Our topic today is addressed to all gun owners with the question:

DO I NEED TO ANCHOR MY GUN SAFE?

Due to strict legal requirements for gun ownership in Germany, opportunism often prevails among those affected, which often prevents objective discussion. The emotional debate about where something is explicitly stated in the law and then why someone doesn't want to or can't do something leads to no legally clear result, neither for the user nor for the authorities.

There is (still) no ruling on this issue, such as the one recently made by the Higher Administrative Court in Münster on the correct storage of keys, and there are no concrete regulations in the legal texts either, which is precisely what makes these discussions possible.

The bottom line is: You alone are responsible for your concept of safe storage of your weapons.

For the items we offer, the following applies in consultation with the manufacturers of the gun cabinets:

Our offered items are pre-equipped with mounting holes. Type and quantity may vary; please refer to the item description.

For this purpose, our respective manufacturers supply fastening materials that correspond in type, quantity, and effectiveness to the tested model and its safety concept. When properly and completely anchored with this fastening material, the certified resistance level is achieved. For example, if the cabinet has six anchoring holes and four fastening materials, it is sufficient to anchor the cabinet with the four fastening bolts at four anchoring points of your choice. Our manufacturers make it clear: anchoring is also part of the safety concept, and if it is not anchored properly, the specified resistance level will not be achieved.

If you use other fastening materials due to local conditions, you are responsible for proving that these fastening materials are at least equivalent to the fastening materials supplied.

FAQ Attaching a gun safe:

Why anchor it? Nobody would carry a gun safe weighing 200 kg.

Even if you might not be able to do it yourself, there are video surveillance recordings that show safes weighing well over 500 kg being carried away and loaded within minutes by just two strong men. The anchoring prevents, or at least complicates, such an undertaking.

But I only have to anchor gun safes under 200kg?

This regulation affected gun safes of security levels A and B according to VDMA 24992, which were previously required for the storage of weapons. Since the introduction of the amended gun laws in 2017, these models are only permitted in existing buildings, and these regulations naturally continue to apply to existing buildings. The often-cited General Storage Regulations, which many German states still follow, were last updated in 2012. Therefore, they contain regulations that do not apply to the cabinets currently required according to EN 1143-1. Legislators need to catch up in this regard.

I can't anchor the gun safe because of the underfloor heating. What should I do?

If your cabinet only offers floor anchoring options, you should use them. Therefore, it's important to consider this aspect early on in your purchase planning and, if possible, choose a model that can be wall-mounted. Otherwise, a thermal imaging camera, for example, is a useful tool. Some heating companies offer short-term rentals. This helps determine the route of the heating lines, preventing drilling into them.

I don't want to drill into the parquet/tiles to anchor the gun safe. What can I do?

Choose a suitable model with rear wall anchoring options.

Can I simply drill through the back wall of a certified gun safe myself to add additional mounting points?

No, this would be an impermissible modification, as it represents a significant deviation from the tested model. This would immediately invalidate the certification, even if you do not remove the sticker from the cabinet. Such a cabinet would subsequently be worthless to you, as you would then be storing the weapons in a non-certified gun safe, which would result in the revocation of your firearms permit.

For example, I can't anchor the gun safe to the back wall because of the plasterboard; it won't hold. What can I do?

Lightweight partition walls are not suitable for secure anchoring, as the wall is simply too unstable. The only solution here is to anchor the wall to the floor or choose a different location.

But I don't have anywhere else to put my gun safe! What can I do?

Please coordinate with your local firearms authority and discuss the circumstances, as only your firearms authority can agree on special solutions with you, for example during an on-site inspection, which may also include different security measures from yours, such as the installation of an alarm system as a prerequisite.

I have a gun safe that isn't yours. Do your statements also apply to such safes?

Our information generally applies to our products. In such cases, please contact the manufacturer/distributor of your product and request appropriate answers to your questions.