For firearm owners, especially hunters, a gun safe is more than a storage solution; it’s an essential investment in safety, security, and preservation. Choosing the right safe requires thoughtful consideration of your specific needs and the types of firearms in your collection.
While many assume that selecting a safe is as simple as matching the advertised capacity to the number of guns they own, the reality is far more nuanced. This article delves into the critical factors that hunters—be they focused on duck, turkey, or big game—should consider when selecting a gun safe.
Height: Accommodating Long-Barreled Firearms
Height is a frequently overlooked yet crucial dimension, particularly for hunters who rely on long-barreled firearms like shotguns. Waterfowl hunters, for instance, often use shotguns with barrels as long as 30 inches and may equip their guns with extended choke tubes that increase the gun’s overall length by a few inches. Opting for a safe that barely accommodates these dimensions can lead to frustration and potential damage to choke tubes, sights, or the delicate crown of a rifle barrel, directly impacting accuracy.
Collectors of vintage firearms or those who prefer to store rifles with suppressors attached must also consider additional length. Suppressors, when properly torqued, offer significant advantages in hunting and recreational shooting, and removing them simply to fit a safe may be impractical. To avoid such compromises, measure the length of your longest firearm and ensure the safe offers ample clearance. The cost difference between a taller safe and a standard model is often minimal compared to easy, secure storage benefits.
Depth and Capacity: Ensuring Adequate Space for Accessories and Planning Beyond Current Needs
When selecting a safe, the internal depth of the safe is a crucial factor for ensuring proper capacity and protection. Firearms come in various shapes and sizes, often with unique attributes like bolt handles, magnification levers, bubble levels, or scope turrets that can protrude, making storage challenging. This is especially true for hunters who invest in high-grade firearms with polished wood finishes, gloss bluing, or custom stocks, all of which require careful handling to prevent damage.
To avoid this, it’s essential to consider the dimensions of your firearms—including any accessories—before purchasing a safe. A proactive approach involves leaning the firearms against a wall as arranged in the safe and measuring their actual dimensions to account for attachments. This helps ensure you choose a safe with ample space for current and future needs.
Similar to overall depth, the number of firearms a safe is constructed to effectively house is an important consideration. Many safes advertise impressive capacities based on narrow, unadorned firearms, but as mentioned earlier, hunters often own firearms equipped with scopes, bipods, and other accessories that reduce usable storage space. When evaluating a safe, carefully examine manufacturer photos to see how the guns are arranged. Avoid safes that require tightly packed storage, as this can make accessing firearms inconvenient and increase the risk of damaging high-quality guns.
A good rule of thumb is to select a safe with a capacity larger than your current collection. This not only prevents overcrowding and minimizes the risk of incidental contact but also accommodates inevitable future acquisitions. As your collection grows, consider additional precautions such as using gun socks, dehumidifying gels, and regularly cleaning your firearms to maintain their pristine condition. By planning and choosing the right safe, you ensure both the protection of your guns and the longevity of your investment.
Accessories: Protecting the Tools of the Trade
For hunters, a gun safe is not merely a place to store firearms but also a secure repository for essential equipment. High-quality calls, binoculars, rangefinders, spotting scopes, and other accessories often cost as much as the firearms and deserve similar protection. These tools are critical for success in the field, and damage or misplacement can hinder even the best-prepared hunts.
Choose a safe with customizable shelving or compartments to organize and protect these items. Keeping everything in one secure location reduces the risk of damage and unnecessary wear and ensures your equipment is ready when needed. Storing accessories alongside your firearms also discourages the bad habit of leaving valuable gear in less secure locations like garages or storage sheds. Moreover, consistent storage practices help extend the lifespan of these items, ensuring they’re always in optimal condition for use. A well-organized safe simplifies your preparation for hunting trips and minimizes the risk of forgotten essentials.
Width: Accounting for Optics and Stability
Width is a frequently overlooked dimension, but it is crucial for hunters who mount optics on their firearms. Narrow safes designed for bare rifles and shotguns often fail to accommodate the added bulk of scopes, reflex sights, or other optical systems. Attempting to store guns with mounted optics in such safes frequently requires awkward angling, taking up more space and potentially causing instability. These issues can risk damaging both the optics and the firearm while creating unnecessary frustration when organizing or accessing your collection.
To ensure proper storage, choose a safe with sufficient width and mounting options to avoid the need for diagonal placement. Look for safes with adjustable shelving or racks that can be customized to fit various firearm sizes and attachments. Well-designed interiors prevent damage to your gear and maximize the safe’s capacity, offering long-term usability and efficiency.
Level of Protection: Securing Your Priceless Assets
For hunters, firearms often carry significant sentimental value. They’re more than tools; they’re companions on memorable hunts and heirlooms passed down through generations. This intrinsic value makes protection paramount, as these firearms represent irreplaceable memories and traditions.
Liberty Safe Fire Survival Stories
When evaluating a safe’s level of protection, prioritize fire ratings, locking mechanisms, and overall build quality. Safes with higher fire ratings provide better defense against potential disasters, while robust locking systems deter theft. Unfortunately, safe fire ratings are currently unregulated, making it crucial to compare options carefully. A safe’s claim to withstand a house fire for a specific duration may not directly correlate with another brand’s claim, as testing methods can vary. Research each brand’s evaluation process for fire resistance. For example, Liberty Safe bases its ratings on the United States Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology’s classification of a “full-scale house fire” rather than arbitrary benchmarks. Poor fire resistance, at the very least, could lead to reheating a gun’s receiver, rendering it unsafe to use.
While your budget and needs may vary, consider these questions when assessing fire protection:
- Do you live in a fire-prone area with frequent wildfires?
- Do you live in a rural area where a home fire might go unnoticed for hours?
- Does your home lack modern flame-retardant building materials?
- Do you use a fireplace or wood-burning stove for heating?
Similarly, match the gun safe’s security features to your specific situation. The level of protection you need will influence your choices in the critical areas of lock types, steel thickness, door construction, locking bars, and lock guards. Each of these must be taken into account before you purchase your safe. Although these features may increase the upfront cost, the peace of mind they provide is well worth the investment. Don’t fall into the mindset of thinking, “It couldn’t happen to me.” Instead, choose a safe that guarantees the highest level of protection for your prized possessions, ensuring they remain intact for future generations. It’s an investment in security and preserving the stories and experiences that define your hunting journey.
Choosing the right gun safe for hunting firearms and accessories is a decision that warrants careful thought. You can ensure your investment meets your immediate and future needs by considering dimensions such as height, depth, width, and overall capacity—along with the level of protection and additional storage features. A well-chosen safe secures and organizes your firearms and preserves the memories and legacy they represent, safeguarding them for generations to come. Taking the time to evaluate your needs and investing in a quality safe pays dividends in safety, convenience, and peace of mind, allowing you to focus on what matters most: enjoying the hunt and cherishing the memories it creates.
*Made in the U.S.A. from U.S. and Global Parts.
