When it comes to responsible firearm ownership, a reliable gun safe isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Enter the SafetyFirst Hunter 8 Gun Safe , a robust, gun cabinet designed to store up to eight rifles and ammunition with confidence and convenience. But does it live up to its promise? Let’s break it down.
🧱 Build & Design
The Hunter boasts a solid steel construction with a 65mm-thick door and a 3-sided locking system using chrome-plated bolts. It’s not just about brute strength—it’s also thoughtfully designed:
- Foam rubber holders inside protect your rifles from scratches and keep them upright.
- A lockable internal ammo compartment (with 2 keys) adds an extra layer of security.
- The safe weighs just 67kg, making it manageable to install without compromising on sturdiness.
Available in Either an Electronic or Key Locking System
🔢 Electronic Locking System
One of the standout features is the electronic code lock, which allows for:
- 1 programmable user code
- Emergency key override
- External battery access—so you’re never locked out due to a dead battery
This system eliminates the risk of lost keys and offers quick, secure access when needed.
🔑 Locking Mechanism
The safe uses a double-bitted key lock, which is:
- Reliable and tamper-resistant
- Supplied with 2 keys
- Simple to operate—no batteries, no codes, no fuss
However, it does require secure key management, as losing the key could compromise access.
🛠️ Installation & Anchoring
The safe can be anchored through both the base and back wall, with fixing materials included. This flexibility makes it suitable for a variety of home layouts, whether you’re placing it in a closet, garage, or gun room.
The Christmas period is naturally a busy time for anyone with work commitments, present purchases and visiting family. So there will be times during this part of the year that you might be away from home or the business for a sustained period of time.
It is always important to remain vigilant when it comes to home security and protecting your cash, valuables and jewellery.
Home Security
When visiting family and friends over the festive period you may be away from home for a few days or even a week, so naturally your home could be targeted by opportunist burglars who are trying houses in the neighbourhood.
See our recommendations to improving your home security:
- Automatic light timers on the inside/outside of the house – This is a simple and cost affective way of increasing the security on your home. If the lights are turned off all week then it is a clear indicator to any passer by that the home is not occupied. Purchasing a few plug devices for lights will be a cheaper purchase from any DIY store in the UK.
- Checking of the Door and Windows in your Property – Make sure that every door and window is closed and locked correctly before leaving the property.
- Close the Side/Back Gates – Closing the side or back gate to your house is another way of increasing the security at your house as it does not allow intruders easy access to the back of your house.
- Removing Bins/Car on the Drive – Leaving the recycling bins on the driveway for a prolonged time is sometimes an indicator to a potential burglar that there is no one currently home. Make sure these are stored away once they are emptied. If your family is also due to visit friends or family members, we also recommend to try and leave one car on the driveway so it appears that someone is home whilst you are away.
- Light Sensors and Cameras on the Outside of the House – Installing automatic light sensors and CCTV cameras to the outside your property is another security feature that you can add to your home. With modern technology on phones now allowing you to monitor and record movements on the outside of your home, we would highly recommend to have this fitted.
Gifts from Christmas
With different ways of increasing your home security that have been discussed, we move onto the contents of your home and protecting these valuables from theft.
Naturally the spend on gifts increases dramatically in November and December. The value on certain items will sometimes be a lot higher than other small gifts. Protecting these precious gifts can just be as important as the initial purchase. At SimplySafes we have an excellent range of high security safes that are designed to protect Watches, Jewellery, iPads/Tablets/Laptops.
SimplySafes Recommended Safes to Protect your Valuables over Xmas
At SimplySafes we have put together a list of our recommended security safes that are ideal to protect your gifts and valuables over Christmas.
Burton Eurovault Aver Grade 2 Size 0K Security and Fireproof Safe
The Burton Eurovault Aver Grade 2 is a high security safe ideal for the home or office. It offers 30 minutes fire protection for paper documents and has an excellent insurance rating of £17,500 for cash and £175,000 for valuables.
