Questions to Ask Before Going Shopping for Gun Safes
Buying the right gun safe is an extremely important decision, and one that needs to be weighed carefully. While it may be tempting to just buy the least expensive model, you have to consider several factors long before you even go shopping for the gun safe. Here are some questions to ask yourself before buying.
Are There Children in the House?
If you have children of any age in the house, you need a gun safe that does not allow instant and easy access to anyone but yourself or other adults in the house. It's a good idea to avoid gun safes that use keys or have a simple lock that could be pried open. Children can get curious, and you need a gun safe that is impervious to underage access. Get a gun safe with fingerprint access, or one with a combination that you memorize and do not write down.
How Quickly Do You Need Access?
If you don't have to worry about children getting into your gun safe and want to be able to grab a gun quickly in an emergency, biometric safes which use a fingerprint are still a great option. They can scan your fingerprint within seconds and this will instantly open the safe.
If you don't have children in the house, a key lock safe may be a decent option for security, although it doesn't allow the quickest access to the contents of the safe, so be sure to consider whether you simply want your guns safe against theft or also want quick access to your guns.
What Kinds of Guns Do You Have and Intend to Own in the Future?
Clearly, handguns require far less room than shotguns or rifles, so if you plan on only owning a handgun and will not be adding large guns to your collection, you can buy a small safe without any issues. However, if there is even the chance that you could buy a rifle or shotgun someday, do yourself a favor and buy a large enough gun safe now.
If you are concerned about theft, small safes are too easy for would-be thieves to simply pick up and carry away, so a large and heavy standing safe would help protect against theft. Additionally, larger safes also give you more room if you plan on purchasing more guns later.
Picking the right kind of gun safe is a very important decision, so make sure you consider your security, access and anti-theft needs before shopping for a safe.