Guns can bring a family together through hunting activities or a day out at the shooting range. Many parents bond with their children during these activities, but to ensure that owning and using a gun always remains a fun and safe activity, it’s very important to not just practice gun safety, but also to store your guns safely.
So what is the best safe gun storage method? It really depends on your personal needs. The way you safely store your guns will depend on what guns you own, your living situation, and how much money you can afford to invest. For example, a collector will be looking for the best storage capacity, while those who shoot in competitions might want portable storage options for travelling to different shooting events. Others might consider ease of access to be an important factor when looking at gun storage options.
Luckily, there are many devices available today that provide different kinds of storage functions to suit a variety of needs. They can prevent unauthorized use of the firearm, some devices will protect the value of a firearm by shielding it from physical damage like humidity, and some devices can also act as dissuasion against theft. Nonetheless, as with most forms of technology, the more features a safe storage system offers, the more it tends to cost!
Let’s take a look at five storage options to safely store your firearms and the benefits and drawbacks of each:
1. Trigger Locks
Trigger locks are one of the more simple and affordable options to prevent a gun from being loaded or fired by an unauthorized person. Most new guns often come with a trigger lock right in the box, whether provided by the manufacturer or the dealer.
Trigger locks come in different forms. A trigger shoe clamps down around the trigger or trigger housing to keep the trigger from being manipulated. Since these devices come into direct contact with the trigger, they should never be installed on loaded guns. Another form of trigger lock is the cable lock, which blocks the action of a firearm, stopping the action of rifles and shotguns from being closed. They can also stop a magazine from being loaded into the grip if used with a semi-automatic pistol. When used on revolvers, the cable is looped through the barrel to stop the cylinder from closing.
If you really need to, you can also use an ordinary padlock with many types of firearms. All you have to do is slip the hasp of the lock between the back side of the trigger and the trigger guard to stop the trigger from cycling.
Trigger locks typically cost less than $20 and you might even find some for free through some community programs. They are good at successfully preventing an unintentional discharge when they are installed correctly. However, they do not offer any physical protection for the firearm and are not a good deterrent when it comes to theft.
2. Gun Cases
Although gun cases can be a cheap and easily available option for storing guns. We do not recommend using gun cases, here at GTA, because moisture can get trapped and cause rusting. Furthermore, because gun cases are designed to be portable, the materials they are made from often limit their usefulness as a safe storage device. For example, they won’t prevent theft since any ordinary tool can quickly cut into the soft fabrics and plastics used in them. Plus, gun cases are designed to be lightweight, meaning any thief can pick them up and carry them away.
3. Locking Steel Gun Cabinets
This storage option offers an increased level of storage capacity and internal configuration options when compared to security cases. However, they differ from gun safes in several ways. Their thinner gauge of steel, their simple locking mechanism, and their lack of fire-resistant insulation keeps them lightweight and fairly affordable; they can range anywhere from $150 to $450. Since these cabinets are light enough to be moved safely up and down the stairs by only one or two people, they can be used in places like apartment buildings or second-floor rooms, where a gun safe would be too large or heavy to install.
They are a much better option for preventing theft and protecting the value of firearms since many models feature security systems with a double-bitted, key-coded lock, as well as fastening hardware, so you can attach them to the floor or wall.
4. Gun Safes
This method represents the most secure at-home gun storage option for the average gun owner. When it comes to preventing unauthorized access to firearms a basic, no-frills safe is much better than any other storage option discussed above. Not only do their special racks and lined interiors help protect the finish of your firearm, but they also easily prevent theft due to their weight and complex locking mechanism (combined with the option to bolt the safe directly to a concrete slab). Moreover, safes not only fulfill the mission of safe gun storage, they can also prevent damage to your firearms through added protection against flooding, fires and other disasters.
Be that as it may, the purchase of a gun safe is a substantial financial commitment. Prices can range from $500 to over $2,500, so it’s important to understand which features are important to you as every additional feature is likely to drive up the cost. For example, you’ll want to consider the thickness of steel that the safe is made of, how fireproof the safe is, and whether you’d like fancy features (e.g.: an electric lock instead of a manual spinlock).
5. Storing Your Guns with GTA Guns
This option is by far our favourite, and our gun storage clients would also agree with us. As we’ve seen, many storage options can get costly or may not protect your firearms from theft or natural disasters. However, all those problems are easily solved when you store your guns with GTA Guns.
Our storage facility is not only safe but it’s also insured; in fact our entire facility is insured, which means that if anything were to happen, your firearms collection would be fully covered without you having to lift a finger. We alleviate all of your worries and take care of everything that could cause you a gun problem. When you store your guns with us, it’s our problem, not yours, and as professionals, we’ve got all the bases covered in detail and with expertise.
Besides safety, one of the bonuses of storing your guns at GTA Guns is that we’re equipped to store your firearms at the optimal level of humidity. We constantly monitor our secure facility so theft is never an issue.
But what about access? To access your gun(s), all you have to do is call to set a time for pick up or drop off, and you can easily access your firearms at your convenience. Your firearms can be available to you whenever you need them—for the shooting range, hunting, or guns sports.
If you’d like to learn more about GTA Guns Auctions, or any of our other services, don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions. We are here to solve all of your gun issues!