If you currently own a gun, it is important for you to have a place where you can store the weapon properly and safely. One of the best items to have for gun storage is the gun safe, which looks very much like a regular safe but has compartments inside where you can adjust the position of the gun so that it can be placed there neatly.
Gun safes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it is also essential that you know which type of gun safe to buy. If you own smaller-sized weapons like pistols and Uzis, then you may want to consider getting a small gun safe since a bigger one may be too spacious for the firearms. Besides getting a smaller gun safe, there are also other things that you need to consider before making a purchase. Also, you might need a larger safe if you’re wanting to store something as large as a crossbow.
Here are simple tips for picking the best small gun safes.
Determine the Safe’s Purpose
Before you buy a gun safe, you should determine the purpose of getting the safe. If you are going to put the small gun safe in the car, you should find the ones that are appropriate to be stored or hidden in a vehicle’s interior. But, if you are going to place the gun safe in your home, you would need a safe that is sturdier and more durable since it will be difficult to replace once it’s broken.
In addition, you should also know where exactly you will place the gun safe. For vehicles, you have the option to store them in the center console or underneath the driver’s seat. For home, you have plenty more choices, with some of the popular ones being the bathroom, kitchen, library, and master bedroom. Know why and where you should place a gun safe so that you won’t have regrets in installing the safe in certain areas.
Choose the Correct Size
In the realm of small gun safes, there are still different sizes that you need to take a look at so that you will be sure that your firearms will be able to fit inside the safe. Before getting a gun safe, you may need to measure the height, width, and thickness of your firearm and purchase a safe that has larger dimensions to your gun.
Of course, if you want to store more weapons in the safe, you may need to get a much larger gun safe, but not large enough that it won’t fit underneath the driver’s seat or in small spaces in your home. Determine the perfect size for your gun safe to ensure that your firearms can have proper storage.
Focus on the Thickness of the Safe’s Exterior
When it comes to providing protection for your firearms, it is crucial that the gun safe should have a thick exterior so that it cannot be significantly damaged by blunt objects or by impact. As much as possible, you should choose a gun safe that has thick walls as its exterior for better protection, but most firearm owners would tell you that a thick exterior means that you will have difficulties in controlling the temperature and humidity inside the gun safe. Temperature and humidity are often the factors the gun owners need to monitor, as they can affect the longevity of the firearms.
Luckily, the humidity and temperature aren’t a drawback anymore, thanks to gun safe dehumidifiers, which allow you to have better control of the heat and dampness inside the gun safe. Purchase one dehumidifier when you get a gun safe to provide your firearms with 100% protection.
Pick the Correct Type of Lock
Besides the safe’s exterior, you should also take a look at the different types of locks that may come pre-installed in or separate from gun safes. There are currently three types of gun safe locks for you to choose from, and to help you learn more about them, here are a few details about each of these locks.
- Electronic – this type of gun safe lock is arguably the most popular today, as it is flexible and relatively easy to use. To unlock a gun safe using this lock, you may need to input the correct number combination on a digital keypad, or you may use a key if you don’t have them to enter the combination. The downside to having electronic locks is that they will need to be powered by batteries or electricity, so you will need to replace batteries or keep the power in your home working for the lock to function properly.
- Combination – a primitive but still effective type of lock that requires no batteries for it to work. To open a combination lock, you will have to input the correct number combination in a circular combination lock. The drawbacks to having this type of lock are that thieves can easily crack the code or combination through various tricks, and you may also have to hire a locksmith to change the combination of the lock.
- Biometric – This type of lock is the easiest to unlock for the owners but difficult to open for thieves, as it can only be opened using fingerprints, which are unique for every human being in the world. After purchasing the gun safe, you will need to register your fingerprints on the lock, and it will automatically save them on its integrated memory. The con to biometric locks is that they are not 100% reliable since they can be prone to errors if your fingers are wet or dirty.
These are some of the important aspects of the small gun safe that you need to take a look at before purchasing one. Review all of your choices before making a decision so that you won’t regret buying particular models.