Shotgun Storage: Should You Use a Cabinet or a Safe?
People who use or collect shotguns know that is of importance to keep their shotguns safe and secure. Apart from general safety, using a storage system prevents your shotguns from being taken by thieves. Securing your guns becomes even more necessary when there are kids in your home.
Home security systems are one way to keep your home and your possessions secure. Such a system however does not provide protection for your firearms. Apart from that, most home security can be disabled by intruders giving a chance for these intruders to steal your guns. This concern has troubled gun owners for the longest time and most of them have been trying to find the best ways of securing their firearms. Some gun owners use a shotgun safe while others rely on a shotgun cabinet. These two gun storage systems have reinforced locks making it possible to slow down a thief in getting a hands on those firearms.
These two types of storage are much better than keeping the firearms in their original cases but which one of them is the better choice? To choose which storage is best for your shotgun, you would need to understand the situation of every gun owner.
Shotgun collectors should determine what kind of protection they need. The first thing to ask is: Do I live in a secure place? Does my house have a working sprinkler system if there is fire? Are my guns stored in a bolted room? If your answer to all these questions is “Yes” then it is better if you use a cabinet since the need to fire-proof the system is already met and the storage is already in a safe location. You can buy an excellent second-hand gun cabinet or shotgun safe at inexpensive rates online or from estate sales.
Gun owners often want to showcase their guns especially for owners who have special edition firearms. If you are one of these gun owners, you should ask yourself if you own shotguns that can be tempting to thieves i.e. an English best gun or an antique. While it is very tempting to showcase your guns, it is only advisable to display them in a highly secure room. It is also advised if you get a shotgun safe. A safe does not only protect your gun from fire, it also keeps them out of sight. They are also more difficult to open.
Before buying a gun safe, you should take into consideration the weight of the safe. Gun safes are pretty heavy because its walls are usually a quarter inch thick.
