Many people want to buy a safe but do not know which model to choose. Some people do not realise that there are different safety classes and different security features. Safes are an increasingly popular item of equipment for both homes and businesses. Before you decide on the right class and security features, think about what you really want the safe for. Maybe you need a large armoured cupboard to store larger items and weapons, or maybe you have valuable works of art that you would like to display in an armoured display case. If you want to store valuable items safely, a S1 class safe may not be enough.
Safety classes for safes
Before you decide to buy a safe, you need to know what the safety classes are. S1 is the lowest class, but S1 safes are safe enough to hold firearms in accordance with the Weapons and Ammunition Storage Act. They are equipped with solid bolts and hinges, which effectively secure the contents.
Further security classes are S2, 0, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII. In practice, home safes and business safes have a maximum of class IV burglary resistance. The implication is that this class allows you to store property worth up to 3,000,000 PLN. The exact value is variable, as it depends on the average gross monthly salary for the last quarter.
An S1 safe, despite solid security features allowing to store firearms, can be used to store goods worth about 60 000 PLN. Such a model will be sufficient for the vast majority of users. Remember, however, that some items have an emotional value and it is difficult to assess their actual price. It is up to you how much you want to secure your valuables.
Check: What class should a gun safe have? Regulations vs. reality
Security levels of safes – what do the burglary resistance classes of safes mean in practice?
What is an S1 safe for and will it be the best solution for me?
S1 class safes have the lowest resistance to burglary of all safes certified and made in accordance with European standards. On the market, you can also find metal cabinets, often wrongly called safes by salesmen. These have no guarantee and no security certificate. Some people decide to buy them, but later regret it because in the event of a burglary, the insurance company will not pay out for items left in an uncertified cabinet.
The S1 home safe is usually used by people with a gun permit. Police officers, hunters, collectors and professional security guards are required by law to keep their firearms and ammunition in S1 safes. If you have a firearms licence, you can of course keep your firearms in a safe with a higher safety class.
Buying a better armoured cabinet with higher burglary resistance is even advisable, especially if you own high value collector's weapons. Remember that an S1 safe, protects property worth around £60,000. You will easily exceed this amount if you keep more weapons in the armoured cabinet, together with optical and night vision sights.
The S1 safe can also hold other items. These can include documents, money and jewellery with a value assigned to the security class. As you can see, an S1 safe is not necessarily the best solution. Why not invest in an S2, 0 or even I class safe?
What sizes can S1 safes be?
The S1 safe should be tailored to your needs. Choose the model that suits you best. You can decide on virtually any size. Order a small S1 home safe for documents and cash or a large armoured cabinet for up to 10 firearms.
The dimensions of the safe should be larger than your current needs. Note that you may need additional space in the future. Over time, the expensive items to put in the safe will rather increase. Why should you buy a second armoured cabinet in a few years' time? Buy a larger model now, which will be more convenient to use.
S1 safes for storing weapons can have 2 or 3 spaces. If you are a hunter or collector, such an armoured cabinet may be enough to start with. Nevertheless, think about what happens when the opportunity arises to buy a beautiful rifle with a modern scope and you don't have room in your cabinet. Don't let that situation happen. Buy a large gun cabinet and don't let any opportunity pass you by.
Don't forget that in a class S1 gun safe you must have additional shelves for ammunition and documents such as:
● the weapons permit,
● permission to purchase the weapon (promises),
● deposit protocols.
Buy a bigger gun cabinet and keep your documents in order and you will pass the inspection by the police or military police without any remarks.
If you want to store expensive items or cash in a safe, contact the manufacturer before buying. Buying a safe is not an easy task. You need to pay attention not only to the security class, but also to the lock model and the location of the safe. Hartmann Tresore Polska has experts and advisors who can advise you comprehensively and help you to choose the ideal armoured safe.
