How my Visalia Safe custom gun safe helps this hunter
A custom gun safe is more than a lockable steel box; it is a central pillar of how I preserve and protect my firearms and maintain them in good working order. My rifles and shotguns are important and valuable tools to me, offering me opportunities to hunt all across our country and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. To me, the safe is also a tool. It gives me a hardened, tamper‑resistant enclosure, stops unauthorized people from accessing my weapons and keeps them in exactly the state I left them when I locked the safe door. That’s peace of mind on multiple levels to me.
What I like about my Visalia Safe is that I designed it. I sat down with Shannon (ed: Shannon Livingston is our Sales Manager) and I told her what I wanted, what I was going to store, where I wanted the safe to go how I wanted it to look. Shannon helped me realize my vision and it is the perfect solution for my needs: perfectly engineered, beautifully made and finished and with the storage I wanted for my hunting rifles, shotguns, a pair of pistols and some family valuables as well. I’m happy with the solid construction and the protection I know it offers, with its big steel bolts and locking mechanisms. I like the peace of mind of the fireproof insulation (ed: ceramic wool and fire seals on the doors) too, as well as the humidity protection and perfect lighting.
Preservation benefits of a custom gun safe
I have owned several gun safes over the decades. As I said, my firearms tools for me and I like to keep my tools in perfect condition. They are also precision instruments that are tuned to my exact tastes and demands. When I sight my scope, I want to know that it will still be the way I want it the next time I go hunting. Little things can also change how accurate my rifle will be: humidity, temperature swings, even things like smoke or steam can start to corrode the barrel or break down the oil, as well as degrading the finish on a wood stock.
I keep my gun safe in my den, where the temperature is constant. The safe also has the dehumidification system from Visalia Safes (ed: we use EvaDry dehumidification systems). One of my hunting buddies lives up in the Pacific Northwest and has a mass-produced safe. He showed me a bit of rust on the barrel of his rifle on a hunt in Idaho. I’ve never had that problem with my Visalia Safe.
As I said, I like the peace of mind I get knowing that my Visalia Safe has excellent heat protection. Even though I am in a town and not the countryside, there seem to be lots of fires everywhere these days. A safe with fire protection can keep the things inside it safe, even when the house burns down around it. It keeps the ammunition stored there safe as well, and the other valuable things I have inside. Even after a fire is over, if there are any bad people who try to loot my house, I know that my Visalia Safe will still be working to protect what I’ve left inside. Anything that does all that is a useful tool in my book.
A custom gun safe is a good investment value now and in the future
Beyond safety and preservation, my custom gun safe represents is sound financial decision for me and my family, or any other serious hunter. I see what good used safes go for in forums and such and I know I could get most of what I paid for if I wanted to sell my Visalia Safe. It’s built to last and has a very useful design for easy access and storage for a larger collection. I’ve even gotten a bit of a discount on my homeowners because of the safe, which is a nice bonus.
How I bought my custom gun safe: practical guidance for choosing yours
For me, choosing a Visalia safe came down to three things: how useful the safe is, how strong the safe is and how much it cost. My Visalia Safe is very useful to me. I designed it to suit my collection and how I like things to be. Everything inside is exactly right. The drawers are very nice wood and the mini-safe is just the right size for my wife’s jewelry and our important papers. I have a pair of rifle pull-out drawers with adjustable racks that fit my scoped rifles and shotguns perfectly. On the door, I have storage for my pistols and various boxes of cartridges and ammunition. The safe is perfect and also looks great too.
My Visalia Safe is super-strong. I have a side hinge (ed: our exclusive “Safari Hinge”) so I can get into every part of the safe easily when the door is open. When it is closed, I can barely get the tip of a screwdriver in the openings. The bolts are super-strong and secure the door very well. The guys who delivered the safe put it in exactly the right spot and helped me set the combination. I have a regular (ed: analog) lock and spinning that dial makes me know that the contents are totally safe. Choosing the appropriate safe involves evaluating three core criteria: security rating, capacity, and environmental controls.
As for the cost, I will just say that it was very nice to hear how much I needed to pay to get this perfect (for me) safe. I think you’ll be very surprised when you talk to Shannon.
In conclusion: go buy a custom gun safe from Visalia Safes
I really like my Visalia Safe. It does everything I want it to and does not need lots of maintenance or anything. It looks very sharp in the den and keeps everything inside looking sharp and staying safe too. My safe keeps my hunting tools in good condition, keeps them safe from thieves and fires, and is a very good investment. If I have any advice for my fellow hunters, it would be to buy a Visalia Safe.
Thanks Steve!
* Steve asked us not to use his full name to preserve his privacy.