Cart 
The ultimate responsibility for a gun owner is to ensure guns, people and property are kept safe. Even an unloaded firearm should never be left for children or unauthorized people to use or touch. Having a secure safe in your home is an essential piece of equipment when it comes to firearm and ammunition storage. Most gun owners know the basic rules of firearm safety, but it never hurts to refresh ourselves occasionally. This is especially true if you don’t necessarily handle your firearms regularly. These four rules for safe gun storage and gun safety, in general, are always worth revisiting.
Always Unload Guns When Not In Use
The number one rule of handling a firearm is to always unload it when not in use, even if you plan on just setting the gun down for a minute. A child may see the gun and get curious or a pet could accidentally bump the table it’s resting on and knock it to the ground. Accidental discharges can be devastating, so always check and double-check your gun is unloaded when handling or before storing it in a gun safe. If you lend your firearm to a friend or trusted family member, never take their word for it when they say they have unloaded the gun when returning it to you. Always confirm it is unloaded immediately when they return it to you and then again before you put it away in the gun safe.
Guns And Ammunition Should Be Out Of Reach Of Children
Storing your firearms in a gun vault is ideal. But if you’re still in the process of investing in one, then you must keep them out of the reach of children at all costs. This goes for the ammunition too, which should be stored in a safe location high up on a shelf, in a tall cabinet or other hard-to-reach areas. Storing your guns in one location and your ammunition in another is ideal.
Firearms are attractive to kids as they pique their curiosity. They sometimes can’t help but think they are a toy and try to play with them. Even if you have your guns in a gun safe, always educate the children in your home about the guns no matter their age. Not only will this send a message to them that the firearms should be respected, but it also may help curb their interest so they won’t be tempted to touch or play with them.
Point Guns Straight Up Or Down When Stored
Accidental discharges happen—that’s why you should read the section above—when they do they can cause serious damage to property or potentially cause devastating injuries to people. The accidental discharge can send a round through walls and other objects, so it’s always important to have control of the barrel direction. Directing the barrel into the ground reduces the risk of an accident due to an accidental discharge. And when it comes to home gun storage, pointing the gun straight up or down in a gun safe that’s inaccessible to other people is the safest way to go.
Store Guns Properly In A Gun Safe
Proper gun storage will keep your firearms safe and protect them from getting damaged or hurting someone else. You may even choose to invest in a pistol safe or a handgun safe that is separate from a larger safe. A high-quality gun vault will keep your firearms secure and out of the elements. They have locking mechanisms that are designed to protect you and others from accidentally opening them and preventing unwanted access. And when guns are stored properly in a gun safe, the life of the gun can be prolonged since it’s in a controlled environment and safely out of the elements.
Choosing where to put your gun safe is important. Installing a safe on an upper level of your home could pose risk to a possible collapse if there is fire or water damage. Installing a gun safe in your garage is also less than ideal because there are high chances other chemicals and fuels are stored there. The safest place would be in a basement or on the first floor of your home on a concrete slab. Consider the elements where you live. If the area you live in is very humid, consider installing a gun safe dehumidifier to protect the safe and your guns.
Other Gun Storage Rules And Safety Considerations
A gun owner may choose to purchase a firearm for home safety, hunting, sporting purposes or simply to have a collection. While these reasons are appropriate, the responsibility of the gun owner is heightened with every firearm purchased. Going through a gun safety course is valuable for you as the owner and any else living in your household. People who have a history of alcohol or drug abuse should never have access to firearms or to the gun vault where the firearms are stored. The ultimate goal of home gun storage is to have the firearms readily accessible to you when you need them, but completely inaccessible to unauthorized people except for the one or two people you trust to access them in specific circumstances.
Fort Knox Vaults offers gun security products to help you protect yourself, your family and your property. Their home gun storage solutions provide you with quick access to your firearms, while also preventing others from accessing them. You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a fireproof safe, including the fire rating, the size, shape, style, color, and other safety attributes. Visit the Fort Knox website to build and price your gun safe today to have peace of mind knowing your firearms are safely stored.