Do you really need a gun safe? - no kids

Fire protection. And you may get a discount from your insurance company.

Uh, yeah. All the reasons already cited.

A couple of years back, my home was broken into by a career burglar, and a few things of very little value were taken. The burglar (who was caught the next day) walked right past a whole bunch of guns I had left out in the den, without touching them. That scored a lot of points.

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He probably was looking for small valuable items he could fit in his pockets or at most a briefcase. A bunch of $50 rifle aren't very appealing to a burglar who knows what they are. Big, heavy, not too valuable... He probably thought your wife's jewelry was a lot more tempting.

It kind of goes to show that if you do have a burglar who is not just a crack addict or a gang banger, he's probably not interested in your guns.

I have no kids and live in a low crime area. I use trigger locks and I'm in the process of building a wooden gun cabinet. How much benefit is there for someone like me to get a gun safe for my long guns? Handguns I can see since they are more likely to be the target of burglars.

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Low crime does not equal no crime. It only take one break-in, then you'll be kicking yourself. Btw, where do you get the idea that long guns are less likely to be the target of burglars? "Hey, guys, leave those long guns be. We're here for the handguns. Just get them and let's get out of here."

Long guns are heavier and bulkier (thus harder to transport without observation), tend to be less expensive and harder to fence, and are seldom used in crimes. Oh, and the really expensive ones are pretty distinctive, and thus also harder to fence.

I mean, think about it; your coffeemaker is worth money, too -- but who ever stole a coffeemaker?

Sigh... There's always a balance between security and cost.

I've owned a locking gun "cabinet" for years now. When I bought the thing it made a lot of sense: I didn't have a very valuable collection, couldn't afford or regularly transport a true safe (apartment living), and didn't have the money for a true safe.

Now I've owned a house for a couple of years, and I have the room for a safe. My collection continues to grow, and I have a few guns that I'd really never want to part with, even beyond the financial loss. So, I guess I've also fallen into the safe shopping market.

The one "security" thing I have going for me is the household schedule we keep around here. My wife isn't currently working, and I work a swing shift that ends at 1am. My best friend is also living in my spare room, and her schedule is different than both mine and the wife's. As such, it is quite rare to find a time when there isn't someone here and awake at the house... This helps, but I still want a safe.

:end Coloradokevin safe rant:

If the value of your guns exceeds the cost of a safe, its probably time to buy one.

The gun safe I have now instantly paid for itself on the day that I left for work and forgot to lock the front door.

Here's a cheaper solution. Take a cable lock and run it between the trigger guards of all of your guns that aren't used for home defense (unloaded of course).

This will make it very difficult to steal your guns. A thief would likely pass on the guns due to the difficulty of taking them discretely.

I don't have kids either and I live in a relatively "low crime" area. Of course I still keep guns for self-defense. Why would I think there's a possibility of a violent criminal, but NOT a burglar?

I got tired of my dresser drawer being full of handguns. I also got concerned about what happened to my guns when I was out of town.

A safe cheap enough to keep casual thieves out is a pittance at Walmart. That's all I was concerned with and the sixteen gun safe I ordered from them over the internet does the job just fine. When I get a little extra money, I'm going to buy another to allow me to separate handguns and long guns, since it's very crowded now.

Definitely a great investment, not only does it help prevent theft but also prevents accidents and protects against fire and time. Just add an inexpensive dehumidifier and it does wonders to prevent aging side effects. If you have a collection its worth a little bit more to buy a safe and keep the collection in good shape.

Most people of even minimal affluence have enough valuables (guns, jewelry, passport, checkbook, electronics, cash, irreplaceable documents and photos, etc.) to warrant a fire and burglary resistant safe.

A safe is a wise investment.

leadcounsel: "Most people of even minimal affluence have enough valuables (guns, jewelry, passport, checkbook, electronics, cash, irreplaceable documents and photos, etc.) to warrant a fire and burglary resistant safe."

That's what the safe deposit box is for. Tons more security, better fire and other disaster protection, for a low annual fee. Of course, stuff you'd rather not have inventoried upon your disappearance gets stashed elsewhere.

Yes. Protect your guns or the government will do it for you

I'm pondering the same thing, and have decided a safe is in my future.
HD weapons will not be in there, but they are not collectibles, and can be replaced.
A safe deposit box is a good idea too.

A proper gun safe is a great thing to have. I keep a lot more than just guns in mine...

Buy a safe: Make it larger than you need, preferably twice as large.

When I lived in California, my house was burglarized, with the loss of a VCR and a computer monitor (not the computer - I think I interrupted the burglary). They overlooked my range box, containing several pistols with an upper four-figure value.

Being a fast learner, I bought a gun safe at the next gun show. I got the delivery fee waived, because I convinced them that they had to load & unload the safe, whether they sold it or not.

After the safe was delivered, I felt an immediate and long-lasting sensation of relief.

My safe is currently in a basement "gun room" with my reloading gear and ammunition cache, secured by a deadbolt lock in a solid-core door.

Yes, I live in a low-crime area of a low-crime city; I sleep well at night, with a HD firearm within reach.

I will think about getting a safe when I get a gun--no kids here, never will be. Just need to figure out how to secure it....obviously can't bolt it to the apartment floor, and don't really have any tables I want to mutilate...

I too don't see the point in trigger locks or in leaving the gun unloaded by the bed at night. A friend recommended having a trigger lock just in case a kid comes to visit, but no one with kids visits us and if they do, there's no way in hell their kid's going to be anywhere near my bedroom where the gun will live, TYVM.

I live in a low crime area, city, county,and state You don't need a safe. I used a lockable closet dedicated to guns and stuff. Have a good sized dog at home all the time too.

We originally got our safe becasue the kids (both boys) had been in Scouts and 4H and really enjoyed shooting. More and more BB, "airsoft", and pellet guns started to appear as the kids picked up the sport. We started with a 12 rifle StackOn for about $250.

But when we got it home we discovered all SORTS OF USES for it! We put jewelry in it, we put Christmas presents, my wife's chocolates, family silver, collectible coins, all sorts of things. And it's really nice to have when you go on vacation. What piece of mind.

Now, I'm considering a second much bigger safe.

rfw: "We started with a 12 rifle StackOn for about $250."

Respectfully, that isn't a safe. That is a tin box.

wacki said:

How much benefit is there for someone like me to get a gun safe for my long guns?

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None.

A gun safe is far too small, you need a gun room.

I feel a safe is the only way to go, you've read all the reasons to buy one. The only thing I will add, is to buy a bigger one than you think you need or it won't be long until you need another or bigger one.

rfw: "We started with a 12 rifle StackOn for about $250."

Duke: Respectfully, that isn't a safe. That is a tin box.

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No ill intent taken.

At the time we only wanted to control access to the paintball and BB guns so the boys would finish their studies before playing. We had plastic "guns", so we bought a tin box. In fact, we only bought the one we did because I insisted on a "safe" with a combination lock. (The boys had always eventually found our 'safe' key hiding spots.)

Now the boys are 24 and 21 and have some really serious guns. Now we're looking at some serious safes.