GUNSHOME Buyer's Guide Gun Safe and Recommendation

Dear prospective customer,

We are pleased that you have taken notice of our company. Here we have compiled important information and questions about buying a gun safe to clarify matters that may not have been of interest to you before but are essential for a purchasing decision. Because "just buying any cheap gun safe" is in many cases the wrong choice, which you will soon recognize as a mistake.

Let's start with a simple question.

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

Answer:

The law provides the answer, here in the link the General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV) in § 13 Storage of weapons or ammunition:

  • Resistance grade N/0 according to EN1143-1, up to 200 kg safe weight: Long guns: unlimited; Handguns: max. 5; Ammunition: unlimited.
  • Resistance grade N/0 according to EN1143-1, from 200 kg safe weight: Long guns: unlimited; Handguns: max 10; Ammunition: unlimited
  • Resistance grade I according to EN 1143-1: Long guns: unlimited; Handguns: unlimited; Ammunition: unlimited
  • In a building not permanently inhabited*, only up to three long guns**, for the acquisition and possession of which a permit is required, may be stored. Storage may ONLY take place in a security container corresponding at least to the standard DIN/EN 1143-1 resistance grade I.

(It should not go unmentioned here that the ultimate possibility of storing weapons in a suitable weapon room; these considerations would lead too far here; if you are interested in such a solution, please contact us via the contact form.)

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

Special case garage: A garage is intended for parking vehicles and their accessories (State Building Code of your federal state; there is no State Building Code in Germany that does not contain this intended use). Anything other than a vehicle, i.e., also a gun safe, etc., is a change of use requiring a permit (thus the garage becomes a utility room and is then officially no longer a garage for vehicles - it should be noted whether the legally required number of parking spaces for motor vehicles is affected); we strongly recommend having this change of use carried out by the building authority before setting up a gun safe, or choosing another more suitable location.

** conversely: NO handguns, NO ammunition.

 

Question 2: Which lock should I choose?

Answer:

Three different lock systems are available:

 

1: Double-bit lock with keys:

Advantages:

  • cheapest lock system
  • easiest handling.

 

Disadvantages:

  • Risk of key loss: in case of key loss, the lock must be replaced "immediately" to regain the required security level.
  • Risk of mechanical damage to the key: parts of the key bit can break off, e.g., if dropped, leading to malfunction.
  • Storage of the key: at least as delicate as general key storage: carrying it permanently "on one's person" is permissible, but the popular "hiding it in the house" or storing it in a cheap small safe with a combination lock is not considered sufficiently secured (Judgment of the Higher Administrative Court NRW Münster of 30.08.2023, Az. 20 A 2384/20) and can have significant legal consequences. Storing a spare key in the 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 be lost
  • a found hidden key cannot be used by unauthorized third parties
  • self-programmable code, theoretically 800,000, practically approx. 460,000 different codes
  • longevity due to robust and long-proven mechanics

Disadvantages:

  • programming not easy to understand and perform
  • daily operation very uncomfortable due to necessarily meticulous time-consuming setting procedures
  • can be opened more easily with so-called "dialers", as significantly fewer practical codes need to be found
  • can sometimes be opened by experienced manipulators within minutes
  • code can be forgotten, then the container can no longer be opened
  • significantly higher assembly costs in manufacturing and very weak demand will sooner or later lead to higher prices and thus even lower demand, so that a complete delisting of this type of lock from many certificates has already taken place or is to be expected shortly

 

3: Electronic combination lock:

Advantages:

  • no key can break or be lost
  • key cannot be used by third parties
  • self-programmable code, true 1 million possibilities
  • programmable backup code (testament code - you can always access it yourself!)
  • easiest programming and operation
  • no fixed mechanical connection from the outside.

Disadvantages:

  • recurring costs due to battery replacement (approx. once a year, alkaline battery approx. 8-9 Euros)

 

It should be noted WaffG §36 Abs. 5 Point 2: The retrofitting or replacement of existing security systems can be specified by order. Retrofitting is not only considerably more expensive than ordering it directly, but fundamental requirements must be observed, and failure to do so can result in considerable legal consequences, as this may lead to the loss of the qualification as a permissible storage container for weapons! Due to the topicality, a new statement of facts will be provided shortly, which we will then link here. Due to the described problem of secure key storage, it is therefore advisable to equip a new gun safe with a combination lock, the type of which is left to personal preferences and inclinations.


Question 3: The cheapest safe will do then, I have other expenses?!

Answer:

Most cheap gun safes often have enormous problems with quality and especially usability, and it is precisely the usability that should be given more attention in such a product. We show you the qualitative differences of various models in our gun safe test.

The dilemma of the cheap gun safe:

Even more serious is the question of usability. The fact that you first have to buy a gun safe to prove the possibility of secure storage before you can register your need with the weapons authority means that some valuable time passes before you can take over and store your first weapon.

