The NRA has produced a good video on general principles of gun safety. New shooters should definitely watch this video, which provides many important reminders for long-time gun owners as well. This video and other safety principles are featured in a Shooting Sports USA article.

While at the range, shooters should practice Three Basic Rules:

1) Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2) Always keep your finger OFF the trigger until ready to shoot.
3) Always keep the gun UNLOADED until ready to use.

In addition, whenever you are shooting, indoors or outdoors, know what is behind your target and never shoot if there is not a safe backstop. With a centerfire rifle at an outdoor range, just a few degrees of elevation can cause a shot to impact more than a mile away.

Store Guns Safely When Not in Use
After your range sessions or hunts, is vital to store all guns safely. We recommend storing all firearms (pistols, rifles, shotguns) in a sturdy gun safe with thick steel walls. Use a GoldenRod or other device to control humidity inside the safe. We also like to use Bore-Stores or other treated gun sacks to help protect against corrosion.

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.

Sportsman’s Warehouse — Early Black Friday Deals

⏺️ » Major discounts on guns, optics, ammo, camping gear

Now through November 5, 2026, check out the big Early Black Friday Sale at Sportsman’s Warehouse. You’ll find great deals on rifles, pistols, shotguns, scopes, spotting scopes, and ammo. In addition there are major discounts on hunter’s camo gear, trail cams, crossbows, and more. The deals featured above are good through 11:59 pm on November 5. Then Deal Drop 2 runs November 6-12.

Natchez — Rimfire and Centerfire Ammo Deals

⏺️ » Great deals on .22 LR, hunting ammo, and pistol ammo

Natchez is offering major discounts on a wide variety of rimfire and centerfire ammo. You can save up to 16% on a wide variety of .22 LR rimfie ammo and save $50-$90 on 1000-ct cases of pistol ammo, such as CCI .45 ACP FMJ. In addition there are huge discounts on centerfire rifle ammo. For example, you can save $100 on a 1000ct case of PMC 5.56×45 X-Tac Ammo.

As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.

Well it’s November folks — winter is around the corner. This time of year, many of our readers are putting their guns away in a safe for the winter. It’s easy to just tuck the guns away and forget about them. But there’s something you should do before you shut the safe door. If you have a safe with an electronic keypad, you should replace the battery every year as a precautionary measure. Trust us, you don’t want to come back in a few months and find that the keypad memory is kaput, and you’re locked out. That can lead to frustration and an expensive locksmith visit.

NOTE: Some lock systems use more power and you may need to change your batteries TWICE a year. Batteries aren’t that expensive — you may want to replace batteries TWICE a year if you open and close your safes very frequently.

Low Voltage Battery? You May Be Locked Out…
Here’s a true story. I have one safe with a Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G) keypad. A couple years back, in early December, I went to get into the safe. I punched in the correct combination, but all I got was a rapid “beep, beep, beep, beep” after I finished the last combination entry. I tried again to ensure I entered the combination correctly (I did). But again, the locking system responded with multiple rapid beeps indicating something was wrong. And the safe would not open. Now I was worried….

I popped out the battery holder (which slides in from the bottom of the keypad housing on the door). I removed the battery and tested it with a volt-meter. The 12-month-old Duracell 9-volt battery only registered 6.1 volts.

Low voltage was the problem. I went down to the store and got a couple new 9V batteries. I tested the new batteries and both measured 9.4 volts output. I slipped one of the new 9V batteries into the keypad housing, punched in the combination and everything worked OK again. Eureka.

Most electronic locks for safes WILL “remember” the combination for a period of time even when the battery is low (and the keypad’s “brain” should retain the combination when you remove the battery for replacement). However, a dead battery, or extended periods of low voltage can give you problems. Don’t rely on wishful thinking…

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.

