Gun Safe Brands to Avoid – Navigating the Market

Identify which gun safe brands fall short in security and durability to protect your firearms.
Last updated: December 20, 2023
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There are a lot of articles that tell you the best brands of a product to purchase but not many that tell you what not to buy. In this article, we’re going to provide an easy guide that includes the gun safe bands to avoid. Such safes are essential for all responsible gun owners, especially if you have children in your house. Gun safes allow you to keep your guns, ammo, and other gear in a safe place so no accidents happen or no burglaries occur. Keep reading to find out more important and practical information about gun safes and examples of brands you should and should not purchase.

A List of Gun Safe Brands to Avoid

There are many gun safe brands around. Here are some that you should avoid.

1. ABC Safes

Unfortunately, ABC Safes does not have a great brand reputation. They may look good but buyers have reported damage or products not meeting their description. It is best to look elsewhere when purchasing your next gun safe.

2. XYZ Lockboxes

It sometimes seems like brands like to put letters in their name to make them appear more notable. Unfortunately, in the case of XYZ Lockboxes, you are not getting quality. The gun safes produced by this brand are not of the highest quality. Their customer service is also not great, so it is hard to contact the company to get answers.

3. BudgetSafe Firearms Protection

As its name suggests, the BudgetSafe Firearms Protection brand offers products at a discounted price. While it’s always nice to get a discount on an expensive product, when it comes to gun safes, you need to be prepared to pay a decent price.

When gun safes are marked down to very low prices, this is a huge red flag. It means the materials and technology used are cheap enough that the manufacturer can still make a profit from a discounted sale.

4. QuickAccess Firearm Safes

Finally, Quick Access Firearm Safes may seem like they are okay, but there have been enough dissatisfied customers to know otherwise. The brand just doesn’t have a good reputation among serious gun owners.

Criteria for Selecting a Gun Safe Brand

The following are important criteria to consider when you want to purchase a new gun safe. While individual products will differ, most gun safe brands have the same specifics for all their products.

Durability and Strength

Gun Safe Brands to Avoid - Navigating the Market

The materials used in your gun safe should be of the utmost quality. This means that if you drop your gun safe accidentally or bang it around while moving, it will still keep the contents inside safe and sound.

All quality gun safes should be made from steel. Anything made from wood may look good but it is far too fragile.

Steel alloy, with a combination of iron and carbon, is often used in the production of gun safes. These products will also have a middle layer made of a fire-resistant material.

Security Features

Above all else, your gun safe should be secure. If anyone can open it, then it isn’t really a safe. There are many different ways to keep your gun safe secure.

Basic locks or combination locks are just fine as long as you take extra steps. This includes hiding the safe key in a spot where only you know it and where children can’t accidentally find it. The same goes for a code. Don’t write it down where somebody may be able to find it.

Higher-end gun safes have biometric security features. With these safes, you need to use your fingerprints or other such information to open them. This ensures that you are the only person who has access to your gun.

It’s estimated that a third of all homes in the United States that have children also have guns. This is a scary statistic if those guns are not properly stowed away. Children are naturally curious and no matter how much you educate them on gun safety, there is always the chance they may want to play with a gun, especially if they are younger.

Having biometric safety features is an easy way to ensure nobody but yourself has access to the weapons inside your safe.

Gun Safe Brands to Avoid - Navigating the Market

Size and Capacity

When shopping for a gun case, think about how many guns you want to own and not just how many you currently own. This way, you can save money by being proactive.

Good gun safes will also have space for ammo and other accessories as well as the gun itself. Again, all this is important for creating a safe, responsible place to store your guns.

You should also take into account where you want your gun safe to be and if you plan on moving in the future. While smaller gun safes that hold just one or two firearms aren’t too heavy, larger gun safes that hold hunting rifles will need a lot of manpower to move.

Price

Don’t expect to get a discount on premium gun safes. This is mainly because the materials need to be solid and the locking mechanism sophisticated, which naturally adds to the price. In fact, if you see a gun safe that looks like the price is too good to be true, that probably means it is.

The larger the gun safe, the more you can expect to pay. Smaller, one-gun safes can range between two and four hundred dollars. You should also pay attention to sales prices. While sales are great, if the gun safe you are looking at is constantly deeply discounted, this is a tactic to get you to buy it and can be an indication it is not the best quality.

Fire Rating

The fire rating of a gun safe refers to how long the product can last in a fire before it is ruined. Obviously, the higher the rating, the greater the chance that your content will be safe

When looking to purchase a gun safe, make sure it has a fire rating of at least one hour. All good, reputable brands will have a one-hour fire rating or higher.

