In choosing a gun safe, there are a number of factors to consider. One of the first things that comes to mind is that any safe can be broken into, given enough time. If thieves can carry your gun safe off somewhere and work on it at their leisure, they will. So it’s important for gun safes to be bolted down. You should look for gun safes with at least 4 bolt holes in the bottom. If at all possible, bolt the safe down with bolts that are embedded in concrete.
Another thing to think about is getting a home alarm system — this is your first line of defense — thieves will not stay around long with a loud alarm going off. The next factor you should consider is the construction of the safe. How many welded seams does it have. The less the better, since welded seams are weak points. Most gun safes are made using three piece construction - a single piece molded body, a top and a bottom. This leaves 8 welded seams. Liberty Safes actually makes a model that has only 2 welded seams, one on top and one on the bottom.
Another factor to consider about the construction of gun safes is the thickness of the steel used to manufacture the body. It should preferably be made of 10 gauge steel, but should be at least 3/16″ thick. Even thicker steel should be used for the door, and a hardened, drill resistant steel plate should be placed over the locking mechanism. Another factor in the construction of gun safes is the number and size of the steel locking bolts the safe uses.
A good gun safe will have at least 4 locking bolts on each side, 1 on the top and 1 on the bottom. Up to a point, more is better. Anything over 12 and you’re probably paying more than its worth. You also need to check the size of the locking bolts. Good gun safes nowadays have 1″ to 1-1/2″ thick locking bolts. You can get gun safes with 9/16″ locking bolts, but 1″ is fairly common. Another thing to consider is that the hinges should be on the inside of the safe so they can’t be pried off.
Another factor to consider when choosing gun safes is fire resistance. You need a safe with at least a 30 minute 1200 degree fire resistance. This means that the safe has been tested in a 1200 degree F fire for a period of 30 minutes, and that the temperature inside the safe did not rise above 350 degrees F. Most guns (and any papers and other valuables you have stored in the safe) will not suffer permanent damage at this temperature. During the test, the humidity should be tested to make sure that it does not rise high enough that the water used to put out the fire would damage the contents of the safe.
For more information about gun safes, visit the Value Safes website at: http://valuesafes.com/ .