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Guns are part of the second amendment right given to the citizens of the United States. Gins are part of the American culture. The total number of guns that citizens privately own is almost the same amount as the entire continental United States population. This roughly refers to more than 270 million guns that are documented with the government as being owned by a private citizen after neglecting active duty servicemen who use government-issued guns.
With so many guns roaming around among the general public, the guns’ safety directly corresponds to the owners’ safety and the surrounding people. Guns are easily accessible to every American, with many retailers like Wal-Mart selling all types of class A guns and other weapons.
It is the responsibility of every gun owner to safely secure their guns and other weapons in a safe place that is inaccessible to anyone else. There is a good reason for this level of security recommendation. On average, there are approximately 100 deaths and a little over 200 injuries as a result of accidental firing by children who come across a gun that is not secured correctly.
The best way to describe a gun that is not stored correctly is
- When it is left in easy access locations such as under the bed or a closet.
- When it is put in an insecure safe, that is easily accessible by children.
It is common sense not to store a gun in open locations that provide little to no safety for storing the gun. So it is widely adopted that it is wrong to store a gun in locations such as closets, beds, or any other place that a child or some other inexperienced person might get their hands on.
Another reason to not keep guns in open locations is that guns have an outrageous demand in the black market, with dozens of people willing to pay a lot for a gun. So it is best to store a gun in a secure place that even a thief cannot access since that thief will most likely go on and sell the gun illegally on the black market.
We can now deduce that gun owners must store their guns in safes that are highly secure and cannot be overridden by either a child or a thief.
Gun Safes
Considering the large number of guns owned by the general public, the demand for secure gun safes is very high. For this reason, many companies and manufacturers have showcased their implementations of a secure gun safe that can withstand anything a thief might put it through and is inaccessible by children.
However, this high demand often attracts companies who have little to no experience in the field of safes for guns. It is up to gun owners to choose a safe brand they can handle, considering the amount of power a gun possesses when loaded and can only be opened by the owner.
Here are a few safe brands that should be avoided when looking for secure gun safes for different types of guns.
Sentry safes
One of the largest and well-known safes are the safes that are designed and sold by SentrySafe. So it is troubling to see it as an insecure option for gun safes. There is a good reason for this inclusion. While sentry safes are relatively secure, they do possess a flaw that compromises their entire security system. It implements the lock mechanism in the sentry safes using a pin code system that uses a specific number to define when the lock opens and closes.
The security flaw found in this type of implementation is that the safe uses a metal lock. An investigation carried out by Forbes found that many of the safes manufactured by SentrySafe, including those specifically designed for guns could be unlocked using a strong magnet. This way, thieves might be able to get into the safe easily and could steal your gun.
GunVault
This safe manufacturer uses a biometric verification system using a person’s fingerprints. However, a security expert named David Goetzinger was able to bypass the internal security system and access the biometric system without any hassle at all. He did this by using a gum wrapper to reset the safe and input his fingerprint as the default. This way, he got into the safe with minimum effort.
Normally it is best to avoid any safe that has a built-in reset system since they can be easily overridden by using simple methods and require little to zero knowledge about the safe.
Amaray
Amaray safes are relatively high quality, but some of their safe products are undoubtedly flawed. David Goetzinger also showed how easy it was to get into an Amaray safe by prying it open using bare fingers. The flaw is basically in the hinges of the safe door. They are comparatively weak and can be easily damaged with no major force. This does not mean that all safes manufactured by Amaray are flawed in the same way. However, it might be a good idea to consider all options when buying an Amaray safe.
Stack-on
Stack-on is known as one of the biggest safe makers in the United States. However, in a recent study held by Forbes, it was found that the materials used in the manufacturing of some safes, including gun safes, were of relatively low quality. Since the materials used were not up to industry standards, the safe could be easily unlocked by taking advantage of the weakened structural integrity. This was possible by either prying it open or by using a wire to remove the lock mechanism from its set place.
The materials used in the manufacturing of safes decide the effectiveness of the security system in each safe. If the materials are not up to standards, then it is useless to implement high-tech security systems.
