Lisa J Thompson
Explore the significance of gun safes and whether they are essential for your home security. Delve into the question, “Do You Need A Gun Safe?” to make an informed decision. Gain insights into the reasons behind owning a gun safe, encompassing gun safety, protection from burglars, fire resistance, and more. Discover how locking up your firearms safeguards your rights and protects your family, especially kids. Learn about the benefits of fireproof and burglar-resistant safes, and even find out about potential tax deductions. This comprehensive guide will help you understand the value of investing in a high-quality gun safe for ultimate protection.
Owning a gun will give you peace of mind knowing that if anything ever happens to you, something at hand could help you get away from danger quickly and easily.
Still, have you been wondering if it’s time to finally get a gun safe? Or do you need a gun safe at home?
No worries! This post will help you decide if now is the right time for that. Keep reading!
Do I need a gun safe?
Do You Need A Gun Safe?
If you meet one of the following cases, the answer should be NO: You don’t own a gun or ever have one in your house. Or, the gun is always on you somewhere and under your control at all times.
Even if you’re living in absolute isolation, it’s possible someone may appear unexpectedly. Besides, if the world you live in is dangerous, where guns are sometimes useful, it means a safe also gains its foothold!
So, do you really need a gun safe?
Almost every time, the answer is YES.
Still, there are some contrasting opinions on this matter. One of the main arguments against keeping a gun safe in one’s home is that it generally means guns are present. The logic here is a gun safe was designed for storing firearms, so the risk/reward comes into play: We must ask ourselves if the security offered by having a gun safe outweighs the chance that someone might know you own guns inside that safe?
Another argument against keeping your firearms in a safe is that if you need to access them in an emergency, then there’s the risk of not getting your hands on them quick enough. Well, this also turns into a risk/reward scenario: Is the reward worth the risk of something worse happening because the time was wasted trying to open the safe?
Anyway, gun safes keep your guns safe. No matter if you own one gun or more, the reward far outweighs the risk!
Reasons Why You Need A Gun Safe
In this part, we would like to give you an in-depth explanation of why you should own a gun safe at home!
Gun Safety
Controlling who can access your guns is important for gun safety. Burglars are at the top of most lists, but anyone else could easily get in your home too! They must be kept safe from everyone – including kids and visitors.
The type of protection you need depends on the person trying to get in. A glass-front cabinet offers little security from burglars, who are happy to break some glass and steal your guns.
Children generally don’t like breaking things permanently, but they do have a lot of time. Ten minutes after school each day could be enough for them to try thousands upon thousands of combinations on your lock until they find one that will open it up!
It’s necessary to have a gun safe.
Protect Your Rights
Anti-gun groups say that guns are a threat to public safety, and the only solution is to get rid of them. They show gun owners as irresponsible and evil in an attempt for their goal.
Even non-fatal gun accidents attract both national and media attention, especially ones involving children. No matter how rare these incidents are, anti-gun groups use them to promote their agendas and push for their message.
By locking up your guns, you show the government that you follow their rules and be a law-abiding citizen. This will ensure against any infringement on your 2nd Amendment rights later down the line.
Protecting Your Kids
Kids are like little detectives; they love finding new and exciting places that adults don’t want them. Sometimes, the results can be disastrous – like having access to a gun without your knowledge! That’s why it’s important for your firearms and any children in our homes (our kids, grandkids, neighbor kids) to stay safe!
Keep your children safe
If the children are surrounding you, you should seriously consider buying a gun safe. After all, your whole purpose of owning one will be to have peace of mind knowing that everything inside will stay protected at all times.
Fire Protection
After a home fire, you can replace many items, but not all! A fire-rated gun safe may help protect your personal belongings (like photo albums and heirlooms) when dealing with emergencies. Let’s ask yourself:
- Is your home frequently unoccupied?
- Is your house far away from a fire station?
- Do you live in an area prone to wildfires?
If your answer is yes to any of our questions, it’s time to invest in a fireproof gun safe.
Firearm Locking Device Laws
Even if you don’t have children in your home, many states still ask you to lock up your guns. Recently, 11 states and the District of Columbia required locking devices between purchasing and storage.
The District of Columbia and one state request all firearms to stay stored with locks on them. While California even has regulations for approved safes that must meet certain criteria when considered an official firearm safety device by their Department of Justice.
It’s best to check local laws, and you will know whether to buy a safe or not!
Protection From Burglars
You could easily replace or upgrade some of your guns, but not all.
Imagine what would happen if a burglar broke into your house and took your grandfather’s antique handgun?
Or, if he stole your precision rifle – the one that you spent a great deal of time building and finally it can shoot ½” MOA?
How much is it worth to you?
Concealed Carry
Vehicle gun safe
If you carry a concealed weapon, it is important to abide by all relevant state laws. You’ll also want somewhere safe at the end of the day to put it away.
When you get to your workplace or a gun-free zone, where will you put your gun? Each state has its own laws regarding if and how a gun owner can leave his firearm in a vehicle. Whose property is it legal to park on with your gun, where a gun can be in the vehicle, whether it must be unloaded, whether it has to be locked up, or what “unloaded” means.
A portable or a vehicle gun safe, in this case, can keep you compliant with all the laws.
Tax Deduction
Some states will provide you with tax credits when you purchase a gun safe.
In Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, and Massachusetts, gun safes are exempt from sales tax. You probably have to remind them of this in big box stores.
If you live in Northglenn, you can get your tax credit refunded if you buy the right kind of safe that meets safety standards.
You can even get a tax write-off if you store all of your business and tax documents in a fireproof safe. The same thing applies to an FFL, so check with accountants before buying one.
Read: Can A Gun Safe Be Tax Deductible? – The Complete Explanation
Tips To Buy A Gun Safe
Now that you understand some benefits of owning a gun safe, we would like to share some tips when looking for one!
Types Of Installations
Depending on the safe types, there are many ways to install it into your house, like a wall install, a shelf install, or simply placing it in your basement or garage.
Gun safes are generally large and heavy, not suitable for wall installation. Still, you can get single rifle options, which can be both wall-mounted and on the floor. Make sure that your flooring type is stone, concrete, or brick!
Alternatively, you can anchor the safe into the floor by mounting it to a wood beam. To make sure the safe can’t move, it’s best to use specific wall plugs buried deep.
Safe Size
A new gun owner may want to purchase a safe before adding more firearms over time. However, the size of the original safe should be large enough for future belongings as well.
A large gun safe
Resistance grades
The safe’s resistance grade determines the strength and security level it offers against attempted burglaries. The rating also has implications for insurance cover on stored items inside.
Therefore, it’s important to consider the resistance grade when buying a gun safe. If you intend on adding more valuable firearms in addition to your current ones, it would be best if you purchased one with a great insurance cover.
Conclusion
Do you need a gun safe? Yes, if you own one! Whether it’s a hunting rifle, shotgun, or pistol that you want to keep safe and out of the wrong hands, investing in a high-quality gun safe is one of the best decisions. Not only does this help protect your family from accidents, but it also keeps your firearm investments secure!
