A Guide to Properly Storing & Securing Your Guns
As a gun owner, it’s your responsibility and legal duty to keep your firearms safely stored. Storing your guns properly also reduces environmental wear on them, and depending on the type of storage you choose, can also house other valuables.
If you carry a weapon for self defense, whether that’s a concealed firearm, pepper spray, or a gun for home defense, you need to be protected legally. The USCCA is a leader in self-defense insurance, and you can visit their page learn more about why you need concealed carry insurance.
You have a wide range of options when it comes to storing your guns, and how you choose to store your weapons often depends on the situation. If you own multiple firearms, for example, then you’d probably want a safe. If you only own a handgun for home defense, then a bedside lock box may be the right choice for you.
You’ll also need to think about how you’re going to transport your firearms: to the range, while moving, or taking them on a hunt in another location.
There’s no reason for you to have your shotgun leaned up against the wall in the corner of your closet, or leave your pistol on the floor under your bed. As obvious as that sounds, people often leave guns out in the open, and this is how tragedy can strike, or how robbers make off with guns they’ll use later in violent crimes.
As you can see, there are a plethora of reasons for you to properly secure your firearms. Now, let’s dive into the many options you have in keeping your guns locked up.
Cable Lock
The basic cable lock is the cheapest, easiest way to secure and render your firearm useless, at least if a child finds the gun. Cable locks can also be somewhat of a theft deterrent if you attach the lock to a permanent fixture.
In the hands of an experienced criminal though, cable locks are rather easy to get through, so you’ll probably want something sturdier for home storage. It’s also smart to use a cable lock in when transporting your firearms, especially if you’re travelling with them across state lines or on a plane.
Running a cable lock through your rifle and putting it in a locking rifle case would be a great example of how to travel with a firearm. Keeping cable locks on all of your firearms adds another layer of safety, and if you have children in the house, this may be a great first step in safely storing your guns.
Below are our three favorite cable locks on Amazon that will help you secure your weapons.
Premium Tactical Supply – Cable Gun Lock
FSDC Cable Gun Lock
Noble Guard Double Security Cable Gun Lock
Gun Case
The gun case is a simple, affordable way to protect, conceal and transport a firearm. Gun cases come in a wide variety of size and styles, and we’re talking here about cases designed to store and/or transport firearms, not display cases for showpieces.
We would recommend a locking gun case if it’s in your budget, and if possible, keeping a cable lock on the firearm as well, especially if transporting the firearm. There are gun cases for long guns and handguns, and combination options, too.
Most of these types of storage devices utilize a metal or plastic exterior, although some are made from cloth or wood. We’d recommend a hard plastic case with a high-density foam interior.
These seem to be the best option for safely securing your firearms and protecting them from the elements, especially water if you’re travelling.
Below, we’ve listed our top picks for gun cases, a great option for storing your firearms safely during travel or even when at another fixed location like a hunting camp.
Plano – Four Pistol Case
Case Club – Five Pistol Case
Pelican 1200 Case (Great for customization)
Lock Box
Lock boxes can be separated into to categories: Manual and Electronic.
Both options are portable, easily accessible, prevent environmental wear, and can be used to store other valuables as well, depending on the size.
Many lock boxes can also be bolted down from the inside of the lockbox, making them even more secure and adding another layer of security in that thieves can’t run off with them.
The electronic lockboxes are often more difficult to break into, but a thief with the right tools can break into it if they grab the lock box from your car or home. The Vaultek lock box is one of the best available, and it comes in a variety of sizes and colors.
We’ve listed four of the best lockbox options below.
SentrySafe Key Lock Box
GunVault SV500 SpeedVault
AmazonBasics Security Safe
Vaultek Biometric Handgun Safe
Gun Safe (AKA Vault of Awesomeness)
There are a ton of safes out there to choose from, depending on your needs and budget. Because there are so many options, we’d recommend getting a safe that meets your specific requirements.
Safes are great because they give you the opportunity to house not just multiple firearms, but also other valuables like money, jewelry, important documents and so on. Safes have the highest theft deterrence, and you should go with a safe the can be floor and/or wall bolted.
There are also biometric safes out there that rely on high-speed tech to recognize your bio-signatures for access to the safe. Depending on the type of safe you go with, some are even flame resistant, so even in a fire, a lot of safes can still protect your firearms (and family photos) from destruction.
The prices on gun safes range from a couple hundred dollars all the way up to the thousands. For a custom built-in gun vault, you’re looking at $10,000+ to start.
If you have multiple firearms or just want the best protection against theft, damage or kids, then a safe is the way to go. Below you can see the highest rated safes out there.
Stack-On 10 Gun Safe
Scout 16 Gun Safe
Steelwater 22 Gun Safe
Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
Firearms storage is a foundational part of gun ownership. If you’re not willing to properly secure your weapons, then you shouldn’t own them.
Stolen guns are often used in violent crimes against innocent people and law enforcement, and the tragedy of a child finding a gun and injuring or killing themselves or others is something that should never, ever happen.
Optimally, you would be able to utilize several of these storage methods, such as running cable locks through all of your firearms in a safe. Whether you’re storing firearms at home, locking them up for transport, or emplacing a gun for home defense, you should always secure it in a way that allows only you or other intended users to access the weapon.
You should also be training your family members on weapons handling best practices, even if they never intend to use them. Your spouse for example, should know where firearms are located in the house.
Your children should be educated on what to do if they find a gun (the NRA’s Eddie the Eagle program is actually pretty great for this).
Securing and storing your weapons is simple and effective if done right – plan for the unexpected and never leave weapons out in the open.
