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A while back, I wrote an article on Homak products, mainly addressing their line of security cabinets and pistol boxes.  In this post, I discussed an issue that’s a bit of a personal pet peeve; when metal gun cabinets are mistakenly referred to as gun safes.  It just gives folks a false sense of security.  While I spent the majority of the article objectively discussing the company’s product line, I went on a bit of a rant in the beginning, venting my frustration for the aforementioned annoyance.  At one point I said, “if you visit their site [Homak's], you’ll notice that nowhere on it does it say that they make gun safes – they make gun cabinets”.

That statement is, at the moment, still true; Homak doesn’t showcase their gun safes on their site.  However, they do indeed manufacture them (well, technically they’re residential security containers, but calling them safes is more convenient…).  Their gun cabinets and pistol boxes are still the company’s claim to fame, but they’ve packed in some more variety with a handful of safes as well.

Homak gun safes can best be pigeonholed into two main categories; those with fire protection, and those without.  Those that lack the fire rating come in the 12 and 16 gun capacity varieties and are easily distinguishable from the others by their baked on hunter green finish.  If you’ve read any of my other articles, you’ve probably gathered that I’m not a big fan of cheap crappy safes.  Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that not everyone has $4-5K to shell out on a premium security container (I certainly don’t) – I’m just saying that you ought not to invest $600 into something just because it says “safe” on it.

Homak’s green safes don’t crack 175 lbs, they have a cheap electronic lock, and could be ripped wide open by any crook with half an ass full of effort.  If you have one, and you like it, fantastic – sorry to offend you – for me, however, I’m a proponent of either spending a few hundred dollars more on a decently secure unit (like a Winchester or a low-end Sturdy Safe), or spend a few hundred dollars less, and pick up a gun cabinet (like a Stack On, or even a Homak!).  These two safes fall into a bittersweet area that I personally would steer clear of.

As mentioned, they also produce three fire resistant products, offering 16, 24, and 36 gun capacities.  I hate to say it (because I really like Homak’s pistol boxes and most of their cabinets), but these are very short of spectacular.  They’re a bit better than the previously discussed non-fireproof models, as they all offer an ETL endorsed fire rating of 30 minutes at 1400 degrees F, but their other features are overshadowed by other manufactures’ products in the same price range.  For example, let’s run a quick comparison pitting the Homak 36 Gun Fire Safe against the Winchester Western 45.

They’ll both run you in the neighborhood of $1,350.  Though fire ratings tend to be a bit ambiguous, the Winchester is rated 1 hour at 1400 degrees against the Homak’s 30 minutes at the same temperature.  The Winchester is nearly 20% bigger, and offers the ability to store an additional 9 long guns (without the majority of additional shelving – in either unit).  The Winchester Western is made with 12 gauge steel, which ideally is a bit light, however, it’s over 300 lbs more resilient than the Homak.  The Winchester also has seven more locking bolts, and passed UL’s five minute tool attack test – the Homak can’t make the same claim.

Winchester safes pack some pretty decent value, but I’m not saying that they’re the best safe on the market.  What I am saying, however, is that Homak gun safes aren’t worth the asking price.  I’ll continue to be a pretty big fan of their cabinets and handgun boxes, but unless they make some serious changes, you’ll never see me storing my guns in their safes.

The majority of gun safes that you see in sporting goods stores, online shops, even on this site, aren’t really ‘safes’ in the truest sense – at least not in the eyes of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), the world’s foremost testing agency in security products.  They technically classify gun safes like Liberty’s Presidential, Browning’s Platinum Plus, and Fort Knox’s Legend as RSC’s (Residential Security Container).

But enough on what I have to say on the subject.  I asked a UL representative a few questions regarding their RSC rating system, and she was kind enough to give me her expert input.  Here’s what she had to say:

• What do you guys do for testing when a manufacturer brings their safe to you?

An attack test is conducted on the safe by 1 operator, using common hand tools not exceeding 18 in. in length, hammers not exceeding 3 pound head weight, and an electric drill with high speed and carbide tipped bits not exceeding 1/4 in. diameter. The attack is conducted for 5 minutes (clock runs only while the technician is actively attacking the unit), with an attempt to open the door of the safe.

• What determines whether or not they pass?

The safe door must remain closed and locked following the 5 minute attack.

• Are there any “must have” features I should look for that any safe that passes your tests has?

The designs and features of the UL Listed gun safes may vary widely. There are no required features, except that the lock provided must be a UL Listed lock (key lock, combination lock or electronic lock). All safes submitted are tested using the same methods and tools for the same time period.

• Are there different certification levels you offer for safes (residential stuff – not bank vaults..?)

For the residential rating there is only 1 rating (5-minute test).

She was also kind enough to include a list of all the UL RSC rated gun safes on the market.  What a sweetheart!

A jeweler, a banker, or a candlestick maker with a million dollar inventory might need something a little more beefy than a “residential security container”.  However, if you’re a gun owning citizen with a valuable firearms collection, or a case full of your grandma’s jewelry, you’ll want to make sure you’re locked up in a quality RSC.

Here’s a list of UL’s RSC rated safes for your viewing pleasure.  I should note that not all of these are in fact gun safes (as in not specifically for storing firearms).  Many are also listed by model number, which isn’t always a common qualifier on gun safe shops.  Before you make a purchase, double-check, and run the model number by the manufacturer first:

Oh, and I’m required by law to include the this statement in reference to the following list: Reprinted from the Online Certifications Directory with permission from Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Enjoy!

A & A Sheet Metal Products – better known as Securall

Sentinel Series, Models 31XX , 32XX , 33XX , where XX may be any two digits.

Statesman Series, Models 40XX , 41XX , 42XX , 42XXT , 43XX , 44XX , 44XXT , 46XX , 48XX , 49XX , 49XXT , where XX may be any two digits.

American Security Products (AMSEC)

Rifle Safe Series; Model BF

I should note that despite having only one gun safe on the list, AMSEC manufactures some pretty quality products.  Their HS series gun safe, for instance has a TRTL-30 rating, meaning it’s door can survive a 30 minute attack

Baxley Blowpipe

Series S

Browning

Gold series, Models G6326, G6326F, G6428, G6428F.

Medallion series, Models M6221, M6326, M6326F, M6428, M6428F.

Morgan Fort series, Models MF6221, MF6326.

Platinum series, Models P6326, P6326F, P6428, P6428F.

Platinum Plus series, Models PP6326, PP6326F, PP7326, PP7326F, PP7428, PP7428F.

Residential security containers, Models 6215, 6221, 6326, 6428, 7326, 7428 with or without alpha suffix and/or prefix.

Sterling series, Model S6215, S6221, S6326, S6326F.

BUMIL Safe Company check the New York Safe Company

Models BA780, BA870, BA1070, BA1270, BA1570

C&H Welding – better known as Sun Welding Safes

Scout Series, Models S-22, S-34.

Cannon Safe Company

Traditional (T) Series, Dangerous Game (DG) Series, Cannon (C) Series, Serengetti (S) Series, HR Series (HR), American Eagle (AE) Series, Professional Hunter (PH) Series, Executive Vault (EV) Series, Home (H) Series, Patriot (P) Series, Private Label (PL) Series.

