5 THINGS ABOUT GUN SAFES OUR COMPETITORS PREFER YOU DON’T CONSIDER

Let’s get real. We all know that gun safes are a vital part of firearm ownership — both in terms of protecting investments and by protecting those who shouldn’t have access to our gun collections. But, it’s important to know that not all safes are created equal. Far from it. Besides obvious size, color, finish, and feature differences, the structural design, materials, and construction of gun safes make a dramatic difference in the security promises they can live up to.

Today we’re going to explore a handful of often-misleading claims you might hear while shopping for a gun safe. Before buying one for your home, car, or workplace, take some time to dig into the details and understand the construction and testing variables that can help your safe stand up to would-be intruders and damaging conditions.

At American Security (AMSEC), we’re proud of the extraordinary design, work, materials, and certifications that go into earning all of our safes the proper certifications consumers should look for in a safe, so forgive us if we brag a bit as we go.

1. It’s what’s inside that counts. Think about it, a safe manufacturers’ claim of 6” thick safe doors doesn’t necessarily mean it’s 6” of solid steel. Safe doors are typically constructed of layered materials, each with its particular resistance to intrusion and the elements. Lower construction costs and manufacturing corner-cutting can drastically diminish the security of its composition. Most safe doors start with varying thickness of steel, but just behind that glossy metal exterior can be almost any configuration of wood, drywall, cardboard (yes cardboard !?!), more steel, and one of several formulations of concrete products. What you can’t see can make a MAJOR difference in the purchase price and the protection against fire and pry attacks!

For example, American Security’s deluxe RF Series gun safes feature 6” thick doors constructed of steel plate with ultra-tough concrete fill and a proprietary interlocking steel configuration, reinforced by a double steel liner that together give the RF its unique strength and rigidity. It’s important to know that these are the only U.L. listed TL-30×6 burglary and fire-resistant gun safes on the market also making them the highest security gun safes available.

Do your homework, compare specs, and keep in mind that steel gauges measure the thickness of the metal and that the thickness goes down, as gauge number goes up. In other words, 8-gauge steel is thicker than 12 or 14 gauge.

2. Don’t all gun safe manufacturers make safety and durability claims? Some gun safe manufacturers like to claim their products “have been built to…” (insert certification here) and can withstand break-in attempts and exposure to fire, but, investigate a little deeper and you’ll find the safe doesn’t carry the label it claims. Take American Security’s BFII gun safe series. It’s one of only a small handful of US-made safes on the market with a UL RSC Level 2 Security Certification. Why is that? Verified safe testing and certification is expensive. Some manufacturers don’t want to pay for outside verification, or might be concerned their safe would fail. At American Security, we pride ourselves on obtaining independent certifications that confirm your safe is truly high security and has successfully resisted entry by an experienced, two-man UL safe technician team for 10 minutes attacking the safe by prying, drilling, punching, chiseling, and tampering. Phew!

Our safes are submitted to this rigorous certification program so we can honestly ensure that your gun collection and other valuables have more than double the security protection of most other models on the market.

3. Hot stuff! Did you know that not all fire rating tests are the same? Some companies run their own, undocumented tests, but American Security was one of the first gun safe manufacturers to validate our fire ratings using standardized test procedures from an independent laboratory. All of our BFll, BFX, NF, SF and TF Series gun safes are fire tested to the highest industry standards by Again, some companies may claim that they manufacture to laboratory standards but without having an outside agency verify fire resistance and flammability, there’s no way to know if those claims are true until it’s too late.

4. The thick (and thin) of it. In Section 1, we delved into the layered space beneath the surface of a safe door. Now, let’s take a closer look at the composition of a gun safe’s steel surfaces. A 1” thick door or surface layer may be hollow or solid and constructed of almost any gauge steel. The thickness of a safe’s steel outer body is determined by which model best meets each customer’s purpose and Assessing your gun collection’s potential risk of fire or theft, and the cost you feel comfortable allocating for its protection, is a good place to start when researching a purchase.

Keeping you, your family, and possessions secure is American Security’s utmost priority We construct ALL of our gun safe doors using solid steel plate of various thicknesses depending on the security and fire protections that suit your budget and needs. Rest assured, even our most economical models provide the appropriate level of security and fire resistance you’d expect at their respective price points

Before a break-in occurs, make sure your safe can live up to its promise and that you receive the best protection in your price range. Unlike some other safe companies, we’re U.S.-based so if you ever have a question, we’re here to answer!

  • Bright shiny objects catch your eye? Don’t be mesmerized by the series of gleaming door bolts inside the gun safe door you’re considering buying. Just because a safe door has an eye-catching arrangement of boltwork doesn’t necessarily mean it’s secure. There’s more to it. Those bolts have the critical responsibility of securing the gun safe’s door to its body. So, it’s important to find out what those bolts are made of, how they’re integrated into the safe door, how the door and the door frame are constructed, and how the internal boltwork mechanism is constructed. In well-made safes, it’s a complex design process that results in the boltwork securing the gun safe’s door to its body so that it can’t be opened until the locking mechanism is released. But it’s not only exceptional boltwork that is the key to keeping the mechanism from being breached and, in turn, safes from being broken into. In our BFX and BFII safes it’s the rigidity of the body that prevent the boltwork from tilting or slipping around the jamb. Doublewalled steel frames encase the proprietary Drylight™ fill that gives the safe bodies their overall thickness and makes them HIGHLY resistant to pry and other attacks.