Sportsman’s Warehouse — Big September Sale

⏺️ » Big savings on hunting rifles, optics, packs and more

If you need gear for your fall hunt, definitely check out the major Outdoor Shooting Gear Sale running now at Sportsman’s Warehouse. There are big discounts up to 30% on hunting rifles, optics, rangefinders, hunting gear, carry packs and more. Save on products from leading brands including Smith & Wesson, Savage, Vortex, Leupold, and SIG Sauer.

MidwayUSA — Fall Bonanza Sale Plus FREE Shipping on $100+

⏺️ » Major savings on optics/hunting gear, FREE Shipping with $100+ orders

Right now MidwayUSA has a vast selection of gear on sale — everything a hunter might need for the fall hunting season. In addition to great deals on hunting rifles, you can save up to 64% on scopes, binoculars, trail cams, carry packs, gun cases, boots and more. Along with the big discounts, MidwayUSA is also offering FREE Shipping on $100+ orders.

As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.

When you want a firearm for home defense instantly available, you don’t necessarily want it buried in a large gun safe in a remote section of your house. There are reasons you may want a rifle, pistol, or shotgun ready to be deployed quickly. One solution for this is the “hidden in plain sight” option. Using common household furniture or house features (such as vents and mirrors), you can stash a firearms where it can be quickly accessed, but no unwelcome visitor will suspect it is stored. This article presents some popular gun storage options.

Virginia-based Tactical Walls is a leader is specialized gun storage/concealment systems. This company offers a variety of USA-made furniture/decorative options for gun storage. There are mirror assemblies, sliding wooden flags, tables with hidden storage, bookcases, shelving units, and more. The General Manager of Tactical Walls is Dennis DeMille, formerly GM of Creedmoor Sports, and a talented marksman.

Dennis tells us: “Tactical Walls was the pioneer in concealing firearms in plain sight”. He says this company has great creativity and impressive production capabilities. View all Tactical Walls concealment gun storage options at TacticalWalls.com.

Fine Firearms Furniture with Slide-Open Table Top
Here’s something that will teach unwanted guests some “table manners”. We’ve seen handguns hidden in books, and stowed behind faux baseboard vents, but this hand-crafted, slide-open table takes the cake. We doubt that anyone could sit down at this table and suspect that a shotgun, scoped rifle, two pistols and a knife were stored securely inside. There’s an arsenal hiding in there!

To access the guns under the sliding table-top, first you flip down a wood trap-door on the side. That exposes a key-lock which unlatches the interleaved left and right table segments. These slide open horizontally on metal tracks, exposing the full arsenal underneath. This “table vault” is a very clever design, built with fine craftsmanship.

Hidden in Plain Sight — Guide Gear Vent Pistol Locker

This clever “imposter vent” should fool any unwanted visitors. This Guide Gear Hide-A-Gun vent storage unit is just $99.99 on eBay. NOTE: This will require installation in the wall, with attachment to studs.

Decorative Storage — Patriot Flag Concealment Unit

This handsome triangular wood box has hidden storage for a firearm and/or valuables. It currently costs $60.00 on Amazon. You may want to bolt this down to a shelf for extra security.

There is a good article on gun safes in SHOT Business, a publication for the NSSF SHOT Show audience. Written by Christopher Cogley, this Safe Spaces Article offers some very important things to consider when purchasing a gun safe. Here are key points from that article:

Safe Security — The security of a gun safe comes down to two main factors: the thickness of the steel and the construction of the safe. When it comes to construction, look for a safe that has continuous welded construction instead of bolts or spot-welding, which are easier for trained gun thieves to cut through with torches or high-power saws.

Lock Options — Traditional combination locks are arguably the simplest choice. The downside, though, is they don’t provide quick access to firearms in an emergency. Electronic and biometric keypads provide quicker access — but be sure to replace the batteries every year.

Fireproof Rating — Aside from theft, the biggest threat to your firearms is fire. Unfortunately, the fireproof rating on gun safes can be confusing because there is no single, “standard” fireproof rating. As a general rule, the fireproof rating states how long a safe can be exposed to a fire of a particular temperature and maintain a temperature inside the safe of no more than 350 degrees F. To put this in context, the average house fire creates temperatures between 800 and 1,200 degrees F.

