What are Gun Safe Shelves Made of? (Secret Ingredients)

Do you ever wonder what gun safe shelves are made of that can carry the weight of several guns or ammo cans? Let’s have a look at their insides!

The more guns you own, the riskier the situation is. That’s why responsible owners invest in gun safes to house firearms and keep them from unauthorized access and possible injuries and deaths.

You must maximize your investment by housing the possible number of guns. Gun safe shelves partly answer this need for more space.

Learning and understanding the materials used in gun safe shelves is essential for picking or choosing a better gun safe in the market.

In this article, we will discuss why gun shelves are important in a gun safe and the common and secret materials used in gun safe shelves.

Reasons to Consider Using Shelves in Your Gun Safe

Aside from more storage space mentioned above, there are still a few more reasons why shelves in a gun safe are a huge help.

Here are some of them:

1. It keeps your valuables organized.

Gun shelves help you organize your guns according to type, size, and use. An organized gun safe is pleasing to the eyes and decreases your stress level.

Doing this will make your guns more accessible—no need to bend your back for long searching for a particular item.

2. Easier clean-up.

If ample space is categorized, it is easier to tidy up because you can see what you have and haven’t cleaned up yet.

Also, it will be easier to find the root cause of molds and rust, making them easier to treat.

3. Maximize storage space.

Most gun safes have many empty spaces; thus, the whole gun safe is not maximized. You want a gun safe where you can house as many guns and other valuables as possible.

Gun shelves will also allow you to use gun hangers, giving you extra space for small guns.

4. It prevents accidents.

You cannot simply stack all kinds of guns and other valuables in a box. Doing that may damage your firearms, knives, binoculars, etc.

Also, ammo cans with bullets and powders should be stacked on a level and sturdy surface, without other things falling into them. A rigid gun safe shelf will prevent them from spilling all over your gun safe.

Cleaning spilled gunpowder all over a carpeted platform is a hard task. Gun shelves will save you from accident repair and cleaning costs.

Common Materials Used for Gun Safe Shelves

Most gun safe racking units are nothing more than a carpeted particle board or pine.

Particle board is an “artificial wood made by damaging, dipping and grinding wood shavings, wood wool, and timbering residue into wood pulp, mixing the pulp with glue, and then heat-pressing and drying the pulp.”

Pine board comes from pine, a “softwood that is white or pale yellow in color and is also lightweight, with an open grain” that resists swelling and shrinking.

With thick layers of boards and reliable bolting to the gun safe walls, these can do.

But the thing is, one should not treat a gun safe shelf like any other ordinary shelf. It should be reinforced like how a gun safe works, withstands fire, is not easily damaged, and carries a reasonable weight.

Secret Materials Used in Gun Safe Shelves

Good gun safe shelves are reinforced with secret ingredients to serve the purpose of being a part of a gun safe.

Examples of these secret materials are the following:

1. Fireboard or Greenboard

These boards are made up of gypsum boards and sheets of fiber.

Greenboard can withstand fire for about 60 minutes. Its surface can also resist water. Fireboard can withstand fire for at least 2 hours.

2. Ceramic Wool or Ceramic Fiber Blanket

This material has high thermal tolerance and corrosion resistance. This high-quality material is perfect for your gun safe.

3. Intumescent Strip

For shelves with individual doors, I recommend this. When heated, intumescent strips swell, closing off spaces or gaps between the edge of the gun safe frame to the door, retraining fire from seeping through.

4. Nomex fabric

A gun shelf is carpeted as a finish.

It is best to use a Nomex fabric as a cushion as it has high-temperature resistance, high durability, anti-static, shrink-resistant, and easy to clean.

Most gun owners install lights and dehumidifiers inside the gun safe. These are powered by electricity, and Nomex fabric can reduce the effects of the possible build-up of electrostatic discharge.

5. Fire retardant coatings and sealants

These coatings and sealants are fire-resistant treatments of curtains, fabric, upholstery, and carpeting. This will reinforce the coverings of gun shelves to repel fire.

Conclusion

If there are reasons why owning a gun safe is worthy, we also have reasons gun safe shelves are also worthy of consideration.

Usage of gun safe shelves keeps you organized, transcends to your well-being, makes your cleaning easier, prevents accidents that can lead to damage, and maximizes the use of your gun safe’s bare space.

Gun safe shelf quality is taken for granted because it is already housed inside a gun safe that is reliable enough to deter unauthorized access and to repel fire or water. This should not be the case because gun shelves are a part of the gun safe; they count as one.

Materials commonly used in gun safe shelves are boards and carpets, but more is needed if you aim for quality.

Look for shelves made with fireboard or green board, ceramic wool or ceramic fiber blanket, fire retardant fabric such as Nomex, reinforced with intumescent strips, and fire retardant coatings or sealants, if necessary.

Adjustable shelving also helps to accommodate various sizes of guns.

In choosing a gun safe, it is also important to look at what’s inside it and what these insides are made of. You will benefit from probing on sturdy and proofed accessories by saving costs due to possible damages.

If you are a gun owner shopping for a quality gun safe body, up your decision-making by probing the insides.

FAQs 

What materials are gun safe shelves typically made of?

Most gun safe racking units are nothing more than carpeted particle board or pine.

Can gun safe shelves be customized to fit specific firearms?

Yes. If you plan to DIY gun shelves for an empty gun safe, you can accustom them for various gun sizes to fit comfortably.

Can gun safe shelves be removed or repositioned?

Yes, for some gun safe models. The shelving of some other gun safes is fixed and cannot be adjusted.

Do gun safe shelves come with any special features or coatings?

Quality gun safe shelves cannot be easily damaged when stacked with gun weights. They also feature fire and water-resistant materials.

Sources

‌“Particle Board | ScienceDirect Topics.” Sciencedirect.com, 2016, ‌https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/particle-board.

Kiron, Mazharul Islam. “What Is Nomex | Uses and Properties of Nomex Fiber.” Textile Learner, 8 Apr. 2022, textilelearner.net/uses-and-properties-of-nomex-fiber/.

‌Herbert, Jeff. “5 Surprising Benefits of Being Organized.” SelectHealth.org, 2021, selecthealth.org/blog/2021/01/5-surprising-benefits-of-being-organized.

‌“Gun Safe Buyers’ Guide.” Www.6mmbr.com, www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html.

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