The legal requirement for weapons is therefore: first the safe, then the weapon.

And only when the first weapon moves into your new home does it become clear whether a gun safe can be used without restrictions. But then it is often too late for a return; the safe would have to be unanchored, packed, and transported back, the weapon legally stored in the meantime, and this coordinated with the weapons authority – a lot of time, a lot of hassle, a lot of costs that could have been avoided. Or you keep the bad purchase and lifelong regret the usage restrictions.

Gun safe manufacturers create a purchase incentive by stating the number of weapons to be stored; the more are stated here, the better the price-performance ratio is initially assessed by the buyer. Dealers and manufacturers (anecdote: we often hear: "we have a DEALERNAME safe". But the dealer has never built a safe himself and sells such goods as grass seeds or washing machines, which he doesn't really know) know the problem, but want to sell no matter what, and therefore prefer to keep quiet about "problems" or, even worse, consciously deny them. In such cases: better to stay away.

Many manufacturers use a dubious trick: They orient themselves on a simple rifle, usually a carbine, without any attachments such as optical sights or night vision technology, often even remove the bolt head, and thus determine the dimensions that such a weapon requires both in width, i.e., the distance from one weapon to the next, and in depth, i.e., the distance from the top edge of the barrel to the inside wall of the safe. Also, look closely at the photos of the models offered; often you can see at first glance that these are photomontages or currently AI images. You think you see "rifles", carefully lined up, but they are often just computer animations that pretend that many weapons fit in there and thus prevent you from asking questions about this before buying. (Source: own knowledge of our CEO as a former senior employee in a safe manufacturing plant)

Such gun safes are ideal for a shooting gallery owner, but a hunter or sport shooter will not use such weapons but will optimize his weapons for his purpose and rather equip them with modern optical sighting systems. Reversible systems are available, but modern optics are regularly permanently mounted on the weapon, as reversible systems always offer a, albeit small, play, which, however, leads to inaccuracies when firing and often results in some adjustment work and test shots. (Source: Just ask your gunsmith)

Such inaccuracy is rather insignificant at a distance of one meter from the target, but at 50 or 60 meters distance, this can mean a crippling shot instead of a vital shot - with much suffering for the animal and a complicated tracking operation for the hunter, whatever the outcome. (Many thanks to Mr. Fischlein, an experienced professional hunter in the Bavarian Hunting Association for over 30 years, for the detailed explanations)

Fixed mounting is therefore preferred so that the optical systems do not have to be readjusted and the weapon does not have to be re-sighted before each new use. This knowledge means:

The weapon alone does not determine the required dimensions, but everything that is additionally attached to the weapon or protrudes from it, i.e., optics, bolt handle, etc. Example: a standard rifle like the Blaser R8 without attachments and with the bolt removed has a width of approx. 45mm and a height from the heel of the buttstock to the top edge of the barrel of approx. 130mm. This means this weapon fits into any standard gun safe. With a mounted 56x optical sight, the same weapon, however, requires approx. 62mm in width and a good 200mm in depth as footprint, and there most standard gun safes are at their limit or already completely out of the game.

One can talk a lot, so let's look at an example photo that describes and illustrates the change in these dimensions:

Understanding: Structure of a rifle with scope

Veränderung der Aufbauhöhe auf einer Waffe durch Montage einer Zieloptik. The lower red line is on the "top edge of the barrel" and is the part of the weapon closest to the back wall when placed in the weapon holder.

The distance from the lower to the upper red line is then the minimum required weapon holder depth for this specific weapon, i.e., the distance from the top edge of the barrel to the inside wall of the safe, which is needed to place the weapon straight (plumb) in the weapon holder.

The blue lines indicate the ocular diameter, the green lines represent the distance from the lower edge of the ocular to the top edge of the barrel, i.e., the height additionally created by the mounting device. The structure of the weapon is thus increased by the area between the two red lines and is based on the mounting rail and the height of the optical sight including the reticle adjustment (so-called "turrets").