Champion Safe Company

500 Series Models 21, 31, 37, 39

1000 Series Models 19, 22, 31, 35, 41, 43

2000 Series Models 17, 23, 35, 45

3000 Series Models 19, 25, 35, 45

4000 Series Models 22, 25, 31, 35, 50

5000 Series Models 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60

6000 Series Models 30, 40, 50, 60

7000 Series Models 35, 45, 55

8000 Series Models 9, 12

Envirotemp – Frontier Safe Company

Series FM, MS, PI, RG, TB, WC, WR

FireKing

Models 12 , 18 , 24 , 30 , 40 , 72 , 1612-1 , 1715-1 , 1715-2 , 2015-2 , 2115-1 , 2115-2 , 2021-1 , 2021-2 , 2100-1 , 2200-1 , 2218-1 , 2515-1 , 2515-2 , 2521-1 , 2521-2 , 3020-12 , 3115-1 , 3115-2 , 3121-1 , 3121-2 , 3624 , 3624-1 , 3915-1 , 3915-2 , 3921-1 , 3921-2 , 4524 , 4524-1 , 5021-1 , 5021-2 , 5428 , 5428-1 , CSC1612 , CSC2218 , CSC3624 , CSC4524 , CSC5428 , F4130 , F5030 , F6034 , M2460 , M3060 , M4060 , M4072 , MP2460 , MP3060 , MP4060 , MP4072

Fort Knox Security Products

Defender Series, Models D4026, D6026, D6031, D6041, D6637, D7241, D7251, D7261.

Executive Series, Models E6031, E6637, E7241 .

Guardian Series, Models G6026, G6031, G6041, G6637, G7241, G7251, G7261.

Maverick Series, Models M4026, M6026, M6031, M6637, M6041, M7241, M7251, M7261.

Protector Series, Models P4026, P6026, P6031, P6041, P6637, P7241, P7251, P7261.

Titan Series, Models T6031, T6041, T6637, T7241, T7251, T7261.

Legend Series , Models L6031, L6041, L6637, L7241, L7251, L7251.

Gardall Safe Corp – they make gun safes, but the gun safes don’t have the RSC rating

Models FB1212-G-C, FB2013-G-C, FB2013KD-G-C, FB2714-G-C, FB2722-G-C, FB3521-G-C and FB5322-G-C

Gardex

Models SP1FB, SP2FB, SP3FB

Godrej 7 Boyce Mfg Co LTD Security Solutions

Models 1212-11, 1414-12, 1616-16, 1814-12, 2414-12, 2416-12, 2416-16, 3016-12, 3016-16, 3020-16, 3620-16, 4016-12, 4016-16, 4820-16, 6020-16, 6026-16.

Granite Security Products – Granite manufacturers all of the Winchester gun safes

Legacy 14, Legacy 22, Legacy 45, Ranger 7, Ranger 19, Ranger 30, Silverado 22, Silverado 45, Supreme 26, Supreme 53, Western 21, Western 34, BPS-S-592620, WT-592820

Hayman Safe Company

MV5-1215, MV5-2016, MV5-2618, MV5-3020, MV5-4120, MV5-6028

Heritage Safe Company – this is quite the list.  Heritage has a lot of RSC rated safes.  If you’re looking for something in particular, I recommend using Ctrl+F

Centennial Series. Models C2430, C2460, C3060, C306020, C3066, C3660, C3666, C4072, C5672; Centennial Deluxe Series, Models CX2430, CX2460, CX3060, CX306020, CX3066, CX3660, CX3666, CX4072, CX5672; Fortress Braun Series, Models FB2460, FB3060, FB3660, FB306020, FB4072; Legacy Valiant Series, Models LV2430, LV2460, LV3060, LV306020, LV3066, LV3660, LV3666, LV4072, LV5672; Legacy Crusader Series, Model LC3060, LC306020; American Series, Models A2460, A3060, A306020, A3660, A4072; Signature Series, Models S2460, S3060, S306020, S3660, S4072; “E” Series, Models E2460, E3060, E306020, E3660, E4072; Enforcer Series, Models Enforcer2460, Enforcer3060, Enforcer306020, Enforcer3660, Enforcer4072.

Tradition Series. Models T2430, T2460, T3060, T306020, T3066, T3660, T3666, T4072, T5672; Tradition Deluxe Series, Models TX2430, TX2460, TX3060, TX306020, TX3060LE, TX3066, TX3660, TX3666, TX4072, TX5672; Fortress Regal Series, Models FR2460, FR3060, FR306020, FR3660, FR4072; Fortress Deluxe Series, Models FRX2460, FRX3060, FRX306020, FRX3660, FRX4072; Smith and Wesson Magnum Series, Models SW3060M, SW306020M, SW3660M, SW3666M, SW4072M; Smith and Wesson Magnum Deluxe Series, Models SW3060MX, SW306020MX, SW3660MX, SW3666MX, SW4072MX; Smith and Wesson Patriot Series, Models SW2430P, SW2460P, SW3060P, SW306020P, SW3660P, SW3666P, SW4072P; Legacy Valiant Deluxe Series, Models LVX2430, LVX2460, LVX3060, LVX306020, LVX3066, LVX3660, LVX3666, LVX4072, LVX5672.

Legacy Series, Models L2460, L3060, L3660, L3666, L4072; Legacy Deluxe Series, Models LX2460, LX3060, LX3660, LX3666, LX4072; Legacy Royal Series, Models LR2460, LR3060, LR3660, LR3666, LR4072; Legacy Royal Deluxe Series, Models LRX2460, LRX3060, LRX3660, LRX3666, LRX4072.

Ultimate Series, Models U3260, U3866, U4272; Legacy Imperial Series, Models LI3260, LI3866, LI4272

Ironman Safe Co

3000, 3000E, 4000, 4200, 4500, 5000S, 5000T, 5200, 5800

John D Brush & Co, DBA Sentry Group – better known as just Sentry

Models EQ5433, GQ5453, GQ5553.

Models GT8423, GT8523, GX8599, GV8526, GTT8523, ET8523, GX1852, GXW2252H, GXW2252H-S, ET8523-T, GSE1425, GSE1415, GPT1852, GPT1855G, GPT2245G, GPT2255G, GPW1842H, GPW1852H, GPW2242H, GPW2252H, GAW2252G, GAW2245H

Liberty Safe and Security Products – this list will likely confuse you if you’re familiar with Liberty products – have no fear, they’ll clear it up on their site, or, I can just make it easy for you – they’re all RSC rated

L-Series, Models L-17, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, 50; Models LX-17, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, 50.

O-Series, Models O-20, -25, -40, -50.

P-Series, Models P-25, -40, -50.

H-Series, Models H-17, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, 50; HX-17, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, 50; E-Series, Models E-17, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, 50.

J-Series, Models J-14, -23.

R-Series, Models R-4, -8, -12.

D-Series, Models D-13, -15, -17, -20, -23, -25, -27, -31, -35, -40, -45, -48, -50; Models DX-13, -15, -17, -20, -23, -25, -27, -31, -35, -40, -45, -48, -50.

MM-Series, Models Mini Mag.

CL-Series, Models CL-20, -30, -36, -39, Mini Mag JR., Mini Mag Plus, 72 in. Mini Mag Plus.

LW-Series, Models LW-04, -08, -12, -4.75, -7.97, -12.63 .

MG-Series, Models MG-30, -32, -36, -42, -50.

Q-Series, Models Q-17, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, -50; QX- Series, Models QX -17, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, -50.

LZ-Series, Models LZ-17, -20, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, -50, -64 ; LZX Series, Models LZX-17, -20, -23, -25, -31, -35, -40, -45, -50, -64

Porters Pendleton Safes – better known as Pendleton Safes

Knight Series Models 2860, 2872, 3260, 3272

Bishop Series Models 3060, 3260, 3260P, 3072, 3272

King Series Models 3072, 3272

Pro-Steel Security Safes, Div of Provo Steel & Supply Co – better known as ProSteel, they also manufacture safes for Browning

Model X or XX, where X may be any number 5 through 70, with or without any letter prefix, with or without any letter suffix except D.

