Gun Locks & Security Devices

Guns Magazine, Feb, 2001 by Roy Huntington

When you look beyond the political rhetoric, there is more to using a gun lock than just turning a key.

Keeping the number of accidental gun deaths at a minimum is even more important than ever in today's hot political climate with its surrounding new gun laws. But if we can move beyond the political and emotional rhetoric, we should remember that any injury or death caused by accidental misuse of a firearm is a needless tragedy -- there are just too many effective safety devices available to gun-owners today to let such accidents occur.

A cabinet full of firearms is no different from a garage full of dangerous, sharp power tools. Any one of them could quickly snuff the life out of anyone that misuses or abuses them, yet they exist safely in households all across the country. Most children are taught that tools can be dangerous if used incorrectly or haphazardly, and they learn not to touch them unless an adult is watching. Children can and should be taught to manage themselves around firearms the same way.

Yet, we can take another step with guns. Although it might not be a bad idea to lock power tools away when small children are around, there is not an industry built around "power-tool locks." However, we find ourselves surrounded by a myriad of available means to safely, quickly and often very inexpensively lock firearms sufficiently well enough to make accidents almost impossible. We should avail ourselves of those opportunities.

Under Lock & Key

There are some important points to consider when purchasing a locking device. Few makers recommend their respective devices be placed on loaded guns. Indeed, many, if not most, of the devices will not work if the chamber is loaded, or if there is a magazine in the gun. This brings up one of the quandaries of the issue. You want to keep a gun loaded for home protection, yet you want to make it safe to keep accessible.

You need to do your homework on this one and decide for yourself which method might be best, depending on how quickly you might have to deploy a gun should the need arise. A simple padlock through the frame of a revolver will make it safe, but will not prevent its theft or keep little prying fingers from fussing with it. A one-ton safe will surely keep a loaded gun safe but will also take some time to open should the need arise.

You must decide which is more appropriate for your situation -- "out-of-sight" storage or "at-hand" accessibility. Either way, there is a wide range of solutions for the problems at hand. From large safes to small, single-handgun lock boxes to cable and trigger locks, the choices are almost endless. Let's talk about some of them.

Safes

Names like Browning, Granite Security, Liberty Safes, Fort Knox, Sun Welding and GunGuard are just a few of the big names in safe construction. From simple four- or sixgun steel "boxes" to elaborate 50-gun, furniture-quality safes, these companies offer the ultimate protection for your valuables and for your family.

Many of the safes offer varying degrees of protection from fire, usually described as "30 minutes of exposure to 1,200 degrees," for instance. Valuable documents, jewelry, cameras and more can also be placed in these safes.

Most are very heavy, with weight being one of the factors that make them valuable protection from the "grab it and run" burglar crowd. You just can't pick up a 700 lb. safe and tote it away!

Of course, the downside is the arrangement for delivery and set-up, which can often take several men and special equipment. GunGuard has a simple solution to the problem. Their products come in sections that are assembled by the purchaser on-site in less than an hour. Suddenly a 500- or 600-lb. safe becomes manageable.

Lack Boxes

Many of the big safe makers also offer smaller units. Additionally, there are other makers who specialize in just the smaller sizes. Starlight Cases, QuickCase, V-Line, Pelican, Homak, Ziegel Engineering, Doskocil and most of the handgun manufacturers themselves offer small, one- to fourhandgun sized "boxes" that lock in a wide variety of manners.

From simple key locks that mirror the performance of a desk lock to small padlocks, three-row combination locks and sophisticated electronic locks requiring push-button codes, you can choose the one you are most comfortable with.

Additionally, many of the "boxes" can be bolted to a nightstand or wall to become mini "safes" on their own. These work well for people with smaller collections or for the person who wants to keep a loaded handgun "at hand" but safely stored.

Trigger And Other Locks

Many people feel comfortable with a simple lock on the trigger guard of their gun. Whether they can be applied to a loaded gun should be carefully considered before deciding on the manner the lock will be used. An unloaded firearm with a trigger lock installed is double safe; a loaded handgun with a trigger lock installed is one step away from being "live." Weigh the options carefully before making a decision.

Armadillo, CCL Security Products, Franzen Security, H&R 1871, Safeway Innovations, Saf-T-Lok and Saf-T-Hammer all offer their respective ideas when it comes to locking an individual firearm. There are "bore" locks that effectively block the bore of a handgun, usually in conjunction with locking the cylinder in place, too. There are cable locks that run through the barrel and out the action area, culminating in a keyed or combination lock of some kind. There are devices that attach to the "innards" of a gun, preventing the action of the firearm from being manipulated until a threedigit code is entered on a small keypad.