Archive for the ‘Gun Safes’ Category

10 Steps to Protecting Your Home During Summer Vacation

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Beach Scene

Summer is here and many of us are looking forward to getting away for a break from the pressure of work and school. Any time we are away our homes are more vulnerable to burglars. Knowing this certainly doesn’t help us to the transition from the stress of everyday life to a restful, relaxing vacation.

The good news is, there are a few simple things we can do to protect our homes and our valuables allowing us to more fully enjoy vacation. While securing your valuables in a quality home safe or gun safe is a good step in the right direction there are a number of other helpful things you can do to protect yourself.

Generally, making your home appear that there is someone living there is a big step in the right direction.

  1. Invite a trusted college student to house sit while you are away. Students often appreciate the opportunity to get away from home for a week or two and sweetening the pot with a bit of cash in exchange for watching over your home, watering plants and/or caring for animals is a great investment.
  2. Put your newspaper and mail on hold. If you are concerned about alerting the paper delivery person consider cancelling the paper and restarting it when you get back in town. Piled up papers in the driveway are a sure sign to a prospective burglar that this home is a hot target.
  3. Park a car in the driveway. Ideally one that will come and go. See if a neighbor is willing to park in your driveway at night when they come home from work.
  4. Install one or more motion sensitive lights around the exterior of your home.
  5. Put multiple inside lights on timers, going off and on at different times.
  6. Add a radio or TV on a timer as well, the sound will be an excellent deterrent.
  7. Make sure your yard is mowed while you are away. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, splurge and pay someone to do it for you while you are away.
  8. If you trust your neighbors, let them know you will be away with the dates you will be gone and a contact phone number in case something suspicious occurs that you might want to know about. Be sure to let them know if you expect anyone to come to your home while you are gone or they and you may be alarmed unnecessarily.
  9. 9. If you don’t already have one, consider a home security system that will notify you and local law enforcement if there is an unauthorized visitor enters your home.
  10. Secure your valuables in a quality home safe or gun safe as your last line of defense against burglary and fire.

At Maximum Security Safes we are concerned about the overall security of your family and valuables. We recognize that the home safes and gun safes we sell are just the last line of defense and that there are a number of other important security measures we all should take. Consider the steps above and before you leave home check out our educational information and selection of home safes and gun safes at Maximum Security Safes or call us at 800-538-0600.

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Gun Owners Face Criminal Charges

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Boy with Shotgun

A six-year-old boy found a loaded shot gun under his parent’s bed. His older brother, 12 years of age, saw the younger brother and attempted to take the gun away. The gun accidentally went off critically injuring the younger boy. Why wasn’t this gun securely stored in a gun safe?

These stories are in the news much too often. While this time the setting is Salinas, CA, similar situations occur in cities all across the country, more often than we want to imagine. Adding to the tragedy is the possibility that one or both of these parents could be criminally charged and if convicted and given the maximum penalty could spend three years in prison.

According to the law, a person commits the crime if any loaded firearms are kept around the premises with the knowledge that it is likely within reach of children and could cause them death or great bodily injury. An inexpensive but effective gun safe could have made all the difference for this family.

This heartbreaking situation is completely avoidable. Guns should be kept securely in a gun safe, especially a loaded gun. There is no reason it should be unsecured and within reach of a child, or any unauthorized individual for that matter. In this case the local police department even provides free gun locks, but these parents didn’t take advantage of the offer.

Police departments across the country offer similar gun-safety recommendations:

  • Properly store firearms in locked containers (gun safes).
  • If possible, make sure stored guns are unloaded.
  • Be sure you speak to your children about safe handling of guns and the dangers they pose.

For information about how you can protect your guns call or visit Maximum Security Safes today!

Maximum Security Safes
(800) 538-0600

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Gun Safe Buyer – How Big Should You Go?

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Gun Safe - BF7240

A common complaint of folks who have purchased a gun safe is they wish they bought a bigger one. Home safes are like closets, we fill them up quickly. Most folks will keep their security safe for a very long time, in fact your safe may very well out-live you. Security safes don’t wear out, they just get too small. To make the most of your investment, buy your home safe at least one size bigger than you think you need.

Most of us are concerned about cost. What you will likely find is that as you move up in size within a line of gun safes, the price differential is relatively small. Most times the better values come with the larger sizes. Consider carefully what size home safe you will invest in.