Pros
- 30 minutes fire protection for paper
- Cash Rating £17,500 / valuables rating £175,000
- High security double bitted key lock – 2 keys supplied
- Certified by ECB.S class CEN Grade II according to EN-1143-1
- Insurance Approved
Cons
- Cannot be anchored to the back wall
Securikey Mini Vault Silver S2-0E High Security Safe
The mini vault silver range is an ideal solution for protecting cash and valuables in the home or workplace. Both the electronic and key options have been tested and are certified to EN14450-S2. All the models include a motion sensor interior light and felt lined walls.
Pros
- European certified safe, Security Level S2, EN 14450
- Approved by AiS, Sold Secure and Secure by Design, Police Preferred Specification
- Cash rating £4,000 / valuables rating £40,000
- High security electronic digital lock, EN 1300 approved
- Motion interior light included
- Suitable for rear or floor fixing – Bolts supplied
- Felt lined interior
Cons
- No fire protection
Further Help and Advice
If you would like any further expert advice on selecting a safe, then please contact our helpful and friendly sales team.
Tool theft from vans that have been broken into, is still a major issue throughout the UK. If you are an independent tradesperson or work for a company, keeping your tools safe is always a constant worry when parking up your van overnight.
Tool Theft Statistics
A van is broken into and tools are stolen every 23 minutes. That equates to around 62 thefts everyday in the UK just for tools from a van.
Tools that are stored in a van or vehicle overnight will always carry that high value, sometimes tools may also hold a sentimental value to them. When tools and equipment are stolen it can be devastating financially and psychologically. It may lead you to be out of work for a few weeks whilst all the paperwork is completed with the insurance company or finding adequate tool replacements at a significant cost to yourself.
Our Recommended Tool Storage Boxes
See our Top 5 Tool Security Products that we recommend at SimplySafes to keep your tools secure overnight.
1 – Armorgard TrekDror TKD1
The TrekDror from Armorgard has an excellent design and is ideal to keep tools and any valuable equipment secure overnight. The TrekDror also has a list of optional extras that can be purchased.
Pros
- Drawer slides out to 80% depth
- 2 x highly secure, keyed alike 5-lever deadlocks
- Robust corrugated 1.5mm steel casing for durability and strength
- Unique bearing and roller system which allows smooth sliding action
- Designed so that it fits between most wheel arches
- Floor fixable using pre-drilled holes
Cons
- No fixing kit supplied
2 – Van Vault Slider
The Van Vault Slider - Secured by Design and Sold Secure Tested is a new improved model based on the original best selling Slider. It has been designed so that items can be stacked on top ensuring you do not lose valuable space in your van.
Pros
- 70mm Anti-pick, anti-drill and anti-rust stainless steel disc padlock
- Robust corrugated 1.5mm steel casing for durability and strength
- Secured by Design – Police preferred specification
- Heavy duty roller bearings combined with full drawer runners
- Supplied with fitting instructions and bolts - M10 bolts and shear nuts supplied
3 – Van Vault Stacker XL
The Van Vault Stacker XL - Secured by Design and Sold Secure Tested is a space saving secure van storage tool box. Inside you will find a soft foam insert to protect your tools while being stored. The smooth action drawer features heavy duty roller bearings.
Pros
- 70mm Anti-pick, anti-drill and anti-rust stainless steel disc padlock
- Fitted with the NEW Vaultlock locking system and supplied with three Van Vault dimple style keys
- 4 Reinforced fitting points in the base
- Fully phosphated anti-corrosion protection
- Heavy duty roller bearings combined with full drawer runners
- Soft foam insert protects tools from being damaged when stored
4 – Van Vault Mobi
The improved Van Vault Mobi complete with docking station has now been certified by Secured by Design and the whole range conforms to a Police Preferred Specification. It has also been tested by Sold Secure to the Silver standard Security Cabinets for added peace of mind that your tools are secure.
Pros
- Reinforced lid protects against car jack or crowbar attacks
- Securely locks to docking station for when tools are not in use
- Fitted with the NEW Vaultlock locking system and supplied with three Van Vault dimple style keys
- 70mm Anti-pick, anti-drill and anti-rust stainless steel disc padlock
- Constructed from 2mm steel
- 4 Reinforced fitting points
5 - Armorgard OXBOX OX1 Van Tool Storage Box
The OxBox from Armorgard is an easy to use storage box to securely store your tools and equipment. It has been well designed and offers good protection against theft. This model features a centrally located gas strut to make it easy to open and also benefits from a lid stay to keep it open when in use.