Model X or XX, where X may be any number 5 through 70, with or without any letter prefix, with any letter suffix, followed by the letter D.

Rhino Metals Inc – they manufacture both Rhino and Big Horn safes

Models 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 21T, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 30W, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 45, 47, 50, 52, 56, 58, 60, 64, 72, 200, 250, 300, 300T, 350, 600, 800, 900, 1200, 1615, 1617, 1818, 2019, 2117, 2420, 3027, 3030, 3424, 4021, 5312, 5315, 5517, 5521, 5521D, 5523, 5627, 5921, 5925, 5926, 5928, 5929, 5930, 5932, 5935, 5936, 5937, 5938, 5940, 5942, 5943, 6022, 6022D, 6026, 6030, 6032, 6034, 6036, 6039, 6040, 6421, 6440, 7142, 7144, 7236, 7240, 7250. All Models with or without alpha prefix and/or suffix

Seguridad Y Manutencion S A – SEYMA Safes

G Series Models GA-44D, GA-60D, GB-76D, GC-100D, GC-126D, GC-150D

Shanghai Baolei Industrial Co LTD

Models J1713, J1717, J2117, J2417, J3417, J4517, J4820, J5620

Stack-On Products (Stack On)

Models HGS-1024, -1024E, -1036, -1036E

Sun Safes -  Also known as Eagle Safes

SB-01C, SB-02C, SB-02D, SB-03C, SB-04C, SB-05C and SB-06C

Surimax Cia LTDA

BF-10, -50 , -100, -150, -200, -300, -500, SP-5, -10, -100, GN-100, -200, -300, -400, -500, -600.

Honeywell is a monstrous, century old company, touting their presence in every industry from humidifiers to personal generators to commercial shredders.  And while I’m happy for them and their $35 billion annual international revenue, I’m a bit more concerned with their security products.  The majority of their business in the security sector deals primarily in smaller-sized, personal fire safes, intended mainly for storing valuables like documents and photos.  Go in any office supply store, and you’re likely to find Honeywell and Sentry dominating the safe aisles.  Honeywell, however, also produces a decent little gun safe, including their Executive line.The Executive Digital gun safe is the kind of unit that has the potential to be a great fit in a certain environment.  First of all, it’s not terribly expensive, running around $1100 over at gunsafes.com (tax and shipping already included as always).  This puts it right around the neighborhood of the Sentry model noted in an earlier post, Winchester’s Legacy line, and Stack On’s Elite series.  That said, it holds its own pretty well.  It’s a bit light, coming in at a cool 375 lbs, however, included in the package is an easy to install mounting kit.  If installed properly, ideally with steel backing reinforced anchor bolts, it’ll hold up pretty well under the duress of an aggressive removal attempt.  The sucker is pretty sturdy in constitution; Honeywell safes from the Executive line sport 6 gauge steel in the door, and 11 on the sides, and surrounded by five locking bolts around the perimeter, the unit has the potential to provide a decent security seal.

This, of course, is a Honeywell fire safe, and as nearly all security products from the Honeywell line offer at least some degree of fire protection, this is no exception with a respectable rating of 30 minutes at 1550 degrees F.  Now, as in the case of all gun safe fire protection ratings, the industry lacks a universal system to hold the company accountable for the claim.  However, they hold a few cards in their favor:

• Honeywell has developed a bit of a name for themselves in their home and office fire safe line.  As previously mentioned, they’ve saturated the aisles of every office supply store in the country.

• It’s a relatively small safe.  Though it’s capable as advertised of storing 14-18 long guns, its relatively compact dimensions are ideal for fire conditions, especially if you apply caution and place your valuables as low to the floor as possible.

• They’ve constructed the safe to include uniform fire board insulation as an added barrier.

• Though their manufacturer warranty is only five years, they honor lifetime coverage to the original owner against fire damage.

While the Executive digital model includes a couple neat little features like built in lighting, and interior padded carpeting, one of the most appealing extras, particularly for parents of young ones (or sleep walkers) is the interior escape latch.  Gun safes are just like refrigerators in respect to the danger of getting locked inside one – in most cases, there’s no way out, and the air runs out fast.  This is a nice little safety addition that you don’t often see.

I mentioned early on that, given the right environment, the Honeywell Executive 2754DB would make a pretty decent “little” gun safe.  While it has some nice qualities, I’d recommend changing up a few things.  It includes a rather generic electronic lock.  I would replace the lock with a more robust UL listed model like S&G’s Z02 series or a Kaba Mas unit.  A system like this would provide far better security to compliment its 6 gauge steel door, especially if you wire it into your security system (or at least make it look like you did).  I’d also drop this guy behind a false wall, or at least get it out of the open.  While this is really a good idea to do with any home safe, it’s security features leave a little to be desired (at least not enough to meet UL’s sought after RSC burglary rating).  That aside, like most Honeywell safes, this one offers some respectable evalue.  As usual, just make sure you plan your placement carefully, and store responsibly.

Essentially, what they’ve done is taken the beauty of a gun cabinet, and combined it with the security of a gun safe.  They’re able to produce this radical hybrid by starting with an ordinary gun safe, and slapping on custom crafted wood panels on it, all held together by high caliber neodymium magnets.  I know, it sounds ridiculous and tacky, but I can assure you that these little mothers are sexy as heck.  The master woodworkers behind the product have made it simple for you to magically transform that steel box in your living room into a charming piece of furniture.  Except, unlike your grandmother’s armoire, an Heirloom is fit for the Punisher’s armory.  These safes are quite literally functional furniture.

One of the most appealing features that Heirloom offers is that it allows you to beautify your existing gun safe without the need to buy a new one.  You can take that gray Liberty Fat Boy, and transform it into a regal wooden fortress.  On their website, they show a video that displays just how easy it is to make the transformation.  You don’t need any glue, nails, bolts, screws, saws…none of that, it’s all done with the magical power of mad scientist magnetism.

If you don’t have an existing gun safe, and you’d like to get everything in one neat package, Heirloom offers a safe and the armoire panels in a nice all-in-one package.  They’re currently selling the Homage 45 model over at Gunsafes.com right now for $2800.  Yeh, it’s not cheap, but it’s a pretty decent safe.  The full package is just under 700 lbs and you can anchor it, as on the inside, it’s a solid steel Champion gun safe. It uses an S&G UL Group II combination dial mechanical lock, equipped with Champion’s relocker system, all opened by a three spoke western-style handle.  The safe is fire rated at Champion’s Phoenix Class I, which means it has been tested to protect the safe contents for 45 minutes at 1325 degrees.  The safe is locked by four active bolts and surrounded by 12 gauge steel…the security isn’t exactly top-notch, then again, this sucker doesn’t even look like a safe – a crook might just ignore it (or might not).

The warranty included on the Heirloom Homage 45 covers lifetime theft and fire damage to the safe for the original owner,which carries any costs associated with repairs, replacement, and shipping.  And the wood paneling is covered for two years by the manufacturer.  It’s really not a bad deal.  Personally, however, if I had a couple extra bucks (I don’t), I’d run out and purchase a Browning Platinum or a Liberty Presidential, and slap some Heirloom custom cut mahogany on it.  That sucker would scream.  Bottom line – if you’re looking for the charm of gun cabinets, and the protection of a gun safe, there’s no better match than Heirloom’s.