If the gun safe has less space than the fully equipped weapon requires, the user has only two options for remedy, which, however, have significant implications:

  1. The user rotates the weapon vertically so that the attachments are to the side, right or left of the weapon. However, the attachments then occupy at least one, if not several, adjacent slots. On the other hand, rotating it vertically causes the buttstock to also rotate to the other side, meaning the user loses at least one slot there as well. Thus, it can happen that in such a gun safe with five specified slots, the user can place a maximum of two such weapons. This variant thus reduces the number of theoretically available slots, making the gun safe much more expensive in terms of "price per slot". For a gun safe for 5 long guns costing 600 Euros, instead of 120 Euros per slot, it will suddenly be 300 Euros per slot if only two slots can actually be used. This also means that the user will need a new safe not for the 6th weapon as expected, but already for the 3rd. The following picture illustrates this problem - Tip: pay attention to the position of the stock of the weapon with mounted optics and to the impression of the stock of a removed weapon that has left its mark on the stock support. Just as a side note: the gun safe shown was nominally advertised for holding 11 (ELEVEN) long guns.                                                       (Many thanks to Mr. Niehues for the impressive demonstration of this problem)                      
  2. The user takes the weapon out of alignment and pulls it forward by the buttstock. This angled position initially gives the user the necessary space for the attachments. In double-row safes such as the "Oskar 300", this affects the front row of slots, which can then lose their usefulness, thereby changing the "price per slot" again. Because this generally only works if the gun safe has the required internal depth! For safes like the "Oskar 200" and similar models with an internal depth of only 210 or 230mm, this doesn't work either, because then the weapon's buttstock would stick out much further than the available 210 or 230mm from the back wall, and the door could no longer be closed – an unsuspecting attempt risks a shattered optic, leading to high replacement or repair costs, but does not change the fundamental problem. In that case, only option 1 helps, which is a small consolation. (Many thanks to Mr. Baumann for these painful insights)

The width of the gun rack also plays a not insignificant role in the evaluation. With 56mm optics, it is not just about this ocular diameter; the housing also adds bulk, as does an ocular dust cap. Therefore, for weapons to stand next to each other without touching, they need at least 62-64mm of space between them.

Initially, users take note of these limitations, more or less impatiently. As long as only one long gun is involved, this is not yet particularly relevant. Only over time, with further weapon 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, to acquire a larger safe that does not have this problem.

Users selling their safes naturally do not mention the problems of the discarded gun safe, as they try to keep their personal financial loss as low as possible. Common arguments: "I gave up shooting," "safe from my deceased uncle," etc. The buyer is happy about a supposed bargain and gladly picks up the gun safe personally from the seller without warranty and even happily hauls it out of the basement. Our long-term observations of the market for used gun safes show: for the money the buyer pays, including travel costs, they could often have received the same gun safe, even with a warranty, from one of the numerous dealers who offer these unsuitable models in abundance, delivered right to their door.

We recognize: gun holder width and gun holder depth thus determine the primary usability of the gun safe regarding its intended purpose: the proper placement of individually configured weapons. There are very few standard gun safe models that even meet these minimum requirements, such as the Shooter series, which comes with a height-adjustable block gun holder with suitable dimensions. Even more convenient is the Hunter series, which addresses this issue with individual, individually positionable magnetic GUN-i-FLEX gun holders.

The important key figure "price per slot": we see that the purchase price gets a completely new perspective; it is no longer the pure purchase price paid that is decisive, but the price per effectively usable slot that makes the difference whether a gun safe is sustainable and thus inexpensive due to the full usability of all designated slots.

Calculation example for a gun safe:

If a user can only use 2 out of 5 nominal slots in a 700 Euro gun safe, the price per effectively usable slot is 350 Euros. For an additional weapon, the user would already need to purchase another safe, which would also require more space at home.

However, if the user can actually use all 5 nominal slots in another gun safe for 1000 Euros, the price per effectively usable slot is 200 Euros. This would therefore be the better choice, as it is slightly more expensive in terms of today's purchase price, but it saves an earlier subsequent purchase and thus also uses less floor space on the premises.

 

Question 4: What else should I consider?

Answer:

You can never have enough space in a safe! Therefore, as many storage options as possible are highly valued. Whether as practical storage compartments in the door or as adjustable shelves, a safe with few or no storage options makes little sense; the space fills up almost by itself, especially if 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 anchor point doesn't hold securely, it's good to have more. There are even contemporaries who reject anchoring a gun safe for whatever reason. However, such a gun safe is always a security safe that is recognized by every household insurance policy and can be integrated into it. How much do your weapons and all accessories in the safe cost? This value can already be insured up to EUR 40,000 in resistance grade N/0 – in return, the insurance only requires the safe to be anchored to secure it against simple removal. But every user also saves themselves many discussions 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 options to prevent this. (Thanks for this insight to Dr. Classen, passionate hunter and game warden, as well as area manager of a large German insurance company)

 

 

We hope that this guide has provided you with valuable information for your purchasing decision. Our expertise is based on many years of experience as a dealer for weapon storage systems, and many of the insights presented here come from users who have shared their experiences with their gun safes. Thus, these are not just fabricated stories, but well-founded practical experiences that we have tried to illustrate for you with the respective background information. Of course, we also want to sell products, no question. Before making your purchasing decision, you should be able to consider all relevant aspects; this is the goal of this buying guide. Which gun safe you ultimately entrust your confidence to remains your own free decision.