The Gun safe brands for you
While there are flawed safes on the gun safe market, many gun safe brands do not sacrifice quality for quantity. Some options for good quality gun safe brands are mentioned below.
Barska
Barska is an American gun, a safe manufacturer. It has built a reputation over the years for its high-quality safes resistant to thefts and are virtually inaccessible by children. It uses a biometric authentication system for user verification. Their state-of-the-art Rifle safe, designed for long guns, has been approved by the Department of Justice for governmental use assuring its effectiveness.
Amazon Basics
Amazon basics are relatively new to the gun safe manufacturing industry, but it has quickly made its name in the marketplace with its high-quality gun safes that make it almost impossible for thieves to get into, and its safes can be placed in locations where it is very difficult for children to get their hands on.
The in-built high-tech security system uses a biometric authentication method, which ensures absolute control of the owner over the safe and cannot be opened by external forces.
Fort Knox
As obvious as it is by the name, Fort Knox safes are designed to store guns for long periods. The included security system utilizes secure authentication methods for safety against children and theft. The safes are designed to be fireproof so that even when a fire breaks out, the gun does not start firing off bullets if you forget to unload it under intense heat and pressure.
VaulTek
One of the newest entries in the gun safe market place is VaulTek. It has little experience in the gun safe category. Still, its high-quality safes have earned them a good reputation among valued customers who store their guns securely in the safes that are manufactured to be prying proof and can withstand large amounts of force.
Gun safes and their importance
The right to own a gun is enshrined in the US constitution. There are many guns privately owned by citizens and inactive service members who need to be able to safely store their guns and other weaponry in secure locations so that neither their kids nor family members can accidentally access them.
Gun safes essentially provide a safety feature where the gun can be secured without putting anyone at risk and ensuring that no thieves can access the gun when the owner is not at home.
It is a crime to not store a gun in a safe designed explicitly for such a purpose. So before getting a gun from a local gun seller, you need to have at least one or maybe two safes at your residence before going through with purchasing a gun. Some states have even stricter laws that prohibit any gun purchase without having proof of owning a gun safe.
Gun safes for different types of guns
It is clear that not every gun is of the same size and weight. A handgun is small and can be stored in any small safe, whereas a rifle is harder to store due to its length. To counter this issue, many gun safe manufacturers designed different types of gun safes for different types of guns. The most commonly used implementations that can be used for a majority of the guns available for civilians are given below as
Hand Gun Safes
Handguns have a small footprint and can easily be stored in any small-sized safe that has a decent security system. Handguns are extremely popular, but each small-sized safe might fit only one handgun. If you have multiple handguns, you will need either multiple safes, or you can just get a larger gun safe that also has a high-quality security system.
Long-gun safes
This particular category of safes includes guns that have a relatively long barrel, and the barrel cannot be detached. The long gun safes are usually designed to be used in vertical implementations. These safes come with additional spaces to store smaller guns along with the long gun.
Multi-use gun safes
This specific type of gun safes is a step up from the long gun safes. The multi-use gun safe can store a lot more guns than other types of gun safes. It also comes with a vertical dimension box with multiple security features that keep the guns safe from accidental firing and theft.
These types of safes also have small pockets where gun licenses and other registrations can be stored safely and accessed only when needed. The multi-use safe is one of the most commonly bought gun safes since it can store a lot more guns.
What to look for in gun safes
There are many things that you as a gun owner should look for in a gun safe. They are
- It should be made of a rigid and strong material that can withstand tons of force without giving in to pressure.
- Buy a gun safe that fits your needs. You do not need a multi-use gun to store a small handgun that is as big as your hand. Know your requirements and then chose a gun safe.
- Always chose a gun safe that has a good reputation for quality gun safes in the weapons market place.
What’s holding you back
If you are still thinking about whether you should buy a gun safe now or hope for a sale. Buy it now. Do not let cost get in the way of safety. If you own a gun, you must make sure that the gun helps you protect your family and does not become a liability.