If you’re interested, here’s the link for the Homage 45 over at Gunsafes.com

I’ve praised Winchester Gun Safes quite a bit in several articles on this site, but I feel pretty strongly about their products.  I admit, I’m a bit biased as I have two of them (if you count the EVault pistol safe), but if you’re looking for semi-substantial solution to keeping your valuables protected in the $700-$1500 price range, Winchester safes are extremely hard to beat.  Gunsafes.com also shares my sentiments for this company, as they offer some of the best prices on their products.  They’re currently offering some very attractive prices on a few Winchester Legacy and W Series models as well.  I detail the specs of both products elsewhere in the site, but for a quick reminder, the W series is Winchester’s most inexpensive full sized model (30 minute fire rating), and the Legacy series is their most expensive, most secure model (1 hour fire rating).

Through the Holidays, Gunsafes is getting rid of these two for a pretty slick deal.  You can pick up a 20 gun W model for $739 (an extra $60 for the slightly larger 24 gun spoke handle option), or a 24 gun Winchester Legacy gun safe for $1039.  Both of these models, manufactured for Winchester by Granite Security offer substantially more security than one of their similarly priced, often more expensive competitors (ie Stack On or Sentry).  As always, Gunsafes.com’s free shipping and price matching policies apply.  Again, I always think that a gun safe is never a product on which you want to sacrifice quality for price, so if you can afford to step things up to the $3000-$5000 range, there are better options available (Browning, Liberty, Fort Knox…).  That said, however, considering this added discount, if you’re even thinking about going the route of investing in one of these Winchester safes for sale, now would be a good time to do it.

If you don’t like what you see here, or are interested in slick deals on some other brands, be sure to stop by my new gun safe review page, and let me know what you think.

People don’t generally associate Walmart with quality products. I don’t anyway. Usually when think of the mother of all mega stores, I think of a bunch of trailer trash going crazy for crap that’s inexpensive for questionably unethical reasons (I shop at Walmart, so I’m allowed to say that, right?). For this reason, the title of my article may sound a little odd. Why would you ever be interested in WalMart’s gun safe inventory? For the same reason people shop at Walmart in the first place – they’re cheap prices are next to unbeatable (and they offer free shipping and installation on their safes when you buy online).

Sure, just like anything they sell, among the stuff worth buying is a mound of garbage (in this case, several hundred pounds of steel garbage), but there are a few diamonds in the rough. I should note, however, that Walmart doesn’t sell top-of-line gun safes. If you’re looking for a safe with a 4 hour fire rating or UL TRTL-60 security marks, you’ll have to look elsewhere. But if sub-amazing quality fits your bill, you can still get away with a decent safe from the store. A couple people have emailed me asking if there are any quality Walmart gun safes for sale. The answer is, yes, there are, but you’ll probably have to order them online, as there are very few stores with a well stocked inventory of good ones. Here are a few that they offer which, in my opinion, are worthy of consideration.

Browning Bronze Series Value

Browning makes some of the finest gun safes on the market. Though this $1749 model from their Bronze Value Safe line is far from their greatest in protection, it’s not a bad deal for the price. It has a good, not great weight of 700 lbs, but when couple with the anchoring bolts, it should still be a difficult force for a burglar to move or topple over. It has a semi-respectable 45 minute fire rating, which along with damages done by burglary, is covered by a lifetime warranty to the original owner. The security features are average, but again, this isn’t a $6000 Browning Platinum Plus safe either. It has a 12 gauge steel body thickness, which is still a little light for my taste, but the door locks with 12 1″ bolts, six of them active. Browning, of course, features UL rated S&G locks on all of their safes, including this one, and this Bronze Series model locks up with a tried and true rotary style lock face. Can’t go wrong there. With the majority of the shelving removed, this model can stow away up to 39 rifles and shotguns, and the featured DPH storage system allows you to easily hang handguns on the inside of the door. This is a decent little safe for the money.

Stack On 45 Gun Total Defense Select

This model is not only one of the nicest gun safes Walmart carries, but it’s one of Stack On’s as well. As I’ve mentioned in my previous article on Stack On safes, I’m not exactly blown away by their products. That said, this model in particular offers a lot of nice features at an attractive price of $2200. It has a well-tested ETL fire rating of 30 minutes at 1400 degrees F covered by a lifetime warranty to the original owner. It offers seven 1″ action locking bolts as well as the additional three solid bolts on the hinge side of the door. I think Stack On lacks a bit in security, but they do, however, offer a lot of nice extra bells and whistles. For instance, it’s rated with 72 hours of flood protection to prevent its fully carpeted interior from getting wet (along with your 15, 30 or 45 guns – depending on your personal shelving configuration).

Mesa Safe Company 13-26 capacity gun safe (Model 22 shown below)

This is arguably the flagship of Walmart’s line of gun safes. Mesa definitely isn’t the number one trusted name in securing valuables, but they aren’t too shabby either. They have a wide line of safe models in the realm of everything from hotel security to business protection, but the MSC1031 is one of their finest in home security. This big fella is listed at a whopping 1800 lbs, making it nearly impossible to budge, once bolted down with its pre-drilled frame for anchoring. Its two inch, steel-lined walls help provide a decent 1 hour UL fire rating. Though I would like to see a few more for this price, the door of the Mesa is surrounded by seven 1.5″ long, 1.5″ diameter steel bolts, to help guard against the ever-common pry attacks.

In addition, the safe comes equipped with relockers (internal, not external) and drill resistant hard plates, similar to what you’d find in more premium lines. Fully convertible shelving allows you to store anywhere from 13 to a respectable 26 long guns. Mesa’s warranty for this product covers lifetime protection to the original owner against fire, burglar, and constitution damage, and the safes slick glossy finish and 5 spoke wheel makes it pretty nice on the eyes as well. It’s a little pricey at Walmart’s price of $2,690, but free shipping and installation of an 1800 lb gun safe is nothing to shake a stick at either.

Again, WalMart has some great prices and often killer shipping deals, but safes are a significant investment, both in price and in safety – just make sure you do your homework when shopping for gun safes – don’t jump the gun too early (pun!).

Orders for safes referred to in this post are processed through Gunsafes.com and Amazon to ensure the best deals and service

Intro

Since their beginnings in 1972, the Illinois based company, Stack On has been manufacturing some of the best selling personal security products in the world. Their success isn’t necessarily a direct reflection of the quality of a Stack On gun safe, not that they specialize in making crap – they don’t – it’s just that a Stack On Elite doesn’t quite live up to its moniker when “stacked up” next to a Liberty Magnum (America’s best selling gun safe manufacturer…that’s my pitch) or a Browning Platinum Plus. Of course, when you compare a Stack On safe to the two aforementioned monsters, you probably can’t help but notice the $4000 difference in price either.

The price point is where Stack On gun safes really shine. People look at one of these seemingly feature filled puppies and see a great deal. I mean, you can’t say no to a fire resistant, 500 lbs, 28 capacity $1000 gun safe, can you?..We’ll get to that in a minute.

I’ve hit on some of Stack On’s products on this site before. They manufacture a slew of security products and price them at a relatively affordable rate. They offer a little bit of everything – full size gun safes, a plethora of different steel gun cabinets (remember gun cabinets are NOT the same as gun safes), personal fire safes, drawer safes, there’s a Stack On handgun safe, they even have an entirely separate division devoted to tool storage. I’m no business analyst, but I think you can attribute a lot of Stack On’s nearly four decades of success to the combination of their massive product line, and attractive pricing. And like I said before, their quality isn’t all that ulbad either.