Besides cost, the size decision will be based on two primary considerations; what you expect to put into the gun safe and how much room you have for the safe. It is worth your time to make a list of what you plan to put into the home safe. List out all the items that will stay in the security safe long term, then add the items that will go in and out with regular use, next add the items you will store in the gun safe when you travel and finally keep in mind extra room needed for valuables you will acquire or inherit in the future. Most gun safes are used for a variety of items, not just guns. Once you have a security safe in your house you will find it is a valuable storage place for birth certificates, insurance records, photos, jewelry, a stash of cash, and the list goes on. When your list is complete it is time to consider whether or not the size gun safe needed will fit in the location you had in mind? Some folks find they actually need two home safes.

Two security safes provides the opportunity to put the long term storage items in an out of the way location and a smaller safe, with the items you need more regularly, in a easy to access location. A conveniently located gun safe will be more likely to get used. If it’s not easy to put your items securely away in your home safe you may have a tendency to leave them out and vulnerable. This two security safe approach also makes it easier to have more secure storage space with room to grow.

Selecting the most appropriate size gun safe is as important to your decision as what type of safe. To ensure you get the most out of your “safe” investment consult an expert. At Maximum Security Safes we have expert consultants who are ready to discuss these questions with you. But don’t delay, you don’t want to be the next statistic we read about in the news.

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Gun Safe Digital Lock Not Working

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Digital Lock for Gun Safe
Digital locks on gun safes are great…most of the time. They provide quick, easy access to your gun safe, jewelry safe, home safe or business safe with the added benefit of allowing you to choose your own combination. But, when they don’t work it can be very frustrating. The good news is that U.L. rated high security digital locks are extremely reliable and the most common problems are things that you can address yourself, without waiting for, or paying for a technician.

The 4 most common problems with security safe or gun safe digital locks are:

  • Low battery
  • Improper handle position
  • Delayed handle turn
  • Lock out mode

The most common problem in security safe digital locks is low battery. Most gun safes have high security digital locks that are powered by one or two 9-volt batteries and are stored in the external keypad. Batteries typically last 12 to 18 months, but can last shorter or longer based on usage. A low battery condition may offer enough power to generate lights and tones, you may even hear the familiar click as the lock attempts to open your security safe. But, a low battery condition does not provide enough power to fully disengage the lock. To solve this problem access the batteries by either rotating the keypad counter clockwise a quarter turn or by giving the keypad a slight upward push. This releases the keypad from the front of the safe allowing you access to the batteries. Be sure to use fresh Energizer or Duracell batteries and be gentle when removing the old and replacing with the new. Often the wires that connect the batteries are quite delicate. When new batteries are installed, reattach the keypad to your security safe and your lock should be ready to operate under full power and your custom combination should still be in memory.

Another common problem with non-functioning security safe or gun safe locks is related to the handle position. If the safe handle is pressed fully in one direction or the other it can jam the lock making it unable to release when the correct combination is entered. The solution is to find the mid-point in the play of the handle and enter the combination, your gun safe, jewelry safe or home safe should open.
Newer users of security safes and digital locks are the ones most prone to the problem of delayed handle turn.

One of the security features designed into gun safe high security locks is response time. Once the combination is entered the handle must be turned within a few seconds, the precise time varies by manufacturer but is generally in the range of a few seconds. If the combination is entered and that time passes the lock re-locks and the combination must be re-entered for the security safe to be opened.

Lock out mode is another safety feature designed into high security digital locks. If the incorrect combination is entered three or four times, the number varies by manufacturer, the security safe goes into lockout mode for 10 – 20 minutes. The combination is not able to be entered during this time. After the lock out period is complete a single entry of the incorrect combination will put the security safe back into lockout mode, but the correct combination, entered on the first try, will open the home safe, jewelry safe or gun safe.

High security digital locks and good quality security safes, gun safes, jewelry safes or home safes provide peace of mind that is well worth the investment. If you are not sure that your safe is good quality or if you need a safe, call or visit Maximum Security Safes. We are experts in helping you select the safe that best meets their needs at a price you can afford.

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Keeping Guns Safe and Accessible

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Gun safe needed

We are blessed to live in a country where we have so much freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility.  If you own, or plan to own a hand gun, rifle, or any type of firearm it is your responsibility to secure it.  Gun safes provide peace of mind that your gun will not be discovered by a child or stolen and used in a future crime. Securing your firearm does not mean it can’t be easily and quickly accessible.

The critical components to assuring quick access to your firearms are:

  1. locating the gun safe near where you are likely to be in the case of an emergency and
  2. a quick response locking device.

