When customers come into our store, I commonly hear the question, "Are gun safes really safe?" The short answer is absolutely! Let me share my experience with you and explain why I think so.
Just like my grandfather and many others who own firearms, I started with the gun cabinet vs a gun safe. I can still picture the 8-point buck standing on the hill etched into the glass. This gun cabinet was my first attempt to secure my firearms and ammo. I stored my ammo and hunting rifle for years until my son started to grow, and I watched the news more. Once my son started climbing the cabinets and people outside my house started going crazy, I knew something had to change. My firearms and son were not that safe.
I got a chuckle while writing this blog, thinking about the first safe I bought with my wife—a cheap 24-gun safe made by Sports Authority. I remember feeling joyful and having peace of mind as I locked my guns in an actual gun safe with GOOD fire protection. I imagine my face looked somewhat like Ralphies from The Christmas Storey when he finally got his Red Ryder BB Gun. I was excited, and I knew that day I made the right choice: storing my guns in a gun safe vs a gun cabinet.
Here we are now; I still have the 8-point gun cabinet that I use as a "decoy safe" where I store less valuable stuff. You know the things you wouldn't necessarily miss if someone took them, but you still don't want to get rid of it. My old Sports Authority gun safe now houses my ammo. If you buy ammo, you know it's not cheap, and some rounds can cost more than a cheap firearm.
About two years ago, I outgrew my first gun safe and had to figure out what to buy next. To say I did extensive research on this would be an understatement. I watched many videos and read tons of blogs like this one before committing to a Liberty Fatboy 64. Boy, let me tell you. This Fatboy is an upgrade from my gun cabinet and Sports Authority safe. You can see it's much more secure than my other safes just by its look and feel. The Fatboy gun safe has a 12 gauge steel body, 12-1/4" locking bars, 110 minutes of fire rating, and holds up to 60 long guns. Plus, it looks nice, it gave me room to add to my collection, and I didn't break the bank by buying it. Most importantly, it gave me a greater peace of mind than my first safe. During my research, I learned a lot about home fires; let me share some of it with you.
Did you know a small fire can become major within less than 6 minutes? So your home could be engulfed in flames in just 6 minutes. I'll give you a second to let that sink in. Most homes will burn entirely down in 1-2 hours. That is why I wanted the peace of mind of having a 2-hour fire-rated safe (or as close to 2 hours as possible.) I knew I'd have a greater chance of retaining my valuables in a house fire with this Fatboy Gun Safe. Also, know that if the fire gets hot enough and burns long enough, your safe will be kaput, but the valuables inside should be ok. With Liberty's, Browning's, and Rhino's Safe Warranty, you can get a new safe in case of a fire, break-in, or attempted break-in. (See each manufacturer's warranty policy to ensure you have taken the proper steps to complete your warranty and understand their warranty policy. I've linked them here: Liberty, Browning, Rhino)
Living outside of a town in a more rural area, I knew I had to have a 2-hour fire-rated safe or as close to that as possible. My Sports Authority safe was rated for 40 minutes of fire protection. I was not confident that even if the fire department got to my home quickly, they would have the fire put out before everything in my safe was ruined. Now, if you are right down the road from a fire department or within city limits, fire rating might not be as big of a concern for you as it was for me. However, I tell people to air on the side of caution because you never know what will happen in the event of a fire. Now, onto the next thing I researched. Security.
A safe is a massive deterrent to someone wanting to take the stuff you've bought with your hard-earned money. Most of your common thieves are in a hurry. They want to smash, grab, and be out the door in under a minute. However, not all thieves are like that; some are willing to risk more for a bigger payoff. They will spend time trying to push a safe over, pry a safe open, knock the lock off, try to pick your lock, etc. When I bought my Fatboy Safe, I knew it weighed enough that a thief wouldn't be able to push it over. I also took it further by bolting my safe to the floor. Another reason I picked this safe was that it comes standard with 12 Solid State Locking bars. Solid State Locking bars are made with military-grade steel that is not easily pryable like other traditional locking pins. Lastly, one of my main concerns was the locking mechanism.
The Fatboy has a DX-90 Monster Mech locking mechanism, dual re-locker locks, three hardened steel plates, and a SecuRam Toplit Electronic Lock. Liberty made the Fatboy Gun Safe to withstand pry attacks, drill attacks, and forced entry. Even if someone knocked the lock off the safe, there is no area for a skeleton key to access the safe. Plus, these electronic locks require a six-digit code, so they cannot guess it. That is over a million possible combinations, yep. Say it with me, "a million possible combinations."
Also, while talking about keeping thieves out of your safe, let's talk about little ones. Having your firearms locked up in a secure out of a child's reach is essential. They do not need to have access to your guns unless you are teaching them about firearm safety. There are so many things that could go wrong if your child or one of their friends got a hold of one of your guns. Not to mention the liability aspect of a child hurting themselves or someone else with a firearm. Be a smart gun owner and parent. Lock your guns up and keep them out of reach.
With all that being said, I hope you can now see why gun safes are absolutely 100% worth the investment. I also want to add that we offer other safes here that are more and less secure than the Fatboy Safe; this safe was the one that best fit my personal needs. When it comes time for you to invest in your peace of mind, you'll need a safe that is right for you and your family. Please read our blog, The Ultimate Safe Buying Guide, to learn how to figure out what safety you might need.