Fire Protection

First off, some of their more premium safes (the Elite and Total Defense models) offer a little bit of fire protection, and they’re rated by Intertek ETL. If you remember (assuming you actually read) my write up on Cannon safes, earning an ETL rating is pretty respectable. I go into a bit more detail in the Cannon article, but Intertek is a third party company, with no direct affiliation or public loyalty to either Stack On or Cannon, and they don’t slouch on testing. What separates Cannon’s fire protection from Stack On’s, however, is that Cannon’s top fire safe, the Safari has a 90 minute 1200 degree F rating, while Stack On’s poster child, the Elite boasts a cool 30 minutes of fire protection at 1400 degrees. That’s a significant difference, especially when you consider that the National Fire Protection Association has a six minute response time guideline that they try to stick to.  Their clock starts ticking from the time you call 911 to the time they arrive on the scene, hoses a’blazin’.

Six minutes is pretty impressive, and roughly 90% of the time, they shoot par. However, you still need to factor in the chance that your emergency may fall into the other 10%, or the time it takes for them to get the fire under control once they arrive. You may also want to think about the fact that you may not be there to make the phone call when the fire starts. Maybe that lazy neighbor of yours wants to let your stuff cook for a while before he picks up the phone. In addition, there’s the ever present truth that fire tests aren’t totally accurate. Again, ETL is great, but there are a number of factors that can sway the results of a real life test. Is 30 minutes enough time to keep your valuables safe? Maybe, but you might be playing with fire (I’m all about the puns tonight, folks).

Water Protection

One feature that makes Stack On pop a little in the industry, even among some of the upper echelon manufacturers, is the addition of water resistance.  Their high end models, like the Stack-On Elite, has been tested by Intertek ETL to withstand two feet of water for 72 hours.  This can be a real deal breaker if you’re living in a wet region of the world, and you’re more concerned with flooding than fire.  Many safes, even some of those  manufactured by industry monsters like Liberty and Fort Knox leave out water protection.  Though I’m sure that their motives are justified, and their planning well researched (perhaps they’ve recognized that water damage to the gun safe directly is more avoidable and predictable than break ins and fire damage), the fact still stands that Stack On is one of the few mainstream safe manufacturers that employs effective temporary waterproofing into the design of all of their top model safes (Elite and Total Defense received the ETL 72 hours at 2 feet of water rating).

Warranty

So, let’s say your fire department is incompetent, and they couldn’t kill the flames around your safe within the 30 minute time frame. Most likely everything in the safe will be damaged, if not ruined, and the safe itself…forget about it. Here’s where we examine the Stack On warranty. First off, in any safe that claims to offer fire resistance, a lifetime warranty for fire damage is included. Only the safe is covered, not the contents inside, but that’s the norm. Stack On will send out a local repair service to assess, and possibly fix the damages, and if they can’t do it, your warranty will cover the freight to ship the safe off for repairs or replacement (if necessary). The same applies to damage from break ins as well (I’ll elaborate on security standards in a few), however, damage resulting from manufacturer flaws are only covered for the first five years. In their lesser quality safes, lacking fire protection, like the Security Plus Steel, both the theft damage and manufacturer warranty only last three years. As also seen in many other companies, only the original owner of the safe benefits from the lifetime warranty (when applicable). Over all, I’d say Stack On safes are about on target for their warranty coverage, considering the quality and sticker price.

Stack On Security Features

I mentioned we’d get to Stack On security. Well, here we are, and I can’t say I’m terribly impressed. On their more expensive safes, I think they put a lot more effort into their fire protection than their security features. Let’s go back to the Stack On Elite 45 gun model as an example. For an anchored 750 lb, 45 cap gun safe, it has a pretty nice looking price tag, currently going for $1479 over at GunSafes.com. You have the option between my personal preference, a rotary combination lock, or an electronic keypad, and behind each lock is a steel hard plate to help resist drill attacks. Honestly though, aside from its weight and price tag, I’m not totally sold.

First off, I don’t think the previously referenced drill attacks, or any other attempt to foil the security on this safe is going to be terribly formidable against a professional troublemaker. I realize that certifications and marks of approval aren’t the end all be all for a safe’s security reputation. However, if a gun safe meets UL’s standards, I can have a little bit of confidence in its ability to take a beating.  Stack On’s top model, appropriately named the Premier meets UL’s RSC rating, which is pretty respectable.  As for the rest of their models, however, the only mark of approval that I could find  is the California DOJ (Department of Justice), and this is strictly a safety medal – technically, a trigger lock can pick up the same certification. There’s nothing wrong with safety, just keep an eye out for shifty salesmen trying to use this as a major selling point.

Okay, so it doesn’t have a fancy security certificate – not the end of the world – we’re talking about a Cavalier here, not a Cadillac. I wonder how a Stack On tests out outside of a laboratory. In all fairness, I’ve never seen anyone break into one, but I’ve seen two man crews pry open a lot of their competition in just a matter of minutes. Pry attacks are one of the most common attacks on gun safes, and the locking bolts on the safe door are one of the biggest lines of defense. The Elite only has 10 locking points, and the bolts are just 1″ thick in diameter. When you compare this to a Winchester Legacy 45, only a couple hundred dollars more, which has 18 1-1/2″ bolts around the perimeter, you’re looking at a significant difference in pry protection. The bolts, of course, aren’t everything. It’s exceptionally difficult to get a door open with a crow bar if you can’t tip the safe over for leverage. If you bolt a 750 lb Stack On Elite to the ground, the burglar is going to have a very tough time getting it to the floor.

Of course, he may have a plan B.  Namely the punch tactic, which starts by creating a hole in the steel door or wall, and “punching” the lock out of contact with the cam. Stack On safe walls are equipped with 11 gauge steel at best. The 12 gauge inside the safe may be a powerful weapon, but it’s not going to take a whole lot to get to it if you’re dealing with a burglar who knows what he’s doing.  Thin walls and the lack of a redundant spring loaded relocking system, make this a bit vulnerable to said attack methods.  Again, I’m just not that impressed, and I wouldn’t even consider spending any money on their non fire resistant safes – I’d honestly rather just save a few hundred bucks and go with a gun cabinet instead. As far as their gun cabinets go, theirs are very slick. Sure, a determined burglar is going to rip into a gun cabinet a little faster than a generic Stack On “Security Gun Safe”, but the difference isn’t worth the extra money…at least not to me. With anything short of their Total Defense or Elite model safes, I think I’d just be fooling myself.

Wrap Up

To you Stack On lovers out there who want to kill me, please reconsider. I think the company in general is great. I love their gun cabinets (as far as steel gun cabinets go), and you get some decent value with their higher end safe models. I just think a safe like the Winchester Legacy, which is in the same ballpark price-wise, is a little better value. That said, you’re talking to a hard core security buff. Then again, if saving a few bucks and sporting pretty interior features (lights, convertible shelving…) is your thing, a Stack On safe might just be your ticket.

Since their very humble beginnings in 1988, Liberty, based in Payson, Utah has grown into the number one best selling gun safe manufacturer in America.  That’s not too shabby, considering, there’s a whole lot of other competition out there trying to provide us gun nut Americans with the best protection for our firearms and valuables.  It’s by no coincidence that there have been over 1.1 million Liberty gun safes sold in the US – they don’t take shortcuts – you may have to shell out a bit more for a Liberty safe, but you get the quality that you pay for.

Liberty makes some steel monsters, but the folks behind the scenes in Payson also know how to run a business.  For one, they’re riding the green wave beautifully.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that Liberty didn’t have a legitimate concern for the environment when they revamped their 95% pollution free factory, but I’d imagine it also works wonders for their publicity.  And when it comes to publicity, they don’t miss an opportunity to shine.  Back in 2008, a huge F4 tornado demolished poor Shane Woodson’s house in Jackson, Mississippi, leaving virtually nothing standing.  That is, of course, with the exception of his gun safe which was launched 200 ft from the house, still protecting all of his valuables inside.  In 2007, San Diego native, Kim Crosser, like many, was the victim of the infamous California fires.  His house, and everything in it was lost in the fire.  His Liberty Lincoln, however, survived the 2000 degree flames, and protected nearly all of his photos, documents, and other valuables inside.  The fact that Liberty is able to produce such resilient safes is quite impressive, nearly as impressive as their ability to capitalize on the free advertising (ain’t nothing wrong with that).

