Gun Safe Brands To Avoid: Your Ultimate Guide To Gun Safe Brands

As of 2020, there are around 270 million guns being privately owned in the USA. Given the inherent danger of guns, part of responsible ownership is purchasing a strong and reliable gun safe. Gun safes are a huge market, with many big box stores such as Walmart and Costco selling them for easy access.

There are two main reasons why you need to get a high-quality gun safe if you own guns. First, accidental gunshot injuries and deaths are often the result of children being able to open poorly made gun safes and having access to the guns inside. In 2020 alone, there were over 92 deaths and 135 injuries as results of children being able to open gun safes in their homes.

The second reason is often overlooked by many gun owners: guns have high cash value and can be sold illegally on the black market for a significant amount of money. Many thieves will target homes that are known to keep guns on the off chance that the owner does not have a secure gun safe.

Due to these two reasons, it is critical that you invest in a gun safe that is strong, secure, and made by a trustworthy brand.

Gun Safe Reviews At A Glance

Gun Safe Brands to Avoid

Here are some gun safe brands to avoid at all costs! 

1. SentrySafe - Although SentrySafe is known to be one of the most respected gun safe manufacturers in the USA, a Forbes investigation found that some of their top models have a fatal security flaw. The flaw is that the pin lock used by the safes were made with a solenoid component. This meant that the safes could be opened with a simple magnet! A savvy thief could use a powerful magnet to open a SentrySafe just by moving a magnet on top of the pin and sliding it to the side.
2. GunVault - Many GunVault models come with a biometric fingerprint scanner. However, this does not automatically mean that these models are secure. In a video by security expert David Goetzinger, he demonstrates how easy it is to hack into GunVault biometric scanner. He uses a gum wrapper to reset the vault and erase all the stored fingerprint data, then opens the safe with his own fingerprint.
3. Amarey - In the same video as above, Goetzinger also tackles why Amarey is not a good gun safe brand. The lock hinges on the safe model in the video are so weak, he can open it just by prying it open with his fingers! While this does not necessarily mean that this is the case for all Amarey models, it should certainly give you pause and make you think twice about buying Amarey gun safes.
4. Stack-On - In another Forbes article, Stack-On gun safes were discovered to be made from cheap materials and could be easily opened by mechanical means. Various methods were used to open the safes, including prying it open with screwdrivers, inserting a wire to dislodge the lock plunger, and even just throwing the safes to the floor! The locking mechanism for Stack-On safes were made in China, which meant that they were made with cheap and flimsy materials. Even if the safes featured gimmicks like fingerprint scanners and encrypted digital locks, they were all basically worthless since the safes could be forced open.

Gun Safe Brands to Get

Here is our list of top quality brands: 

1. Barska - is an American company that makes a wide range of gun safes, from personal handgun travel cases to long gun biometric safes. They also offer competitive prices, so you will easily find a safe that fits your needs and your budget. One of the bestselling safes is their Quick Access Biometric Rifle Safe, and it is so popular, the Department of Justice has even approved the design.
2. AmazonBasics - offers affordable gun safes that are still reliable and durable. The safes are made with high-quality steel, and they come with digital keypads to prevent biometric hacking. What’s more, if the digital keypad is forced open, the safe will automatically lock permanently unless an override key is used. The interior of the safe has a removable panel so you can adjust the size to accommodate different gun sizes.
3. Fort Knox - Just like its namesake, Fort Knox safes offer some of the best security and protection for your guns. Their safes are fireproof and are designed with extra steel layers inside for added protection. They also offer a unique lifetime warranty on their products. If the safe is broken into, the company accepts full responsibility for all incidents arising from the break-in. They will also provide another safe to the owner, free of charge.
4. VaulTek - Having only been in the gun safe market for four years, VaulTek is one of the newest players. However, they have already made a name for themselves as one of the leading manufacturers for digital gun safes. Their gun safes come with biometric pads and digital keypads. However, they have also created an app that requires you to accept logins to open the safe. This two-step verification process will help prevent unwanted entry into VaulTek gun safes.

What is a gun safe, and why is it important?

A gun safe is a type of safe that’s designed specifically for storing guns. They are typically stronger and more durable compared to regular safes, and many of them have additional safety features such as digital keypads and override keys. Modern gun safes can also come with high-tech safety features such as biometric locks, lock encryption, and two-step verification.

