While toilet paper and hand sanitizer are getting lots of attention in the press, many individuals are thinking about how they can best defend their home. Personal firearms offer home protection, but there are some key considerations you’ll want to make — whether you’re purchasing your first gun or adding to your collection.
Protect Yourself Legally by Purchasing a Gun Safe
In July of 2019, Washington state passed RCW 9.41.360. This law made gun owners legally liable for an improperly stored gun that comes into the possession of a prohibited individual. Prohibited individuals include minors and felons.
An improperly stored firearm could result in the conviction of:
Community Endangerment in the First Degree is a Class C felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Community Endangerment in the Second Degree is a Gross Misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Shop Quick Access Safes
A Quick Access Gun Safe Offers Secure & Convenient Storage
Large 50-gun safes, like the ones in Liberty’s Presidential line offer exceptional security. But keeping one of these 1,500-pound safes by your bed is hardly practical. Nor is it a quick access safe. Even for those who are very familiar with their safe, it still takes upwards of a minute or more to open and remove a firearm.
A quick access gun safe can be installed in a convenient location of your choice and be opened in a matter of moments. This is true of both small pistol gun safes and shotgun safes, which gives you near-immediate access to your firearm so that you can defend your home when needed.
What is the Best Firearm for Home Defense?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the best firearm for home defense. A good rule of thumb is the best firearm to defend your home is the one you can confidently use and securely store. That being said, there are some home defense firearms that are popular, especially among first-time gun buyers.
To help you explore your options, we’ve outlined five of the most common and the appropriate quick access safe options to securely store them.
Top Home Defense Weapons: Remington 870 & Mossberg 500
Affordable and reliable, shotguns are often a good choice for first-time gun buyers. Easy to load and easy to aim with confidence in close corridors, the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 can help you stop an intruder in their tracks. This is also an option that allows you to leave the gun store with the firearm on the same day of purchase, after passing a background check.
Quick Access Shotgun Safes
Due to their size, most folks don’t think of storing a shotgun in a quick access safe. But, there are several quick access safes designed specifically for shotguns. Options like the Shot Lock Solo Vault hold a single shotgun and can be mounted on a wall or the back of a door.
For those who want a more inconspicuous quick access shotgun safe, the Amsec Defense Vault can be bolted to the floor beneath your bed. Additionally, the Vaultek RS200i and Vaultek RS500i offer a low-profile solution to storing more than one firearm.
- Shot Lock Solo Vault (Mechanical Lock- Kaba Simplex)
- Vaultek RS200i & Vaultek RS500i (Biometric, Push Button, Smart Key, Wifi)
- Amsec Defense Vault (Electronic Lock/Biometric Lock)
Top Home Defense Weapons: AR-15 (Carbine & Pistol Variants)
Thanks to its incredible combination of being light, compact, manageable, and accurate, the AR-15 is the best selling rifle in America and arguably the most versatile tool for home defense.
What makes the AR style platform the best option? Ergonomics. With key features like adjustable stocks, pistol grips and ambidextrous controls the AR-15 can easily and affordably be set up to fit shooters of any height and build.
Quick Access Safe
Like a shotgun, the larger profile of an AR-15 means you’ll need a slightly larger quick access safe in which to store it. Both the Vaultek RS500i and RS200i offer a small profile and a quick access entry to let you keep this firearm close.
- Shot Lock AR Vault (Push Button Mechanical Lock w/ Key Bypass)
- Amsec Defense Vault (Electronic Lock/Biometric Lock)
- Vaultek RS500i and Vaultek RS200i (Biometric, Push Button, Smart Key, Wifi)
Top Home Defense Weapons: GLOCK 17 & 19
Pistols are often the preferred home defense weapon. Their small size means they are not only easier to maneuver around tight corners, but easier to conceal. While there’s nothing wrong with other striker fired pistols like the SIG P320, H&K VP9 or the S&W M&P, the Glock 17 and Glock 19 have an unmatched legacy of service, reliability and access to parts and accessories.
Top Pistol Safes
The beauty of a pistol safe (also known as a handgun vault) is that it can fit nearly anywhere. Common locations for a pistol safe include under the bed or within a bedroom closet. But thanks to their inconspicuous nature, you might install one in the living room, near the front door or within your car.
When you’re selecting the best pistol safe for your home defense, you want it to be easy to open and pry-resistant. For many individuals, the ease of a biometric pistol safe is the ideal choice, as it takes less movements.
But regardless of the locking system you choose, you’ll want to make sure you practice quickly opening it and removing your gun. The more familiar you are with the safe, the faster and easier it is to open when needed.
We recommend investing in a higher quality pistol safe when it comes to home protection. You want your safe to work when you need it to. Be extremely cautions when considering box store products with low price points. The price point of a safe correlates to its level of reliability. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Vaultek Pistol Safes-Biometric (Push Button, Smart Key, Wifi)
- V-Line Pistol Safes (Mechanical lock-Kaba Simplex)
- Titan Gun Vault (Mechanical lock- Kaba Simplex)