Best Gun Safes for Your Home

Before you make your purchase, consider how many weapons you currently have. You should also think about whether you’ll be buying more. Do you have only a few handguns? If so, you may just need a small, portable gun safe that can fit on a shelf or inside a drawer. And if you have multiple hunting rifle or shotgun styles? You’ll need a long gun safe, which can take up a lot of storage space and be a challenge to conceal. If you expect to acquire more guns, buy a safe large enough for your future needs.

Size terms, like “Small,” “Medium” and “Large,” can vary greatly between manufacturers. Consider this a starting point, but confirm the size and capacity of specific safes:

• Small safe: 1-10 firearms
• Medium safe: 10-30 firearms
• Large safe: 30-50 firearms
• Extra large safe: Up to 100 or more

Tip: Do not assume that a safe’s estimated size will also accommodate accessories like scopes.

Quick-access safes are a specialized type with a one- to two-handgun capacity. They are built for when an owner needs to easily open the safe in a hurry. Some have "quick draw" drawers, drop-down drawers or mounting hardware for locations underneath tables or desks.

Long gun safes contain shelves or racks specifically designed to accommodate rifles or shotguns. They often contain additional storage for smaller guns and ammunition. It's important to keep guns in a proper safe for safety purposes. But doing so also protects the gun from the wear and tear of being out in the elements.

• Like all safes, gun safes use a range of different locking mechanisms. So, choose the one you find the most easy and secure. Options include key locks, combination locks and electronic keypads. Make sure your method of opening the safe is as secure as the safe itself. For instance, if you have a key lock, don’t leave the key in plain sight.
• Many safes now come equipped with a biometric lock that uses a fingerprint reader. This ensures that the safe can be easily opened by only the right person (or people – a biometric lock can often remember multiple sets of fingerprints). And you won’t run the risk of losing your key or forgetting the combination.

• The physical security of a gun vault is equally important to thwart potential safecrackers. In general, the thicker the doors and the higher the gauge of the solid steel walls, the more difficult the safe will be to breach. Aim for high-quality safes, with steel gauging of 8 or more, and walls with a thickness of 5/16-inch or more. With these precautions, safes should be almost impenetrable to a burglar armed with a pry bar.
• In addition, the more securing bolts in the mechanical lock of the vault door, the harder it will be to open.
• Some safes include mounting hardware to keep them from being stolen or falling over.

• In the event of fire, you’ll want to protect your valuables. Safes have an UL (Underwriters Laboratory) classification if the items inside remain undamaged after a half-hour of fire exposure at 1550 degrees Fahrenheit (F).
• In case of floods or household leaks, ETL-certified waterproof safes are tested by complete submersion in water for an hour. Safes classified as “water-resistant” withstood 15 minutes of 1,000 gallons of water spray. They must also undergo one hour of standing in 6 inches of water, with no damage to the contents.
• Moisture and humidity are not your weapons' friends. Even when stored, a firearm in the wrong climate can be at risk of rusting.

Tip: Silica packs effectively reduce moisture in a safe.

Newer gun safes may have special features and accessories.

• Smart vaults can be controlled through your phone or computer.
• Adjustable shelves can fit the sizes in your gun collection.
• Interior lock boxes, pouches or compartments can store pistols, ammo and other valuables.
• Cushions or fabric-covered shelves and racks can keep firearms from getting scratched.
• Battery power can run a fingerprint reader, scanner or interior light. Some can run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
• Alarms and monitoring systems can alert you if an unauthorized person is trying to open the safe.
• Solid steel security cable holds the safe in place.
• Lifetime warranty guarantees the safe is free of defects.