Pros
- Comes with 5 lever deadlock – 2 keys supplied
- Heavy duty steel plate construction with durable powder coated finish
- Floor fixable using pre-drilled holes - fixings not supplied
- Gas struts are designed to to assist with the opening and closing of the box
- Two metal welded carry handles
- Features welded serial numbers to assist with getting replacement keys
Cons
At SimplySafes we have an excellent range of tool security products that are specifically designed to protect your tools and equipment.
Contact Us
If you would like some further advice on selecting the best tool storage unit then please contact our helpful sales team here.
With the value in personal belongings ever increasing it is important to consider the secure storage of jewellery, watches, tablets and other technology. Along with valuables you may have cash and personal items that hold high sentimental value.
Choosing the right Home Safe is essential as the purchase of a safe might only be a one off buy. We have completed our review of the Top 10 Home Safes to buy for 2024. Increasing your home security is essential for greater peace of mind along with keeping your valuables and money secure.
Important things to consider when selecting Home Safes
- Cash/Valuables Insurance Rating
- Capacity (Volume)
- Locking Type
- Anchoring Position (Base or Back Wall)
At SimplySafes we have an excellent range of Home Safes to suit all requirements and budgets for a home or business. We also offer a professional installation service for home safes, most of the safes in the top 10 below can be anchored to the floor or wall (brick wall or stud wall).
For the safe management of pistols, rifles and ammo, a good gun safe is necessary. It is not the intention that these weapons should fall into the hands of unauthorised people who may have bad intentions with them.
At simplysafes.co.uk you will find a wide range of gun safes, but with a large assortment it is quite difficult to choose a suitable one that also meets your obligations. To help you choose a gun safe we have made a selection of the 5 best gun safes.
Top 5 gun safes
Nowadays, in almost every home you will find one or more laptops and/or tablets. Besides the fact that this equipment can be very expensive, there is often a lot of personal and important information on it. Think about bank account information and important documents, but also photos and videos with sentimental value.
Burglars are particularly interested in the financial value of laptops, as a result of which laptops are susceptible to theft. The last thing you want is for your expensive laptop that has all of your personal and important information on to be stolen.
A good way to protect your laptops and tablets against theft is a laptop safe. Laptop safes are specially designed to hold laptops and tablets. They're big enough to fit the size of a laptop, but with a wide range of different laptop safes available, the choice does not get any easier. To give you a helping hand with your choice, our safe experts have made a top 3 of the best laptop safes.
Top 3 Best Laptop Safes
Today we review the Securikey Mini Vault.
The Product Review Team selected the extremely popular Mini Vault Safe fitted with an electronic lock from Securikey to conduct a full review including its pros and cons. The Mini Vault is a home / office safe for storing money and valuables and is certified to EN 14450 Class S2.
The mini vault range is an ideal security product for protecting cash and valuables in the home or workplace. The Mini Vault range benefits from a double walled construction which provides additional fire protection to DIN4102 and is available in both the electronic and key options. It has been tested and is certified to EN14450-S2, All the models include nice features such as adjustable shelves, a motion sensor interior LED light and felt lined walls.
The burglary protection level is at Class S2 (EN 14450), which offers a value storage of £4,000 for cash and £40,000 for valuables.
View the Mini Vault Range on SimplySafes
Today the Phoenix Dream Home Safe is ready for review with another expert assessment.
The Dream from Phoenix has just been launched in 2022 with a new and modern design, along with some excellent features and has been manufactured to a very high standard. The Dream offers a digital electronic lock and has an insurance rating of £1,000 for cash and £10,000 for valuables.
View the Dream range on Simplysafes
View product video Phoenix Dream Home Safe
Today the Phoenix Fortress Pro SS1442E is ready for a review and another expert assessment.
The Fortress Pro from Phoenix has just been launched with some excellent features and has been manufactured to a very high standard. The pro offers 60 minutes fire protection for paper documents and has an insurance rating of £4,000 for cash and £40,000 for valuables.