Just putting your gun in the safe does not make it 100% safe. You also need to make sure that the safe itself is located in a safe and secure place. Obvious areas like the garage, basement or living room may not be ideal depending on your situation.
There are several factors you need to consider when deciding where to put a gun safe in your house.
Fire Risk
Unless the gun safe you bought is specifically labelled as fire-proof, it most likely won’t last long in a fire.
So it’s important to put the gun safe in a location where there is least risk of a fire.
Keep it away from the kitchen and the laundry room if there is a dryer. The garage is also not a good place because of the presence of nearby flammable materials like paint thinners.
The basement is fairly good when it comes to fire protection but only if you don’t have a dryer down there.
The rooms with the lowest fire risk include the bathroom, closet, home office and bedroom.
Water and Humidity Damage
While most gun safes have an anti-rust coating, prolonged exposure to a humid environment may still cause rusting both on the exterior and interior. Your guns may start rusting as well.
Flooding is even more damaging since most gun safes are not water-proof. If you are in a flood-prone area, avoid rooms that have a high risk of flooding.
Both high humidity and flooding risk make the basement a bad choice for installing your gun safe. If you have to put it there, use a dehumidifier to keep the moisture levels low.
Bathrooms are also not good places since they can flood if there is a plumbing problem.
Higher floors are the best installation areas if you want to avoid water damage. But be careful if you are buying a very heavy gun safe. Make sure that the floor can support its weight.
Luckily, most basic gun safes in the UK weigh less than 50kg so weight is not an issue.
Also remember to install the safe away from a window where rain drops might reach it.
Burglary
Gun theft in the UK is not as uncommon as you may think. It’s one of the reasons why police go to a great effort to make sure you have secure storage before issuing you with a shotgun or firearms license.
But even having a safe does not guarantee that no one can steal your guns. Someone can simply carry the entire safe away.
The first thing you should do is check that the safe you are about to buy has pre-drilled holes at the bottom or back. It should also come with bolts to secure the safe to the wall or floor.
If you have already bought a safe and it doesn’t have any holes, get a pro to drill them for you.
Also make sure that you install the gun safe where it is least likely to get stolen. Avoid rooms that burglars strike first including living room and master bedroom unless you have extreme confidence in how secure your safe is.
The garage is also not a good idea because it can be more easily accessed by burglars and the safe is fully visible when you open and close the door.
The basement is a great choice if you can deal with the humidity issue. It is hidden out of site and most burglars do not go there.
Floor Type
It is best not to secure a safe to floor boards or drywall. A determined thief will simply rip it out and carry it whole.
Gun safe manufacturers recommend securing the safe in a concrete surface. This is another reason why the basement is a great place to put a gun safe. You can secure it in the concrete floor slab or wall.
If you have no basement, any other room with a concrete floor will do.
If you have to secure it to a wood floor or a non-concrete wall, I’d recommend hiring a pro to do it for you. They can find a way to fasten the safe to the surface in such a way that it can’t be pulled out easily.
