Keeping Your Collection of Firearms Safe and Secure
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Keeping Your Collection of Firearms Safe and Secure, Gun-Safe-iStock-1031564278-C5MediaU.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Firearm ownership is through the roof. Thieves walk among us. An honest reflection will lead anybody to believe neither is likely to change anytime soon. This leads to some dark places for the fraction of our culture that would rather steal than earn. I hate a thief folks, and I really do mean hate. How do we protect ourselves against theft and burglary? Both active and passive security measures are helpful. Safes for your home, small vaults for your vehicle and your nightstand, as well as security systems reduce your chance of being a victim while keeping things safe and secure. I’m a fan of big safes and rarely recommend a small safe. I almost never hear a customer say, “I sure wish I’d gotten a smaller safe.” People store everything from weapons, to family heirlooms, to family pictures backed up on external hard drives, etc. in safe with the room to accommodate it. Many customers store their important documents in their safes. My personal favorite safe of the many I own is Pella Security. Check with your CPA on eligibility to write off your safe purchase via itemized tax filing if you intend on storing your tax documents within it. Whether you choose a bedside vault with a biometric fingerprint reader or combination lock like those from GunVault, the same rules apply to these and large safes. You’d be wise to go the extra mile and fasten them down. Safes are primarily broken into by being pushed onto their backs while long bars are used to pry the doors or frames open. Lagging your safe to the wall or floor will ward against this and leave few options for a burglar to gain access. The vast majority of small vaults have a cable you can buy so they can’t be taken. These aren’t absolute, but just like securing the safe to a wall, they dramatically reduce the number of successful attempts. 
GunVault GVB2000 Pistol Safe MultiVault BiometricBoth active and passive deterrents are necessary for a well-secured home. Examples of passive security would be things as simple as signage. When a thief drives by and you have a visible “Brinks Security” sign in the yard and stickers on your door right above the deadbolt, you’ve given the average thief something to think about. They are forced to decide whether to gamble on your house or move on to a home without a security sign. Statistics show burglaries drop with homes that display well visible signage. Motion lights are great choices for passive security along with outside video cameras. Some external cams are no more than a fake housing with a blinking light, while most are either wired or wireless cameras to a DVR (digital video recorder). I prefer wired systems myself, as the majority of these cameras require hard wiring for their power source. Why skip hard wiring for the data path in these cases? Wireless systems are ok, but many users comment on poor reception or interference, so choose carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions on this subject. Some people opt for trail cams hidden in various places around the home and property. I like this idea, and while you may catch a glimpse of who robbed you and when our goal should be one of stopping them from you choosing your home altogether. If they do, we’d like to turn them around in their tracks. This leads to active security measures. I like the idea of a 150-decibel alarm going off the instant some low life gains entry to my home. It is rare that an intruder continues his activity once a brain freezing alarm jolts him and the neighborhood from the 3 AM silence. Yes, you’ll have some glass to clean up, but your family will be safe and the contents of your home intact. Many of the large security companies now offer plans as low as $5 a week for basic security. If you buy cheap you get cheap, so be careful and methodical in your choice and make a wise choice. Using a system that wakes you up in the night when a blowfly buzzes around usually ends with the security system turned off and that benefits only the criminals. I mention this example because a neighbor of mine bought a cheap system that kept happening to him. As firearm owners, we have a great responsibility to keep our collections safe and secure. However, securing our firearms doesn’t have to be the end of the discussion. Securing our families and taking measures to retain the sanctity of our homes can be achieved with some thought, a plan, and the diligence to keep the ball bouncing. About Michael Ware:
Michael is a Christian husband and father to two children. He owns and operates Controlled Chaos Arms, a premier custom weapons shop in the Midwest. He serves as Chairman of the board of Directors at the Iowa Firearms Coalition. The pursuit of truth drives him in research and his writing. Michael enjoys shooting, hunting, and fishing throughout the Midwest and Rockies. An avid outdoorsman and tireless supporter of all Second Amendment virtues, he can be found in his gun shop, in a tree stand with his kids, or on Capitol Hill lobbying in support of Freedom and Liberty at any given time.
