A handgun safe is designed to protect and secure your firearms. In fact, it has become a standard law in many states that if you are a registered gun owner, you are required to keep the guns in your home stored safely. These laws have been established to help protect children and teenagers as well as other people that should not have access to the firearm. Handgun safes provide a level of safety from misuse and can keep it secure, in the event of a fire or other natural disaster.
A handgun safe is usually made of metal and has some sort of locking mechanism such as a key, combination, or digital PIN code. Many different types of locking mechanisms are available on gun safes, so be sure to choose one that meets your needs. If the gun is used for home security, a digital lock might provide quicker access to the gun than looking for a key in the middle of the night. It’s always a good idea, if you choose a handgun safe with a key lock, to store the key separately away from the unit to restrict easy access by unauthorized units. Also, many handgun safes are available with bolts along the hinged side of the door that bolt shut when locked. This prevents tampering by making it difficult to force entry into the safe. Lastly, it is usually a wise recommendation to store ammunition separately from the firearm for added safety and protection.
When shopping for a handgun safe at sites like iShopit.com, you will most often find many models that offer some sort of fire protection. Look for safes that have a UL rating on them. These fireproof units are tested and rated by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and are given UL ratings to rate the level of fire protection that a specific model provides.
If you keep a firearm in your home for safety and protection, a standard handgun safe will do the trick. If you are a gun collector or have antique models, you might want to consider the investment in a safe that has a UL rating to help provide maximum protection against fire and water damage. Or, if you want to protect your firearms, yet display them, shop for a handgun safe that has a clear tempered glass allowing you to display them while keeping them secured.
Handgun safes come in various sizes and can also hold longer guns and rifles. When selecting a handgun safe or other security safe, go with a trusted manufacturer like Sentry safe. For more information, check out iShopit.com’s full line of security safes.

by Kenneth Elliott

About the Author
ishopit has a large selection of gun safes to fit many areas of the house. They also have a large selection of fireproof safes to protect documents and other valuables.

It’s been a debate for years, what handgun caliber is best? The answer really relies upon what the main use of the handgun will be. Due to the state of our economy and the correlation to crime, many people are electing to start carrying handguns for protection. This is a major factor in selecting what caliber to choose. I am going to avoid the ballistics issue and focus on the ability to conceal a handgun of different calibers. In reality any handgun is better than no handgun, but I would suggest not choosing a caliber any smaller than .380 ACP. Many will debate whether a .380 is suitable, but there are many plusses to carrying a handgun chambered for .380. The first being size, there is an assortment of very small handguns in .380 and the majority have very small frames. Most of these will fit within the palm of an adult hand. Due to this, there are very few situations where a .380 handgun cannot be carried. Whether it is carried in a shirt pocket, or the front pocket of a pair of jeans, the .380 allows the user the ability to carry a handgun concealed in the majority of situations. Next we move to the 9mm. There are some manufacturers offering small handguns in 9mm, but for the most part you will find medium to large frame guns in this caliber. There is a significant increase in muzzle velocity stepping up to a 9mm from the .380 ACP. Many offerings in 9mm are also easy to conceal although they will tend to be larger than a .380 handgun. There are also many high capacity handguns offered in 9mm, some holding 17-19 rounds in one magazine. Another common caliber is the .38 special. There are numerous revolvers that can easily be concealed within the .38 special caliber range. People new to handguns may even prefer a revolver due to its simplicity. Every pull of the trigger should yield one shot fired. If there is a malfunction and one cylinder doesn’t fire, simply pulling the trigger again should yield the desired result. These are also easy to conceal due to the fairly small frames. A fairly new caliber, the .40 Smith and Wesson, offers even more “energy” versus the 9mm. There are numerous frame sizes offered, from small to large frame. I consider these fairly easy to conceal, but moving up to larger frame guns does require some adjusting of how the shooter dresses. There are also high capacity magazines offered with many .40 caliber handguns. Probably the largest caliber normally carried would be the .45 ACP. Most .45 caliber handguns are large frame guns. One drawback is the majority use low capacity, 7-8 round magazines. But, the .45 compensates with each round of ammo having plenty of energy behind the bullet. Another plus to the single stack 7-8 round magazines is the grips are narrower. This may allow users with smaller hands to feel more comfortable shooting these handguns. The ultimate choice on what caliber to buy is up to the user. This is one area where a knowledgeable gun shop can help the customer decide. There are factors too numerous to address in this column, but a knowledgeable store owner can lend years of experience to help you find what is best for you.
About the Author
Morgan Massie is the owner of Modern Defensive Measures, a Houston Texas area gun store.

http://moderndefensivemeasures.com/

I would like to invite everyone to add their comments about handguns. Can we live in a society where handguns are legal? What can we do to increase handgun safety? Should there be more regulation or less? I will express my thoughts and I hope others will express their opinions. Say what you think.