GUNSHOME Buyer's Guide Gun Safe and Recommendation

Question 1: What security requirements must my new gun safe meet?

Answer:

The answer is provided by the law, here in the link the General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV) in Section 13 Storage of weapons or ammunition:

• Resistance level N/0 according to EN1143-1, up to 200 kg cabinet weight: Long guns: unlimited; handguns: max. 5; ammunition: unlimited.
• Resistance grade N/0 according to EN1143-1, from 200 kg cabinet weight: Long guns: unlimited; handguns: max 10; ammunition: unlimited
• Resistance grade I according to EN 1143-1: Long guns: unlimited; short guns: unlimited; ammunition: unlimited
• In a non-permanently occupied building*, ONLY up to three long guns**, the purchase and possession of which requires a permit, may be stored. Storage may ONLY take place in a security container that meets at least the DIN/EN 1143-1 resistance level I standard.

* not permanently inhabited building: hunting lodge, second home, field barn, outbuildings such as stable, shed, coach house.

Special case: Garages: A garage is intended for the storage of vehicles and their accessories (according to the state building regulations of your federal state). Anything other than a vehicle, including gun safes, etc., is a change of use that requires approval. We strongly recommend that you obtain this change of use from the building authority before installing a gun safe, or that you choose a more suitable location.

** Conversely: NO handguns, NO ammunition.

Question 2: Which lock should I choose?

Answer:

Three different locking systems are available:

1: Double bit lock with keys:

Advantages:

• cheapest locking system
• easiest handling.

Disadvantages:

• Risk of key loss: if the key is lost, the lock must be replaced "immediately" to regain the required level of security.
• Risk of mechanical damage to the key: Parts of the key bit can break off, for example, if the key is dropped, resulting in malfunction
• Key storage: at least as tricky as general key storage: Carrying it on your person at all times is permissible, but the popular "hiding it in the house" or storing it in a cheap small safe with a combination lock is prohibited ( judgment of the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia in Münster dated August 30, 2023, case number 20 A 2384/20 ). Storing a spare key in a gun safe is completely idiotic, because you can't get to it when you need it.

2: Mechanical combination lock:

Advantages:

• no key can break or get lost
• found hidden key cannot be used by unauthorized third parties
• own code programmable, theoretically 800000, practically about 460000 different codes
• Longevity thanks to robust and proven mechanics

Disadvantages:

• Programming is not easy to understand and implement
• daily operation very inconvenient due to mandatory meticulous time-consuming adjustment processes
• Code can be forgotten, then container can no longer be opened

3: Electronic combination lock:

Advantages:

• no key can break or get lost
• Key cannot be used by third parties
• own code programmable, real 1 million possibilities
• Programmable replacement code (testament code - you can always access it yourself!)
• simple programming and operation
• no solid mechanical connection from the outside.

Disadvantages:

• recurring costs due to battery replacement (approx. 1x per year, alkaline battery approx. 8-9 euros)

Please note Weapons Act §36, Paragraph 5, Item 2: The retrofitting or replacement of existing security systems can be stipulated by order. Retrofitting is considerably more expensive than ordering the system at the time of purchase! Due to the described problem of securely storing keys, it is therefore recommended that a new gun safe be equipped with a combination lock, although the type of lock is up to personal preference and preference.

Question 3: The cheapest cabinet will do, right? I have other expenses.

Answer:

Most cheap gun safes have significant issues with quality and especially usability , and the functionality of such a product deserves more attention. We demonstrate the qualitative differences between different models in our gun safe test.

The dilemma of the cheap gun safe:

The question of usability is even more serious. Because you first have to purchase a gun safe to prove it offers secure storage before you can register your need with the firearms authority, some valuable time passes before you can actually take possession of and store your first weapon. Only then does it become apparent if a gun safe isn't fully usable. By then, it's often too late to return it, and you'll be resentful of the limitations for the rest of your life.

Gun cabinet manufacturers create an incentive to buy by specifying the number of weapons to be stored; the more weapons are specified, the better the price-performance ratio is initially rated by the buyer.

However, many manufacturers use a trick to achieve this: They take a simple rifle, usually a carbine, without any attachments such as sights or night vision technology, remove the bolt head, and use this to determine the dimensions such a weapon requires both in terms of width, i.e., the distance between one weapon and the next, and in terms of depth, i.e., the distance from the top edge of the barrel to the inside wall of the safe. (Source: Knowledge of a former manager at a safe factory)

Such gun cabinets are ideal for a shooting range owner, but hunters or sports shooters won't use such weapons, preferring to equip them with modern optical sighting systems. While reversible systems are available, modern optics are often permanently mounted on the weapon, as reversible systems always offer some, albeit minimal, play, which leads to inaccuracies when firing.

Such inaccuracy is relatively insignificant at a distance of one meter to the target, but at a distance of 50 or 60 meters, this can result in a slug shot instead of a slug shot—with much suffering for the animal and a time-consuming follow-up for the hunter, regardless of the outcome. (Many thanks to Mr. Fischlein for the technical explanations)

Fixed mounting is therefore preferred to avoid having to readjust the optical systems and thus avoid having to zero the weapon before each use. This knowledge means:

The weapon alone does not determine the required dimensions, but rather everything that is additionally attached to the weapon or protrudes from it, such as optics, bolt handles, etc. For example, a standard rifle like the Blaser R8 has a width of approximately 45mm without any attachments and with the bolt removed, and a height from the buttstock horn to the top of the barrel of approximately 130mm. This means that this weapon fits in any standard gun safe. However, with a 56mm optic mounted, the same weapon requires approximately 62mm in width and a good 200mm in depth as storage space.

