When used responsibly, a gun can be an invaluable tool and asset to personal safety. However, a firearm’s potential to seriously or even fatally injure someone cannot be overstated. Use our handy guide to see 5 of the best ways to secure your firearms. Don’t just be a gun owner, be a responsible gun owner!

1. Invest in a Gun Safe

Prevent unintended mishaps by locking your firearms in a gun safe when it isn’t being used. There are different kinds of gun safes you can choose from. Smaller safes for handguns, or bigger safes for long guns.

Consider a gun safe’s rating before investing in one. Is it fire and tamper resistant? The locking mechanism also deserves attention. Will you be able to open the safe quickly when needed? Using a gun safe does not need to hamper its accessibility when you need it most.

2. Keep An Inventory of Firearms

Keeping a tab on all your firearms is a good idea. Avoid the panic that can set in when, say you open your gun safe, and find one or more firearms missing. You could have simply forgotten to take it out of your truck gun safe, but knowing when a gun is missing would be invaluable to public safety.

If you have a bigger collection of different kinds of gun, consider a large gun cabinet. While the strength of these gun safes is evident just by looking at them, the internal pockets and shelves also enable you to stay organized.

While you are at it, you may also want to make a small but useful purchase of a gun inventory notebook.

3. Protect Firearms Against Natural Elements

It’s not always just people you want to keep your firearms safe from. Exposing guns to natural elements can also trigger unwanted consequences. Moisture getting into a gun can cause a multitude of issues, and is a problem especially pertinent for those living in humid areas.

Dust is also all around us, especially for those living in desert climates, so keeping a gun in a safe will reduce its exposure to airborne particles. It’s a good practice to clean your gun regularly to prevent rust that can cause your gun to misfire.

Additionally, fire can also be a challenging adversary for your gun. While there may be different gun safes in the market that attract you with a more-than-affordable price tag, you should consider fire safes, such as our fire-resistant series, to keep your firearms secure.

4. Practice Locking the Trigger

Trigger locks are another way to keep your firearms secure. While not as tamper and theft proof as a solid gun safe, trigger locks block the barrel or trigger. You can carry them with you because they are compact and don’t weigh much. It is a good idea to use trigger locks as a double-measure of protection in your efforts to keep your firearms safe.

5. Have a Conversation With Members of Your Household

While children are more likely to get curious about firearms, often adults can also undermine gun safety. Having an open conversation with other members in your family is a healthy way to ensure firearms are safe from unwanted use.

It shouldn’t need to be said, but it may be important to instruct family members, who are not well-versed with gun safety, to not touch guns should they come across one. It is important that everyone agrees that firearms of any kind should only be handled by individuals who have sound knowledge on using them safely.

Common sense gun safety practice begins with us. At Guardian Safe & Vault we want to arm you with the information and tools you need to store and use your firearms safely. See our collection of various home and vehicle gun safes, or contact us with your questions.