Be safe. Buy a safe.

Anyone that watches the news, reads news websites, listens to the radio or generally doesn't have their head in the sand knows that the economy is in the toilet and it isn't getting any better. As more and more people lose their jobs, have their hours cut or their pay rate cut, people are getting desperate to make ends meet. Some of those people will turn to crime. History shows that as the economy declines, crime rates rise. It is sad, but it's true.

There are 3 things that are at the top of the list for criminals... cash, guns and jewelry. It is more important than ever to carry a gun daily to protect yourself (see my last post) but to also protect your valuables in your home.

There are many layers to home protection. Think of it like layers of an onion.

1. Live in a low crime area.
2. A fence with a locked gate to keep people out of your yard.
3. A dog that will bark when someone approaches the house. Early warning can save your life.
4. Good, strong locks on your doors... and USE them.
5. A monitored alarm system... and USE it.
6. A quality gun safe for your guns that aren't loaded at the ready next to your bedside or on your person.

Since this is a gun blog, I'll be focusing on the gun safe. Like a gun, any safe is better than no safe but this is really not something you should be cheap on. Fire protection is nice, but security should be your first concern. Cheap safes from big box stores like Gander Mtn, Dick's Sporting Goods, Sam's Club, etc... are usually Chinese made and easily defeated. Just go to youtube and do a search. You'll see these types of safes easily defeated in minutes with hand tools. They will probably keep your guns out of the hands of your kids, but won't stop any determined theif.

Now, for the size of the safe... no matter how small or large your gun collection gets, you will need more room than you think. First of all, in most cases you can't really fit as many long guns as the safe maker claims. Secondly, your collection will grow over time. Lastly, once you get the safe in your home, you will think of other things you want to store in there like important paperwork, jewelry, family heirlooms, etc... Get as large of a safe as you can afford that doesn't compromise quality.

I will add a section on the right with links to some reputable gun safe makers shortly. If you don't have a safe, get one. Don't face living with the guilt of knowing you put the gun in a bad guy's hands that was used to kill someone because you were to cheap to secure your belongings. Stay safe out there... and watch your six.