SOS Locksmith

Posted on September 23, 2016 by admin

Gun safes have interiors that are meant to hold long guns, such as rifles, shotguns, carbines, and muskets. Long guns are usually defined by the extended lengths of their barrels, as opposed to the length of the weapon mechanisms itself. The National Firearms Act sets a minimum length for shotgun barrels at 18 inches and 16 inches for rifles. The majority of gun safes are at least 53 inches tall, however their specific size and layouts are different based on the model and manufacturer.

Gun safes are somewhat cheaper than home safes of similar sizes, since they are more widely manufactured and more intensely discounted. They are available in many sizes and colors, including bright, pastelly, pink varieties.

Ratings

Gun safes are usually rated as Residential Security Containers (or RSCs.) Some un-rated gun safes are available, which isn’t a problem for people that are unaware of the rating system – however, many insurance companies offer protection for safes that meet a minimum RSC rating. These companies monitor the rating of safes based on the thickness of the door and body steel. They can be rated from B down the alphabet scale. The RSC listings are made based on testing by professional safe-crackers who attempt to gain entry into the safe working off complete blueprints of the lock mechanism. If these technician/testers cannot gain entry into the safe within 5 minutes, then that model and make of safe will receive a letter certification.

Fire Ratings

Most gun safes are fire rated between 20 minutes to over 2 hours. Gun safe manufacturers have the option of using a wide variety of testing groups, and can even fund their own tests. Because of this, fire tests for gun safes aren’t uniformly applied across the range of separate brands; if you’re looking for a specifically fire rated gun safe, it might be smart to research the exact specifications for the manufacturer’s testing to ensure that it qualifies for your requirements.

Important things to consider

Consider the value of the property you will be placing in the safe when purchasing it; this way you can have a clearer idea of what rating you will require.
If you’re buying a fingerprint scanner safe, enter the same fingerprint multiple times from different angles – this way, in case of an emergency where you need to quickly open the safe, you can be sure that the safe will be able to get opened quickly and easily.

Biometric Security

Posted on September 17, 2016 by admin

Great advances have been made in the last few years with biometrics technology on the residential consumer level. This allows homeowners to get easy protected security and access to their doors without the need to search for keys. Biometric locks use thermal or optical scanners to memorize and read your fingerprints (or the fingerprints of those who have access to your home.)

It’s usually fairly easy to open biometric doors; simply press your fingerprint (or hand, depending on the machinery set-up,) and the device will detect your unique characteristics. Then, simply press an authentication code into the attached keypad in order to open up the lock.

Special Features and things to know about Biometric Locks

No more keys. Since you take your fingers everywhere with you, biometric locks offer the most convenience and fast entry for authorized users.
Biometric Based Power – Most biometric security systems have alternate modes of key access just in case the battery operated systems stop working.
It’s important to understand that some biometric scanners will stop recognizing your fingerprints if you receive a cut on your fingers or develop a scar that covers your fingerprints.
Pricing – most biometric doors range in price from 69 dollars to 300 or more, and most can be easily purchased at home improvement or hardware stores.

Here’s three of the latest biometric security innovations on the consumer market:

The SecuGen Hamster Optical Fingerprint Reader can be linked up to any Windows operating system as a computer based security protocol. This device was designed to work using specially written software to create high-quality records of fingerprints from a wide range of fingers – even wet, dry, aged, or scarred skin, any any type of ambient weather, even rain or direct sunlight.
The BioBox fingerprint safe is portable, sized small enough to store items like cash, jewelry, medication, or even a gun. Simply press the tip of your finger into the scanner for one second access. You can store up to 30 fingerprints, so it allows for a wide breadth of users, and works simply with only four AA batteries.
The BioAxxis Biometric Deadbolt sounds an incredibly loud alarm if anyone tries to fiddle with it or break it. This lock was named one of the best fingerprint door locks on the market by Good Housekeeping’s research division, and is priced at a mere 69 dollars.