Pistol Safes Guide

Safety Rules Related to your Pistol

1. Make sure your pistol is in good mechanical condition before firing it. Periodically have your pistol checked for signs of erosion, cracking, or wear by the factory, by a qualified armorer, or by a factory certified gunsmith.
2. Never try to fire a gun which may have a plugged or partially obstructed barrel.
3. Insure that any modifications made to a pistol are made by a qualified individual, and that those modifications don’t interfere with your pistol’s safety features.
4. Be sure all accessories, such as holsters and grips, are compatible with the pistol and won’t interfere with its safe operation.
5. Remember: a backup pistol carried about your person may be highly valuable to you in the event your primary pistol is ever rendered inoperable or is taken from you by an assailant.
6. It is your responsibility to insure that your pistol is always either about your person and under your personal control, or positively secured from access by children or other unauthorized parties. Prevent tragedy: lock down your pistols when they aren’t in use.
7. When storing a pistol for a long period of time, consider storing the slide, bolt, or other critical components of the pistol separately under separate lock and key.
8. Never carry a single action revolver with a round under the hammer unless that revolver is a modern transfer-bar type, equipped with an inertial firing pin.
9. Never carry a pistol with a round in the chamber unless the pistol has an automatic firing-pin block and/or an inertial firing pin.
10. Generally avoid carrying or storing an external hammer-type pistol with its hammer cocked. Exercise extreme care in decocking any external hammer pistol: it is very easy to experience an accidental discharge while doing so if your thumb slips off the hammer.
11. Generally avoid unloading a pistol by working the cartridges through the action one-at-a-time; drop the magazine and then eject the round which may be left in the chamber, instead, if possible.
12. Never use a scope mounted on a pistol as a general purpose spotting scope: while observing an area you may end up accidentally aiming your pistol at fellow hunters, or other non-targets.
13. Avoid trying to catch a live round (while unloading a semiautomatic pistol) by cupping your hand around the ejection port while retracting the slide; doing so may result in an accidental discharge.
14. Secure your pistol properly when not in use. Consider a pistol safe as way to protect your investment and family.

Pistol Safes Sizes

Pistol safes come in many different shapes and sizes depending upon the number of pistols that you are looking to secure.

Most pistol safes are made for single pistols to be store securely with ammunition. This is also the ideal size to be permanently mounted in the truck of your car for transporting your pistol or for quick access to it from your vehicle.
Larger units can also be standard safes that would be normally used to store valuables, but there are also more specific pistol safes that accommodate 2-3 pistols with ammunition. These can have combination, keyed, or biometric locks (or a combination of 2).
Some pistol safes are thin enough to fit in your top desk drawer or under your car seat (check with your local regulations about carrying a pistol in the occupant compartment of your vehicle).  These make excellent places to have quick access to your pistol without compromising the safety of having it secured in a safe.
A briefcase style safe is good for easy transport whether traveling or moving from your car to home frequently. Note that most of these styles are not considered true “safes” as they are not hardened and do not have significant locking mechanisms.

When buying a safe, you should anticipate the number of pistols that you may be planning to own as it is much easier to buy a larger unit initially than replacing it later as your pistol collection grows. Plus, you should not leave a pistol unsecured simply because you don’t have room for it in your safe. If you often take your pistols to the range or need to have them accessible from your vehicle, purchase a smaller safe that you can leave in your care truck permanently.

The Need for a Pistol Safe

You own a pistol to protect your family.  Owning a pistol safe can also help protect your family because numerous accidents and deaths occur each year by the accidental discharge of pistols found by children.  Pistol owners want quick access to their pistols, but also want their children to be safe.  Purchasing a pistol safe will give you peace of mind that your pistol is available to you, but is locked away from an innocent children’s hands.

Safes can also prevent your pistol from falling into criminal hands.  A burglar that breaks into your house is typically going to take only what he can quickly carry out.  Leaving a pistol in a drawer or shoe box invites theft.  Once out on the street, that pistol could be used to commit multiple criminal acts including murder.  Typically most residential burglers will not take the time to break open a safe, like they show in the movies.  Protect your investment by locking it in a pistol safe.