Gun Safe Brands to Avoid - Navigating the Market

Customer Reviews

Word of mouth has always been the best way to determine how good a product is. Thanks to the Internet, we now have access to word-of-mouth testimonies but on a larger scale.

Look for online reviews that have specifics to them and are not just general comments created by fake people. Many people will also upload photos to their reviews to underscore the legitimacy of their comments.

There will always be outlier reviews, so take these with a grain of salt. You should also look at negative reviews to see if the manufacturer has responded. If they have, you know that they want to better themselves and work towards making customers happy.

Warranty

One of the standout features of a reliable gun safe is the warranty. Basically, a warranty lets you know how much trust a brand has in its own products.

The longer the warranty is on your gun safe, the longer you can have peace of mind. At the very least you should look for a gun safe that has a one-year warranty. Obviously, the longer the warranty, the better.

In addition to a warranty, you should look for a money-back guarantee. 30 days is pretty standard. This means that if you order your gun safe and it isn’t what you thought it would be, you can return it without any issues.

Finally, have a look at the company’s reputation when it comes to customer service. A good warranty doesn’t matter if you can’t get a hold of customer support. 24-hour customer support means that no matter what time zone you are in, you can talk to a real person and have all your problems solved.

FAQs

Why should I be concerned about gun safe brands to avoid?

While you should want everything you own to be quality, there are some purchases that this is more applicable to. Gun safes are imperative for protection and if you have a faulty or malfunctioning gun safe, people can get very hurt.

Knowing which gun safes have a good or bad reputation will allow you to make the right decision the first time. Then, you can have peace of mind. You will also save money as you won’t have to buy a different, better gun safe later on.

How can I research gun safe brands before making a purchase?

There is no shortage of information articles about all sorts of products, including gun safes. However, be sure to look at honest reviews about gun safes before you purchase them. You may want to consider joining an online group with other gun owners. This way you can get first-hand experience from real people.

What are some gun safe brands that are considered to be high quality?

Gun Safe Brands to Avoid - Navigating the Market

Now that we’ve covered what gun safe brands to avoid, here are a few more worthier options. According to many reviews, the Hornady RAPiD Safe Night Guard is an incredibly durable gun safe. Safety features include a key fob and an RFID wristband. It isn’t overly large, as it is just made for one handgun, but does come with a very positive reputation.

Another option to consider is the MAXSafes Biometric Gun Safe. This option also holds one handgun and is remarkably impressive thanks to its biometrics. There’s no need to worry about the safe being opened by the wrong person as it only opens by finger vein recognition.

What should I do if I own a gun safe from one of the brands to avoid?

Gun safes are expensive so if you already own a gun safe and it happens to be on this list of brands to avoid, we are not suggesting that you throw it out and start from scratch. Instead, think of this list as a warning to be more aware of the quality of your gun safe and to take proactive measures.

For example, be more aware when you open your gun safe to see if there are any issues with the seal or the lock. More reputable brands won’t break down as fast, so if there is a minor issue, deal with it before it becomes a major issue.

If you are very worried about your current gun safe, simply be on the lookout for gun safes from other, better brands. Then, when these sales happen, you can be ready to purchase a new, better gun safe.

Are there any other steps I can take to improve the security of my firearms?

Always store your firearms and your ammunition in separate areas if they are not in your gun safe. This way, if a child gets access to a firearm, they will not also have access to the ammunition. Unfortunately, preventable deaths from guns are on the rise, so it’s more important than ever to be a responsible owner.

Even though you may think you are protecting your family by having a loaded gun in the open, this actually leads to more accidents, which can be devastating. Always remove your ammunition from your firearm before safely stowing it away.

Finally, keep your firearm clean and undamaged. This will prevent anything wrong from happening if you need to use it.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you now have a better understanding of which gun safe brands to purchase and which to avoid. These safes are invaluable tools for responsible gun owners. No matter how many firearms you have, you should always have a gun safe to lock them securely away. When looking for a quality gun safe, think about the material, warranty, and reviews from previous buyers. If do happen to already have a product that appears on our list of gun safe brands to avoid, try not to feel too overwhelmed. Instead, simply keep an eye on it to catch any defects before they become a major problem. Then, when it’s time to replace your safe, you can look for our recommended brands as a better alternative.

References

1.
Guns in the Home How to Keep Kids Safe HealthyChildren.org
The American Academy of Pediatrics AAP gives imprortant advise to parents about guns in the home.
2.
Guns
Gun-related deaths from preventable, intentional, and undetermined causes totaled 48,830 in 2021, an increase of 8% from 45,222 deaths in 2020.
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