Some of the most popular pistol safes are made by GunVault. These hand gun safes have a fast access lock that is easily and quickly opened. even in the dark.  Upon entering the correct code the door is opens quickly and automatically.  The pistol safes are most often bolted down in convenient locations allowing the homeowner to be armed within seconds.  Our customers have attached hand gun safes to the underside of beds, to a bedside table, to the inside wall of a closet, in their vehicle and many other places.  GunVault pistol safes come in single and multi-gun sizes.  GunVault also has rifle safes with the same locking mechanism.  Prices on the GunVault pistol safes start at $99 and GunVault rifle safes start at $499.

Secure Logic makes some great wall safes that are approved for secure gun storage by the California Department of Justice.  I call these our 007 wall gun safes because of their high tech look with stainless steel exterior, electronic or biometric lock and internal hidden compartment. The door slides down to open quickly allowing convenient access to contents.  By placing the safe behind a picture it can be both discrete and out of the way.

Rifle safes come in all types and sizes.  The locking mechanism can be either a traditional tumbler style, electronic or biometric.   Tumbler style locks take time and precision, not the best alternative if you want quick access. The electronic gun safe has a 6-digit push button combination that allows the user to program their own combination and get into the safe quickly.  The biometric gun safe, also known as a fingerprint gun safe, is also a quick access safe.

When shopping for gun safes be sure to look for the Department of Justice label indicating that the safe meets the California Department of Justice standard for firearms security.  If your safe will protect high value guns or other significant valuables look for the United Laboratories Residential Security Container (RSC) label as evidence that the safe has passed this more demanding test.  Beyond these two tests additional features such as greater amounts of steel and/or more bolts can offer increasing levels of burglar security.

Many gun safes also offer fire protection in addition to child safety and burglar protection.  If fire protection is important look for a label on the gun safe indicating that the fire rating has been verified by an independent third party.  This third party confirmation offers confidence that you are getting what you expect.

As a responsible gun owner you can protect your gun from the hands of children and burglars while still keeping it quickly accessible in case of an emergency.  Gun safes come in a wide range of types and sizes.  To be sure you get a safe that provides the kind of protection you need talk to a safe expert at Maximum Security Safes.  Call us at 714-550-4123 or 800-538-0600.

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Sad Story of a Home Security Safe Buyer

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Sean was in our store today looking at safes for home. After two bad experiences with home security safes from big box stores he has learned the hard way. The first security safe was too light weight and not bolted down; it was carried off by burglars with the wife’s jewelry and all their important papers inside while he and his family slept undisturbed upstairs. The second home security safe was larger and heavier, but not very good quality. Two months after the one-year warranty expired the handle malfunctioned. After several phone conversations with the manufacturer and hours of frustration he was still unable to open the safe. At that point Sean realized it was well past time to invest in a quality home safe and he came to visit us at Maximum Security Safes.

So, how do you buy a home safe? A security safe that will truly protect your valuables, not just give you a false sense of security? The first key is asking questions about the product you are considering so you know what you are buying. You are looking to protect some of your most precious valuables; this decision warrants careful consideration not a knee jerk response.

It is important to understand is that there is such a thing as too good a deal. We have a $285, 185 lb, 2 cu ft security safe in our store from a leading supplier of safes in the country. The inexpensive digital lock failed and the owner couldn’t find the back-up key. The security safe was then opened by an eager teenager with a home screw driver in 2 minutes. The owner brought the safe to us in disgust, looking for a security safe he could trust.

What questions will you ask to prevent this scenario from happening to you?

  • 1) Is the home security safe made of steel or plastic? (How much value will you entrust to a plastic security box?)
  • 2) Has this home safe been tested against burglary and/or fire by a responsible testing entity like United Laboratories (U.L.)? Be very careful if the sales person says “It’s just as good as…”.
  • 3) Can you get support from the place you are buying the security box, should you need it?

Obviously there are many more questions that you can ask, and you should, before you make this important decision. These considerations hold true regardless of the type of safe you are looking for, general purpose home safes, jewelry safes, gun safes as well as safes for business. If you have the opportunity, go to a store that has a good variety, 20+ security safes, on their showroom floor of various sizes and price ranges. Test the locks, open and close the doors and begin to get a feel for what you get at different price points. If the security safe does not have any labels on it from independent testing labs, buyer beware.

Don’t fall into the trap of learning the hard way like Sean and our other customer mentioned above. Learn from their mistakes and make an educated purchase.

Morals to the story.

  • 1) If you must get a small light home safe, bolt it down.
  • 2) Believe the truth of the old adage, you get what you pay for.
  • 3) Ask questions of a knowledgeable source before you buy.

