Anchoring and securing the gun safe

The most essential requirements with regard to setting up and, if necessary, anchoring gun safes in place can be found in Section 13 of the General Ordinance on the Weapons Act (AWaffV). The German Weapons Act (WaffG) and the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard must also be taken into consideration.

Specific resistance grade required

First things first, a gun safe must demonstrate a proven resistance grade according to the European standard EN 1143-1 or – in the case of Austria – a VSÖ security class. This differentiation is made based on comprehensive tests and is a key factor for insurance companies. You will be able to tell whether your gun safe has undergone a test as it will feature a sticker on the inside.

The quantity and type of the weapons (long guns / handguns) also have an impact on the necessity and degree of anchorage. Information regarding potential anchorage, along with its legal consequences, is available from any serious specialist dealer and can also be found in the documentation accompanying the gun safe. Your insurance provider will also be able to provide you with reliable information in this regard.

For more information on storing weapons, take a look at the Weapons Act page.

It is always strongly recommended to anchor your gun safe securely in place. For this reason, we always manufacture our gun safes with the necessary bore holes or heavy-duty anchors if they are designed to be fixed to the floor or wall. The strength of these heavy-duty anchors is referred to as the tearing force, and this generally amounts to several hundred kilograms.

Many gun safe owners make the mistake of thinking that smaller units (up to around 100 kg) do not have to be anchored or screwed in due to their small capacity or minimal value. This is, however, a fatal mistake to make, as smaller cabinets can often be removed in their entirety without any problems at all. We therefore always recommend anchoring gun safes in place across the board – particularly those weighing up to 1000 kg.

Always rely on a specialist fitter!

Manufacturers, inspection bodies, insurance companies and local authorities generally agree that we should always make it as difficult as possible for perpetrators and burglars to access dangerous weapons. In the case of bore holes, dowels or anchorages, however, it is important to note that these security features are not designed to be handled by non-professionals. To ensure the best possible anti-burglary protection and insurance cover, this type of work must be carried out by a specialist, otherwise the security level – and therefore the insurance cover – will be invalidated. In the worst-case scenario, the owner of the gun safe may even be liable to prosecution.