Where to Place a Gun Safe in Your Home
The Safe Spaces article includes advice from Stephen Hall, CEO of Lock It Up Safes. Hall addressed the question: “Where should I put my safe?”

Hall states: “Ease of installation should NOT be the foremost consideration when making this decision. Putting a safe in the garage has both pros and cons. We see some retailers recommend the garage solely because they don’t have the right team on board to install safes in other locations, and wheeling one into the garage is the easy way out.

Putting a safe in the garage is fine if that is the only place you an put it, but most want the safe in the home, where they can get to it quickly. Temperature and humidity are important considerations as well, and both are more easily controlled in a house rather than in the garage.

One advantage to garage installation is the concrete floor provides a solid base for safe installation. Houses built on concrete slabs also offer a solid anchor on the first level. If the safe needs to go to an upper floor, the weight of the safe and its contents need to be factored in.”

Place Safe Against Outside Wall
Hall recommends placing your gun safe against an outside wall: “In case of fire, the safe will typically last longer as there is not a lot that can burn on one side of the safe, thus keeping it cooler.”

Don’t Make the Mistake of Buying an Undersized Safe

The most common mistake people make when buying a gun safe is getting a safe that’s too small. This video explains why you should probably invest in a bigger safe. First, the rated gun capacity is exaggerated — rifles with mounted optics, long barrels, wide forearms and/or pistol grips take up considerably more space than a small rimfire rifle or a lever gun with iron sights. Second, your gun collection will likely grow in years to come. Third, you may want to store other valuables in the safe — such as vital documents, jewelry, watches, and pricey electronics. In this video the host notes: “Get a much larger safe than you think you’ll need at first. This will guarantee that you will have enough room for future purchases and all the guns and equipment you currently have.”

Recommended Safe Features for Long-Gun Storage

Editor’s Recommendation: Budget $1200-1500 for a safe from a major maker, with external hinges, and an interior at least 58″ high. That gives you room for 30″-barreled rifles with a top shelf for handguns and other valuables. A rotary rack and slide-out drawers are great additions. Keypad or Dial? We favor rotary dial locks. With minimal maintenance they will function flawlessly for decades. But the digital locks offer quick-access and convenience. If you go digital, get a commercial-grade unit. Fire-lining is worth getting, but a thin layer of sheet-rock doesn’t make a safe truly “fire-proof”.

Interior at least 58″ High and 30″ wide Overall Weight 750+ Pounds 8 Gauge or Heavier Wall Thickness Double-Wall, Composite Door with Relockers Minimum UL RSC Rated. TL-15 or TL-30 Rating is Desirable External Hinges Mechanical UL Group II (or better) Lock with Standard Dial Or UL Type 1 Commercial-Grade Electronic Lock Custom Interior Suitable for Scoped Guns with Long Barrels On-Door Storage System for Non-scoped Long Guns OR Rotary Gun Rack for Scoped Rifles and ARs Internal (sandwiched) Insulator, Reinforced if Sheet-rock Palusol? Heat-Activated Expanding Door Seals Slide-out Drawers for Handguns Fire-lined Inner Safe for Paper and Media Low Gloss, Rust-resistant External Finish Pre-Drilled holes for Lag Bolts and in Rear for Electric Cord Overhead Fluorescent Lamp and/or LED Mini-lights on Strings

]]> https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2026/07/gun-safe-features-capacity-steel-thickness-locks-fire-rating/feed/ 0 https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2026/06/quality-american-made-modular-safes-from-steelhead-outdoors/ https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2026/06/quality-american-made-modular-safes-from-steelhead-outdoors/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:13:16 +0000 https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/?p=72883

For gun owners who have to move frequently, or who may live in an upstairs apartment or condo, we recommend a modular safe. We have featured modular safes in the past, and now we’re pleased to say there is a new line of made-in-USA modular safes that may work well for our readers. Steelhead Outdoors, based in Minnesota, now offers three different safes: Nomad 26, 32, and Nomad 38. These are good products for sure, but they are also quite expensive. The Nomad 26 starts at $2700 while the Nomad 32 stars at $3500, while the big Nomad 38 lists for $4000. However, when you consider the value of your gun collection, the cost becomes more tolerable if you need a safe you can take down and move.

