Right after cost, the most common concern for gun safe buyers is size.

What size gun safe do you need to store your weapons? What do the specifications mean?

It can be a little confusing when taking a first look at safes and numbers.

For example, one of our most popular models, the Liberty Fat Boy, states it is a 64-gun safe. This means that without using any of the shelving units for ammo or accessories, you can store up to 64 long guns. This depends, of course, on how bulky the rifles are, and if they have scopes or accessories.

Another popular model, the Browning M28F, states it is a 11 to 29 gun safe. This means you can store up to 11 long guns, and as many as 29 pistols.

The Cannon CO 54 safe states it can hold 48 guns. But take a look at the picture. As shown, the configuration will hold about 8 long guns and maybe a dozen pistols. In order to get optimal storage, you would have to remove all those great shelves.

This may work for some people, but we’ve found that once you have a gun safe, you want to store a lot more than just guns in it.

That’s why we always encourage people to buy bigger than they think they’ll need. Whether it’s your ever-growing gun collection, your important documents, or your one-of-a-kind collectibles, your gun safe will become a trusted place to keep things safe.

So when thinking about size, also think about the types of firearms you have, the additional accessories you’ll want to store, and whether you’re willing to give up shelf space for gun space. Then, always get the biggest safe you can afford. We’ve often found people wishing they bought a bigger safe, but never wishing they’d gone smaller.