When you’re looking for the best of any kind of product, you really have to be very careful. You have to know how to separate pure opinion from an opinion based on objective facts or criteria. This is quite important because people can steer you in the wrong direction simply because they have an opinion about a particular type of product.
They might be giving all sorts of recommendations, and these don’t really fit the set of circumstances buyers normally work with. It’s ok to have an opinion, but make sure it’s based on solid facts that people should consider, when looking for a particular type of product. Otherwise, you are just giving your opinion, and it’s likely that your recommendation won’t benefit anybody.
There’s no shortage of people telling you that they can recommend the best product for you. What they’re really doing is that they just want to feel they’re an expert in something. It turns out that they’ve only heard of this brand somewhere, and that’s all they’ve based their recommendation on. Unfortunately, such recommendations won’t do you much good.
This is especially true if you are going to be buying sensitive pieces of equipment for your home like a gun safe. You want to make sure that your weaponry is safe and not easily stolen by criminals, or accessed by kids. This is a serious home safety issue.
Accordingly, looking for the “best gun safe” is something that you should not take lightly. You should not throw around that term “best gun safe” casually, because you might end up attracting product recommendations based on opinions, instead of facts. What follows is a fact-driven analysis of how to determine the “best gun safe” for your set of circumstances properly. It’s important to keep this in mind.
What makes a particular product the “best,” is not because a lot of people use it. It has nothing to do with how big its marketing budget is. Instead, what makes it the “best” is it fits your particular set of circumstances and needs. Keep it at that level and you will find the right product for your purposes.
Table of Contents
The right size
Look at the space in your home where you will be placing your gun safe. What kind of space requirements would you need? How would this impact the size of the safe itself?
Electronic vs. Analog
A lot of people prefer electronic gun safes because they’re easy to open and to operate. The downside to that type of gun safe is that they run out of juice. What if, your battery runs out? What if, your electric power goes off?
Not surprisingly, a lot of gun owners prefer the old-fashioned analog security system. The downside to analog is you need to keep your mind straight while you’re in emergency situations trying to open your gun safe. You might lose track of the numbers; your emotions might get the better of you, and you might not be able to open the safe fast enough.
The right wall thickness
The best gun safe has to have the proper wall thickness so that it can adequately protect your weaponry. This, of course, depends on the size of the guns you have right now, and those you plan on buying in the foreseeable future. Make sure you factor in some scalability for weapons you might buy in the future, so your safe can accommodate those purchases.
The right weight
This is a very big factor. A lot of gun owners think that they can get away with a really heavy gun safe. That makes a lot of sense if you’re not going to move your safe from one part of the house to another. A lot of people cannot say this. There might come a time when you need to move it, and you have to factor this while choosing the proper weight for your gun safe. However, it cannot be so light that criminals can steal your gun safe.
Weigh portability factors
In addition to moving from one part of the house to another, you might also move out of the house altogether. It might be down the street, across state lines, or out of the country. Whatever the case may be; you need to factor in portability.
Factor this in because you don’t want your guns to be misplaced while you are moving. This is one very important aspect of determining the best gun safe that a lot of gun owners simply neglect. If you’re like the typical American family, you can bet that you will be moving at least twice in your whole lifetime. Most people do move around due to business and job opportunities.
Fits your budget
A lot of people looking for the best gun safe zero in on this consideration and neglect everything else. This is too bad because it’s not just about cost. You have to understand that whatever money you save buying a less expensive gun safe now, might actually be lost in the future when you have to replace that gun safe with another product.
Why? It might not be durable enough. This is why it’s really important to look at all your purchases and think in terms of return of investment. Sure, you paid a bit more money now, but at least you get the peace of mind knowing that it’s going to last over the years. Moreover, spending extra on the best gun safe ensures that it will be able to handle all sorts of punishment over the years. It’s also likely that when there’s a fire or flood, the gun safe will keep your weaponry in good shape and protect it from rust.
Durability is crucial. You have to squeeze every red penny’s worth of value from any product you spend your money on. The best gun safe reflects this mindset; the lower-quality ones don’t. They just lure you in with a cheaper price tag, but you end up paying the price down the road.
Love the post but wanted to add my 2 cents. Some insurance companies actually offer a home owners discount if you own a safe. It doesn’t hurt to check with your insurance and see if they offer one. It would technically pay for your safe.