Extensive testing and real-world testaments to Liberty’s quality give people the confidence they need put their faith in the company’s products, and their 350 American dealers make it extremely easy to put those products in their hands.  Once you purchase one of these big fat suckers, you’ll have it forever.  In fact, your family will have it forever.  Not only does Liberty provide a lifetime warranty to the original owner of the safe which covers any damage, regardless of the cause, the warranty also transfers to any future owners as well.  As long as Liberty stays in business, you can pass the safe down for generations (just make sure your kin fills out the proper warranty transfer paperwork).  For the record, lifetime warranty transfers are a rare breed in the gun safe world.

Another thing that I think Liberty does very well is creating appeal to non firearms owners.  Although their safes are very accommodating to gun storage needs, no where do they indicate that their products are built exclusively for firearms.  They sling a lovely spin, creating the idea that owning a Liberty safe is like having your own personal security guard to watch your valuables.  Truthfully, I don’t think it’s too much of an embellishment.  Most safe experts (I’m more of an enthusiast than an expert) tend to agree that 750 lbs is an adequate safe size.  Liberty safes are built with massive frames – their 39 gun Presidential safe can easily weigh over a ton fully loaded (1570 lbs empty).  Needless to say, Johnny burglar is going to have a heck of a time trying to tip this sucker over for a pry attack, much less wheel the thing out of the house.  Not only do Liberty’s notoriously large safes provide an extra dose of security, but the possibilities for storing your valuables are endless, and they make organization very easy.

Liberty offers a slew of gun safe accessories to compliment the organization in your pet bank vault.  These can include moisture absorbers, computer media storage, jewelry drawer add-ons, additional cabinets, and safes from their premium lines come equipped with many of these options already included.  Liberty makes a nice convincing case for themselves, even to a non gun collector.  They’re running quite an operation.  But this is a gun safe site, so I’m going to take this opportunity to devote the remainder of this post to what makes these suckers so flippin’ sturdy.

Burglar Protection

I mentioned earlier that Liberty gun safes go through a wildly extensive battery of testing before they hit the market, through both fire, which we’ll touch on momentarily, and security.  They employ Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) to do all of the testing for them.  This isn’t because they’re lazy, and don’t want to do the testing themselves.  It’s because UL has extremely fierce standards, and earning the UL mark of approval is not only an accomplishment, but it’s the sign of a superior product.  I looked a little further into the security testing process that UL puts these gun safes through.  First, Liberty give them the blue prints of the safes that include everything from their dimensions and thickness to their mechanical operations.  UL then uses this knowledge to try to break into the safe by finding weaknesses in its integrity.  They hire professionals, who break into safes for a living to perform four brutal attacks on the potential product.

First, they employ the classic drill attack in an attempt to mimic the correct lock combination by trying to manipulate the tumblers.  The second test involves prying the lock from the door of the safe and manually forcing the removal of the tumblers from the back plate to retract the bolts.  The third and fourth tests further the intensity by attempting to create holes in both the door and the side of the safe to manipulate the lock and gain entry.  If the Liberty gun safe holds up, it passes the security tests.  I couldn’t quite cut it in professional safe cracking school myself, but layman or not, I have to say that the degree of testing that these safes endure is pretty incredible.  UL wouldn’t approve them if it weren’t.

So what gives a Liberty the ability to hold up to the barrage of UL drilling, punching, and cutting attacks?  On their website, they reveal their secret rather objectively with their “10 Security Features” that help Liberty uphold their award winning reputation for innovative security.  Of course, though all of their safes include these 10 foundational security elements on a basic level, their premium safes boasts higher levels of quality and additional features.

Liberty Safe Security Features

A lot of safes on the market are manufactured with prominent seams and sloppy stitch welding.  This just begs a burglar to pick at it with a pry bar.  Liberty gun safes are built with their “Uni-body” construction system.  This manufacturing method ensures that the welding is tight, limited, and as unexposed to attackers as possible.  They do this by using just two pieces to put the box together.  This creates an incredibly simple, yet effective design for the constitution of all of their safes.

Gun safe doors are more prone to burglary attacks and fire damage than any other part of the safe, primarily because they’re the only part of the box that’s meant to open (for the owner).  For this reason, the door has to be built with a bit more TLC – typically built heavier, thicker, and with more engineering prowess than the rest of the body.  Liberty’s answer to the necessary toughness is a state of the art composite door constructing process.  They have big freaking robots folding solid sheets of steel into 1-1/2″ thick doors, then filling the gaps with insulation.  The folding process creates an extra thick perimeter around the door frame, deterring pry attacks, and the composite material adds to Liberty’s renown fire protection.

Though not every Liberty gun safe is constructed with internal hinges (the ultra-resilient Magnum vault has external for a wider door opening), nearly all of their safes are. They do this for a couple reasons.  First, thieves are going to have an insanely difficult time cutting the hinges off, which can leave a safe more susceptible to pry attacks.  And secondly, the ball bearing operated hinges serve as fantastic door stops.  You won’t have that 400 lb door swinging through your drywall.

Liberty doesn’t fool around when it comes to locking up your valuables.  They use Sargent and Greenleaf locks, a high-end, UL approved lock manufacturer that’s part of Stanley Security.  Other industry leaders like Browning and Cannon look to S&G to provide locking solutions for their safes as well – mainly because they’re the best.  For their mechanical, or dial locks (my preference), they use a very impressive relocker system, which activates the final tumbler during a drilling or cutting attack for redundant protection.  If you don’t want anyone fooling with your dial while you’re gone for the day, S&G dial locks also include a day locking system, which allows you to freeze the spinner until you come back.

You also have the option of an electronic lock for quicker access.  The S&G Direct Drive lock, which is available on the Lincoln models and higher, allows for external battery replacement, comes equipped with a rotating outer sleeve for ease of opening, and it’s designed with the potential to hook up directly and communicate with your alarm and surveillance systems to thwart and capture any intruders.  For you speed demons and tech buffs out there, you have the option to go with the biometric safe lock.  I discuss biometric gun safes extensively on this site, but for a refresher, this lock allows you to gain entry to your safe simply by swiping your finger over a scanner.  One attractive feature of their fingerprint locks is that they also include a mounted keypad should all of your fingers fall off.

A drill attack is a very popular and effective method of gaining entry to a safe, and therefore, a very effective defense is required.  Liberty uses “hardplates” to protect specifically against such breaching attempts.  They mount on the locks to protect against malicious drill bits.  Liberty triple layered plates are able to stop UL’s safe crackers from gaining any ground in their first test, and the ball bearing hard plates, which are used in some of the higher end safes, are designed to literally snap drill bits in pieces upon contact.

These safes also include some pretty impressive locking mechanisms.  Three different types of locks are installed in the safe depending on the quality of the model, and everyone of them includes a slip-clutch.  Many cheaper safes can be subject to breaches when the burglars use the leverage of a steel instrument to rotate the handle passed the breaking point.  The slip clutch takes this out of the picture – if it undergoes any extensive pressure, it simply releases it, making such attacks virtually impossible.  There really isn’t a crappy Liberty gun safe – they’re all quite effective at stopping break ins, but the quality and engineering of the locking mechanisms do make a difference.  The over center, gear drive design, which is included in the previously mentioned ‘National Security Magnum Vault’, turns side punching attacks (UL test 3) into a joke.

