Gun Safes Guide - How to Choose a Gun Safe!

In this guide, we'll discuss essential weapon safe features and models to help you buy the best gun safe for the money– whether it's a shotgun safe, rifle safe, or handgun safe. Our tips and instructional videos cover everything you need to know about gun safes before buying one.

If you're looking for where to buy a gun safe, you're also in the right spot! Check out our wide selection of gun safes when you're ready to pick out the perfect firearm storage.

Gun Safe Sizes

With a gun safe capacity, bigger is better. Most folks make the mistake of purchasing a safe as large as they need, or maybe a bit larger. You WILL fill it up. More guns will come. Insert a small document safe for important papers and electronic files and add a few handguns, maybe in their boxes or in an accessory rack or stacked in unzipped soft cases. Some jewelry or photographic equipment, coins, and the next thing you know, it's full.

Maybe you're concerned about the weight of a large safe. Don't be. The square inches of a safe bottom spread the weight evenly, the same as a refrigerator or waterbed. Your floors and stairs will hold up fine.

Maybe you are trying to save a few bucks. I understand. Most gun owners have one safe, and it is filled. Their alternative is to buy another one or remove items to fit more guns. Buy a substantially larger safe than you think you'll need in the first place. You will fill it. Also, just because a safe's interior may be designed for 8 or 12 or 24 long guns, beware, you'll never fit that many in reality without bashing them together anytime you need to remove one. That figure of 8, 12, or 24 guns is based on small, slender rifles like a Winchester 94 lever gun or a field shotgun. In reality, we all have a lot of guns that have protrusions everywhere, like scopes, bolt handles, bipods, slings, shell carriers, etcetera.

Besides, many guns are just very large, like tactical rifles with giant stocks, and AR-based guns with their pistol grips and magazines that just love to scratch their closest neighbors. An honest scratch on a gun is when I fall while hunting. Not simply by trying to remove them from a gun vault. Guns in close proximity to each other get gouged and dinged, even when you're extremely careful. Give yourself some comfort room.

Safes are generally made so they can fit through standard doorways, about 28" with the handle attached. Measure your doorways first.

Buy a safe one time, and make sure it has the long gun capacity and volume for everything you may want to store in it, now and forever. If you want to also store ammo in your safe, plan for it to take up LOTS of room.

Browning has a DPX system that allows you to store smaller long guns and handguns on the door for easy access.

The height of a safe is up to you, but tall gun safes generally have more room on the top shelf. This is an extremely useable space.

Gun Safes vs Gun Cabinets

There is no firm definition of the differences between these two terms. I consider a gun safe almost impossible for the average person to get into. The steel is very thick and penetrable by power tools only, and even then, it is a rare individual indeed that has the technical knowledge to know how to break into a gun safe.

More often than not, a gun safe will have some kind of fire-resistant liner, and will always have a dial or electronic lock, never just a key. Even a small long gun safe should weigh a couple hundred pounds, whereas gun cabinets may weigh 50 lbs.

Types of Gun Safe Locks

Mechanical Gun Safe Locks

Mechanical locks are the standard and the most reliable. Most also have a key lock in the dial. This key only locks the dial, preventing it from spinning. This is simply to keep your door locked or unlocked by not being able to spin the dial. Mechanical locks will always work, but take time to open.

How to open a mechanical gun safe lock:

• 1. Unlock the dial using the provided key.
• 2. Spin the dial clockwise at least 4 times, stopping at zero.
• 3. Turn counter clockwise, past the first number of your combination, stopping at the number the fourth time. Every time you pass a number it counts as a full turn.
• 4. Turn clockwise, past the second number of your combination two times, stopping at the number the third time.
• 5. Turn counter clockwise, past the third number of your combination once, stopping at the number the second time.
• 6. Turn clockwise until between zero and 95. You'll feel the mechanism open.
• 7. Turn handle to open door.

Electronic Gun Safe Locks

Electronic locks have improved over the last decade to the point that they are notably reliable.

The bugs have been thoroughly removed. Electronic locks are extremely fast, and you can set your own combination. They can often be programmed for more than one user. Electronic locks keep the combination in memory if the battery fails. Just replace the battery and you're back in business.

EMP Gun Safe Locks

Cannon Safe has a locking mechanism called the EMP. This stands for Electro-Magnetic Pulse, which is the resulting pulse that a nuclear blast emits. It destroys all modern electronics. Cannon's system combines an electronic keypad on top of a mechanical lock. Cannon's locking mechanism may also mean, "Extra Mechanical Protection", because you always have the mechanical dial to open your safe if the electronics cannot.