Keeping Your Collection of Firearms Safe and Secure, Gun-Safe-iStock-1031564278-C5MediaU.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Firearm ownership is through the roof. Thieves walk among us. An honest reflection will lead anybody to believe neither is likely to change anytime soon. This leads to some dark places for the fraction of our culture that would rather steal than earn. I hate a thief folks, and I really do mean hate. How do we protect ourselves against theft and burglary? Both active and passive security measures are helpful. Safes for your home, small vaults for your vehicle and your nightstand, as well as security systems reduce your chance of being a victim while keeping things safe and secure. I’m a fan of big safes and rarely recommend a small safe. I almost never hear a customer say, “I sure wish I’d gotten a smaller safe.” People store everything from weapons, to family heirlooms, to family pictures backed up on external hard drives, etc. in safe with the room to accommodate it. Many customers store their important documents in their safes. My personal favorite safe of the many I own is Pella Security. Check with your CPA on eligibility to write off your safe purchase via itemized tax filing if you intend on storing your tax documents within it. Whether you choose a bedside vault with a biometric fingerprint reader or combination lock like those from GunVault, the same rules apply to these and large safes. You’d be wise to go the extra mile and fasten them down. Safes are primarily broken into by being pushed onto their backs while long bars are used to pry the doors or frames open. Lagging your safe to the wall or floor will ward against this and leave few options for a burglar to gain access. The vast majority of small vaults have a cable you can buy so they can’t be taken. These aren’t absolute, but just like securing the safe to a wall, they dramatically reduce the number of successful attempts. GunVault GVB2000 Pistol Safe MultiVault BiometricBoth active and passive deterrents are necessary for a well-secured home. Examples of passive security would be things as simple as signage. When a thief drives by and you have a visible “Brinks Security” sign in the yard and stickers on your door right above the deadbolt, you’ve given the average thief something to think about. They are forced to decide whether to gamble on your house or move on to a home without a security sign. Statistics show burglaries drop with homes that display well visible signage. Motion lights are great choices for passive security along with outside video cameras. Some external cams are no more than a fake housing with a blinking light, while most are either wired or wireless cameras to a DVR (digital video recorder). I prefer wired systems myself, as the majority of these cameras require hard wiring for their power source. Why skip hard wiring for the data path in these cases? Wireless systems are ok, but many users comment on poor reception or interference, so choose carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions on this subject. Some people opt for trail cams hidden in various places around the home and property. I like this idea, and while you may catch a glimpse of who robbed you and when our goal should be one of stopping them from you choosing your home altogether. If they do, we’d like to turn them around in their tracks. This leads to active security measures. I like the idea of a 150-decibel alarm going off the instant some low life gains entry to my home. It is rare that an intruder continues his activity once a brain freezing alarm jolts him and the neighborhood from the 3 AM silence. Yes, you’ll have some glass to clean up, but your family will be safe and the contents of your home intact. Many of the large security companies now offer plans as low as $5 a week for basic security. If you buy cheap you get cheap, so be careful and methodical in your choice and make a wise choice. Using a system that wakes you up in the night when a blowfly buzzes around usually ends with the security system turned off and that benefits only the criminals. I mention this example because a neighbor of mine bought a cheap system that kept happening to him. As firearm owners, we have a great responsibility to keep our collections safe and secure. However, securing our firearms doesn’t have to be the end of the discussion. Securing our families and taking measures to retain the sanctity of our homes can be achieved with some thought, a plan, and the diligence to keep the ball bouncing. About Michael Ware: Michael is a Christian husband and father to two children. He owns and operates Controlled Chaos Arms, a premier custom weapons shop in the Midwest. He serves as Chairman of the board of Directors at the Iowa Firearms Coalition. The pursuit of truth drives him in research and his writing. Michael enjoys shooting, hunting, and fishing throughout the Midwest and Rockies. An avid outdoorsman and tireless supporter of all Second Amendment virtues, he can be found in his gun shop, in a tree stand with his kids, or on Capitol Hill lobbying in support of Freedom and Liberty at any given time.