USA-Made Nomad Series safes come in three sizes — Nomad 26, Nomad 32, and Nomad 38:

Nomad 26 — 25.5″ W x 54″ T, holds 6-15 long guns. Weight 375 lbs. (< 100 lbs. per panel) Nomad 32 -- 31.5" W x 60" T, holds 8-19 long guns. Weight 500 lbs. (< 135 lbs. per panel) Nomad 38 -- 37.5" W x 60" T, holds 10-34 long guns. Weight 600 lbs. (< 165 lbs. per panel)

This video explains the features of Steelhead Nomad Series modular, take-apart gun safes:

Steelhead Outdoors states: “Our modular gun safes are easily moved and assembled by two people. Traditional safes require hiring a specialized safe moving company, which is costly, or enlisting buddies on a dangerous DIY adventure each time the homeowner moves.”

Steelhead Outdoors Nomad series safes features some high-end security features. The patent-pending construction features a fully dry insulation system, eliminating the need for a dehumidifier. This system utilizes a radiant heat reflecting coating to reject incoming heat from entering the safe. The metal interior provides additional protection and is made from nearly 100 percent nonflammable materials. The panels are filled with ceramic fire insulation that is rated to 2300 degrees and is non-moisture trapping so it does not require the use of a dehumidifier and will not release steam into the safe in the event of a fire.

This cool time-lapse video shows the entire process of assembling the safe, start to finish.

The video below shows how to assemble a Steelhead Outdoors Nomad series safe. If you have basic skills, these safes can be assembled easily in under 60 minutes. Steelhead recommends having two people to do the job. The entire safe ships in four (4) boxes. Wrenches are included with the safe.

Features of Steelhead Outdoors Nomad Series Safes
Steelhead Outdoors Nomad Series of premium modular gun safes are designed and constructed to allow for flexibility and mobility without sacrificing safety or durability. Shooters, hunters and gun collectors will appreciate these smart design decisions.

— Double wall construction with 12-gauge welded, powder-coated exterior panels and 20-gauge interior panels, 7-gauge plate door (3/16″), large 1/2″ locking plates.
— Patent-pending construction with dual-stage fire protection with 2300° insulation and radiation-reflecting panels, for enhanced corrosion resistance.
— Drill resistant hard plate features 78 captured, hardened ball bearings to destroy attacking drill bits
— Full-length hinge side locking bar locks door solidly in place, even with door hinges removed
— Cam-Over-Center direct drive lock mechanism with metal bearings at every moving point
— Ships flat and easily assembled in place with one hex key wrench (provided)

Gun Storage Check Week is the time to ensure your firearms are stored safely and securely. NSSF, the Firearm Industry Trade Association, is promoting Gun Storage Check Week, June 1-7, 2025, to remind gun owners to review their storage practices to prevent accidents, suicides and thefts. During this week, check your gun safe(s), and ensure your firearms are stored correctly and locked down properly. Also use secure gun cases when transporting firearms to the range. When traveling by air, use proper TSA-approved gun cases and comply with transport rules.

“Securely storing guns when they’re not in use can save lives. It’s really that simple,” said Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO of NSSF. “No one wants their gun in the hands of an unsupervised child, a person in crisis, someone who does not understand how to safely operate firearms, or a thief. If something bad happens because your gun isn’t stored securely, you’ll regret it, probably forever.”

This video covers gun safety rules and secure storage of firearms.

