Safety & storage: there's a huge demand for products that protect firearms and the shooter. Are you meeting your customers' needs? - Safari Series Gun Safe

Shooting Industry, Nov, 2002 by Max Mckenzie

Gun dealers run their businesses in a different Environment than they did 20 and 30 years ago. That's 's because the world has changed.

By the time I was 12 years old, I knew where the BB gun was behind the door for rats and snakes in the back yard. I knew where both 38 Specials were hidden, in case someone tried to break into the house. There wasn't any fanfare about them; they were simply there, at hand, ready to be used if the need arose.

I would never have dreamed of showing them to anyone or telling anyone about them. They were the family's business. Nothing more and nothing less.

But that was the 1960s. This is 2002. Today's gun owner keeps his -- or, increasingly, her -- guns under lock and key, whether in a safe or locked with a gunlock.

"Times have changed," said Susan Conroy, of Heritage Safe Co. "In the past, youth had more respect for guns and what they're used for. In this day and age, you just don't know what kids are going to do."

Then there's the matter of liability. Like it or not, guns are a highly desirable target for thieves. In addition, if someone steals one of your customer's guns and uses it to commit a crime, and it's traced back to the customer, he's open to all sorts of liability issues.

"We've all read about worst-case scenarios," Conroy said. "The gun owner would never have condoned the crime or wanted it to happen, but people are still holding gun owners responsible."

All of this makes safes and gun locks a hot topic for your customers, and they'll look to you for help. There are a lot of products available for the storage of firearms, and they range from small bedside locking boxes to massive floor safes. They all meet customer's needs and they drive dollars to your bottom line.

In addition, there are the safety products that protect the customer during shooting. Hearing and eye protection products have developed into a massive profit center for dealers keen to what's available and what their customers want.

SAFETY & STORAGE


American Security Products   250
AO Safety Peltor             251
Beretta U.S.A.               252
Bonner Technologies Group    253
Browning Safes               254
Bulldog Gun Safe Co.         255
Cannon Safe Inc.             256
CCL Security Products        257
Champion Safe                258
Crews Inc.                   259
DAC Technologies             260
Dillon Precision Products    261
DoskoSport                   262
Dual-Safe                    263
E.A.R. Inc.                  264
Fort Knox Security Products  265
Franzen Security Products    266
Frontier Safe Co.            267
Granite Security Products    268
GSM Products                 269
GunVault                     270
Heritage Safe Co.            271
Homak Mfg. Co.               272
Hoppe's                      273
Howard Leight                274
Kalispel Case Line           275
Liberty Safe                 276
Mogul Co.                    277
Master Lock                  278
Mossberg Safe Systems        279
National Security Safe Co.   280
North Safety Products        281
Outers                       282
Phoenix USA                  283
Pro-Lok                      284
QwikCase                     285
Radians Inc.                 286
Remington Arms               287
Safari Safe Co.              288
Saf-T-Hammer                 289
Sentry Group                 290
Silencio                     291
Smith & Wesson               292
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc      293
Sun Welding Safe Co.         294
Treadlok Security Safes      295
Truckvault                   296
Vanguard                     297
V-Line                       298
Walker's Game Ear            299
Walther Shooting Glasses     300
Weatherby                    301
Wiley X Eyewear              302
Winchester Safes             303
Zeiss Sports Optics          304
Ziegel Engineering           305

RELATED ARTICLE: Personal Safety--Hearing Protection And Safety Glasses

The safety of gun owners is everyone's concern, and dealers play an important role in providing the right advice and products. Today, most shooters realize they shouldn't gamble with their sight and hearing. They are looking for the best products for protection.

Safety Glasses

Silencio shooting glasses are highly rated for protection. The Wrapps line features 99.9 percent U.V. blocking polycarbonate wraparound lens. They are available with smoke, yellow and clear lenses. The Wrapps are also available in junior versions. In the Cudas line, the Tri-Lens model has three interchangeable lenses and a Cordura case.

AOSafety Peltor offers a number of styles of polycarbonate shooting glasses with gray, amber and clear lenses. One feature of their glasses is their proprietary DX coating, which reduces fogging and scratching, and helps repel dust and grit. AOSafety also offers junior safety glasses.

Howard Leight extends its Uvex line of protective eyewear with the introduction of Uvex Genesis. They meet military standards for impact protection, have a ventilation channel to prevent fogging, and have interchangeable lenses. Each pair of Genesis comes with a free pair of foam, disposable Leight Plugs earplugs.