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The New ExecuVault Gun Safes

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

ExecuVault Gun SafeWe are thrilled with American Security Products (AMSEC) newly configured 2-hour fire rated gun safe, the ExecuVault. This safe is perfect for the customer who has just a few rifles but also needs a secure place to store a variety of other valuables. The ExecuVault is actually a multi-purpose safe. It is a gun safe, jewelry safe, fire safe and burglar safe all rolled into one. The body is the AMSEC CSC4520 with serious burglar protection plus two hours of fire protection. The interior offers nicely padded shelving with slots for up to 6 rifles, 3 standard shelves for any number of other valuables and a Stor-It Pack door organizer with zipper pockets and elastic straps to make the most of your interior space. This safe also includes an electric dehumidifier included as a standard accessory. This safe is a great new entry into the gun safes market.

At Maximum Security Safes we have this new gun safe in stock on our showroom floor ready for you to come and check out. If you are not in the Southern California area explore the ExecuVault on our website.
The ExecuVault is dark gray with matte finish and chrome hardware. These gun safes have double steel walls and doors for secure protection. Fire protection is provided by the composite material that fills the steel frame avoiding air pockets that are prevalent with sheet rock style fire protection.

These gun safes come standard with U.L.Listed High Security Group II combination locks including chrome-plated spy-proof dials. Optional high security electronic locks are also available. The locks are protected by tempered glass relock devices and heavy duty steel hinges provide easy, smooth door operation. This glass relocking device is typically found on safes with much higher security ratings.

The ExecuVault is a two hour fire safe that has been tested in a furnace with temperature of 1,700 degrees. After the two hour test period the internal temperature remains below 350 degrees, well below 450 degrees, the temperature that paper burns. The safe is large enough internally that a second smaller fire safe can be placed to provide the best protection for your computer storage media.

The representatives from AMSEC advised us recently that the ExecuVault gun safes will have the UL Residential Security Container rating from Underwriters Laboratory in the near term without change to the design of the safe.

One of the primary differences and advantages of the ExecuVault gun safes is that they are shorter than the typical gun safe. With the standard casters this safe stands 54” tall; with the casters removed the safe is 50-1/2” tall. It can be bolted to the floor to provide additional burglar protection.

Maximum Security is a full service company that provides service, delivery and installation of any type safe, including the ExecuVault gun safes. We have been in business for nearly 30 years and the current owners have been in the same Santa Ana, CA store location for 15 years. We have hundreds of satisfied customers who have purchased safes and used our safe moving and delivery service locally in Southern California and across the country.

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Teen Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Enough! There are too many real life stories of young people harming or killing themselves or others while playing with guns. Guns are here to stay. Whether or not you have a gun in your home we should all be talking with our kids about guns. If you have a gun in your home, lock it up in a gun safe!!!

The most recent story I have run across took place just last week in Salt Lake City. A 16-year old boy was hanging out with a small group of guys at a friend’s home when he pulled out a gun and was “playing around”. Friends reportedly told him to stop, but he took out the bullets and put the gun to his head. The only thing was, not all the bullets were removed from the gun. Gruesome story I know, but as any of you who have had teenagers know, they don’t always think straight. They want to impress their friends. They think they are invincible. They, “just wanna have fun”. Please, if you have guns lock them up in a gun safe and don’t give the combination to your teen!

What do we say to our kids? How about starting with sharing this real life story. If you don’t like this one search the internet, there are plenty to choose from. Stories are a good way to get your point across, especially a story that involves another child near their age. This young man thought he was safe, but he should have known to NEVER point a gun towards himself or another person. It seems so obvious, but evidentially it wasn’t to this teen. Why wasn’t this gun locked up in a gun safe?

The NRA’s Eddie Eagle Gun safe Program suggests teaching your young child if they see a gun:
• STOP
• Don’t touch
• Leave the area
• Tell and adult

For teens a slightly more mature approach may be appropriate. How about teaching them:
• Assume all guns are loaded.
• Don’t touch a gun without a parent’s permission, and then never point the gun at yourself or another person.
• If a friend has a gun, leave the area and tell a trusted adult.

If you have a gun please, for all of our safety, store it in a secure gun safe. Gun safes come in a variety of types and sizes. You can get a hand gun safe, rifle safe, gun wall safe, combination gun safe, electronic gun safe, biometric gun safe, gun fire safe, used gun safe, new gun safe, the list goes on and on.

Visit Maximum Security Safes today to get expert advice on what kind of gun safe is best for you. You can find us on the web or reach us by phone at (800)538-0600.  Better yet, if you are in Southern California come by our large showroom where you can see over 125 safes on display.

What are your thoughts on how and what we should share with our kids about guns?

Bye for now. I’m going to go home and talk with my teen about having a healthy respect for guns!

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