We’re heading towards the closeout of Gun Storage Check Week (September 1 through 7). It coincides with National Suicide Prevention Month, and now is the time to check how you store your firearms.

Gun Storage Check Week was started by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). After Project ChildSafe, it might be NSSF’s most important public-facing safety initiative.

In addition to properly securing firearms to prevent tragic accidents of mishandling or theft, Gun Storage Check Week is a central element of NSSF’s ongoing work with several key high-profile partner organizations to help reduce suicide deaths, particularly those among veterans and active-duty military.

So, why is it so important to take time this week to check how you store your firearms?

Casual storage of firearms, like scattering them in hiding places throughout the house, isn’t a storage plan. It’s a recipe for disaster, especially if you have kids.

here is no such thing as a secure hiding spot from your kids. They know you better than anyone else and can detect subtle changes in your behavior. They will find where you hide the birthday and Christmas presents. They will find all the things you don’t want them to find—all the things.

When it comes to firearms, you need to take secure storage seriously. Yes, that means investing in tools like a dedicated gun room, safes, gun cabinets, lock boxes, and other products that limit access to you and the family members you trust with such a responsibility.

A little over a year ago, I did the grown-up thing and ordered a locking gun cabinet. I already had one—a Stack-On cabinet I bought at a local gun shop in New Hampshire over a decade ago. It does the job, but it can also be easily picked up and carried away unless you bolt it down.

Plus, I quickly outgrew the cabinet’s capacity.

Realizing I needed something more, I began the shopping for additional storage. Because of where I wanted to place the unit—in the only room without a window—I was limited by space constraints.

Fortunately, I stumbled across SecureIt’s modular gun cabinets, particularly their Agile Stack. It’s a two-cabinet configuration with a 52” model topped by a 40” model, with each section capable of storing six long guns.

It has several features I like, including configurability, a six-button keypad with fingerprint scanner, low-battery indicator, and an external power option. Quick and easy authorized access was important.

The ability to access it if the battery dies was one of the most important factors in my decision to go with the SecureIt product. I don’t trust electronic locks—a lesson I learned from Michael Bane and the infamous ‘Cannon Safe Fiasco of 2008.’

With that key question out of the way, the most important feature for me in choosing this model over others was the cabinet width—20.25 inches. This made it ideal, almost tailer-made, for the location where I wanted to place it.

Assembly of the modular cabinets is fairly straightforward. I found that video instructions incredibly helpful. SecureIt has one (Agile Model 52 (Gen 1) Ultralight Gun Safe Assembly) that is now eight years old, but when I came across one from Gun Talk Media’s Chris Cerino, I found the process much easier to follow. Chris also pointed out one or two potential sticking points and how to address them, which was a huge help.

All in all, I’m very pleased with the SecureIt Agile Stack. If I had the space, I would definitely expand my storage setup with additional Agile cabinets. I envy those that have an entire gun room outfitted with SecureIt storage system components. Alas, my house does not allow such a luxury.

As you head into this weekend, do yourself a favor and conduct a quick but thorough audit of your firearms and how they are being stored and secured. It may take a little time, but it will be time well spent because it will give you the one thing you need the most—peace of mind.

Maybe check the batteries on any electronics while you’re at it.

— Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network