Gun Safe Key Locks

Key locks are easily defeated in most cases, and are generally used only in gun cabinets to keep the honest people honest. A key moves a sliding plate of steel to block the opening of the door against the frame. A crowbar and time will allow entry into most key-locked gun cabinets.

Biometric Gun Safe Locks

Biometric locks work by reading a fingerprint. Place a finger on the scan window and it opens, like in the spy movies. Simple as that. These are prevalent in handgun cabinets for quick access. biometric gun safes, or fingerprint gun safes, can be programmed to open for multiple users.

Some advanced biometric weapon safes even offer Wi-Fi connectivity which allows you to monitor gun safe access and adjust settings remotely. Wi-Fi gun safes provide real-time alerts of unauthorized access, making them a great choice for families who want to monitor their firearms 24/7.

Types of Gun Safe Bolts

Live Bolts and Dead Bolts

Live bolts move when the handle to the unlocked door is turned. They retract into the door to unblock it so it can be opened. Higher end safes will have live bolts surrounding the door, with generally at least two on the top and bottom. It is incorrect to say that live bolts give better protection than dead bolts, but only live bolts may be used on the non-hinge side of the door.

Dead bolts are used on the hinge side of the door, and are simply protrusions of metal that prevent the door from being opened. They are static and do not move. They automatically prevent the door from being removed in case the hinges are cut off.

Number, Size, and Placement of Bolts

The more money you spend, the more live bolts you get. You also get thicker bolts. You can also get really carried away with the perceived amount of extra protection you believe may come with more and thicker bolts.

This is where the cost really starts adding up.

More is not always better when it comes to bolts. Dead bolts on the hinge side work perfectly, and will do about everything a live bolt will when it comes to protection.

• Get at least 4 deadbolts on the hinge side of the door.
• At least one live bolt on the top and bottom are desirable, and many come with two in each place.
• At least 4 live bolts on the outside. 7/8" and 1" bolts are common and appropriate.

These attributes are the minimum I would consider for a secure safe in my home. I don't know anyone who has had a safe of these minimum protection levels that has been broken into, and I've sold hundreds over the decades. Many companies will tout the composition of the steel in the bolts, but I think it's a moot point.

Internal or External Hinges

Most people believe that external hinges are less secure than internal hinges, but that's a moot point. No matter what type of hinges your safe has, nobody is breaking into it.

However, keep this in mind while deciding what type of hinges you want:

• External hinges let you open your door 180 degrees.
• Internal hinges only open 90 degrees.

Sometimes, the placement of the gun safe will preclude you from opening the door 180 degrees, so that may not matter in your purchase decision for that location. External hinges will also allow you to remove the door for significantly less weight during moves.

How Secure Should Your Gun Safe Be?

Most security companies will tout anything from super-hardened bolts, to anti-drill plates, or anti-this or that, but most of those are again, moot points. It is very rare for a safe to be broken into. The local bad people are not capable of doing this.

The few times I've heard of guns in a safe being stolen, it was because the burglars took the whole safe. In one incident, the homeowner was eventually charged with stealing his own safe. Detectives thought it strange that no marks or damage was done on any of his walls or stairs during the move of his fully loaded 50 gun safe. It is crucial that your safe is bolted to the ground.

With in-wall gun safes, they are often bolted to the beams in your walls. Almost all gun safes will have holes predrilled for anchoring bolts, and most come with the hardware, sometimes even including a masonry bit.

To help you find the best gun safe, check out OpticsPlanet's top-rated gun safes that feature real reviews and product ratings from customers.

Fireproof Gun Safes

Fire Protection is a must in a gun safe if you want to guarantee your firearms and valuables are secure. The industry standard in fire lining is 1200 degrees F for 30 minutes. The reason for this is that the average house fire does not reach 1200 degrees, and the heart of the fire moves on within 30 minutes.

For businesses and larger buildings that may have fires that last longer and burn hotter, perhaps consider something like the option of a safe with a 1500-degree fire rating for an hour. You'll pay for it with less money in your wallet and more weight in the fireproof safe. Most fire liners work by releasing moisture as steam when they get hot. The steam cools the interior of the safe.

Obviously, it is imperative that after a fire, you clean and maintain all your guns, inside and out. The door gaskets expand and create a seal when heated. After any fire, there will probably be water damage, also. Not all safes are watertight.

Choosing a Finish for Your Gun Safe

Here's a good reason to spend a bit more. There is nothing to break or wear out on a safe, and you will have it not just for one lifetime, but lifetimes. Plural. Your kids and grandkids and more will have this safe long after you are gone. The safe will generally be in the same place in your house forever. You will look at it your whole life, and so will people you allow into that area.

