Many people are asking themselves: since when new gun cabinets? Should you replace your old weapon cabinet? Does your cabinet need to have a S1 certificate? The Regulation of the Minister of the Interior on the storage, carrying and registration of weapons and ammunition came into force on 26th August 2014. Among other things, the document specifies by when new gun cabinets should be purchased and whether old cabinets should be replaced or adapted. Check whether your safe meets the necessary requirements.
S1 gun cabinet – from when does it apply?
From when new gun cabinets are compulsory depends on whether you already had a gun permit before and whether you had a suitable safe.
The regulation makes it clear that those who had a firearms permit and had already stored their firearms in safes and armoured cabinets before the new regulation came into force had five years to comply with the new regulations. It follows that the deadline was 26. August 2019.
On the other hand, those who acquired the right to possess weapons after the entry into force of the Ministry of the Interior regulation (26th August 2014) must immediately purchase a Class S1 weapon cabinet.
What should you do if you do not have a gun cabinet with the S1 safety certificate?
In fact, the ordinance of the Ministry of the Interior does not impose the replacement of the cabinet with a new one. The regulation imposes the storage of weapons and ammunition in devices meeting the requirements of at least class S1, in accordance with the Polish and European standard PN-EN 14450.
If you have an old cabinet, which may be even safer than the one with S1 certificate, you should try to get a document confirming the safety. However, it can be expensive to get a certificate that the safe is compliant with the requirements of EN 14450. The expert evaluating the gun cabinet must represent an authorised certification body – for example the Institute of Precision Mechanics.
An attempt to prove that an old armoured cupboard meets the requirements of at least class S1 may fail. Furthermore you will have to pay for the expert opinion. The whole certification procedure can also be lengthy. Consider whether it would not be better to buy a new armoured cabinet of class S1 or higher immediately.
If you're already facing the decision to buy a new gun cabinet, it makes sense to choose something more robust. Class S1 contains the simplest security features. We recommend investing in a safe of S2 or 0 class. The security features of such a cabinet are much better: thicker walls, stronger hinges and reliable locks.
How to store weapons and ammunition according to the regulations?
If you do not own a weapon yet, but you are going to obtain a permit for it, you must know that the way it is stored is subject to control. This check is carried out by the police and, in the case of professional soldiers, by the military police. As far as the police are concerned, the weapons storage check is usually carried out by the district policeman.
If you do not want to have problems during the inspection, keep your wardrobe in order. Keep the documents relating to the weapon permit, promises to purchase the weapon and proof of purchase on a separate shelf.
According to the regulation, the weapon must be unloaded and the magazine disconnected during storage. In addition, the ammunition must not be in the magazine. They should be placed in separate containers to prevent accidental breaking of the cartridge primer.
To increase the level of security, it is worth considering anchoring an S1 cabinet (or one with a higher resistance rating) to the floor or wall, i.e. the structural elements of the building. This is even necessary when it comes to lighter safes.
See available safes for hunting weapons at HARTMANN TRESORE.
Weapon cabinet S1 – act vs. ordinance
The Interior Ministry Decree on the storage, carrying and record-keeping of weapons and ammunition refers to a more important legal act, namely the Act of 21st May 1999 on arms and ammunition.
In addition to issues related to the storage of weapons, the Act also specifies:
● rules for acquiring a weapons permit,
● rules on weapon registration,
● the possibilities of buying and selling arms,
● rules for possession of weapons,
● standards on importing and exporting arms abroad,
● rules on the operation of shooting ranges.
The most important issues arising from these two documents are:
1. arms and ammunition may only be stored in cabinets with a minimum burglary resistance of class S1 or devices complying with the PN-EN 14450 standard.
2. the armoured gun cabinet can be placed anywhere in the house. It does not have to be your place of residence. You can place the cabinet with relatives or friends. The police must be informed of where the weapons are stored (exact address), and in the case of professional soldiers, the military police.
3. Only the owner of the weapon who has a permit for it should have access to the safe. If you have a key lock, you should find a separate place to store the key. Not even an immediate family member may have access to the key and the cabinet. Remember that in the event of an inspection, a police officer will ask where you keep the key. A good solution is to buy a safe with an electronic lock or a mechanical lock with a knob.
Now that you know when the new gun cabinets have come into force and what the regulations are regarding the storage of weapons, there is nothing left for you to do but to buy a solid safe of at least S1 class. Remember that the cabinet will serve you for many years. It is therefore worth considering the purchase of a device with a higher security class.
We also recommend an other article: What class should a gun safe have? Regulations vs. reality
