Gun Safes; Need a Fireproof Gun Safe?
Well first things first. The term “Fireproof” in the world of safes and gun safes is a misnomer. Fireproof actually does not exist as anything will burn if you burn it hot enough and long enough. When looking for a safe or gun safe, you are actually looking for a safe that is fire resistant. This opens up the discussion of how much fire protection do you need. The average metropolitan house fire in the United States is 1100-1200 degrees for about 27-30 minutes. With this in mind, understand that average means some fires are out in 5 minutes and some are out in 1 hour. Without proper protection a 1 hour fire will leave you “renting salt shakers” as nothing you owned will be left in your home.
When looking for the best gun safe to suit your needs, first determine the value of the items to go inside your safe. In many homes the list of items that will go into a gun safe goes far beyond just guns. Items like cameras, cash, jewelry, coins, important documents, family memorabilia and the list goes on and on. Many safe shoppers assume that the cheapest safe will get the job done, when in reality some safes are fire certified only, some burglary certified only or both fire and burglary certified while others offer no real certifications at all. The rule of thumb is if you are looking for documentation protection only, then a fire safe is fine. When you are looking to protect paper as well valuables (guns, cash, etc.), then you need to have both fire and burglary certifications. Most of the better Fireproof Safes built in the U.S has both a fire rating and a U.L. (Underwriters Laboratory) burglary rating.
So just how much is enough? If the average is about 30 minutes and the high side of the average house fire is 1 hour then most people looking to at least cover their bases would want a 1 hour or better fire rated safe at a minimum test temperature of 1200 degrees. Gun Safes can be found with 1200 degrees/20 minute fire ratings all the way up to 1850 degrees/2 hour fire certifications with many certifications in between. The best sellers in the industry are the 1200-1500 degree/1 hour and 1 ½ hour fire certifications offered by such companies as Liberty, Champion, Superior, and American Security Safes. Remember, purchasing a safe is just investing in “peace of mind.” Peace of mind only happens when you know you have chosen a safe with enough fire and burglary protection to keep what you value most safe in the event of a fire or burglary.
Now you are ready to go gun safe shopping with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision.
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