I can certainly offer my opinion on what I think are the best gun safes under $1000. At the end of the day it all depends on what type of features are important to you in a safe.
Having said that, if your main priority is keeping the budget to around the $1000 mark then I doubt you will have any problems finding what you need.
A thousand bucks is a lot of money for a gun safe and finding a quality safe for much less than that should not be a problem.
Gun Safe Sizes
Before you do anything you need to have a good idea of what size safe you are looking for. Most high end gun safes that are priced over $500 tend to be of a bigger scale and have a lot of special features included.
These larger versions are designed as long gun safes but have plenty of room for smaller guns and accessories such as ammo, holsters, shooting targets and even items that are not gun related.
If you have the room then this is the type of safe you want to be looking at. The reason I say that is because the quality is usually of the best, (depending on the brand), and many have been fire and water tested.
The length of time a safe can stay intact in a fire or in flooding all depends on its UL or “Underwriters Laboratory” test certificate. If you buy any fireproof or fire resistant safe you need to make sure it has been tested properly and has the documentation to prove it.
If you only have a little room in your place for a gun safe then I doubt you will be spending more than $500. Many of the medium size safes are in the $500 range and the smallest versions are usually just a few hundred dollars.
The smallest of the group tend to be designed for handguns and ammo. There are a number of good quality versions available many of which are quick access. Some are fireproofed and they all have their own style of locking mechanisms.
That leads us to the next point.
Types of Locking Mechanism for your Safe
This may not be of importance to some people but it really is something to consider before you purchase your safe. Back in the day there was only one or two styles of security safe available. The popular ones being the old school combination safes and then there was a more basic key locking style safe.
Since then we now have a whole array of different locking mechanisms to choose from; and picking the right one depends on how you intend to use your safe.
For example: Some people just want a huge safe to store all their guns and ammo in one place. They only use the guns on the weekends and so will not need to get in and out of the safe regularly or with any urgency. Any style locking mechanism would suit these people.
Then there are those who have a handgun for personal safety and want a safe that will allow them to get to their pistol fast and with very little delay. These people will most likely be suited to the quick access style safe.
You also need to consider other factors of a particular locking mechanism. Many people do not like the idea of having to memorize a passcode. So for these people a combination lock or digital keypad lock would not suit their needs.
Some gun safes require keys which means you need to remember where you hid them in order to open the safe. These days electronic safes are fast becoming very popular; especially the biometric gun safes or fingerprint gun safes.
To get the door open these safes only require your fingerprint. They are some of the fastest opening safes available today and are the quick access kings.
Gun Safe Accessories
This would probably be the least important area for you to look at but it is always good if a safe comes with some additional extras. All you may get with a small safe is an extra shelf or two. The medium size safes may have shelves, hooks, carpeting and even a door storage pocket. The quality long gun safes will have all of the above including an interior light, extra shelving and other helpful accessories.
Check out the most affordable gun safe.
If you have a lot of guns of various sizes then a long gun safe would be a better choice not only for the space but because of all the extras that will help keep all your items neat and organized.
