There are several very important factors to consider when purchasing a new gun safe; weight, footprint, security features, lock type, fire rating...but one of the most underrated characteristics is the overall capacity - how many guns is it able to comfortably store? Many people don't tend to look at this feature appropriately, they tend to only consider the arsenal that they currently have.
Say Joe Blow has 12 rifles and shotguns that he'd like to lock up to keep out of reach of his kids and any potential burglars. If he's your average Joe Blow, he's probably going to be shopping around for a safe that can hold a dozen long guns.
That's his first mistake - he's not thinking about the future. Any guy who has 12 guns already, is sure as heck going to be purchasing more throughout his lifetime. A gun safe is an expensive purchase that, ideally, you only want to make once. That said, why not invest in a unit that can grow with you? What he should do is look back on his past firearms purchases, and estimate the frequency that he adds to his collection. If he's bought 12 new guns over the past 10 years, and plans on continuing a similar trend, he should at least consider a 24 gun safe.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a 24 gun rating usually doesn't mean it will comfortably store 24 of your guns. Those advertised numbers are usually geared toward mid sized rifles without scopes or any other accessories that may take up extra space. If you're packing 20 scoped and heavily modified rifles, you'd do better to shop for at least a 40 gun safe.
All of these factors considered, the general theme of the message is to always buy a bigger gun safe than you currently need. Nearly any security container worth its weight is going to have some convertible shelving options, giving you the ability to securely organize not only your guns, but shooting accessories and other valuables as well. If you have the extra room in your safe, you might as well keep your wife's loose jewelry, and your financial records locked up. You're never making a poor choice when you opt for a high capacity gun safe.
For tons of information on security containers be sure to stop over to gun safe haven.com to get yourself educated.
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