Target Sports

FACTORY VISIT: BUY BRITISH

Created on 26th May 2009

Pete Wadeson says that when it comes to gun cabinets it's worth paying a little extra for quality British design and build - and finds both at Brattonsound's Surrey factory

YOU'D BE forgiven for thinking that one gun cabinet is much like another - but is this true? Gun cabinets and safes are increasingly imported into the UK from countries such as Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain and now as far afield as China. I'm not knocking China or any other country, but the quality control and build standards employed there may not be as stringent as those of engineering work undertaken in the UK. I think it's sensible to be wary of that cheap and cheerful grey obelisk standing in the corner of the gunshop even if its price is attractive. When it's your valuable guns and even more precious gun licence at stake, it's worth spending money on a reputable brand. One such brand is Brattonsound, which has been at the forefront of designing and building gun cabinets for a quarter of a century. What's more, the company is British and all goods are made at its factory in Sutton, Surrey. These products all meet or exceed British standards for security (BS 7558/92), while the factory has been approved as meeting standard ISO 9001, showing its manufacturing methods meet international standards. I was lucky enough to see the build process myself when head honchos James and Peter Tagg gave me a tour of Brattonsound's modern, well laid-out workshops.

Here's a step-by-step pictorial run-through of a typical build procedure, which for me shows that Brattonsound is number one for gun security:

1. CAD software is used for the initial design and to plan the build specifications of all parts. This replaces the older method of drawing the designs by hand

2. The metal used in the manufacture of gun cabinets needs to be of the highest quality and adhere to certain specifications. Brattonsound sources only the best: here we see pallets of BS EN10130:1998 DC01 Cold Reduced gauge critical 2mm sheet steel

3. The Bystronic Byloader loads the steel sheet onto the hi-tech laser cutter. The Bystronic Bysprint laser cuts parts for gun cabinets. The laser controller is on a network which enables it to draw cutting information from the office computer

4. Small parts are folded on an Edwards Pearson PR6 press brake; large ones are dealt with on an RAS FLEXIbend CNC-controlled swing beam folder. This flatbed folder supports the weight of the gun cabinet, and programmed moving backstops move to the next position after each fold. Components are quality checked throughout all stages of production

5. Brattonsound's most popular models are welded by a Panasonic robot welder. But as the firm makes a wide range of cabinets, catering for all requirements, it is more efficient to weld the less popular models by hand. This is why the whole process on some models can't be fully automated

6. Here we see a gun cabinet at fine-finishing. Where necessary, welds are ground on a Kulmeyer belt finisher. Brattonsound fully seam-welds its cabinets' tops while many other manufactures save time and money by only stitch-welding theirs

7. This is the powder-coating process. Brattonsound has an automatic track system that pre-treats and powder -coats the gunsafes. The iron-phosphate pre-treatment is finished to BS 3189 for increased powder adhesion. Brattonsound's powder-coating finish has been tested to BS 3900 Part E2, E6 F9 and F12 for resistance to scratching, flaking, humidity and salt spray

8. At final assembly locks and doors are fitted and foam dividers glued in. The finished gun cabinets have a final quality inspection. Only when they've passed stringent scrutiny are they ready for packing at the dispatch goods out area

9. Smile! Peter and James Tagg beside the finished article

So that's how a gun safe is made - but what of the options? Brattonsound has an extremely comprehensive range, not so much in the amount of models offered as in sizes and security level, of which three are offered (to suit any budget). These break down into a naming structure of the Sentinel/Sentinel Plus Gunsafes and the Auto Sentinel Gunsafes. There isn't enough space to list all the available sizes here, but there's a size in all models to suit all requirements, whether they're related to quantities or sizes of rifle/shotgun. Features common to the Sentinel and Sentinel Plus models are: 2mm thick fully welded steel construction; full-length anti-jemmy bar return; full-length anti-lever flange and door interlock; recessed door with multiple folds on door and housing to maximise strength seven-lever safe deadlocks with forged steel bolt; reinforced casing; and a reinforced internal lock mechanism. Moving on to the larger models, the Sentinel Plus includes a double-skinned vault-type door with five-point and a seven-lever double-throw lock with a double-bitted key. The Auto Sentinel, as the name suggests, is designed to be used primarily for in-vehicle security. It can be safely secured in the boot lying on its back. It's also suitable for home security in awkward places.

Brattonsound's use of the latest CAD and CNC technology enables the firm to achieve consistently high quality and accuracy to within 0.2mm on any cut and folded parts. The icing on the cake is that as Brattonsound manufactures all of its own products it is able to inspect all parts and workmanship of any process at every stage of production, which allows unparalleled quality control. Products also come with a three-year guarantee. Guide prices are: two-three basic shotgun SRP £115; four-five gun with locking ammo top and extra deep foam for scoped rifles SRP £194; and six-seven gun with locking ammo top and extra-deep foam for scoped rifles SRP £225.

Seeing first-hand how these safes are made has strongly reinforced my confidence in buying British when it comes to gun cabinets/safes. Brattonsound products are, in my view, in a league of their own.

For details of your nearest stockist call Brattonsound on 0208 2546812, or visit www.brattonsound.co.uk.

FACTORY VISIT: BUY BRITISH

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FACTORY VISIT: BUY BRITISH

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