In short:
- Start with what you're storing. Firearms come with legal requirements; cash and jewellery need burglary resistance; documents and hard drives need fire protection. One safe rarely does all three equally well.
- Firearms and ammunition not under your direct control must be kept in a safe or strong-room meeting SABS 953-1 and 953-2, unless the regulations say otherwise (regulation 86).
- A fire rating and a burglary rating are different things. Check both labels for what they actually claim.
- Choose the lock for how you'll live with it: keys need hiding, keypads need batteries, dials need patience.
- Fix the safe down. A safe that can be carried away isn't protecting much.
Start with what you're protecting
"A safe" covers everything from a small wall safe in a cupboard to a tall rifle safe or a fire-resistant document box. They're built for different threats, and the right choice depends on what goes inside.
| Contents | Main concern | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Firearms and ammunition | Legal compliance and theft | A safe stated to meet SABS 953-1, the right size category for what you own, and a way to bolt it down |
| Cash, jewellery, valuables | Theft | Thicker steel, a good lock, solid bolts and anchoring. Fire protection is a bonus |
| Passports, title deeds, wills, certificates | Fire, and theft of identity documents | A fire rating for paper, plus anchoring |
| Hard drives, memory sticks, photos on media | Heat | A fire rating specifically for data or digital media, which is stricter than for paper |
| Business takings | Theft and staff access | Burglary resistance, a lock that can have codes changed when staff change, and sometimes a deposit slot |
If you need firearm storage and fire protection for documents, it's often more practical to have two safes than to find one that does both well.
Gun safes: what the regulations require
Firearm storage is governed by the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 and its regulations. The key points from regulation 86, in plain terms:
- The standard. A firearm that isn't under the licence holder's direct personal and physical control, and its ammunition, must be stored in a safe or strong-room that conforms to SABS 953-1 and 953-2, unless the regulations provide otherwise (regulation 86(1)).
- Unloaded. Firearms other than those held under a self-defence licence (section 13 of the Act) must be stored unloaded (regulation 86(11)(a)).
- Exclusive access. The person storing the firearm must have exclusive access to the safe, or their presence and co-operation must be needed for anyone else to get in, with exceptions for dealers, gunsmiths and certain temporary storage (regulation 86(11)(b)).
- Lock-away safes. Where the regulations allow a lock-away safe or device instead, regulation 86(12) requires, among other things, steel at least 2 mm thick, a means of enclosing or covering the firearm wholly, an effective integral locking mechanism, a lid hinge that keeps the lid from being removed when the locking pin is taken out, and a way of fixing it securely to a wall, floor or vehicle.
- Older safes. A safe approved under the previous regulations can be treated as compliant if the Registrar issues a certificate to that effect (regulation 86(8)).
That "exclusive access" point is worth thinking about when choosing a lock: who else in the house could find the key or watch you enter the code?
This is a summary to help you shop, not legal advice. Your Designated Firearms Officer at the local police station is the person to ask about your own licence and storage.
What SABS 953-1 covers
SABS 953-1 is the standard for firearm safes (953-2 covers strong-rooms). The standard itself is sold by the SABS, but Mutual Safes, a South African safe maker, publishes a summary of it. According to that summary:
| Type | How it's specified | Intended for |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Resistance to attack with hand tools | Collectors and private individuals, up to 20 firearms and their ammunition |
| A2 | Resistance to attack with hand tools | Collectors and dealers |
| B1 | Steel thickness | Up to 4 handguns and their ammunition |
| B2 | Steel thickness | Up to 10 firearms and their ammunition |
| B3 | Steel thickness (a lighter safe) | Temporary storage in vehicles and caravans |
The same summary says Type B safes need floor, roof and side walls of at least 2.8 mm steel (nominal 3 mm) and a door of at least 5.75 mm (nominal 6 mm). Every safe needs at least one lock: a key lock of at least six levers, a combination lock of at least three wheels, or an electronic lock. And safes with a net mass under 300 kg must be bolted to the floor or wall, or preferably both.
When you buy, ask the seller which standard and type the model meets, and how that's shown on the safe or its paperwork. Pick a category with room for the firearms you may own later, not just today's.
Home safes: fire and burglary are different jobs
A heavy steel safe that resists a crowbar may still cook its contents in a house fire, and a fire safe built with insulation can be quite easy to break into. Treat the two ratings separately.
- Burglary resistance comes from the steel, the bolts, the lock and how well the safe is anchored. Thicker steel and more bolts generally mean more resistance and more weight.
- Fire resistance comes from insulation that keeps the inside cool for a stated time. Ratings used on many imported safes refer to the interior temperature limit: a Class 350 rating keeps the inside below 350°F (about 177°C), suited to paper, while Class 125 keeps it below 125°F (about 52°C), needed for digital media such as hard drives.
Read the label and documents for exactly what's claimed: which standard, which class, for how long. "Fireproof" on its own tells you very little. If a safe claims both fire and burglary ratings, look for evidence of both.
