As more and more people today acquire firearms for personal protection, they often overlook a very important aspect in dealing with the security aspect of the gun. This item they forget to contemplate is the actual gun safe or storage unit. In actuality, this is really one of the most important pieces of equipment that a gun owner can have.
With current crime levels increasing, the American public feels a need to protect itself. In response, they will go to the local firearm store and purchase a pistol or handgun. They remember to acquire ammunition, cleaning supplies, and even targets but fail to consider a gun safe or strongbox. It is only when they get home that they have to determine where to store the firearm. It is then that they figure out that they need a secure storage container. The most ideal container for storage of that new pistol is an actual gun safe and there are many reasons why you need one.
Why Need a Gun Safe
First off, it is surprising how many families own guns. Parents wanting to protect their children from home invasion and thieves will acquire a firearm. The problem is how one store a weapon so that the kids do not get it, but it also needs to be handy in case of an emergency situation. Some people will attempt to just hide the weapon but this often fails as kids are very curious and will get into even the best of hiding places. Also, by hiding the weapon, it can be difficult to locate the firearm when one is under severe pressure in an emergency situation. By having your handgun in a gun safe, kids and unwanted lookers will not be able to get at it. Unless they know the combination or have the right key, all they will have is a large metal box and will quickly tire and move on.
Second, a gun safe not only keeps kids safe but the firearm as well. Depending on the handgun you have, guns can be very delicate pieces of machinery. Throwing them under a bed or on a dusty shelf is not the best way to treat them. They are prone to dirt and grime which can not only affect how they look but, in some instances, can negatively affect their performance. The last thing you need is to desperately need a firearm in a dangerous situation, and the gun fails due to lack of proper storage. By keeping your pistol in a safe, you protect it from dust and grime. The gun safes are usually sealed strong boxes that will protect your firearm.
These are just a few reasons why gun safes are really needed. Not only do they protect your gun but also your family and friends as well. Make sure to do your research on which one is best for your specific needs. Do not try to scrimp and save a buck or two by going cheap. Get the best one you can, and it will last you a lifetime.
What to Put in Your Gun Safe
When most people buy a gun safe, their major concern is to protect their family members from possible accidents with the firearm, as well as deterring the theft of the gun. Most of the guns that make their way into the gun safe are used in the case of self-defense. They are kept to defend one’s self in case a dangerous situation arises. So what kinds of handguns usually make their way into these safes? There are really only two types of guns that will be used for self defense and those are semi-automatic pistols and revolvers.
Semi-automatic pistols are basically handguns that have the ability to automatically chamber a round after the first shot is fired. Bullets are fed from a clip magazine and get fed into the firing chamber as the gun cycles. In the simplest terms, once the first bullet is fired, there is enough recoil to drive the slide (the top part) of the gun back which ejects the empty casing. From there, a spring then drives the slide forward again where it picks up another bullet from the magazine and places it into the chamber. It happens in a blink of an eye. Usually these types of firearms can hold a large number of rounds as compared to the revolver. Most have some sort of safety levers and other built-in safety designs. They tend to have many moving parts and pieces, which can make them more challenging to operate. They make excellent home defense firearms but only if one will make an effort to really get to know the gun. For the novice who wants as little interaction as possible, this is not the gun for you.
The revolver is actually one of the oldest handguns that are still currently in widespread use today. Most everyone has had some experience with this type of handgun as they have been around for over 100 years. Though the designs and actions have changes over time, the basic overall concept of how the firearm works remains the same. The bullets are placed into a round cylinder. As the action of the gun it worked or fired, the cylinder rotates or “revolves” to bring the next bullet into the line of the firing pin and the barrel. These types of guns usually have limited shot capacity as the cylinder cannot hold a large amount of rounds. Reloading the gun after all the bullets are shot can be time-consuming. The upside about the revolver though is that it has very few moving parts and is very easy to operate in an emergency situation. People wanting guns for home defense, but want to minimize their interaction with them should consider the revolver first.
