Steelhead Outdoor: Scout 25 Evaluation

Everyone is aware of that preserving your firearms safe is a clever factor to do, however what does “safe” truly imply? If you happen to ask some anti-gun politician, they’ll inform you that no gun is really safe except it’s unloaded, disassembled into small items, and locked in a vault so safe that opening it requires a process just like a nuclear missile launch authorization. However right here in the true world, safe merely means readily accessible to those that ought to entry it and inaccessible to those that shouldn’t. Below regular circumstances, this may increasingly imply stopping your younger youngsters from having unsupervised entry to your weapons; in excessive instances, it may be used as a safeguard in opposition to intruders getting into your private home by drive. As with all safety measures, you have to begin with a sensible risk evaluation earlier than spending cash on {hardware}.

Gun Secure vs. Gun Cupboard

Many gun homeowners assume {that a} gun secure is the one reply to this query, however that’s not at all times the case. Gun cupboards or lockers are additionally an possibility value contemplating.

A correct gun secure will typically be constructed from thick, hardened metal with security measures supposed to maintain decided thieves out. In fact, somebody with energy instruments and/or subtle data might be able to breach it, however this could take lots of effort and time. Gun safes can even safeguard the contents in opposition to fireplace harm. However the trade-off for all this safety is important weight, bulk, and price.

However, a gun cupboard provides a decrease degree of safety in trade for considerably lighter weight, handy set up, and a extra reasonably priced value level. If, fairly than felony masterminds, you’re largely involved with preserving your weapons out of attain out of your youngsters or houseguests (e.g., the babysitter or cable man), a gun cupboard will be the proper selection for you. It’s excellent for “preserving sincere folks sincere,” because the outdated adage says. Classic ornamental gun cupboards have been made out of ornate wooden and glass with a keyed lock, whereas extra trendy choices use stamped sheet metallic and an digital mixture lock.

A number of the extra benefits of a gun cupboard embody elevated inner house resulting from thinner single-layer partitions and dramatically improved portability. If you happen to lease a house or stay in an residence, it’s possible you’ll not wish to set up a 300- to 500-pound gun secure that you simply’ll simply have to maneuver in a yr or two, however a cupboard might be disassembled and transported in a matter of minutes.

Above: Steelhead calls this colour “Badlands Brown,” and I prefer it a lot better than the generic grey end of most different producers’ cupboards. The bolted-on brand can also be a pleasant contact.

Steelhead Outdoor’ American-Made Cupboards

Not too long ago, I had been trying to find a brand new gun cupboard to accommodate a few of my ever-growing assortment of firearms — I’m certain a lot of you’ll be able to sympathize. Whereas it’s doable to discover a low cost metallic cupboard on Amazon or at your native ironmongery shop, I needed a high-quality cupboard that’s not only a field of flat-packed panels from China. I additionally didn’t wish to cope with the frustrations of misshapen brackets, incorrectly drilled holes, and lacking {hardware} that normally goes hand-in-hand with these cheaper choices. This led me to Steelhead Outdoor, an organization based by two engineers and out of doors fanatics in 2016. Steelhead designs and manufactures all its merchandise in Minnesota and provides every part from large custom-built safes to small pistol lock bins. Their merchandise include clear, well-written meeting directions (not machine-translated gibberish) and are designed to be put along with ease by two folks.

Above: The Scout 25 arrives in 4 bins, making it simpler to maneuver into place and less expensive than one giant field.

The Scout 25 is a modular gun cupboard that measures 25 inches extensive by 60 inches tall and 15 inches deep. That’s sufficient for 9 long-guns plus an included full-width adjustable shelf for handguns, ammo, equipment, and different gear. The within of the door additionally options two detachable grid panels that may maintain MOLLE-compatible equipment comparable to pistol holsters, journal pouches, medical gear, device kits, suppressors, and rather more.

One important benefit of the Scout cupboard is its ease of transport, each earlier than and after meeting. The cupboard arrives in 4 bins, with the heaviest weighing solely 60 kilos. This retains delivery value at an inexpensive $150, a lot lower than you’d spend on a totally assembled secure or cupboard. It’s assembled utilizing primary hand instruments, and might be completed solo, although just a few steps are simpler with an additional pair of arms. Whole weight of the completed cupboard is 175 kilos. MSRP is $1,600.

Above: Meeting begins with loosely connecting the perimeters and again panel to the bottom.

