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Are Gun Safes Hard to Break Into?

Introduction

As a gun owner, one of my top priorities is the security of my firearms. This often leads me to ponder a crucial question: "Are gun safes really hard to break into?" It's a concern shared by many in the firearms community. We invest in gun safes to protect our valuable assets from theft or unauthorized use, but how sure can we be about their sturdiness? Let’s strip away the marketing hype and dive into the reality of gun safe security.

In this article, we're going to explore the strengths and vulnerabilities of various gun safes, from the renowned Cannon and Liberty models to the resilience of safes against tools like plasma cutters and crowbars.

Breaking Into Gun Safes: Myths vs Reality

Before we answer this, let’s make it clear that the only reason you should ever be breaking into a gun safe is if you have lost the key to your own safety.

Generally speaking, gun safes are fairly easy to break into. So if you have lost your gun safe key, and don’t want to go through the hassle of calling your safe provider, then you will probably be able to get into the safe yourself. 

When you are sold a gun safe, they are often sold to you as being impenetrable without the key, but this simply isn’t the case. Over the years, clever advertising has made gun owners believe that gun safes are now more secure than they were, but in reality, they are still just as easy to break into. 

All safes will come with a weak spot, and once you are able to locate this, then getting into the safe is an easy task. So although gun safes might seem difficult to break into, it is much easier than you think. 

Are Cannon safes easy to break into?

No, Cannon safes are not easy to break into. Of course, all gun safes come with weak spots which you will be able to target if you want to break into them. 

However, Cannon safes have been designed to try and keep these weak spots to the absolute minimum, so the chances of you being able to actively break into the safe are fairly slim. 

Cannon safes are often advertised as impenetrable, and while a large part of this is just marketing, they are a lot more difficult to break into than other safes. This is because these devices are designed with security at the forefront. 

You might expect this to be a key focus for all gun safes, but in fact, a lot of companies seem to lose this focus. So if you want a gun safe that is almost completely safe and secure, then a Cannon gun safe is a good choice. 

Are Liberty Safes easy to break into?

No, Liberty Gun Safes are not easy to break into. All gun safes can be broken into with the right technique and tools, but Liberty has done absolutely all that it can to prevent this from happening. 

So while this company cannot sell you a gun safe that is impossible to break into, they can sell you a safe that will be incredibly difficult and time-consuming to break into, which is almost just as good. 

Generally speaking, Liberty tends to produce smaller gun safes designed for handguns. These can be kept on your bedside table and easily stored away out of sight. This is a great feature, but it does mean that if someone wanted to, they could easily steal the entire safe because of its small size. 

This is why it is very important that you secure your Liberty gun safe to a heavy option because, while they may be hard to break into, the smaller models are easy to steal. 

Can a Plasma cutter cut through a safe?

Yes, in most cases, a Plasma cutter will be able to cut through the metal of your safe. However, this is not an easy job, and it will take quite a while for the cutter to complete the job. 

And when we say a while, we really mean a while; in fact, it can take a professional working with a modern gun safe up to 6 hours to do this, and the time just goes up with the age of the safe and the experience of the user of the Plasma cutter. 

So even though in movies you often see a group of thieves completing a bank heist cut through a safe in a matter of seconds, this is highly unrealistic. 

It is possible to cut through a safe with a Plasma cutter, but in reality, the thieves would be caught before the Plasma cutter even began cutting through the metal of the safe. 

Can you open a safe with a crowbar?

In a lot of cases, yes, you will be able to open a safe with a crowbar. Even the most advanced gun safes will come with weak spots along with their design which is the best point to target if you are attempting to break into a safe. 

These weak points are essentially flaws in the design of your safe, and they might have been placed there with or without intention by the designer. 

A lot of cheaper gun safes will have multiple weak spots which you will be able to target. But with more expensive gun safes, it can be difficult to locate these spots. Generally speaking, the safe door tends to be a weak spot in most designs. So if you are trying to break into a safe, this is a good area to target. Safe doors are generally made with thinner metal than the rest of the safe, which means they will be easier to bend with your crowbar, allowing you to access the contents of the safe with less hassle. 

What is the hardest safe to break into?

There are so many things that impact how easy it is to break into a safe, so it is impossible to say which specific safe is the hardest to break into. As we have already said, two of the top companies for safes that are difficult to break into are Cannon and Liberty. 

You could buy the most expensive safe in the world, and it still wouldn’t be 100% safe from break-ins, so don’t automatically assume that the more you spend on the safe, the better it will be. 

However, both Cannon and Liberty are fairly expensive, so the price does play a big part. But when you are looking to buy a gun safe, the best thing to look at is the reviews, as these will be completely unfiltered and your best chance at getting a safe that is difficult to break into.

FAQ (What Readers Want to Know) 

What makes a gun safe harder to break into?

Factors like robust construction, reinforced doors, complex lock systems, and the absence of apparent weak spots make a gun safe harder to break into.

Are digital or mechanical locks more secure on gun safes?

Both have their strengths. Mechanical locks are less likely to be hacked but can be picked. Digital locks offer quicker access and multiple user codes but can be vulnerable to electronic attacks.

What maintenance tips can help keep my gun safe secure?

Regularly changing your safe's code, cleaning the lock mechanism, and inspecting it for potential weak spots can help keep your gun safe secure.

Conclusion

Wrapping up, this journey into the security of gun safes has been an eye-opener. As gun owners, we'd like to believe that our safes are impenetrable fortresses, but the truth is a bit more nuanced. While brands like Cannon and Liberty offer robust protection, no safe is entirely invulnerable. Understanding the potential weak spots and how safes fare against tools like plasma cutters or crowbars is crucial. This knowledge not only helps in making informed decisions when purchasing a safe but also in adopting the right strategies to enhance our current safe's security. As we've seen, the best defense is a blend of solid construction, wise placement, and staying informed. Let’s continue to prioritize the security of our firearms with a realistic approach to what our safes can and cannot do.