Your best choice for defense doesn’t do any good if you can’t get to it. Jason Hanson shares a few ideas on how security and speed can go hand in hand. READ MORE
Jason Hanson
A 79-year old Benzie County, MI man was sitting in his home one evening around 11:20 P.M. when he heard a noise in his barn.
The homeowner grabbed his shotgun and proceeded to his barn to investigate.
Once inside the barn, the homeowner confronted an unknown man and told him to leave the property.
Unfortunately, the man inside the barn decided to move toward the homeowner in an aggressive manner, resulting in the homeowner firing his shotgun, striking the intruder in the legs.
The armed homeowner kept his shotgun pointed at the suspect until deputies and paramedics arrived.
The intruder was transported to a local hospital with multiple wounds from the round fired by the homeowner.
According to the Benzie County Sheriff…
“We believe he was defending himself, he did this in self-defense, but the prosecutor ultimately gets to make that decision.”
Clearly, this homeowner stopped a criminal from not only burglarizing his barn but also from physically harming him in the process.
This 79-year old man was prepared to defend his home and was ready with a shotgun quickly available so he could stop a threat.
The thing is, so many people who own long guns such as AR-15s or shotguns have them tucked away in large gun safes located in their closet.
This is clearly not a good idea if you are planning to use one of those guns for home defense.
Instead, consider a rapid-access safe for your long gun.
A few types to consider are below…
Hornady Rapid Safe AR Wall Lock. This particular safe is more like a lockable gun rack than an actual safe.
It’s designed specifically to fit a standard AR-15 or larger AR-10 style rifle and they sell a version for shotguns as well.
The lock can be opened with a numeric code or you can use one of the included RFID tags.
There’s also a bypass key. The Hornady Rapid Safe AR Wall Lock sells for around $175.
Fort Knox Shotgun Security Box. This security box is an under-the-bed style safe.
The Fort Knox Shotgun Box is a big 10-gauge steel box with a spring-assisted door and a Simplex lock.
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It’s limited in what it can store since it’s only 45 inches long and the opening is only 9 inches by 5 inches. That’s enough room for most shotguns, but it might be a tight fit if you’ve got a pistol grip.
An AR will most likely fit if there’s no magazine or optic attached.
One drawback to this safe is that there are no holes for cables or for mounting it to the floor.
However, this means you can easily move it around from under a bed or under a living room couch. The Fort Knox Security Box sells for $400.
Tactical Walls Rifle Length Shelf. Tactical Walls is a company that makes all different types of gun safes that look like ordinary furniture.
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The Rifle Length Concealment Shelf is the largest and most popular wall mounted safe the company sells.
It has a foam lined compartment that is 12-in. D x 42-in. W. The installation for the safe is the same as hanging any common shelf.
To access the secret compartment, simply disengage the hidden locks with the supplied keys.
The bottom half of the shelf is lowered with the assistance of a pneumatic strut.
Depending on the color and wood options you select, the Tactical Walls Rifle Shelf starts around $400.
Any of these three safe options will allow you to more quickly access your long gun than if it’s sitting in a giant safe in your closest that takes an eternity to open.
Since long guns are such a good option for home defense, I would have at least one of your ARs or shotguns in a safe you can open fast.
Jason Hanson is a former CIA Officer and New York Times bestselling author of Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life. To get a free copy of his book, visit www.SpyEscape.com.
