Global gun safe and vault sales are just over 5 billion dollars for 2021 with the United States estimated at 1.9 Billion. Comparing the last few surveys of gun owners, it is estimated just less than half own a safe in their home. If there is one thing I learned about gun surveys is they are about as accurate as early election results. Gun owners by nature are reluctant to answer surveys honestly about what they own. So take any gun survey results with a grain of salt.
Just this week I had a dear family friend ask me what I felt was the best features and any advice on them purchasing their first gun safe. Here is what I shared with them:
Quality – Not all safes are created equal, and cost isn’t necessarily determinate of quality. You need to know what features you want and just how much money you are going to invest into quality.
Weight – Smaller safes start around 300 lbs. and in contrast a Liberty Fatboy safe runs just shy of 1,000lbs. The weight itself is a theft deterrent. The steel shell and all the layers of fireboard (similar to sheetrock) are what contribute to the weight. Ensure where you are going to place your safe can also safely hold the weight.
Internal Power – A fairly common feature is to have a short electrical cord on the outside of your safe connected to a plug or two on the inside through the firewall. Why would you need power? Lights is the most common use but if you live in a humid location there are some great safe dehumidifiers to keep your firearms corrosion free.
Lights – Many safes incorporate an LED light system with a motion sensor so they come on when the door is opened. This is one of my favorite features on my safes. Don’t worry if your safe doesn’t have lights when you purchase it, you can buy a battery powered light kit and at put it in yourself in just a few minutes.
Cat5 – Along with power, some safes provide a pass through Cat5 internet connector. This is used to hold a NAS storage, External hard drive, or other computer storage solution. Your home data could be backed up to this drive and it will stay safe in the event of a fire.
Fire Rating – You will see both a time in minutes and a temperature in the fire rating. A typical fire rating will look like this (60min at 1200 F). That means the inside of the safe will not go above 350F for 60 minutes in a 1200 F fire. At 350F paper will start to discolor and at just over 410 it will scorch. It is recommended to purchase at least a 60min@1200 safe. A normal house fire will reach 800 to 1200F and be put out in less than half hour. If you are caught in a widespread summer forest firestorm the temperatures can reach over 2000F and would likely decimate all but the best safes. Just keepin it real.
Steel Thickness – The thickness of the steel walls is measured in gauge, the lower the gauge number the thicker the steel. The cheaper safes use thinner gauge steel and conversely you pay more for thicker steel and higher quality. 14 gauge is about the thinnest you will see in a budget firearm safe. 14gauge is 1.89mm thick whereas 10 gauge is 3.41mm. The thicker steel is one factor in your fire rating, but it contributes greatly to how easily your safe can be broken into. Get on YouTube and search just how easy it is to break into a budget firearm safe. Those videos may have you spending more money but you will also have a better safe.
Gun Count – Every gun safe flaunts how many guns it can store, and it is generally a bunch of crap. An AR-15 with optics will take up the space of at least 3 “guns” or more in a safe. Look at the space critically and eyeball estimate how many of your type of guns could fit in that space. You will find it as about a third of what the manufacture claims. Also if you convert a space in your safe to shelves instead of long gun space you will naturally lose even more real estate.
Placement Location and safe size – I highly recommend knowing exactly where you will put your safe before you start shopping. Knowing the dimensions of your space will help you pick the best size safe for you. Safes are not easy things to return if you happen to buy one just an inch bigger than your door frame into your storage room.
Door Panel – Many economical priced safes have a blank internal door panel. If you add your own after market door panel organizer expect to spend $50-$150 depending on the size. I would highly recommend purchasing a safe with a door panel organizer already installed. Its one of those features you can’t imagine being without once you own it.
Lock – Mechanical or Electronic, always a great question. Mechanical locks are EMP proof and do not rely on any electronics that could break. The big con is speed of access and eyesight of the owner. If your safe is in a basement and used to store firearms you would not rapidly need, mechanical locks may be a great choice. However, if you have safe holding your home defense firearms in your bedroom you may want to go with the faster access of an electronic lock. Work with both types at the store and see what you like.
Delivery and Install – Always ask when purchasing your safe about delivery and installation. Medium and large safes are not something you want to tackle yourself. Professionals have equipment and skills to get your safe up or down stairs and is worth the cost. Depending on size and installation expect $200 to over $1000 for delivery and installation. I have also found many gun stores have solid recommendations to an installer in your area.
A proper firearm safe is an investment. It not only protects the money you have invested in your firearms but also protects you from being an easy burglary target. Even if you purchase a small safe to start it will give you peace of mind knowing your firearms are protected and yet easily available should the need arise. Stay safe and keep on researching for the reset.