You may be starting to realize that Liberty doesn’t goof around too much with their security standards.  They make no exception with their bolt locking system.  Generally speaking, in the gun safe world, the longer, thicker, and more plentiful the bolts, the better.  In another post, I highlighted Winchester gun safes, particularly their top line, the Legacy series.  Winchester safe are very slick and affordable, but you pay a little more to get top notch quality out of a Liberty.  The Winchester Legacy series is stacked with a pretty impressive 18 1-1/2″ bolts around all four sides of the door.  The Liberty Presidential also employs the use of 1-1/2″ bolts, except that there are 26 of them sticking out nearly 2.5″ into the frame.  This, coupled with the other features we’ve discussed, makes opening one of these doors absolute hell for the bad guy.

I already briefly touched on the relocker devices included in Liberty safes, but I’d like to elaborate just a little more, as these are truly marvels of security engineering.  First of all, Liberty safes include two different relockers.  One is used to prevent the tumbler from turning and the bolt from spurning.  Should the thief actually manage to knock off the backplate, the second relocker, which is external, clamps up the locking mechanism completely, making foiling the lock truly hopeless.  Many safes don’t include relocking features, and even fewer employ two of them.  I’m honestly not aware of a better relocking system.

As if their massive frame, composite doors, and thick steel bolts weren’t enough to stop a pry attack, Liberty gun safes are also built with “security door adjusters” to further tighten the seal.  On their intermediate to premium models (Franklin and above), they include reinforced brackets called “anti pry tabs” which have been proven to triple the protection against their namesake.

Several times in this post, I’ve made note on just how massive these safes are.  To add insult to injury (for the crook), all Liberty safes are drilled for optimizing the process and function of anchoring the safe to the floor.  The anchoring kit costs a little extra (~$20), but once installed, you can be confident that your neighborhood thief will kill himself before he’s able to tip over or pick up your already heavy as hell gun safe.

Fire Protection

That novel I just put together sums up just the basics of Liberty’s theft protection features.  However, because not every predator seeking your valuables is going to be motivated by greed, it’s best to have a safe that can also stand up to those motivated by destruction, particularly fire.  Fire is a bit of a hot button (PUN BABY!) in most gun safe circles.  Few manufacturers use the same standards to rate their fire protection, often resulting in very misleading claims.  In my entry on Cannon safes, I discuss in detail some of the short cuts many companies will take to pad their fire proofing professions.  Cannon uses Intertek to do their fire protections testing, and they do a heck of a job.  Liberty doesn’t use Intertek, but you can rest assured that their safes can take the heat (oh yeh!).  According to their website, they’ve stacked their safe up to over 250 of their competitors’ products and have out-burned them all.

Although a rocket scientist could probably explain things better than I can, fireproofing (fire protecting rather) gun safes isn’t rocket science.  You need heavy insulation, tight seals and seams, and some really thick steel.  Fire protection and theft security really go hand in hand during the construction of a well manufactured gun safe, but they also have their differences.  To provide adequate resistance to intense temperatures, fireboard is often part of the equation.  For those unfamiliar, fireboard (often called firewall) is essentially a drywall like insulation that dissipates the heat as the flames build around the safe.  As it heats up, it releases moisture, displacing the heat through steam.  It’s a darn shame, but unfortunately, when selecting a safe, you need to be cautious of the claims associated with fireboard.  Liberty uses a hefty four 5/8″ layers of firewall around every inch of the safe, including the door jambs.  A lot of the cheaper safe companies use thinner layers, and often leave potentially dangerous gaps between the steel and the insulation.  In addition, some of those crafty mothers will give you the rating of the fireboard itself, and not the entire safe.  Fireboard can create a dangerous illusion of safety if not utilized correctly.  Just read the fine print…or better yet, go with a Liberty.

One reason Liberty uses four thick fireboard layers is because the shell of the safe is thick [up to] seven gauge steel.  Steel serves as a great barrier to initially keep the flames out, but it has the tendency to eventually absorb the heat and transfer it to the interior.  Luckily, the folks at Liberty are masters of their craft, and have created a near perfect balance of the two elements.  The key to protection in a fire safe is to prevent heat from passing through ANYWHERE on the safe.  All it takes is one “weak link”, and it’s all down hill.  This is why Liberty insulates the walls of the entire safe evenly, but the door falls into the same set of rules.  Those big 1-1/2″ bolts we talked about earlier?  Those aren’t just for surviving pry attacks.  The stronger, longer, plentiful and evenly distributed the bolts are around the door, the longer the door will maintain a tight seal during a fire.

Of course, those steel bolts aren’t going to be able to hold out all by themselves.  A more uniform seal needs to be applied around the door.  Liberty uses a foam seal stripping created by Palusol, a leader in the field, and arguably the best.  When it starts to get hot, Palusol will expand up to eight times in size, sealing out both heat and smoke.  It’s what the citizens of Hell use to weather strip their windows.  Keeping the flames out is great and all, but how often are you going to have a fire, right?  Palusol also provides the benefit of keeping out everyday moisture, which can cause corrosion and mold growth in your safe.

The beautifully orchestrated combination of thickness, balance, and a nice tight seal, puts Liberty’s fire protection in the upper echelon.  It’s important that their potential customers know this too.  I mentioned several examples earlier illustrating the company’s clever marketing strategies.  They definitely haven’t left out any cunning in the fire protection arena either.  Anyone who has ever purchased a bbq grill is probably familiar with the BTU rating (British Thermal Unit).  It’s essentially the amount of energy that a heat source will put out.  Propane for instance has roughly a BTU rating of 15,000.  Liberty has taken this well known rating system, and adopted their own interpretive version of it.  Rather than calculating the amount of heat it puts out, Liberty gun safes are rated by the amount of heat they can withstand.

This system is slightly arbitrary, as it’s far from a universally adopted gun safe rating.  However, it’s not just a number that they randomly slap on the side of the box either.  The BTU rating on a Liberty safe is the combination of the thickness of the steel, the amount of fireboard used in its construction, and the final number for the rating is the amount of BTUs their gun safes can withstand before the interior heats up passed 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  So if their Presidential model, which has a rating of 131,000 BTUs, were cooked on a giant grill, it would take two and a half hours before major damage was done to the safe’s contents.  Yeh, the math doesn’t quite add up for me either, but nevertheless, these boxes can take a burning.

Final Words on Liberty Gun Safes

I’m not going to come out and say that Liberty gun safes are the best on the market.  Truthfully, I don’t even own one (I wish I did, but I can’t afford another safe at the moment).  I will, however, say that if you’re looking for a top-tier safe to give your valuables, regardless of what they are, nearly unbeatable protection, you won’t regret it.  If you find yourself in the market for a premium gun safe, you encounter one of these on sale, and you pass it up, you probably will regret it.  My Winchester gives me a pretty good peace of mind, but my smoke detector still gives me the willies when my oven sets it off.  Thanks for reading!

Fire Protection

Although no gun safe on the market is truly fireproof, gun safes by Cannon are definitely in the upper echelon, pushing fire resistance technology to its max capacity. Though they vary a bit in the amount of protection, each Cannon gun safe is rated for fire resistance through Intertek’s ETL standard. It’s nearly impossible to be 100% accurate when testing the degree of protection that a safe offers, but an ETL rating is definitely at the head of the class, and a very coveted badge to boast. If you’re unfamiliar with ETL, let me give you a couple of tidbits to illustrate what sets their testing apart from the rest. First, they’re independent. Many safe manufacturers will use their own proprietary rating systems to beef up their marketing campaign. Unfortunately for the poor folks buying into their claims, they’re often skewed, garbage results, unsupported by any intensive objective testing.

