If you own a firearm, whether it be for hunting, leisure shooting, or collecting, storing your firearm safely is always a priority. Storing your firearms in a hunting safe provides a wide range of benefits, one of the most important ones being your own peace of mind. Hunting safes protect your firearm at all times and can help eliminate the chance of theft or authorized use.
Keeping your guns secure and safe is the responsibility of every responsible gun owner. In this article, we’ll go through the benefits of investing in hunting safes and the different gun safes available in Canada.
Why Investing in a Hunting Safe
Hunting safes are a worthwhile investment, but there are a few factors to consider when purchasing a firearm safe. They allow gun owners to safely and legally comply with Canada’s firearm storage regulations as well. With over 20 million guns owned in Canada, all for various reasons, storing them carefully and correctly is imperative. Some of the benefits of investing in a proper hunting safe include the following reasons.
Protect Firearms from Unauthorized Use
The unauthorized use of firearms is one of the main reasons that many individuals choose to invest in a hunting safe. There are several kinds of unauthorized use, which can include:
Theft: Hunting safes and gun safes help ensure that your firearm remains untouched in the case of a break-in. Depending on the kind of hunting safe you choose, it can have varying levels of security against lock picking, tampering, or attempted break-ins with power tools or cutting torches.
House Visitors: As much as some individuals may love hosting people in their residences, visitors such as babysitters, house guests, neighbours, or even friends can become too curious and pick up a firearm to look at it more closely, hold it, or, in a worst-case scenario, try to use it without understanding how it works and discharge it.
Children: Parents’ first priority is always going to be their children’s safety and security. This is why restricting their access to any firearms is absolutely crucial. By locking your guns in a hunting safe with either a mechanical or electronic lock is the best way to achieve this.
Gun safes allow a safe and secure storage option while also restricting and reducing the risk of children or any other house member or visitor from gaining access to your firearms.
Protect Your Investments
Around $8.5 billion is spent on hunting and sporting shooting in Canada each year. Your firearms and ammunition are a serious investment worth protecting. Most often, hunters value their firearms past their dollar value. Although hunting safes are generally used to store a variety of hunting, they can also be customed with different layouts to accommodate valuable possessions and other important items.
A hunting safe generally pays for itself by minimizing the chance of loss and theft. An additional and often overlooked part of protecting your investments is preventing moisture damage and corrosion. Traditional gun safes use standard drywall as the fire insulation. Drywall is notorious for trapping moisture. This trapped moisture can be slowly released inside the safe. This can create an environment where damaging rust and corrosion can affect the content of the safe. In order to prevent a humid climate, most standard gun safes require a dehumidifier.
Meet Insurance Company Requirements
Depending on the insurance company you are with. There may be some restrictive limits on firearms. Over the years, the home insurance policies available have changed their coverage on firearm ownership and storage, with some outright excluding improper storage means. Some insurance companies have even modified their policies to offer discounts if you own a hunting safe. This is because hunting safes decrease the likelihood of a claim to replace your firearm being filed in the chance of a burglary or natural disaster.
Some insurance companies have made it mandatory for hunting safes to be used to store any firearm to be fully covered, especially if you own firearms of a higher value. It’s recommended to double-check the clauses outlined in your policy to see if a hunter’s safe is mandatory for full coverage. Additionally, there are firearm insurance policies available through alternative lenders in Canada as well.
Protect from Natural Hazards/Disasters
Natural disasters like flooding and fires can occur without notice. If a fire does occur, most hunting safes can withstand intense heat for a certain amount of time before the heat affects the contents of the safe. These kinds of hunting safes are often built with thick steel walls that can have certain composites layered in between to help keep the safe sealed and the fire out.
Most safe companies should provide you with specifications for the hunting safe you’re looking at. Some specifications to pay particular attention to include:
- Fire rating and time duration
- Lock certifications
- Fire And Burglary Warranties
- Manufacturer’s Warranty
- Type of material
- Lock Type
What Regulations Do Hunters Need to Follow in Canada?
In Canada, in order to safely and legally store firearms, they must follow certain regulations depending on their class. According to Alberta regulations, all firearms must be unloaded and locked when being stored. You are allowed to store multiple unloaded, locked firearms separately or in the same container or safe.
For non-restricted firearms:
- Attach a secure lock, such as a trigger lock or cable lock, or remove the bolt
- Lock the firearms in a cabinet, container or safe room
For restricted and prohibited firearms:
- Attach a secure lock so they cannot be fired, and lock them in a cabinet, container or safe room
- Lock the firearms in a vault, safe or room that was built to store firearms safely
Ammunition must also be stored separately in a container that cannot be easily opened or broken into. It can be stored with or separate from your firearms.
Types of Gun Safes
There are many different safes on the market. Choosing the right one depends on how many firearms you have, their classification, and what type of layout is best for you (for example, whether you’d be only storing your hunting gun or other important items).
Handgun Safe
This safe features a compact design, perfect for storing a handgun. Larger versions of the handgun safe contain a few compartments for storing multiple guns.
Long-Gun Safe
Ideal for hunters, this safe is perfect for shotguns, rifles, and optionally, for a special long-gun safe. The particular design is taller than a regular gun safe and can store more than one firearm, depending on the size.
Multi-Use Gun Safes
You don’t have to buy separate safes to protect your firearms and valuable keepsakes. The multi-use safes come with different compartments to keep everything safe and secure.
Find Your Ideal Hunting Safe for You With Dial Locksmith & Safeworld
Hunting safes help protect your firearms from threats of theft, unauthorized contact, and loss due to environmental factors. When it comes to finding the best hunting for your firearms and home, there can be a variety of choices in size, features, and even styles. Our professional associates here at Dial Locksmith & Safeworld can help you find the ideal hunting safe for your needs.
For more information on our hunting safes or to get a quote on our inventory of hunting safes, contact us today!
