Lock up your guns. All of them. Lock them up in a good safe that can’t easily be cracked. If you have a home-defense gun you like to keep handy, lock it up, too. You can get lock boxes that open immediately only to a person wearing a special ring, or ones that recognize your fingerprints. If you don’t trust that, there are lock boxes that have quick and reliable keypads that also open immediately.
But all of us who own firearms need to be responsible with our storage of those guns. Too often we hear about criminals who break into someone’s house and steal guns, then use those guns to commit crimes. Or kids who get ahold of unsecured guns and accidentally create a tragedy. I hate hearing about those incidents, first and foremost for the people involved, but secondarily because it gives the anti-gun crowd more ammo to use to try to get us to give up our guns.
Get yourself a safe. Or several. When you do get a safe, make sure you get a good one. You don’t want one that can be easily picked. That doesn’t do you any good. Or one that can be pried open with a screwdriver or a crowbar.
One with a good fire rating is a plus, but having spoken with people whose houses have burned, I can tell you even the best fire-rated safes don’t completely protect your firearms. There will be some damage, unless the fire gets put out quickly. Spend your money on a safe that is secure from unauthorized tampering, and worry about the fire protection second.
And then there’s the size. Get the biggest safe you can possibly afford. It’s like building a barn. You will always need more room. No safe will ever be big enough. But if you get one that’s about twice as big as you think you need now, it’ll work for a while. You can always get another one later, right?
But please, lock up your guns. Protect your guns, your family, and your rights.