Some of the more inaccurate fire ratings will allow safe manufacturers to present their smallest safe for testing, and blanket the results across the rest of their products. Intertek requires the contrary – the manufacture’s largest gun safe must be presented for testing. And for you folks who’re wondering, the size of the safe does make a big difference. Cannon demonstrates this on their website with a profound example: A safe that they tested with the dimensions of eight cubic feet lasted nearly two hours in a 1200 degree fire, while another safe, made with the same materials, but at 35 cu ft only braved the burn for 45 minutes.

In addition to Intertek’s uncompromising volume testing standards, they’re also extremely anal about their redundancy for checking the temperature at all levels of the safe. While some testing companies will skimp, and take the lowest level of temperature, ETL takes the highest. In a five foot tall safe, at a max temperature of just 350 degrees, the heat can be nearly 100 degrees cooler at the bottom. When you multiply this number to get to the industry standard, 1200 degrees fire rating, you can wind up with a horribly inaccurate discrepancy. Cannon uses ETL standards because when they tell their customers that their valuables will last 90 minutes in a fire, they want a clear conscience.

Warranty

Cannon puts their money where their mouth is too. They offer a truly incredible lifetime warranty. Any damage to the safe, whether caused by fire, burglary, water, or manufacturer defect is covered at no cost to you for as long as you own the product. If you have a problem, they’ll send a professional out to fix it. If they can’t fix it in the comfort of your home, they’ll pay to have it shipped to the repair depot for no additional charge. I personally feel that all gun safes that claim to provide top notch protection should have warranties this strong. Cannon evidently feels the same way.

Tru Rack Storage System

Another impressive feature that Cannon includes in nearly all of their gun safes is their unique Tru Rack system to ensure if that if their safe says it will hold 36 guns, it will hold 36 guns. Unfortunately, a lot of safe manufacturers tend to slip and slide on their gun capacity claims. Hypothetically, if a company was able to fit 24 Ruger 10-22s in their safe, they could legally make the claim that their safe can hold 24 long guns. My question is, who has a gun safe exclusively full of small frame 22 caliber rifles? Not many, most folks with gun collections that warrant high quality gun safes have a lot more variety. The boys over at Cannon have manufactured Tru Rack to do everything possible to pledge that the safe you bought for your guns can protect them all without compromising safety, quality, or ease of extraction.

I mentioned earlier that Cannon has an exceptionally broad model selection. In my next post, I’ll highlight their incredibly versatile product line. Stay tuned!

Homak Orders are processed through Amazon.com for the best deals and service available

You’ll notice that I didn’t title this post, ‘Keep the Burglars Out With a Homak Gun Safe’.  That’s primarily because a strapping young buck of a burglar with a sharp fire axe could tear into a Homak gun cabinet with a few good swings, and unless you’re fortunate enough to put out a home fire, or plug up a flood in 30 seconds or less, you can wave good bye to the contents in one of these cabinets.  You’ll also notice that I said ‘gun cabinet’ and not ‘gun safe’.  This is because the majority of Homak rifle storage units could hardly pass as a safe.  Yes, they have locks on them, and yes, they’ll keep your kids and lazy burglars out of you firearms, but it irks me a little bit when vendors try to pass these off as secure gun safes.  I’m not saying that Homak is doing anything wrong – if you visit their site, you’ll notice that nowhere on it does it say that they make gun safes – they make gun cabinets. There is a difference.

I know I came out swinging in that first paragraph, but I actually think that Homak makes a decent product.  The company itself has been around for almost sixty years, making everything from hand tools, to tool chests, to trigger locks to, of course, gun cabinets.  They don’t pretend to be anything they’re not – they’re cheaply made (relative to Browning, Cannon, and Liberty safes), and therefore, cheaply priced.  You can find stand-alone Homak gun cabinets that will hold 12 long guns for $220 without looking very hard, and I’ll tell you what that will get you.

You’ll get an 80 lb, 57 inch high steel cabinet with two keys, some plastic bins, and some flimsy shelving for added organization.  I know I sound patronizing as heck, but it’s not my intention.  I would buy a Homak if I had a few rifles and shotguns lying in my bedroom closet, my kid just learned how to walk, and I only had $200 to make a quick decision.  Last year, I actually recommended a Homak to a buddy in the exact same spot, and he’s quite happy with it.

What fires me up though is that vendors trying to scoot these things out the door are trying to pass them off as bank vaults.  Let me tell you something, the only thing that’s going to keep a thief out of this thing is if he thinks it’s filled with mops and cleaning supplies.  This sucker will barely crack 200 lbs fully loaded – if the thief doesn’t feel like breaking into it, he can just carry it out the door.  I just read a review on Amazon that says that the 12 gun model is protected by 7/8″ steel.  What!  How?

They must be measuring the fold of the steel around the corners because 7/8″ steel is what is what would be used on a bank vault.  I’m not being cute – the walls on a Browning Platinum Plus gun safe are an industry leading 3/16″.  That particular Browning safe also weighs 1700 lbs empty and costs over $5500.  If Homak gun safes were truly crafted out of 7/8″ thick steel, they’d probably weigh closer to 10000 lbs than 100 lbs.

For the third time, I’m not ripping on Homak.  I just want to make sure you aren’t suckered by the BS artists trying to sell them.  Homak makes a pretty neat little 10 gun cabinet that fits into the corner, which is a decent design.  Corner safes are great for security reasons because the side walls, which are generally weaker than the door are totally inaccessible.  Of course, in this case, I still don’t think it would make much of a difference.  Even if you managed to bolt it down, it’s light 110 lb frame would still be susceptible to prying and cutting.  Again, it’s a nice storage unit with some great organizational perks, but I don’t think it warrants the $350 price tag.  If I were going to spend $350 on a gun safe, I’d probably go with a Sentry Safe G1455, mentioned previously in this cheap gun safe post.

The company also manufacturers some decent wall safes for a fair price.  $120 will get you a Homak wall gun safe weighing in at 50 pounds with a three gun capacity.  Although I don’t find them to be terribly practical for my needs, I’ve always been a bit fascinated by wall safes – there’s something so secretive about them.  These are great if you’re adamant about keeping your 870 or Mini 14 quickly accessible in your bedroom, out of your kids hands, and not hogging your space like a traditional safe would.  Although they’re cheap, I should note that these are keyed entry only, so if you go this route, it will be important to always know the whereabouts of the key.  As far as security goes, the same rules apply.  Wall and floor safes are rarely built to take a beating – mainly because your wall isn’t.  If someone wants to get into a wall safe, they won’t have much trouble.  The Homak wall safe weighs just 50 lbs – just tear open the drywall, pry it from the studs, and be on your way.

The last line of Homak gun safes that I’ll be discussing are their pistol safes.  Homak actually refers to them as pistol boxes, but since other personal handgun storage units in their price range, like the Winchester eVault series, use the safe namesake, I’d say Homak has the right to as well.  This thing is goofy looking, but at the same time, I kind of like it.  It looks like what folks from the 50′s might think our mailboxes would look like today.

It’s keyless entry, operating with a button combination on the side of the door.  I personally prefer a biometric scanner, or push buttons on the top for easier access in the dark, but for less than $40, I might reconsider.  Another design flaw that I should mention is that there’s no backup key.  If you have a mechanical failure, you just might get your chance to see how theft resistant it really is.  Again though, it’s very inexpensive.

Well, there you have it, the lovely world of Homak gun safes…or Homak cabinets rather.  They’re cheap, and they’ll keep your children out.  Just don’t lock away anything too valuable in them.