Gun Storage Check Week’s safety resources highlight many options to store firearms securely so that guns are off limits to unauthorized persons. Secure gun storage devices include:

Cable Locks — Available free of charge through NSSF’s Project ChildSafe® program
Lock Boxes — Secure storage solution for guns kept for home security and in vehicles
Lockable Gun Cases — for security, portability, and travel
Full-size Gun Safes — For owners with multiple firearms to protect against fire and theft.

Enter to Win a Biometric Pistol Lock
Visitors to GunStorageCheck.org can enter the Gun Storage Check Week Sweepstakes to win a B.O.S. Lock Fusion. This innovative firearm safety device mounts to a handgun’s accessory rail, combining a biometric slide lock with an integrated tactical light and green laser.

The B.O.S. Lock Fusion is the world’s first biometric slide lock that integrates a tactical light and laser into a single, high-performance locking device. Go to GunStorageCheck.org to register. One winner will be chosen.

NOTE: Gain 5 extra entries by watching any of the firearm safety or suicide prevention videos after you complete the entry form.

At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.

NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.

Midsouth — RCBS Explorer Reloading Kit 2, $329.88

⏺️ » Great price for everything you need — press, powder measure, scale etc.

For folks getting started with hand-loading, a great basic package is the RCBS Explorer Reloading Kit 2. On sale for $329.88 at Midsouth, this RCBS Package features pretty much all you need to load rifle and pistol ammo: Reloader Special 5 single-stage press, Uniflow-III Powder Measure, 1500gr digital scale, hand priming tool, powder funnel, powder trickler, hex key set, deburring tool, loading block, and Case Slick spray lube. You even get a Speer Reloading Manual.

Palmetto SA — Bulk Ammunition Sale, Rimfire and Centerfire

⏺️ » Major savings on wide selection of rifle, pistol, and shotgun ammo

Here is a great opportunity to get quality ammo for your pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Head over to Palmetto SA for the current April Ammo Sale. There is a large variety of .223 Rem/5.56 NATO ammo, plus very affordable .38 SPL and 9mm ammo. Rimfire fans will find great deals on all popular types: .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR. Along with the ammo types shown above, there are many other pistol cartridge types. Plus you’ll find a huge selection of 12ga and 20ga shotgun ammo starting at just $0.36/shell.

Introduction — What You Need in a Security Gun Safe
If you own firearms, you need a gun safe. In some states, such as California, if you don’t own a safe, you face potential liability if your firearms are stolen. Purchasing a safe is no easy decision however. There are dozens of safe manufacturers and countless design options. Sorting out the facts from the marketing claims can be difficult.

Today’s seven Saturday Showcase videos explain the most important qualities you should look for in a safe, and help you with the tough decisions, such as “Should I get a digital lock or a dial lock?”, “What kind of fire-proofing is most effective?”, “How big a safe do I really need?”, and “What interior works best with long-barreled scoped rifles?” You’ll find reviews of full-size safes, modular safes, and smaller handgun safes. Plus you’ll find expert advice on how to install your safe in your home and how to keep the contents free from rust.

READ Full AccurateShooter.com Gun Safe Buyers Guide »

Recommended Safe Features for Long-Gun Storage

Editor’s Recommendation: Budget $1200-1500 for a safe from a major maker, with external hinges, and an interior at least 58″ high. That gives you room for 30″-barreled rifles with a top shelf for handguns and other valuables. A rotary rack and slide-out drawers are great additions. Keypad or Dial? We favor rotary dial locks. With minimal maintenance they will function flawlessly for decades. But the digital locks offer quick-access and convenience. If you go digital, get a commercial-grade unit. Fire-lining is worth getting, but a thin layer of sheet-rock doesn’t make a safe truly “fire-proof”.

