There’s nothing more important with gun ownership than having a way to secure your firearm. Whether it’s keeping your family safe from accidents or keeping an intruder from getting access to it, having a secure firearm should be a top priority.

The problem is, you can’t just buy any old gun safe and not think much of it. You have to choose your gun safe carefully and consider many variations in your decision on how to secure your guns. Take a look at some of the factors you need to consider before you’ll know what type of gun safe you’ll need.

Types of safes

The first thing you’ll want to look at is what kind of safe you will need. All safes are going to offer something different which means you will need to know what type of safe functions are important for your gun. Some safes are perfect from simply protecting children in the house from accessing it, such as a metal cabinet with a lock or a small gun safe if you don’t want something that is going to add weight to your wooden floors.

On the other hand, if you need something that is going to be hidden away from an intruder, you’ll want to get something that can be hidden easily, such as a floor safe or wall safe. You can incorporate safes into the home to be as discrete as possible from outsiders of the home.

You also may want a safe that is going to protect the gun from fire damage. In fact, the greatest risk to you is fire, followed by the threat of theft, which means you need to consider a fireproof option and a theft-protection type of safe at the same time. If you brought it into the house, a thief could remove it from the house, which means a safe that is built into the home will serve you better.

What should the safe include?

After you’ve decided which type of safe you’ll need, you’ll want to think about what you’re putting into the safe. In some cases, homeowners want to include more than just their guns into the safe. This means that you would need to find something that is going to be the right size for both your rifles and other guns, to your valuable jewelry or important documents. Get a larger rifle safe if you’re going to keep all of this together and plan on it holding twice the number of guns you currently own.

Options to consider

There are many different types of gun safes that you could choose from but the most important thing is that you pick one that can be attached to the floor, handle a high-temperature fire, and can withstand the beating of an ax that an intruder may try on it. Then look at the locks and decide between a low-maintenance combination lock, the popular electronic lock, or a biometric lock using a fingerprint to open it up.

You’ll want to avoid getting a discounted safe and focus on one that will do the job which could run you anywhere from $1,200-$1,500. Choosing the right lock is vital, but keep in mind that many experts prefer the electronic locks. Choosing one big enough to accommodate future gross and easy access to your other valuables is important.

Make sure the safe can pass fire ratings, offer climate-control seals, and has external hinges for an improved door swing. Great options on the market right now include the Buffalo 38-gun safe, the Vaultek VT20i Biometric Handgun safe, and the Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box Handgun Safe.

Be sure to consider these factors before choosing the right gun safe for your home and speak to a professional about safe installation.