Gun safes are required by law in the US, so before you purchase a gun, you should already have at least one or two gun safes that you want to purchase. In fact, some states have more specific requirements when it comes to gun safes. In California, for example, gun safes are required to have exterior walls that are made from a minimum 12-gauge thick steel. Check with your state laws to know what requirements you should fulfill for gun safe ownership.

Types of Gun Safes

Purchasing a gun safe will depend on your needs and preferences. There are different gun safes depending on the sizes, number, and types of guns, and you need to choose the right gun safe that will house all your guns securely. There are also portable safes that you can use when you travel with your gun.

Here are the different types of gun safes, and what they are used for.

Handgun Safes

A handgun safe is one of the most popular guns safe you could find nowadays. Some handgun safes are as small as a money lockbox, making them portable, lightweight, and easy to store in your car or luggage.

These portable handgun safes are excellent for people who bring their handguns on the road with them. However, this compact handgun safe may only handle one gun. If you bring multiple handguns, you should consider getting a larger pistol safe.

Long-gun Safes

If you have larger guns such as rifles, shotguns, or other types of long-barreled guns, you will need a gun safe that can accommodate the additional length and size. You need long-gun safes.

Long-gun safes are typically upright in orientation. Many of them have multiple gun holders, allowing you to keep multiple guns inside. This type of safe needs to be installed into your home by bolting them to the floor or to the wall for extra stability and security.

Multi-use Gun Safes

The last type of gun safes is the multi-use gun safe. As the name suggests, it is a type of gun safe that can be used for multiple types or numbers of guns. These safes are also upright, although they are usually wider compared to long-gun safes to accommodate more guns inside.

Aside from storing multiple guns, this type of gun safe can also have compartments to store relevant documents such as gun ownership papers and receipts. Due to its versatility and added storage space, multi-gun safes are highly popular among gun owners.

Factors to be considered to get the Best Gun Safes

Getting gun safes would also mean that you need to make sure that you could only get the best one. And with that in mind, here are the common factors that you need to take note of to get the best gun safes and to know which gun safe brands to avoid.

Consider Your Needs

Considering your needs is the most fundamental factor that must play a vital role in getting the best gun safes.

Therefore, you need to make sure that you fulfill your needs by choosing a specific gun safe. You must make sure that you get the right one since it could create disappointments at a later time. 

There are two things that you need to think about: the guns that you have, and your budget. The type of guns that you own will dictate the size and type of gun safe that you need. Your budget will also play a huge role in determining your choices, since quality gun safes aren’t cheap!

Material

Always check what material is used to make your chosen gun safe. While most gun safes are made with steel, the quality, thickness, and even the country of origin all play a role in determining the strength of the steel.

China-made safe brands usually come with cheap steel, making them easy to break and unreliable for gun storage. Whenever possible, look for brands that use American or Swiss steel as these are known to be high quality steel.

Choose a Trusted Brand 

Lastly, go for a trusted and well-known gun safe manufacturer. The market has several brand names that have been around for years such as Fort Knox and Barska. However, even newer players can make quality gun safes, such as in the case of VaulTek.

One of the best ways to find a good brand is by asking other gun owners. You will get firsthand feedback on brand quality for good brands, as well as brands that you should avoid.

What You Need To Know Before Buying A Gun Safe

• Price isn’t Always the Determining Factor – While this is indeed a factor to consider when buying a gun safe, a high price tag doesn’t always necessarily equate to quality! Some gun safes are overpriced, and you need to be careful about buying into the hype.
• Invest When You Can – While you should set a budget when buying a gun safe, there might be times when you find a great gun safe that’s a little bit outside of your set price range. In these cases, you can consider opening up your budget a little bit more so that you can be sure that you’re getting your money’s worth.
• Don’t Be Blinded by the Bells and Whistles– Many gun safes might come with high-tech features that look good on the surface, but as demonstrated by Forbes, the basic security measures aren’t up to scratch. Don’t be fooled by the gimmicks; always check whether a gun safe complies with basic security designs and measures. If they don’t, all the high-tech features in the world are nothing more than ways to inflate the price.

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