what you should know before buying a handgun safe
Need To Keep a Handgun Out Of The Wrong Hands?
know the facts
HanDgun
safe design
Handgun safes are not required to meet standards before being put on the market in the United States. As a result, these devices are not properly evaluated for security vulnerabilities before being sold to gun owners. For the basics of handgun safe construction, see Handgun Safe Design.
Errors
In Engineering
Many handgun safes sold in the U.S. are imported from China, where safes are built from copied and recycled designs. Almost no engineering goes into Chinese-made safes. To learn about the security problems that result from China’s industry practices, see the Errors In Engineering page.
Firearm
safety devices
California’s Department of Justice is approving handgun safes for use as firearm safety devices (FSDs). Though California law does not require adequate testing, California’s FSD standards have become nation-wide standards. To learn about the shortcomings of these standards, see
Firearms Safety Devices.
RECOMMENDED SAFES
Fortunately, there are manufacturers serious enough about gun safety that their products exceed California's meager standards. These products range from lock boxes with mechanical locks to personal safes with electronic entry pads. See Recommended Safes for details.