Their warranty is alright; 1 year parts and lifetime repairs/replacement caused by burglary and fire, but you have to cover removal and shipping costs, but it could be better…I’m a sucker for a great warranty.

You can find that model for $100 cheaper over at gunsafes.com – right here – no tax or shipping (yes, I’m an affiliate

What I referred to as “safe-safes” were their UL TL-30 rated units, but that’s a whole other need and price range.

I’m assuming you’re interested in staying below $1000 (based on the link you mentioned). You may want to consider a Liberty Centurion (22 gun) for around the same price. It’s a little bigger, American made with solid construction, UL-RSC rated, and Liberty’s warranty is one of the best in the industry.

Here’s one

Regardless of what you wind up with, I’d love to hear about it. Have fun!

Thank you for the reply!

I intend to by a MBF5922E which can hold 14″ Long Rifle, see(http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=201640)

They claim it is 1 hour fire rating, not sure if the test is performed by themselves of other authority like UL.

Not sure if they are using sheet rock for fire protection, which emits water vapor during a fire. Do you konw other method of fire protection for a gun safe?

Thank you!

Robert

It’s all relative. It depends on what your budget is, what model Mesa you’re referring to (they make both RSCs and “safe-safes”), the monetary value of the valuables you intend to lock up (a loose rule of thumb is 10% of the net value of your valuables…if you have $10K worth of guns, get at least $1K safe).

I believe most Mesas are made in China…not to say every safe that’s made in China is garbage, but 9 times out of 10, you’re better going with American. Their security, fire protection, and warranty are nothing to write home about. That said, if you’re looking for a starter safe, and you happen to find a great closeout special on them at your local Walmart, Sam’s or Costco, it might be worth jumping on.

Hope that helps. If there’s one you had in mind specifically, let me know and I’ll take a look.

Thanks!

Between the three of those suckers, I’m thinking the BigHorn ($999 sounds pretty reasonable – especially if the shipping is covered) may be your best bet. Considering they’re Chinese imports, they’re made pretty well for the price. You can always pick up a door panel for around $100 if you need the extra room down the road. I wouldn’t worry too much about the 1/4″ difference in the bolts – I think the 10 vs 12 gauge difference is more significant – Sturdy Safe has a nice little chart on their site if you’re looking for an illustration:

http://www.sturdysafe.com/gunsafeguagechart.jpg ($1300 wouldn’t quite cut it, but if your budget happens to spike a little, Sturdy makes a very nice product).

Hope that helps a little bit. I’d definitely be interested in hearing what you settle on. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks Michael!

I like the Stack-on Premier for the water protection but it is the lightest at 500lbs and fireproof weakest at 30minutes.
The Winchester is almost 700lbs (12g steel) and has the best fire rating at 1.5hrs.

The Bighorn is 700lbs, 70mins of fireprotection, 10g steel but 1.25″ bolts. The other two now have 1.5″bolts.
They all have 10-12 bolts, relocker, UL rating. The Stack-on and Winchester have door pockets, which is a nice plus.

How does one decide?

I don’t believe Stack On actually lists the thickness on their site (not sure why), however, I’ve seen it listed elsewhere, and confirmed it with a phone call (I think it’s 11 or 12 gauge on the Elite).

Don’t beat yourself up over the recent purchase, man – you have no reason to. If I’m not mistaken, they list in the $1200 range, so $950 is a great buy. The safe is huge, and your guns are a heckuva lot safer than they were a couple days ago. No worries.

Thanks for the comment.