Interior at least 58″ High and 30″ wide Overall Weight 750+ Pounds 8 Gauge or Heavier Wall Thickness Double-Wall, Composite Door with Relockers Minimum UL RSC Rated. TL-15 or TL-30 Rating is Desirable External Hinges Mechanical UL Group II (or better) Lock with Standard Dial Or UL Type 1 Commercial-Grade Electronic Lock Custom Interior Suitable for Scoped Guns with Long Barrels On-Door Storage System for Non-scoped Long Guns OR Rotary Gun Rack for Scoped Rifles and ARs Internal (sandwiched) Insulator, Reinforced if Sheet-rock Palusol? Heat-Activated Expanding Door Seals Slide-out Drawers for Handguns Fire-lined Inner Safe for Paper and Media Low Gloss, Rust-resistant External Finish Pre-Drilled holes for Lag Bolts and in Rear for Electric Cord Overhead Fluorescent Lamp and/or LED Mini-lights on Strings

Advice for Gun Safe Buyers — Seven Key Things to Consider

This video covers key gun safe features — Seven Things to Consider Before Buying a Gun Safe. Not all gun safes are created equal. There are many variables — fire ratings, burglar ratings, colors, lock choices, internal capacity, door storage, and more. And with the recent controversy involving Liberty Safes, you should check the safe-maker’s policies regarding digital passcodes — you don’t want your passcode revealed without a warrant and/or without your consent.

DOs and DON’Ts of Safe Buying DO purchase a safe that is bigger than you think you need. Your gun collection is bound to grow over time. A good safe is more than just a gun locker–it becomes a secure storage device for your family’s other valuables as well. You’ll find you quickly fill up even a large safe. Spend the money for the size, protection, and features you want. Your gun collection may be worth many tens of thousands of dollars. Some people who visit this site wouldn’t hesitate to spend $1300 for a custom action or $1800+ for a competition scope, yet they don’t want to spend more than a few hundred dollars on a safe. That’s not common sense. If you’re on a tight budget, consider a used safe. Unlike many other products, safes don’t really wear out over time. When businesses change locations, you can get a very high quality commercial safe for little more than the cost of removing it. DO spend more for a safe that offers fire-resistance. But you have to do your homework–you can spend a lot of money for “fire-proofing” that actually is not very effective. Make sure if sheet-rock is used that it is properly installed. If you have valuable documents and media files, it’s not a bad idea to purchase a smaller, commercial-grade fire safe to put inside the gun safe. This gives you double protection. DO look at many different brands of safes before you buy. There ARE significant differences among brands. For example, Browning offers a unique (patent-pending) door-mounted rifle rack. Zanotti offers slide-out drawers and a modular design that is much easier for an owner to move. Ft. Knox uses an advanced method to secure and stabilize its fire-proofing layers within the safe. Brown offers custom exotic wood interior shelving and safes with commercial-grade burglary protection (much thicker steel with heavy composite doors and walls). Amsec offers a proprietary “DryLight” poured concrete-type fire insulation with greater structural strength than typical sheet-rock panels. DO investigate the safe’s specifications. Just because a safe is big and heavy doesn’t mean it’s particularly secure. Heavy-gauge steel is much more resistant to cutting and drilling than light 12- or 14-gauge steel. Some safes on the market have walls so thin they can be penetrated with a fire ax. We recommend 10-gauge steel at a minimum, and 8 gauge is much better. The safe should carry a UL RSC (Underwriters Laboratories “Residential Security Container”) or better rating. DO ask about the safe’s safeguards against tampering. A quality safe will feature extra armor or devices to defeat drilling. Low-grade safes can be opened in a few minutes with simple, battery-powered hand tools. All safes should have relockers to help ensure the safe remains locked in the case of a burglary. Relockers are hardened pins that are triggered during an attack, and cannot be retracted without hours of drilling. The number of relockers on a safe ranges from 2-10+ depending on the safe’s size and burglary grade.

DON’T store powder in your safe. A tightly-sealed metal box with a large quantity of powder inside is a bomb. Store powder in a separate, lightly-constructed cabinet or plastic box. The main thing for powder is to keep it dry and away from moisture and light.

