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Keeping a firearm in the house has become a necessity nowadays, and most homeowners tend to keep a handgun, shotgun, or rifle for the safety of their family. Others tend to keep guns for sport, but there have been far too many accidents due to children or family members stumbling upon a gun.

Therefore, a gun safe is as much a necessity as guns are. Not only do they keep your guns safe and protected from unauthorized access, but they also keep others safe. In this article, we discuss how you can choose the right gun safe among the best options you can find.

Measure the Size of Your Firearms

Firstly, you need to measure the length and other dimensions of your weapons, as this would determine how large your gun safe needs to be. If you only have a handgun or two, you can make do with a compact safe that can even rest on a shelf. However, even if you have one rifle in your arsenal, you will have to get a gun safe that is slightly longer than its length. Most people have different types of weapons in their homes – some for hunting, others for self-defense. If you are also one of them, you would need to measure your longest weapon and multiply it by 1.5x or 2x to get the suitable size. Otherwise, you might end up with a safe that doesn’t fit all your weapons, leading to an unsafe situation.

Examine the Security Features

No matter how big or small your gun safe is, it becomes efficient at protecting your weapons due to locking mechanisms and security features. If someone finds the key to your safe or guesses the lock code correctly, your gun safe has failed at preventing unauthorized access. Therefore, you need to consider the different security features that come with a gun safe. Most gun safes come with additional door protection systems that require additional steps to open the safe. Moreover, electronic and EMP locks are also popular nowadays, and they make it all the more difficult for any person to access the contents of your safe, whether intentionally or accidentally.

Examine the Different Types of Locks

There are many different types of locks and locking mechanisms that help keep gun safes protected against burglars and accidental entry. Here are some of the best options you should look for.

Mechanical Locks

Mechanical locks are the oldest and most common type of lock that you can find among gun safes. They come with a key and dial lock, both of which have to be used in combination to open the safe. Therefore, they have an added layer of protection, so if someone doesn’t have the key, they can’t do anything. Moreover, if someone stumbles upon the key and uses it, they won’t be able to crack the code easily. However, they can take some time to open, which can make the guns difficult to access in high-pressure situations.

Electronic Locks

Electronic locks are highly popular nowadays, and they are much more effective at keeping your firearms completely safe. They come with a keypad that you can use to input the lock code, and this makes them much easier and quicker to access, especially during an emergency. The best thing about gun safes with electronic locks is that you can set the code yourself, and you can also program them to have different codes for different people in the house. Even if you think someone has seen the code, you can always change it quickly.

EMP Locks

The EMP in this type of lock refers to Electromagnetic Pulse, which is an additional security mechanism with digital locks. If someone is using their laptop, smartphone, or any other specialized device to hack into your safe, the safe will send a pulse to destroy the electronic systems inside the device. Safes with EMP locks are generally more expensive, but they do a stellar job of protecting your weapons.

Biometric Locks

Next up, we have biometric locks, which work by recognizing a registered fingerprint. They allow you to program them to read only your fingerprint or for multiple people. They might be one of the easiest and fastest locks to open and access the weapons inside, making them suitable for emergencies. However, you might not be able to open them with dirty or wet fingers, which might land you into trouble.

Choosing Between a Gun Safe and Gun Cabinet

Gun cabinets are also quite popular for weapons storage, but they don’t have any specialized locks or security mechanisms that protect your weapons from unauthorized access. Plus, they aren’t made from strong and durable materials, meaning that a burglar can easily break in and steal your firearms or use them against you. Therefore, it is always wise to choose a gun safe over a gun cabinet.

To Summarize…

This concludes our guide on how to choose the right gun safe for you. If you follow the guidelines we have mentioned in the letter, you will be able to ensure protection for your guns, as well as your family.