Gun safe options | Homestead Security | Forums

I originally started with a stack on gun safe that my in-laws had bought me one year as a Christmas gift. It was my first safe and I was happy to have it. Being light and inexpensive was both a positive and a negative for the little cabinet. Luckily it had holes pre-drilled so that we could bolt it into the studs of a wall. Unfortunately it could also be pried open very easily with a crowbar, so it had to be well hidden.

About 6 years later I upgraded to a Sentry 14 gun safe that I had bought at Walmart for 329 dollars, I don't think they even make them anymore. It was heavier at just under 200 pounds, pre-drilled to bolt to the floor and the hinges were recessed: which made it harder to get into. I wasn't a big fan of the lack of fire rating and the fact that you could barely fit 6 long rifles into a 14 gun gun safe.

We searched for something with more of a fire rating, weighed around 500 lbs, had a large capacity, a manual locking mechanism, and fit into our budget. We were surprised to find that the locking mechanism was probably the hardest criteria to satisfy; it seems most of the manual large capacity safes were all well over $1500. For the price range we were looking in; electronic locks were the norm for safes below $1000.

Stack-On 24-Gun Combination Gun Safe: $660.67

• 2-way locking with 3 - 1" steel live action locking bolts
• 2 dead bolts for 5 locking points
• Safe holds 24 firearms up to 54" tall
• Exterior Height (Inches) 55
• Exterior Width (Inches) 29.25
• Exterior Depth (Inches) 19
• Combination Lock
• Weight 418 lbs

RedHead® 18 Gun Fire-Resistant Gun Safe: $899

• 1200, 45 minute fire protection rating,
• 3-spoke handle
• combination lock
• Safe Holds 18/9 Guns
• 12-gauge steel body with 1/2" of insulation
• Body measures 58" x 30" x 20" for 20 cubic feet of storage space
• Duo-Plus interior
• Weight: 455 lbs

Cabela's Woodsman 25 Gun Safe by Liberty: $979.99

• Secure locking bolts
• Steel gussets for added pry protection
• 11-gauge
• two-piece roll-form bodies
• Combination Lock
• 60.5"H x 30"W x 25"D
• Weight: 485 lbs

Stack-On 36-Gun Electronic Lock, Matte Black: $997.64

• Four-way locking
• 1.5" steel live-action ten-locking bolt points
• Hardened steel plate behind the lock
• Electronic Lock
• Time-out period after 3 incorrect attempts (trouble key included)
• Batteries included and easily accessible from front of safe
• Drill-resistant, hardened-steel plate behind lock
• Weight: 545.0 lbs

RedHead® Fire-Resistant 25-Gun Safe: $999.99

• 45 minutes of 1,200° fire protection
• Two layers of 1/2" insulation
• 12-gauge steel body
• 2-way lock bolts
• Force Deflector™ locking system
• 1" formed door
• 3-spoke handle
• Weight: 515 lbs

Sentry Safe 26-Gun Capacity Safe: $999.99

• UL listed type 1 electronic lock
• UL listed residential security container
• Full door back organizer
• UL listed residential security container
• 2.5 mm all steel construction
• 12 extra-large, 3-way locking bolts
• Weight: 531.6 lbs

Field & Stream Pro 40 + 8 Gun Fire Safe: $999.99

• Four number electronic lock
• Internal lock reset button
• Drill-resistant
• Hardened steel plate behind lock
• Recessed door is pry resistant
• Five spoke spin handle in chrome
• External hinges
• Weight: 545 lbs

Cannon Gun Safe, 48 Gun Capacity: $999.99

• Type 1 LED-lighted UL® electronic lock
• Three layers of extra-hard 60+ RC steel hard-plate
• Inner Height - 57-3/8 in.
• Inner Length - 18-3/4 in.
• Inner Width - 38-1/2 in.
• Built-in media box provides 2 outlets and 2 USB ports inside the safe
• Weight 570 lb.

After weighing our options, we decided on the Cannon; which was actually $899 when we bought it. It was the heaviest; had the most capacity and the better options. It did not make sense for us to buy one of the smaller safes with the combination mechanism and almost half the capacity.

Within several months the electronic lock started to be an issue; we were going through a new 9 volt battery weekly. We called Cannon and they offered to replace the lock for us; but after discussing it over; we decided to replace the electronics with a manual combination lock.

It's amazing how simple these things are on the inside after removing the fire protection. After about a hour, we had what we wanted originally; a large, heavy, fire rated safe with a spin dial.

It cost us 250 to replace it, so our total out of pocket was right around 1150; which was much cheaper than the other options we had looked at.

One thing I found while researching; it is really difficult to compare fire ratings between different manufacturers because they all do their testing differently. I have a friend that owns a gun shop even tell me that some companies will do their testing with their safes laying on their backs; how many people install their gun-safes in that manner?

Research and spend the money on the safe that you are comfortable with and has the options you are looking for.