In conclusion, when it comes to what people will put into their gun safes, you can always bet it will be either a pistol or revolver. Which is best is really up to the end-user. What features they want and how much they want to interact with the gun will dictate what they should buy.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing
Once a person decided to get themselves a gun safe, there are a couple of considerations that they really should take into account. Most people take a long time to complete the necessary research before they buy that new gun. The same type of analysis should be completed when determining which gun safe they should purchase. There are several different kinds and styles of safes on the market. Each offers different characteristics and capabilities that will appeal to a wide variety of people. In the end though, there are two factors that the buyer should consider.
Sizes
The first factor to be considered is the actual size and shape of the actual gun safe. Gun safes come in all shapes, sizes, and dimensions. The best advice here is to first acquire the pistol or handgun. Once the firearm is in your possession, you will need to take its measurements to see exactly what you need. Pistols come in all shapes and sizes. If you invested in a semi-automatic handgun, then you will have to also take into account the spare magazine that is usually supplied with a new gun purchase. You need to make sure that the gun (and spare magazine plus any ammunition you want to store) all fits nicely in the safe. It should not be wedged in where it can become difficult to extract.
Next, one must consider exactly where they will be putting the safe once the firearm is in it. Many people put the safe under their bed or in a drawer. If you purchase a safe that is too large, you might have a tough time fitting the piece into the location you desire. So it would also pay to measure the space where you want to locate the safe prior to investing.
Lastly, when dealing with the size, one must consider if they are ever going to store anything else within the gun safe. Most people start out with just the gun but then start placing other objects within it. If there is a chance that other objects might start finding their way into the safe, then it might pay to get one with more space. The last thing you want is to jam too much into the safe and not be able to produce the gun in a timely manner during an emergency situation.
Locking Mechanisms
The second factor to consider is how you want to access your safe. Current technology and manufacturing have produced safes with a variety of ways to open the actual safe. The oldest method of using the key is still around, but now you can have push-button combinations and biometric opening devices as well. It all really boils down to one question and that is what are you most comfortable with? If you are simply using the safe as storage only then quick access might not be very important to you. If you are using the gun for self protection then fast access is the most important thing for you. So which method of opening the safe would be easiest in a stressful situation is what you have to ask yourself. There is no right or wrong answer. It is what is best for the person who will be using the safe.
The first type of locking mechanism is the simple keyed variety. These types of locks are the oldest and have been around for a very long time. Basically the only way to open the safe is by a key inserted into the lock. The benefit of this system is that you do not have to worry about any electronic devices failing or going bad. Just as long as you have your key, then the safe should work every time. The disadvantage of this type is that it does take time to get the safe open. If your gun is used for self-defense, then trying to manipulate a key in the dark under a stressful, if not dangerous, the situation may prove difficult at best.
The second type of locking mechanism is the combination style. Today’s gun safes can have a variety of combination mechanisms. Such types of dial, push button, and even pressure point systems have come on the market. The benefit of these is that the safe will not open unless the exact combination is entered into the lock. This is better than the keyed variety due to the fact that it will only open for a person who has knowledge of the combination, unlike the keyed safes that will open for anyone holding the key. Needless to say, the lock may be accessed faster than the key variety because the combination can be entered in a dark environment without having to locate a key. The problem though, like keyed safes, is if a person will be able to recall the exact combination or sequence of buttons if placed in a self-defense situation.
Lastly, the biometric locking system for a gun safe is the most technologically advanced. To boil it down, the safe has the ability to identify a user by fingerprints. By placing your finger on a scanner, the safe will determine if the print matches the authorized users’ prints and then open. The advantages are easy to see in that when someone might need a firearm. It is only a scan away. Very little effort must be exerted, so firearm access is very quick. A pretty slick and new method but it does have drawbacks as well. These types of safes can be expensive to buy. Also with any electronic product, it can become defective as the components can break if the safe is handled in a rough manner.
In conclusion, it is important to do your homework before you buy yourself a gun safe. They are not all the same. If one were to spend a little bit of time, they can find the perfect safe for them that will last for many years to come.
