When you own a firearm, you want to take the necessary precautions to protect your weapon. This not only means protecting it against the thieves, but also getting the proper protection against fire or water damage as well.
The perfect solution for this problem is the gun safe. The gun safe provides you with a means to protect your property, denying others access to your weapon, while also ensuring that your children do not accidentally do something to injure themselves or others. It is a great way to give yourself peace of mind that you can have something to protect yourself and your family, while not having to worry about it being used in a nefarious way.
Locking Mechanism
If you are a new owner of a weapon, which you will quickly learn is that there are several different types of gun safes. Each one offer advantages, but you may find that there are just a few that will accommodate the specific type of firearm that you own. Let’s begin by looking at the different kinds of safes based upon the locking mechanism.
#1 Biometric Gun Safe
Biometric safes comes with several different sizes, but what separates this type of safe from others is that is considered one of the most, if not the most secure type of safe you can buy. This product works by reading your fingerprints. That means that you are the only authorized user that can gain access into the safe. There are models that allow you to record more than one fingerprint, if you so desire, so that you can give others the ability to get into the safe.
#2 Electronic Gun Safe
This is the option that most of us are familiar with. Electronic safes come with a keypad that allows you to enter a code that gives you access to the safe. Most of these safes will give you the option to enter your own code, thus making it easier for you to remember how to gain access into your safe. Some come with an additional keypad or lock that allows you to override the biometric screen if you need. If this is a safe that you expect to use only for your own use, you may not need the more sophisticated options.
#3 Wheel and Pin Combination
This is an option that some prefer because they worry about the biometric or electronic options being obsolete should the power go out. The kind you may have used on your locker back when you were in high school. This kind of safe uses a simple wheel and pin combination, where you would go to a number turning clockwise, then go the opposite direction to a second number, before going back to clockwise for the third.
#4 Key Lock
There are many gun safes you can buy that use a simple conventional lock and key to allow you to gain access. These are reliable, but there is always the concern about losing the key. Should that happen, gaining access to your safe can be almost impossible. You always know you can get into your gun safe, even when your batteries are dead or the power is out. The problem is that these safes are not as secure as the other options.
#5 Multiple Lock
What you will find with many biometric and electronic safes is that there are likely to be two or more ways for you to be able to gain access into the safe. Besides having the biometric scanner or the electronic keypad, it may have a key or combination as a failsafe. This allows you to get into the safe should the power go out, or should something happen to the mechanism that causes it to malfunction. Many like this particular option, especially the key type, because they want that additional protection. A key can be stored in a drawer somewhere, giving you an emergency option should be needed.
Location
Besides the locking mechanism, there are those who are looking for different kinds of safes that are easy to camouflage or hide. Some are wanting a safe that is easy to grab in an emergency, or that makes you feel more secure while you are sleeping at night. Here are some of those options for you to consider.
#1 Hidden Gun Safe
The hidden safe is just like it sounds. This is a way to hide your weapon in plain sight. The safe is usually designed to look like some other piece of furniture. This can be an end table, China cabinet, or some other ordinary household furniture item. Some even come as a picture frame or mirror, giving no reason to believe it is anything other than what it appears to be. However, if you are a store owner or you need to allow other members of your family access to the safe, then you may need a more sophisticated option.
#2 Car Gun Safe
Maybe you need a safe that allows you to transport your firearm from one location to another, or you want a safe that allows you to be able to securely store your weapon inside your vehicle while you are at work, visiting friends, or out for the night. These kinds of safes are ideal, not only because they come with cabling that allows you to connect it securely to your vehicle, but also because many can be easily hidden under his seat, depending upon the kind of weapon you have.
#3 Nightstand Gun Safe
For those who are concerned about having their weapon right at their disposal should someone break into their home in the middle of the night, the nightstand option is ideal. This is a safe that connects to your nightstand, allowing you to grab your gun in an emergency. Obviously, you want to ensure that you are attaching it to a nightstand or other piece of furniture that is solid and difficult to remove.
#4 Under-Bed Gun Safe
There are a number of safes you can purchase that easily slide under your bed. Obviously, the smaller sized ones would fit under any bed regardless of whether it was intended to be a safe designed to slide under your bed or not. However, there are many options out there that are designed much like a drawer. Many are on wheels, that allow you to slide it under your bed and pullout as needed.
#5 In-Wall Gun Safe
Many of us are familiar with the traditional in-wall safe. This is one that you can install inside the wall or hide on the floor of your home. It can easily be hidden under a carpet or behind a picture. No one is the wiser about this particular safe and less they are aware that it was already there. It will be perfect for you if you are looking for a safe that allows you to store much more than your weapon. Many people want to be able to store such things as flash drives, external hard drives, pictures, important documents, jewelry, maybe even money.
Other Factors to Consider
These factors are important, but there are other types of things to consider that have a lot to say about the different types of safes that are available to you. These include:
#1 Size & Capacity
The physical size of the safe is important for many reasons. If you are a person who owns a long rifle or has several firearms, you need something that is able to store these weapons. A safe that is 12” x 6” is not going to do the job. You need something with a lot more space.
Some people have several rifles, which means that you not only need a safe that is larger, but you may be looking for one that comes with racks or other storage accessories that allow you to easily organize your firearms within the safe. There are many that come with options like this, but it will depend upon the size and brand of the safe you purchase. Once again, you may also be concerned about organization, so getting one with shelves or other organization accessories is important.
#2 Humidifier/Lights
There are safe options that protect from moisture building up inside the safe. Because these are metal objects often stored in areas where humidity can be high, your firearms and other valuables can get damaged by condensation buildup. This is why you may want a safe that comes with a dehumidifier, and some are available for purchase.
There also safes that come with lights installed in the safe. This may also be a valuable option for you if you want something that enables you to quickly find whatever you are looking for or to make it easier to organize because you can see better in the safe.
#3 Fire Resistance
We hinted at this earlier, but fireproof safe options are important as well. When choosing a safe, you may want a fire-rated safe that can handle extreme temperatures for at least 60 minutes should your house catch on fire. This is especially true if you have important documents stored inside the safe.
You may find that, a good fire-safe can sustain upto 1400/1700/1800 or even 2750 degree Fahrenheit and protect your valuables for 1 hour or more in the burning fire. Don’t they prove that a fireproof safe is safer than others? And also people love to have them.
This should give you a clear idea of the different kinds of safes that are available to you. This should help you when you are out making a decision on what product to purchase.