Don’t Make the Mistake of Buying an Undersized Safe

The most common mistake people make when buying a gun safe is getting a safe that’s too small. This video explains why you should probably invest in a bigger safe. First, the rated gun capacity is exaggerated — rifles with mounted optics, long barrels, wide forearms and/or pistol grips take up considerably more space than a small rimfire rifle or a lever gun with iron sights. Second, your gun collection will likely grow in years to come. Third, you may want to store other valuables in the safe — such as vital documents, jewelry, watches, and pricey electronics. In this video the host notes: “Get a much larger safe than you think you’ll need at first. This will guarantee that you will have enough room for future purchases and all the guns and equipment you currently have.”

What Happens in a Fire and Deluxe Features

Modular Safes — Smart Option for Easier Moving

This article features a great video showing how to assemble a modular safe in under 30 minutes. This article also explains the benefits of modular gunsafes — primarily easier transport and installation. “Modular safes have been around for a few years now and are becoming more popular. Here’s why: The safe comes delivered to you in panels, so you can bring them into your home one at a time and put it together anywhere you like. This makes it easy to carry up and down stairs, onto elevators or anywhere! Security — Is it as secure as one that comes pre-assembled? The answer is, absolutely.” READ FULL ARTICLE on NRAWomen.com.

Five Good Gun Safes Under $500

We know some readers have a tight budget. This video looks at some recommended lower-cost safes under $500.00 list price. Note, however, that this video was produced in 2022. Now in 2023, with Bidenflation, the actual gun safe prices may be higher. For a full-size safe, we do recommend you spend quite a bit more — the investment in a higher quality safe, with better fire rating, is worth it.

For gun safes, we prefer rotary-combination dial locks, although commercial-grade electronic locks are now very good. While less convenient, and slower to open than electronic locks, combination locks are still more durable and trouble-free than the digital locks found on many low- to medium-cost gun safes. Among the combination locks, the Sargent & Greenleaf model 6730 (UL Group II) remains an industry standard. The director of Sturdy Safes noted: “An S&G 6730 will be working fine when your grandchildren have grandchildren.” For home use, we also recommend the standard, high-visibility “front-read” white on black dial.

Avoid the cheap, imported electronic locks. These are known for failing relatively quickly–the keypad internals just wear out. With some of these designs, if the lock fails while the door is closed, you’ll have to employ a professional gunsmith to drill your safe and replace the locking assembly and keypad. With any electronic lock, re-program your combination now and then so that keypad wear patterns don’t reveal the numbers you push to open the safe. But when you change the combination, be sure to record the new setting.

With a dial lock, choose a design that meets UL Group II (or better) certification. If you choose a digital lock, we strongly recommend that you select a UL Type I, Commercial Grade lock from LaGard, Sargent & Greenleaf, or Kaba Mas. Commercial-grade locks, such as the S&G Comptronic” 6120 or LaGard “SafeGard” are much more robust and are designed to be used 20 times a day or more in retail and banking environments. A good commercial digital keypad lock should give 10 years or more of continuous use before replacement is required. With any digital lock, however, you should replace the battery at least once a year. Normally this can be done without professional assistance.

Quick-Access Handgun Safes — Pew Pew Tactical Reviews

A rapid-access bedside safe is a great way to keep your pistol secure, but also readily available, close at hand. Not all rapid-access pistol safes are created equal, however. In this video, John of Pew Pew Tactical explains what to look for in a small pistol safe, and points out the pros and cons of the four safes tested:

Fort Knox FTK-PB Simplex Pistol Box
Strong case, reliable no-battery locking system. Very good safe, but expensive ($299.00 on Amazon).

Vaultek Electronic Pistol Safes
Vaultek offers multiple styles and sizes, many with advanced biometric capabilities. Vaultek rapid access safes are offered in sizes to hold a single handgun or multiple pistols along with other valuables.

Top photo from Sportsman Steel Safes. Read many informative articles on the Sportsman Steel Blog.