If you are pretty utilitarian and don't care about aesthetics, then save a couple hundred or more dollars by getting a textured finish. Gloss finishes are as gorgeous as a new car. You may polish them as such, also. Spend a bit more and get the graphics you want. That elk scene will look great under the gold spoked handle and lock you ordered as another option. Again, you will have this forever. Buy a safe once the way you want to avoid being disappointed every time you look at it because it was important at that time to save a bit.

Interior Lighting in a Gun Safe

You can save some money on your initial purchase by skipping the factory lighting option, but you'll be more satisfied ordering interior lighting with your first gun safe. Lighting is extremely important. No matter how bright the room your safe is in, you'll need more light for your guns for safety and quick access.

If you skip on the gun safe manufacturer light installation, you'll be able to light it later with gun safe accessories from OpticsPlanet, but again, the most desirable is to have this option from the factory.

How to Keep Moisture Out of Gun Safe

Desiccant

Desiccant is a chemical that absorbs moisture from the air. Desiccants sold for use in safes generally have a color-coded portion to let you know when the chemical has absorbed all the moisture it can. I have seen instances where the desiccant is so heavy with water that it actually leaked from the container and damaged the safe's contents.

Desiccants are the only option for moisture absorption when an electrical outlet is not available. Keep in mind though that firearms, particularly firearms with wood stocks, need some moisture to keep from cracking. Desiccants don't care about this. Its job is just to suck water.

Dehumidifying Rods

Dehumidifying rods are electric heating elements. They are warm to the touch, but not really hot. They work by keeping the moisture in the safe from condensing. They are trouble free and functional. Generally installed a couple inches from the floor of the safe, they are practically invisible unless you look for them. Excellent choice.

Light Bulbs

Some folks use a small wattage light bulb in their safe, constantly on, and it does the same thing as a dehumidifying rod, but it uses too much electricity and often makes the interior too dry because of the heat involved. You can't touch a lit bulb, but you may certainly handle a heated dehumidifying rod.

How Are Gun Safes Delivered?

Gun safe delivery is included in the price when you buy from OpticsPlanet. This is a tailgate delivery. That means they drop it off the truck and the rest is up to you. You may speak to the delivery company when they call for your availability to arrange installation into your home, and sometimes even to anchor it to the floor.

Delivery into your home can get expensive. Prices are by the weight of the safe and if there are any flights of stairs (three stairs is generally considered a flight of stairs) or other considerations like a muddy front yard or new construction. All in all, it's better for the pros to do it. Damage to walls and bodies is much less likely.

How to Move a Gun Safe

A refrigerator dolly is a perfectly acceptable way to move even a very heavy gun safe. Make sure you have a couple of strong people that are familiar with moving heavy objects. This can be dangerous, and you can easily be crushed by an unsecured safe sliding down the stairs. It's not as hard as you may imagine, though.

A tow strap and a couple of strong people work, also. The strap gets wrapped around the shoulders of the two movers, and the safe gets physically lifted off the ground and walked to where it needs to be.

I've also had folks roll their safes across delicate wood floors with PVC pipe, which works well. Some folks have rolled their safe on golf balls, a less ideal practice that has dented wood floors and broken tile.

Check out this video to learn more about how to move a heavy gun safe:

How to Store Your Guns in a Safe

First, there's no substitute for regular maintenance with rust prevention. I do it twice annually. Use a rust preventative made for guns. WD 40 is not for guns and develops into a gluey film over time that's hard to remove. Use gun products for guns.

Pistols may be kept in pistol rugs on the top shelf of your safe, but do not zip the cases! This is the cause of damage in many cases. The air needs to circulate.

Gun rugs or gun socks may be used for long guns. Some have silicone impregnation. The issue with rugs or socks is that not only is it an annoyance to have to remove them every time to view your gun, but they are sometimes difficult to remove, especially with socks, and in particular with guns with many protrusions like scope turrets and pistol grips, etc.

Cover the least used guns with a sock or rug and place them in the back of the safe where they won't be in the way.

It's ok to store guns upside down, especially with wood stocks or old recoil pads. Oil leeches down from the action into the stock of the gun and often softens it until destroyed. Storing the long gun on its muzzle prevents this. Recoil pads, particularly old ones, will take a set after time. So dad's old Auto 5's recoil pad, once about an inch thick, is now about a quarter of that, and ugly from compression.

Most Important Gun Safe Tip

The most important security consideration I can give you is to remember that an unlocked safe is no longer a gun safe, but just a box with guns and an invitation to theft.