Der perfekte Waffenschrank für Jäger und Schützen

The right gun cabinet for long guns and handguns

A gun cabinet is an important safety accessory for every gun owner. It serves as a safe place to store long guns, handguns and ammunition. By the end of 2020 alone, 36,140 privately owned firearms had been lost in Germany.

When choosing the right gun cabinet, you should pay attention to the following criteria:

1. Certification: Make sure that the gun cabinet has certification according to German or European standards (VdS, ECB-S). These standards ensure that the cabinet meets certain security standards.
2. Resistance grade: Weapons cabinets are divided into different resistance grades (e.g. 0, I, II, III). The higher the resistance grade, the higher the security. In Germany, at least class 0 weapon cabinets (according to EN 1143-1) are required for long weapons. A maximum of 5 handguns may be stored in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 and a weight of less than 200 kg. In gun cabinets with resistance grade 0 and a weight of over 200 kg, on the other hand, you can store up to 10 handguns.
3. Size and capacity: Choose a gun cabinet that offers enough space for your long guns, handguns and ammunition. Also consider whether you will be adding more weapons in the years to come. If an unlimited number of long weapons can be secured in gun cabinets with security level 0 or higher, there are narrow limits for handguns (see above).
4. Lock: Choose a gun cabinet with a high-quality lock (e.g. double-bit lock, electronic lock or biometric lock). A good lock provides additional security and protects your weapons from unauthorised access.
   Important note: According to a judgement by the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia in August 2023, the keys of a gun cabinet with a key lock must be secured at least equivalently! On 18 December 2023, the Higher Administrative Court of Saxony referred to the ruling of the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia in a decision. In the case in question, even the gun ownership licence was confiscated. A man had kept the key for his gun cabinet in an unlocked drawer. "The storage of a gun cabinet key must generally meet the same security standards as the storage of the weapons and ammunition stored in the gun cabinet itself."
   BURG-WÄCHTER therefore recommends the purchase of gun cabinets with electronic and/or biometric locks. In order to comply with the judgement, BURG-WÄCHTER recommends a safe of the Magno E series with resistance grade 0 for the storage of a gun cabinet key (resistance grade 0) and a Diplomat MTD safe (E FP models) with resistance grade I for a gun cabinet with resistance grade I.
5. Anchoring: Make sure that the gun cabinet has anchoring facilities so that it can be firmly fixed to the floor or wall. Good anchoring prevents the cabinet from being easily taken away in the event of a break-in.
6. Price: Gun cabinets can vary in price depending on size, material and security features. Check your needs, consider whether more weapons may be added in the next few years and then compare different models to find the right gun cabinet.