.
Mechanical locks:Mechanical locks are unmatched for durability, and don’t require batteries or power to operate. However, opening a gun safe with a mechanical lock takes longer, and can even be difficult to manage in an emergency. When a dangerous intruder is in your home, and your hands are shaking, it can be tough to enter a combination. Still, mechanical locks will essentially never have to be replaced, and can always be counted on to behave the same way.
Electronic locks:With an electronic lock, you can easily access your safe within seconds. It’s as simple as entering a combination into a keypad. What’s more, it’s easy to change the combination, and the auto-relocking feature on most electronic locks keep your weapons safe even when you close the door in a hurry. The chief drawback of electronic locks is that electronics can fail, leaving a gun owner in a lurch. For high quality, well-built electronic locks, this is not a very significant issue, but cheaper electronic locks can pose a problem. Electronic locks should also be replaced about once every decade.
Biometric lock:Similar to an electronic lock, with a biometric lock there’s no need to remember a combination or carry a key. All you need is your fingerprints. Naturally, it’s hard for a burglar to fake these, and the speed and convenience of a biometric lock is unmatched. While these locks offer exceptional speed of access and security, they do have on significant difficulty. If you have a cut on your finger or any other problem that obscures your fingerprint pattern, you may not be able to access your guns. For some, this can be a serious drawback, but in an emergency situation it’s hard to top a gun safe with a biometric lock.
Type of safe
Gun safes come in all shapes and sizes. If you only own a handgun, you may feel comfortable enough with a quick-access handgun vault such as theLiberty HD-100 Quick Vault Handgun & Pistol Safe. A safe like this is not as difficult for a burglar to break into due to its small size, but if you are mainly worried about keeping a weapon away from children, it will do the trick. If you want very quick access to a handgun or rifle, an under-bed safe is a great option. Balancing high security and small size, keeping one of these safes concealed under your bed will keep you prepared for intruders and disturbances, whether human or animal.
Good options for these safes include theSecureit tactical FB-40-01 Fast box vehicle gun safe model 40 and theMonster Vault tactical under bed gun safe. If you wish to protect a collection, a better choice would be a spacious, high-security gun cabinet such as theSecureit Tactical gun cabinet - model 52. Just like buying a gun, buying a gun safe is a very individual choice. When you choose the right model for you, you will be able to rest easy, secure in the knowledge that your weapons are stored safely and responsibly.