Choosing the lock
The lock is the part you deal with every day, and the part most likely to cause a call-out. Choose for how you'll actually use the safe.
| Lock type | Strengths | Things to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Key (lever lock) | No batteries, simple to use | The key must be hidden well and never kept near the safe; a lost key means a professional opening and usually a lock change |
| Mechanical dial | No batteries; no key to lose | Slower to open; dialling must be done carefully and in the right sequence, which is awkward in a hurry or in poor light |
| Electronic keypad | Quick to open; code easy to change, which helps keep access exclusive | Batteries need changing on a schedule; several wrong codes cause a lockout delay; a forgotten code means a professional opening |
| Biometric (fingerprint) | Fast, nothing to remember | Fingerprints must be enrolled and kept up to date; check what the back-up method is if a reader won't recognise you |
Whichever you choose, find out before you buy what the emergency or back-up access is, and keep that key, code or battery somewhere secure outside the safe. Our guide to a safe keypad that's dead, beeping or locked out explains what goes wrong with electronic locks and how to avoid it.
Where to put it and how to fix it down
- Bolt it down. For firearm safes under 300 kg it's part of the standard, as above, and for any safe it stops the "carry it out and open it later" approach.
- Fix into something solid. A concrete floor or a solid masonry wall holds anchors far better than a timber floor or a drywall partition. Follow the safe maker's fixing instructions.
- Keep it out of sight, but not so awkward that you stop using it. A safe left open because it's a nuisance protects nothing.
- Think about temperature for electronic locks. Liberty Safe recommends more frequent battery changes for safes in garages and outbuildings that see big temperature swings.
- Leave room to open the door fully and to reach the keypad or dial in good light.
- Check the floor can carry it, especially upstairs. Large safes are very heavy.
Inherited, second-hand or moved into a house with one?
Safes often change hands with a property or a deceased estate. Before trusting one:
- Assume someone else knows the code or has a key. Change the code, or have the lock changed if it's a key or dial lock you can't reset yourself.
- Find the make and model, so you can get the manual and know the battery and emergency access arrangements.
- For a gun safe, check whether it meets the current standard, or whether a certificate applies under the older-safe provisions. Ask your DFO if in doubt.
- Check the anchoring. A safe that was unbolted for a move needs fixing down again.
We open safes and carry out safe repairs and lock changes, including fitting a new lock or setting up a code on a safe that's changed hands. If the safe is locked and nobody has the code, see safe opening. As with any safe work, you'll be asked for proof that the safe is yours. We're a mobile locksmith in Roodepoort, so we come to the safe; the call-out fee is R250, and the technician quotes on site before any work starts. Payment is by EFT, cash or card.
A checklist before you buy
- What's going in it, now and in a few years' time?
- For firearms: which SABS 953-1 type and size category does the model meet, and how is that shown?
- For documents or media: which fire standard and class, for how long?
- What lock does it have, and what's the back-up access?
- How is it fixed down, and is the fixing kit included?
- Where will it go, and can the floor and doorways take it?
- Who will have access, and how will you keep that access exclusive?
Questions
Can I keep my firearm in an ordinary home safe?
Regulation 86 calls for a safe or strong-room that conforms to SABS 953-1 and 953-2, unless the regulations provide otherwise. A general home safe may not meet that. Ask the seller what standard a safe meets, and your DFO if you're unsure.
Is an electronic lock less secure than a key?
Not necessarily: SABS 953-1, as summarised by Mutual Safes, accepts electronic locks alongside lever and combination locks. The bigger differences are practical: batteries and codes for keypads, hiding the key for key locks.
Can you change the lock on a safe I already own?
Often, yes, depending on the safe and the lock. Tell us the make and model and send a photo when you call, and the technician will confirm the options and quote on site.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our safe repairs & code changes service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Roodepoort, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Firearms Control Regulations, regulation 86: Safes and safe custody (Acts Online) — 86(1) storage in a safe or strong-room conforming to SABS 953-1 and 953-2; 86(8) older safes deemed compliant on a Registrar's certificate; 86(11) unloaded storage and exclusive access; 86(12) lock-away safe requirements
- National Hunting and Shooting Association: Firearm and safes (regulation 86(11), (12) and (5) text) — Wording of regulation 86(11)(a) and (b) and 86(12)(a)–(e): unloaded storage except self-defence licences, exclusive access, 2 mm steel, integral lock, hinge, fixing to wall, floor or vehicle
- Mutual Safes: SABS information — Summary of SABS 953-1: Types A1, A2, B1 (up to 4 handguns), B2 (up to 10 firearms), B3; Type B wall and door thicknesses; lock options (six-lever key, three-wheel combination or electronic); safes under 300 kg bolted to floor or wall
- Mutual Safes: Gun safes — South African gun safe range with key, combination and biometric digital lock options
- Safe and Vault Store: Fire ratings — Class 350 keeps contents below 350°F for paper; Class 125 below 125°F for digital media
- Liberty Safe: Reliable power, managing batteries and backup for electronic safe locks — More frequent battery changes for safes in garages or outbuildings with temperature swings; keep a spare battery outside the safe