At American Security, we know that the most important part of the safe is what’s hardest to see. While our safes are as handsome as they come and largely customizable, our main focus is on what’s inside. We’re all about maintaining the highest level of quality to keep you and your precious possessions safe and secure.

TRAVEL IS BACK! IN-ROOM HOTEL SAFES ENHANCE SECURITY AND PEACE OF MIND, ON THE ROAD AND AT HOME

Just in time for the holidays, travel restrictions are loosening up and the tourism sector is enjoying a much-needed boost. Nonetheless, leisure and business travel still entail a range of customer concerns. Keeping valuables protected is an important consideration and one that’s less complicated than some to address.

The ability to lock up cash, jewelry, laptops, small electronics, medications, and other precious items provides hotel, resort, casino, and short-term rental guests with a sense of security. While placing cash, passports, and small items in a hotel safety deposit box may seem a reasonable alternative, high-quality room safes help limit potentially risky personal contact and offer enhanced privacy and accessibility. For Airbnb, VRBO, and other short-term rental property hosts, hotel safes are a good way to ease guests’ fears of a previous occupant having a key to where they’re staying and access to their precious possessions.

Quality in-room electronic safes should be both user-friendly and constructed of heavy-duty steel for enhanced burglary protection. Easy installation and on-call customer support are also must-haves. A safe delivered from across the world without any customer support won’t be of much help if a lock malfunctions or the bolt work jams. US-based American Security (AMSEC) has a proven track record in security and is well-known not only for its proprietary safe manufacturing technologies and customization but for a 24/7 highly-responsive support network.

Digital safes perfect for travel, ideal for home

Given the compact size of hotel safes, they conveniently double as easy-to-hide apartment, shared work space, dorm, or home safes. Installed in concealed locations like closets, home offices, bathrooms, linen or kitchen cabinets, these safes are just right for making sure passports and other vital documents are secure and always at the ready. They’re perfect for keeping wallets, cash, prescription medications, and cannabis products out of roommates’ or kids’ hands, and high-end jewelry inaccessible to workers and home helpers. As a personal-sized secure space, starter residential safe, or complement to a larger unit, hotel-style safes fit almost anywhere and can help you to protect essentials you want to keep within reach.

Home or hotel, the American Security’s IRC916E residential & hotel in-room electronic safe is a leading choice for a small-sized safe made with the quality expertise of a larger model. Designed to be securely bolted to either a wall or floor, it features a pry-resistant recessed door with internal hinges. Its 14-gauge solid steel construction with dual live locking bolts reinforce its advanced anti-theft protection. The safe’s state-of-the-art, UL listed DL6000 electronic lock ensures reliable smooth and easy operation. Its ADA keyboard features a large easy to read LED display with the safe’s status. Users can reset the safe’s four-to-six-digit combination lock whenever they use it. And, if someone forgets their code, an electronic override can be set by security personnel. Another popular feature is called a lock-out penalty. If the safe’s combination is entered incorrectly, the safe will lock up for five minutes, discouraging would-be burglars.

Whether you’re traveling, spending the holidays at home, or providing accommodations for guests whose trust you’ve worked hard to earn, a high-quality hotel room safe can make a world of difference. Don’t let thieves help themselves to your holiday joy!

The Importance of Fire Safes: Everything You Need to Know

If you’ve ever felt like the world is going up in flames, you might be onto something. Climate change has led to an increase in the duration and severity of wildfire seasons around the world. A safe can provide security and peace of mind that your valuables are protected. But what if there is a fire? Is your safe able to protect your items if a fire breaks out where you live? Keep reading to learn more about the importance of fire safes and why you should upgrade today.

What is a Fire Safe?

It is a safe that is made to withstand incredibly high temperatures that can melt other metals like aluminum and tin. They are made from materials that don’t conduct heat well.

They come in multiple sizes, depending on your needs. You can buy one that is compact to store smaller items like jewelry, small firearms, and important documents. Larger models can be used to store larger guns, computing equipment, collections, and family heirlooms.

They don’t just protect from flames. They also protect your valuables from heat damage.

Benefits

Fire safes offer the same benefits as regular safes with the added benefit of protecting your valuables from fire.

Many people use safes to store important documents. If your safe isn’t fireproof, these documents could easily be destroyed in the event of a fire. They offer increased security and peace of mind.

You can rest assured that your valuables will be safe even in the case of fire. Even if everything around your safe burns to the ground, the valuables stored inside will remain protected.

A fire safe is an investment that can even save you money over time. You won’t need to rent a safe deposit box or pay for offsite storage for your items. Of course, when you keep your items in a safe on your property you can control who has access to them, increasing security.

Ratings

Understanding how safe ratings work will ensure you choose the best safe for your needs.

Fire safes have time-based ratings that indicate how long the safe will stay cool in a fire. They are independently tested by Underwriters Laboratories, a trusted company.

It’s important to purchase a safe from a trusted company like American Security. Some companies are dishonest about their fireproof safes’ ratings.

For example, some Chinese manufacturers will state that their product “complies with modified UL 72 Standard for Safety Tests for Fire Resistance of Record Protection Equipment for 20 minutes at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit tested by Intertek.” But this is not the same thing as being tested and verified.

Our products are tested, verified, and come backed by an industry-best warranty.

Are You Looking to Purchase a Fire Safe?

If you need to store valuables, you need a fire safe. It’s as simple as that.

Climate change is leading to more wildfires and more severe ones at that. They will protect your items from the devastation that even a small fire can cause.

Click here to browse our selection of tested and verified fire safes today.