Author: Asites | Total views: 325 Comments: 0
Word Count: 591 Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 9:28 AM

Gun Safes - 4 Questions You Must Ask Before You Buy a Fireproof Gun Safe

When you purchase a gun, buying a gun safe is one of the most important and responsible decisions you can make. But what are the best handgun safes for you?

You can narrow down your search and buy the best safe for your purposes if you first decide:

(1) how much fire protection you need
(2) what type of lock you want
(3) where your safe will go
(4) how thick the walls of your safe should be

How Much Fire Protection Should You Have?

The amount of fire protection you need for your fireproof gun safe will be determined by what you decide to keep in it.

If you only keep guns and paper in it, a UL 350 rating will be sufficient because paper burns at 412 degrees Fahrenheit and a UL 350 is designed to keep the contents below that temperature.

However, if you plan to keep media such as CDs, DVDs, film negatives, and external hard drives in your gun safes you will want a safe with a UL 125 rating. Then internal temperature will not rise above 125 degrees for a sustainable period.

What Lock Choices Should You Consider?

Key locks are the most basic type of lock. In general, handgun safes that only have a key lock should be avoided because they tend not to be as theft-proof, sturdy, or child-proof as other types of locks. You certainly don't want children finding the key and playing with your guns. The extra cost of a better lock is well worth the expense.

Dial combination locks have been around on gun safes for more than a hundred years. Although they are superior to key lock gun safes, you can pretty much double your protection by buying a safe that has both a dial combination and a key lock.

Gun safes with digital keypads provide excellent security. Buy one with a "wrong try" lockout feature and it will keep potential thieves from trying more than a predetermined number of code combinations. And, unlike safes with dial combination locks, you can create your own code.

Where Will You Keep Your Gun Safe?

As far as fire protection is concerned, the best place to keep your safe is against the outside corner of the lowest point in your home. If you cannot put it in the basement or on the first floor you should consider having a home inspector or engineer come over to ensure that your floor will support your safe because large gun safes are heavy. As an alternative you might need to buy a smaller fireproof gun safe than you first intended.

What Wall Thickness Do You Need?

As far as protection from theft is concerned, the thickness of your safe will usually be determined by where you live. If you live in a rural area thieves may not be as concerned with the amount of noise they make using tools to try to break into your safe as they would be in urban areas. So you'll need thicker walls. In rural areas, gun safes with doors that have a minimum thickness of 3/16" of steel will discourage most burglary attempts.

If buy your fireproof gun safes online there are some things you'll want to consider. One of the most important is can you actually speak to a real, live person to get the information you need and the service you deserve?

About the Author

A company that has a large selection of gun safes in every price range is http://www.AuthoritySafes.com I've found their friendly, knowledgeable customer service people are easy to reach by a toll free phone call or online chat during business hours Monday through Friday.

Wendy Moyer is a professional writer.

Rate, comment or bookmark this article

Seed Newsvine

Bookmark this article in your preferred program

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

HTML code

Popular Articles in this cathegory

1: Personal Defense Starts with an LED Flashlight with Strobe

A bright LED flashlight should be considered if you are looking for a good self defense tool. These days, self defense seems to be on the minds of many people.

2: The Amazing Hidden Wall Safe Secret That Stopped Thieves in Their Tracks

You arrive home one night to find your house has been broken into. Did the thieves find your hidden wall safe or did you put it in a place they'd never find?

3: Co2 Fire Extinguisher Explained

Buying a fire extinguisher can be confusing but this guide will tell you what type of fire a Carbon Dioxide extinguisher should be used to put out.

4: Most Powerful Stun Gun - Benefits of Owning One

You will find in this article what the benefits of owning the most powerful stun gun is and what to expect from it. You will learn how a stun gun really works and what kind of effects it has on an attacker.

5: Bump Keys - Discover Why Your Door Locks Are Probably Useless

You are about to discover something that scared the hell out of me. The locks I rely on to protect my family and my business can be opened without damage in seconds. By just about anyone, using easily..

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.