Let’s take a look at an example photo that describes and illustrates the change in these dimensions:

If the gun cabinet requires less space than the weapon itself, the user has only two options, which, however, have significant consequences:

1. The user rotates the weapon vertically so that the superstructures are positioned to the right or left of the weapon. However, the superstructures then take up at least one, if not several, adjacent storage spaces. On the other hand, rotating the buttstock vertically causes the other side to rotate inward, meaning the user also loses at least one storage space there. Thus, it may happen that the user can store a maximum of two such weapons in a gun safe with five specified storage spaces. This variant reduces the number of theoretically available storage spaces, making the gun safe significantly more expensive due to the "price per storage space" indicator. For a gun safe for five long guns costing €600, the cost per storage space would be €300 instead of €120 if only two spaces are practically usable. This also means that the user doesn't need a new cabinet for the sixth weapon, as expected, but rather for the third. (Many thanks to Mr. Niehues for demonstrating this variant)
   
2. The user lifts the weapon out of alignment and pulls it forward by the buttstock. This angled position, at first glance, gives the user the space needed for the accessories. With double-row cabinets such as the "Oskar 300," this affects the front row of storage, which can then become useless, thus changing the "price per storage space." This generally only works if the gun cabinet has the required internal depth! However, with cabinets such as the "Oskar 200" and similar models with an internal depth of only 210 or 230 mm, this doesn't work either, because then the weapon would protrude much further from the rear wall than the available 210 or 230 mm, and the door would no longer close. Those who naively attempt this risk damaging the optics, which leads to high replacement or repair costs and doesn't address the underlying problem. In this case, only option 1 helps, which is a small consolation. (Many thanks to Mr. Baumann for the painful insights)

The width of the rifle mount also plays a significant role in the evaluation. With a 56mm optic, the eyepiece diameter isn't the only consideration; the housing itself adds bulk, as does an eyepiece cap. Therefore, to ensure that the rifles can be placed side by side without contact, they require a distance of at least 62-64mm.

Initially, users take note of these limitations, more or less indignantly. As long as only one long gun is involved, it's not really a concern. Only over time, with additional gun purchases, does the relevance of this problem become apparent – ​​which is why such inadequate gun safes are often discarded after two or three years of use in order to purchase a larger one that doesn't have this problem.

Of course, users who are selling their discarded gun safes don't mention the problems with their discarded gun safe, as they're trying to minimize their personal financial loss . The usual argument: "I've given up shooting," "it's from my deceased uncle," etc. The buyer, delighted by a supposed bargain, is happy to pick up the gun safe from the seller in person, even hauling it out of the basement. Our long-term observations of the used gun safe market show that for the price the buyer pays, including travel expenses, they could often have had the same gun safe delivered to their doorstep, with a warranty, by one of the countless dealers who offer these unsuitable models in abundance.

We recognize that the width and depth of the gun rack determine the primary usability of the gun safe in terms of what you intend to use it for: the sensible storage of your individually configured weapons. There are very few standard gun safe models that even meet these minimum requirements, like the Shooter series, which features a height-adjustable block gun rack with the appropriate dimensions. Even more convenient is the Hunter series, which addresses this issue with individual, individually positionable magnetic GUN-i-FLEX gun racks .

The important key figure "price per parking space": we see that the purchase price is given a completely new perspective. It is no longer the pure purchase price paid that is decisive, but rather the price per effectively usable parking space that makes the difference as to whether a gun safe is sustainable and therefore affordable due to the full usability of all designated parking spaces.

Calculation example for a gun safe:

If a user can only use 2 of a gun cabinet with a nominal 5 bays for 700 euros, the price per effectively usable bay is 350 euros. For an additional weapon, the user would therefore have to purchase another cabinet, which would also take up additional space in the room.

However, if the user can actually use all five slots in another gun safe for €1,000 with a nominal five slots, the price per effectively usable slot would be €200. This would therefore be the better choice . Although it's slightly more expensive than the current purchase price, it saves the need for a follow-up purchase sooner and thus also takes up less space in the premises.

Question 4: What else should I consider?

Answer:

You can never have enough space in a closet! Therefore, having as many storage options as possible is highly desirable. Whether it's practical storage compartments in the door or adjustable shelves, a closet with few or no shelves makes little sense; the space practically fills itself up. Especially when there's a bargain on expensive ammunition, more storage space also means a bigger bargain.

Also often neglected: the mounting options . The more options a gun safe offers, the better. If one anchoring point doesn't hold up, it's good to have more. There are even those who outright reject the idea of ​​anchoring a gun safe, for whatever reason. However, such a gun safe is also always a valuables safe, which is recognized by any home contents insurance and can be integrated into it. How much do your weapons and all the accessories in the safe cost? This value can be insured for up to €40,000 with resistance level N/0. In return, the insurance only requires that the safe be anchored to secure it against simple removal. But every user also saves themselves many arguments with the police and weapons authorities should the safe and its contents actually be stolen, because the remaining holes in the wall or floor prove that the user made the best possible use of the available options to prevent this. (Thanks to Dr. Classen for this insight.)

We hope this guide has provided you with valuable information to help you make your purchasing decision. Our expertise is based on many years of experience as a dealer of gun storage systems, and many of the insights presented here come from users who have shared their experiences with their gun safes with us. These aren't just made-up stories, but well-founded, practical experiences that we've tried to illustrate for you with the relevant background information. Of course, we also want to sell products, no question. Before making your purchase decision, you should consider all relevant aspects; that is the goal of this buying guide. Which gun safe you choose is ultimately your own free choice.