There are many benefits of owning a gun safe and even more benefits of owning a modular gun safe. There are gun safes available to fit any budget – and any home situation.
- Protect Firearms from Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized use of firearms is the biggest reasons many look to buy a gun safe. Unauthorized use can be:
- Theft – Safes help ensure firearms remain untouched in the event of a break in and keep them away from those who may want to use them in a dangerous manner.
- House Visitors – from babysitters, friends and neighbors; people can be curious and may pick up a firearm to look at more closely, hold it or potentially try to use it without understanding the consequences.
- Children – parents’ first priority should the safety and security of their children, which is why prohibiting them from accessing your firearms is paramount. Locking up firearms in a gun safe with either a mechanical or electronic lock is the best way to achieve this. Steelhead Outdoors offers both mechanical and electronic locks. The electronic locks are S&G Titan Direct Drive.
Bottom line: a gun safe not only keeps the firearm secure but also reduces chances of children, or any other house member, gaining access to firearms.
- Keep Everything Hidden Away
Yes, everything is technically “hidden away” if it is inside of a gun safe. But where is the safe, itself? Where is it seen? Steelhead Outdoors recommends not storing a gun safe in a garage. A garage is one of the first places a burglar is going to gain access to a home. Not to mention every time garage door opens and closes, neighbors can see the safe. Garages also prevent a higher fire risk than inside the home. Experts recommend not to put safes in a place where it can be easily seen, like the garage, or display it as a showpiece. A safe means there are valuables. Keep it hidden away. Steelhead Outdoors can work closely with customers to create a customized safe to meet customers’ specific size needs, as well as providing custom color options.
- Protect Investments
A firearm collection could be one of the most valuable items stored at home. Coveted, collectible firearms and family heirloom firearms may mean more than just their dollar value. And although gun safes are made for storing guns, other valuables, like jewelry, can be stored as well to keep them safe. Keeping expensive possessions and important documents in a gun safe ensures its safety even when a house is vulnerable to thefts. Customized options are available for Steelhead Outdoors Modular Gun Safes. Steelhead Outdoors can configure the inside of a new gun safe to work for each owner.
The majority of break ins are “smash and grab” affairs, so it is important to keep valuables out of sight and locked up, no matter the budget. Increases in budget often come with added security, added convenience, or both. In the event of a break in, a safe will often pay for itself by minimizing loss. No safe is theft-proof, but additional security features create additional difficulties for attackers and buy you valuable time. It is up to the individual to decide where the ratio of the cost-of-the-safe versus the cost-of-its-contents begins to make sense.
Additionally, an often-overlooked part of protecting investments is preventing moisture damage and corrosion. Traditional gun safes utilize standard drywall as the fire insulator. Drywall has trapped moisture that is boiled off in the case of a fire. It performs well in fire testing but causes some corrosion issues in everyday use. The trapped moisture is slowly released inside the safe, creating an environment with potential to cause damaging rust and corrosion to the contents of the safe. This is the primary reason dehumidifier use is so widespread inside gun safes. Steelhead Outdoors safes utilize a unique, patent-pending construction consisting of a two-stage insulation system. This system is comprised of a dry ceramic fiber insulation rated to 2300 degrees F, and an interior metal panel with a radiant heat reflecting coating on the backside. This insulation system does not trap any moisture, so it does not give off moisture in everyday use and does not fill the safe with steam in the event of a fire.
- Keep Things Orderly
A gun safe will allow the owner to keep contents tidy and in order. Not only will a gun safe keep firearms from knocking around one another and potentially damaging the metal, wood, and the mounted scopes, a well-organized gun safe allows for quick entry and exit, if needed.
- Comply with Child Access Prevention Laws
The majority of states have laws designed to prevent children from accessing firearms. The strongest laws impose criminal liability when a minor gains access to a negligently stored firearm. The weakest prohibit persons from directly providing a firearm to a minor. There are a wide range of laws that fall somewhere between these extremes, including laws that impose criminal liability for negligently stored firearms, but only where the child uses the firearm and causes death or serious injury. Weaker laws impose liability only in the event of reckless, knowing or intentional conduct by the adult. States also differ on the definition of “minor” for purposes of preventing access to firearms by children.
- Meet Insurance Company Requirement
Some insurance companies have made it a requirement to store guns in a gun safe in order to be fully covered, especially if the firearm is of higher value. Learn more about firearm coverage details from a knowledgeable insurance agent and find out if a safe is required for coverage.
- Gain Potential Insurance Discount
Some insurance companies will provide a discount on your policy if a gun safe is used. The discount is offered because a gun safe ultimately decreases the chances a claim will be filed to replace firearms lost in a burglary. It’s smart to see if discounts are available. Steelhead Outdoors can work with owners to provide proof of purchase – and proof of Steelhead Outdoors being a quality safe.
- Protect from Natural Hazards/Disasters
Natural disasters and fires often happen without warning. If a fire does happen, a fire-rated gun safe can withstand intense heat for a specific amount of time before the heat enters the safe. This type of safe is often built with thicker steel walls and may come with special seals that expand when the temperature soars to seal the safe’s door and keep fire out.
Most safe companies will say their products come with a time and temperature rating, but there is no accepted industry standard to certify the safe for fire resistance. Because of this, manufacturers are left to self-certify their safes. Every manufacturer uses different testing methods, and every fire is different. Different places in the home are also more likely to burn hotter in the event of a fire. Examples of cooler places in the event of a fire are: exterior walls, basements and inside closets. Modular safes often fit better in these cooler spaces than traditional safes. Moisture trapping insulators perform better in fire testing but come with other drawbacks not found in dry insulation systems. Fire protection is very much like theft protection in that nothing is invincible, but more money usually buys more time.
- Make Long-term Investment
Steelhead Outdoors doesn’t make the least expensive safes available on the market, nor are they the most expensive. Steelhead Outdoors gun safes are Made in USA, which keeps jobs in America to produce a high-quality modular gun safe product. This is a long-term investment, which is why modular gun safes are a great option – so you can take it with you if you change residences. Modular safes can be disassembled into several pieces which makes it easier to move versus one heavy traditional safe. The safe is assembled with hardware only accessible from the inside of the safe, so that it can only be disassembled after the door is opened, preventing unauthorized persons from attempting disassembly.
A gun safe offers the best protection against unauthorized use, theft and fire. Store other valuables in the safe along with a firearm collection and be worry-free. Contact Steelhead Outdoors to learn more about its American-made modular gun safes. Custom gun safe options are available.
