While shopping for a gun safe, you may find that you aren’t quite sure what to look for. One thing to keep in mind is that many security features offer more piece-of-mind than actual resistance against break-ins. A safe’s digital lock is a component that can help prevent burglaries if the proper security features are included.

A digital lock can be very secure, if properly constructed. The exterior portion of the digital lock should only contain a source of power (such as a battery) and a chip which sends the combination into the lock body located in the interior of the safe. It is vital that anything that stores memory, activates the lock, or pertains to the security of the safe is stored inside the safe. Cheaper safes often have digital locks in which all electronics are stored in the outer keypad with power wires leading into the safe. These safes can be unlocked by simply splicing the wires directly into the battery.

While shopping for a home safe, you will more than likely come across lingo which you may have little to no familiarity with. Over the course of this blog, we will define these terms that will prove useful while buying a home safe.

Relocker

A “relocker” is a locking mechanism separate from the primary lock mechanism, which secures the bolt work if force is applied to the safe. If a thief is using various tools such as crowbars or drills to break into the safe, the impact from these tools will trigger the spring-loaded relocker, relocking the safe and adding significant time to the break-in attempt. Once the relocker has been fired, it is unlikely that you will be able to unlock the safe without the aide of a locksmith.

Most safes have at least one relocker, while some more advanced models may have two or three. When buying a home safe, one should strongly consider a model with a relocker due to the added security and time against theft.