Your Gun Safe Buying Questions Answered
You work hard and have invested a lot of money in your firearms and valuable possessions. To ensure the longevity of these items and to keep your firearms from falling into the wrong hands, it’s important to consider buying a gun safe. But there are so many different types of gun safes out there — where do you begin? In an effort to help you determine what your unique needs are, here are five questions that you should ask yourself before buying a gun safe.
How Many Guns and/or Valuables Do You Need to Store and Protect?
Depending on the number of your valuable items, the size needed for your safe may change. If you have a valuable sum of jewelry or family heirlooms to protect, it’s not likely that you’ll need to invest in a large gun safe. However, if you have several valuables and firearms to consider, that is when you move into gun safe territory. These safes come in many different sizes, so take an inventory of all the items you’re wishing to store. Don’t be afraid to literally gather all of your items together to better visualize the amount of space you’ll require.
If you’re a gun collector, consider how many guns you’ll need to store. The size of gun safes largely depends on how many long guns you need to accommodate. Something to keep in mind is to err on the side of going a little bigger than you think you’ll need — one of the most commonly reported comments of gun safe buyers is that they wish they’d bought a larger size.
How Important is Fire Protection for Your Safe?
The common baseline for most safe companies for fire protection is 30 minutes, if any, ranging all the way up to more than two hours for premium models. Considering that, what’s the best option for you? It’s hard to make an educated guess as to how long it would take to put out a house fire, as there’s no real consistent data for that metric. There are some factors that can contribute to your decision, however. If your home is a significant distance from the nearest fire station, especially if you live in a rural area, you should consider a higher fire rating. If your valuables are particularly expensive, it’s once again better to err a little bit on the side of excessive safety and go for a higher fire rating.
It’s worth noting that with any type of safe, you get what you pay for. As a general rule, we’d recommend you have at least an hour of fire protection in your gun safe. The higher the protection rating, the more expensive that gun safe protection is.
If You Already Have a Safe In Mind, Where is it Manufactured?
Many popular gun safes are imported to the USA, from countries such as Mexico or China. While many of these safes are of good quality, if it’s important for you to have an American-made product, it’s something you’ll want to investigate. While imported safes can be more affordable, it’s often more difficult to verify the quality of work that has gone into their construction and manufacturing process. Dexter’s Best is proud to carry Liberty Safes, which are 100% American-made.
What is Your Safe Manufacturer’s Customer Service Experience Like?
The best safe companies in the business will offer lifetime warranties for fire and theft on their gun safes. You’ll want to seriously consider purchasing a safe with these warranty options, because in the event that someone tries to break into your safe or it is damaged by fire, the company will replace the safe for life. A great way to investigate the caliber of customer service a safe company has is to look them up on social media. See just how frequently the company interacts with customers in regards to service requests. You can also peruse reviews of these companies and find information from real customers that inferior safe companies may not be keen on you reading. The more openly communicative the company is, the better their customer service tends to be.
What is the Level of Security You’re Expecting from Your Safe?
The level of security you’re after for your gun safe will typically come down to how much you’re willing to invest in the purchase. The higher the security level, the higher the price tag. Remember, though, you get what you pay for in regards to gun safes. Determine how much steel thickness is appropriate for you, or how many locking bolts you need in the doors to your safe. Is the body of the safe made from individual pieces welded together, or is it a more cohesive build from fewer parts? When you find a level of security you’re comfortable with, then it’s time to look for safes that fall within your budget range.
Trust Dexter’s Best Liberty Safe for Your Gun Safe Purchase
When you’ve answered these questions and feel confident that you’ve made up your mind to purchase a gun safe, we would love to see you at our showroom in Norwich! We carry an extensive line of safes, including many from Liberty, made right here in America. Our safe experts can answer any other questions you have and can help you make the right choice for the safety of you, your family, and your firearms. Contact us today to set up an in-person showroom walkthrough!