Safety Options

Though the Scout 25 is a gun cupboard, a few of its options are extra paying homage to a secure. Slightly than a single-point latch or two-point lock bar that would simply be pried aside, it makes use of a patent-pending vertical beam with eight locking factors on the within fringe of the door. This ensures that everything of the door clamps shut tightly with out simply exploited weak areas. Though it does have exterior door hinges to permit 180-degree opening, these hinges are protected by inner, inaccessible {hardware} and 4 welded lifeless bolts that preserve that aspect of the door simply as safe because the latch aspect.

Above: A powered driver could make putting in the 40 bolts a lot faster however be very cautious to not cross-thread or over-tighten any of them.

Anchoring the secure to the wall or flooring is required, each for tip-resistance and to make sure potential thieves can’t simply carry away your entire cupboard. All essential anchoring {hardware} is included with the Scout 25. For concrete flooring, you’ll want a hammer drill or impression driver, however, for wooden flooring or drywall/stud functions, a normal drill is OK.

Steelhead makes use of Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G) Spartan digital locks on its cupboards and safes, a sort of lock used for functions comparable to small ATMs. It encompasses a motor-driven locking mechanism, and S&G even says it has been examined to stay practical within the occasion of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The Spartan lock makes use of a six-digit, user-programmable mixture which unlocks the guide latch deal with beneath it.

Above: As soon as the cupboard is assembled and squared up, the door might be positioned and bolted on. A second pair of arms is very advisable for this step.

A discover that comes with every cupboard explains a grasp reset code is stored on file for every buyer by default, with distinctive ID information and a decoder stored off website in two separate places. This permits Steelhead to assist should you lose or neglect your secure’s mixture. Nevertheless, for patrons who want to decide out of data retention, Steelhead will destroy the grasp reset code upon request, so long as the shopper acknowledges dropping the mix after that time will imply calling a locksmith to drill into the secure. I recognize this degree of transparency and openness to consumer safety preferences.

Above: The S&G Spartan digital lock might be programmed with a six-digit mixture of your selection. Steelhead will even destroy their data of the grasp reset code should you request it.

Constructing the Cupboard

I started by unwrapping and inspecting all of the elements in my storage. Regardless of how effectively Steelhead packs them, delivery carriers are inclined to smash bins and harm contents, so it’s at all times a good suggestion to examine for bent panels earlier than you discover out the laborious manner whereas placing it collectively. Fortunately, every part regarded OK.

The one instruments required are a ¼-inch drive ratchet, extension, and seven/16-inch shallow socket. Steelhead says that 70 in-lb is the suitable torque spec and warns in opposition to using energy instruments or giant wrenches. Retaining this in thoughts, I nonetheless used a ¼-inch hex driver on the bottom energy setting for the sake of comfort, being extraordinarily cautious to not cross-thread or over-tighten any of the 40 bolts. All the time begin bolts by hand and apply last torque with an applicable ratchet or torque wrench to keep away from damaging the cupboard.

Above: In contrast to different cupboards which have just one or two lock engagement factors, the Scout has eight alongside the sting of the door, plus 4 inner tabs that shield the hinge aspect in opposition to prying.

Meeting is straightforward, beginning by loosely bolting collectively the underside panel and left aspect panel, then the again, proper aspect, and prime. It’s a lot simpler if somebody might help you by holding the panel as you insert bolts with washers, however the panels are gentle sufficient that it could possibly be completed alone in a pinch. As soon as the 5 primary panels are collectively, examine that each one of them match tightly with out gaps and seem sq.. Then, tighten the highest, backside, and again panel bolts, adopted by the 4 front-facing bolts.

To put in the door, be sure it’s unlocked utilizing the default code and place it in entrance of the cupboard on prime of a few of the foam packing blocks. Slowly slide it as much as the cupboard at a 90-degree angle, middle the 4 studs on the hinges, and gently tighten the 4 nuts to carry the door in place. Make sure the door closes easily with none misalignment — mine barely grazed one fringe of the cupboard, so I loosened and repositioned it earlier than making use of last torque to the hinge nuts.

Steelhead Outdoor Information

URL: steelheadoutdoors.com

Lastly, I put in the included shelf, which slides right into a pair of slotted tracks identical to any industrial shelving. It’s on the excellent top for a Savior Gear pistol rack on the prime of the cupboard, even with a suppressed 18-inch rifle within the long-gun rack beneath it. I additionally bolted the 2 gear panels to the within of the door, which can be utilized to arrange extra gear sooner or later.

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Editor’s Observe: This text has been modified from its unique print model for the online.

Written by Patrick McCarthy