There are two basic types of gun safes on the market—pistol safes and rifle safes. Once you decide which one you want, you can then choose a particular gun safe for how long it can withstand the heat of a raging fire, which you can find out by asking about the safe’s fire rating. Most gun safes can handle 90 minutes in a burning room, but new models have a fire rating of two hours, which is sufficient time for most consumers. You could also base your decision on other factors, such as ease of use, size, or the burglary rating of the safe, which is measured by how long it takes a locksmith to open it.
Gun safes can be cabinets or chests, and the one you buy will depend on how many and what type of guns you will be storing in them. Do you need shelves for ammunition, or racks for rifles? Will you be storing other things in the safe as well?
There are even very small gun safes for sale that you can keep a hand gun in. These safes are small enough to be attached to a bed, or under a desk.
If you want extra protection from burglars, a large cabinet gun safe might be your best bet, since it cannot be carried out of your home as easily as a smaller chest gun safe.
As for locks for your gun safe, there are many kinds to choose from. You can opt to have a key lock, a combination lock, a biometric lock (also called a fingerprint lock), an electronic lock or a 4-way active bolt system.
The fastest lock to open is a biometric lock, which only needs a fingerprint scan to access the contents. It should only take a few seconds to open. Biometric locks are also convenient to use, since they can be programmed to store the fingerprints of anyone else you want to have access to your guns in case of emergency.
A 4-way active bolt system provides layers of security; this lock looks and acts like a bank vault locking mechanism.
