A gun safe is an important piece of gear that, in an emergency, can save lives. In some circumstances, it might be less expensive to buy a new gun than to pay for maintenance on an older one. The greatest gun safes reduce the chance of theft while maintaining the security of your firearms. These safes often feature doors that swing open to reveal a pile of guns inside, and they are embedded into the ground. For many homes, the safes are excellent since they keep the guns neatly stored and limit access by kids or would-be burglars.
Before making a final decision, there are a number of things to take into account while selecting the best gun safe. Safes come in a variety of sizes, materials, locking systems, and pricing points. Larger, heavier safes may hold more weapons than smaller, lighter ones. In addition, some people prefer not to give their firearms to strangers, which is another reason why many choose a biometric scanner rather than a keychain.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best 52-Gun Safe
When shopping for a new gun safe, there are many things to consider. The following section looks at some of the most important features when selecting the best 52-gun safe for your needs.
Size/Capacity
The first thing you need to determine is how many guns you want to store and whether or not they’ll all fit inside your chosen security device. If you have multiple firearms that don’t fill up the entire space available in a garage or basement, then it might be better to purchase a larger unit rather than a bunch of smaller ones. However, if you live in an area where regular flooding is a possibility, then buying water resistant models could make sense as they would keep your weapons protected during heavy storms. Additionally, insulated models may be handy if you intend to put the safe in an interior setting with temperature variations because they are made to keep contents inside the secure compartment even if the outside air gets cold.
Security Level
A high level of security means different things to different people. For instance, some prefer a combination lock while others value digital technology. However, regardless of which method you use, the goal remains the same: making sure only those who know the code can open the door.
Most standard padlocks can be picked easily enough but advanced encryption makes things more difficult. In fact, even with these locks, it’s getting harder every year to break into them because computers aren’t as fast as they were 10 years ago. Therefore, it could be a good idea to spend money on a reliable locking system.
Fire Rating
If fire protection is a priority, then look for a certified fire rating from an independent testing agency such as the American Institute of Testing Materials (AITM). This will show that the manufacturer has met certain standards regarding build quality and safety features. While certification doesn’t guarantee resistance to fire, it does indicate that the product meets minimum requirements.
If the right safeguards are taken, steel construction often does well against fire. However, plastic components could catch fire, therefore it’s crucial to keep flammable materials away from your gun storage option.
User-Friendly Design
Finding a gun safe that’s easy to operate isn’t just about having a reliable lock; it also involves choosing a design that suits your personal preferences. For example, some users may prefer a keypad instead of a traditional handle, while others might opt for a lighted display instead of buttons.
Also, depending on how much shooting practice you’ve been doing lately, you might prefer a loud alarm that helps wake up the neighborhood or a soft hum that lets you sneak out without disturbing anyone.
Installation Options
Depending on how you intend to use the gun safe, you might find yourself limited by its location or lack thereof. For instance, if you’d like to stow the safe away in a closet corner, you won’t get any installation options other than floor-standing. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a versatile option, you might consider a wall-mount or desk-top model that allows you to position the safe anywhere within reach of the trigger guard.
Protection Mechanisms
As mentioned above, gun safes come equipped with various protection mechanisms including biometric, electronic, and combination locks.
- Biometric: A simple button or switch that requires you to physically touch it before opening the safe. These locks are easy to use and very secure, though they can be tricky to unlock if your hands are full or dirty.
- Electronic: As opposed to using physical keys, electronic keys allow you to program one or more codes into the unit. Unlike mechanical keys, which can be used once and then forgotten, electronic keys can be changed anytime without the risk of losing track of the code.
- Combination: Like old-school combination locks, units made with this mechanism require you to enter a code by rotating a dial back and forth until the correct code appears. Combination locks tend to be less secure than modern alternatives because they’re vulnerable to prying eyes and fingers, but they do provide a straightforward way to open the safe.
Types Of 52-Gun Safes
52 Gun safes are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and materials. The most crucial factor to think about is how much security you require because there are several types of gun safes that can offer different levels of security.
Long gun safe
A long gun safe is the largest and most common type of firearm safe found in homes or businesses today. They’re great for keeping rifles, shotguns or any other large firearms collection safe and secure at home or the office. Most long gun safes offer a wide range of locking technologies, from basic key locks to more advanced electronic access systems. Some even include fire suppression features like foam padding and/or sprinkler heads. If you want peace of mind knowing your guns are stored safely away and protected, this is definitely the way to go.
Handgun safe
If you only have one or two handguns, then maybe something smaller will be enough. Handgun safes are also commonly called “lockboxes” due to their use of standard keys (vs. combination locks) to secure them. These small safes are easy to carry around and are popular choices for concealed-carry fans who don’t want to compromise comfort or mobility by lugging around a larger safe. Many handgun safes are designed with portability in mind and are made to be as light as possible while still providing adequate theft prevention measures.
Multi-lock box
Some people prefer having multiple layers of security on their guns rather than relying on a single lockbox. Having dual or multiple locking mechanisms on hand allows users to choose their level of security depending on what they deem necessary.
How We Chose Our Top Picks
We relied on personal experience with a variety of safe brands and models while making our suggestions for this guide. To find the top-rated products in each category, we also looked at additional sources.
When selecting our recommendations, we took into account a number of variables, including price, capacity, weight, warranty options, and more. We considered several different aspects while selecting our top selections for the best gun safe, including consumer feedback, professional judgment, product features, and more. If you’re searching for a top-notch gun safe, make sure to check out the safes that made our list because they were chosen based on a variety of different criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most reliable brand of gun safe?
This solely depends on what you need to shield your weapons from. While it’s true that some brands provide some extremely reliable, robust items, there are a ton of other brands available that provide comparable or greater levels of protection for a much smaller price.
How big should my gun safe be?
Your gun safe will have a maximum capacity determined by its intended use case(s). For example, if you want something small and portable for EDC purposes only, then keep it under four cubic feet; otherwise, bump up to seven or eight cubic feet for a home defense system.
Are gun safes strong?
Yes, but not in the same way as traditional brick and mortar buildings. A good gun safe won’t fall down even if you drop it with a heavy load inside (unless, of course, you get one that’s made of flimsy steel) but it could suffer structural damage.
How difficult are gun safes to break into?
Gun safes can often be broken into easily. As a result, if you lose your gun safe key and don’t want to contact the business that makes the safe, you should be able to open the safe on your own.
Where should a gun safe be placed for maximum security?
Although the closet in a bedroom can be used to place the gun safe, the basement is still the best option. Since the thief would have to pull the gun safe up some stairs, they are typically overlooked by thieves and difficult to steal.