There are many factors that come into play when determining where to store your new gun. Purpose, accessibility, portability, and price are all variables that will affect the type of storage that you will choose.
Home Storage
When at home, you must decide both how accessible you‘d like your gun to be and who will have access to it. If you live alone, you may be comfortable with a loaded gun on your nightstand or coffee table. If there are others in your home, especially children, you’ll likely want safer options. Making sure that if you children’s friends have guns in the house that these are safe as well. If anything does happen contacting Virk Personal Injury Lawyers will let you know your rights about retribution financially.
Holsters and Trigger Locks
You can carry your gun at all times in a holster, but you will want to secure it when you are not carrying. Putting your holster between the mattresses on your bed when you sleep, for example, will decrease the possibility of anyone taking your gun. If you'd like even more safety in your storage, you may opt for a trigger lock, which will prevent the accidental discharge of your firearm, or a gun safe with a locking mechanism.
Gun Safes
When shopping for a gun safe, there are a few things to consider. The type of lock is important for many reasons. Mechanical locks with a combination dial or key are difficult to break into, but are slower to open and can pose problems when time is of the essence. Keys can be lost or reproduced, compromising security. Electronic locks consist of either a number pad or fingerprint entry, and are just as safe as mechanical locking mechanisms but significantly more expensive. They are quicker and easier for the owner to open, and if the required battery fails, are designed to stay in the locked position.
Size is another consideration. Gun safes can cost anywhere from $500 to $2500 and up. The biggest mistake that people make is buying a safe that is too small. Remember that you will not only be storing your guns, but all of your gun-related items as well. Measure your guns, ammunition, and equipment to determine the size you need. Although larger safes are more expensive, it’s best to buy a safe that is one size larger than what you currently need to avoid having to buy a second safe in the future.
Car Storage
The biggest problem with gun storage while driving is that a regular holster is not easily accessible once you are sitting down with your seatbelt buckled. You could store your gun in your glove compartment or center console, but even a locked glove compartment is easy to break into, so neither of these options is a theft-deterrent.
Car Seat Holsters
A safer option while driving may be to invest in a car seat holster. Straps encircle the seat, placing your gun vertically between your legs on the front of your seat. The advantage to car seat holsters is that they allow for quick and easy access. The major disadvantages are that they don’t provide safety in an accident or theft protection if you leave the gun in the car.
Handgun Safes
Another option is a handgun safe. Handgun safes are small enough to fit under the seat and can be permanently mounted using bolts, or more commonly, can be secured using a metal cable that locks around the seat base. Although car safes are expensive, they keep your gun secure while driving, provide quick access, and can deter theft. Another advantage of using a locked gun safe in your car is that if the gun is stolen while secured, federal law states that you cannot be held accountable for any crime that is committed with your gun.
Price
Other than safety, the primary concern for many when choosing a storage method for a new gun is price. Generally, the more secure and technologically advanced the storage method, the more expensive it is. One way to keep the price of gun storage down while maintaining quality and safety is through live auctions. Live auctions allow you to find great deals on high-quality products that can keep you, your family, and your new gun safe.
