Reviews Safe Space: Choosing A Gun Safe Iain Harrison November 13, 2025 Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Read our affiliate policy. Find out more about how we test products. You’ve spent years building your collection and worked way too hard to let some ne’er-do-well gank it to feed his meth habit. If you’re considering investing in a gun safe to protect your property from light-fingered miscreants, here’s what to look for in the good, better, best categories, as understanding key features and price points is essential to make an informed decision. If you’re the type who treats your firearms like family — cleaning them religiously, upgrading them obsessively, and defending their honor in online forums — then skimping on storage is like leaving your kids in a cardboard box during a hurricane. A gun safe isn’t just a metal box; it’s your last line of defense against thieves, fires, nosy kids, and that one relative who thinks he’s entitled to “borrow” your stuff. So, before you drop coin on that shiny new vault, let’s break down what really counts. SIZE MATTERS: CAPACITY AND FOOTPRINT First off, don’t buy a safe based on what you own today. Think about tomorrow. A couple of Glocks might multiply into a dozen handguns, a few rifles, and a shotgun or two before you know it. Manufacturers love to hype “holds 20 long-guns,” but that’s often assuming they’re all single-barreled .410s stacked like cordwood. Factor in scopes, bipods, mags, and that oddball suppressor, and suddenly you’re playing Tetris with your treasures. On-door storage means you can use space that would otherwise be left empty. Brown Safe’s MOLLE-like panels allow the user to shift guns around until they fit. A monster safe that weighs a ton (literally) might sound badass, but if it won’t fit through the door or up the stairs without hiring a crane, you’re screwed. Consider going modular if you run into access issues — some brands offer expandable systems. And remember, interior dimensions are key; a 60-inch-tall safe might not swallow your precision rifle without removing the can or getting rid of an interior shelf. Pro tip: Add 20 to 30 percent extra capacity for optics, and those “just in case” purchases. Nothing sucks more than outgrowing your safe six months in, but if you do, then you can at least find solace in the fact that a second safe gives miscreants a second problem. FIREPROOFING: BECAUSE SH*T BURNS Fire ratings are where marketing departments go wild. You’ll see claims like “30 minutes at 1,200°F” or “two hours at 1,700°F.” Sounds impressive, right? But dig deeper. These are tested in controlled labs, not your raging inferno of a living room blaze. Look for UL (Underwriters Laboratories) or ETL certifications — they’re the gold standard. A cheap safe might “survive” the heat but turn your guns into warped modern art inside. Consider your risk: Urban apartment? Go for higher ratings. Rural homestead with a “cellar saver” volunteer fire department 20 miles away? Double down. We made this suppressor storage rack from an Amazon lazy Susan and some dowel rod. Insulation matters too — gypsum board, i.e. drywall, is common, but ceramic or composite fills hold up better. And don’t forget the seals; expanding intumescent strips around the door can mean the difference between salvaged steel and water-soaked rust. Bonus: Some safes have fire-rated document pouches for your important papers, because losing your birth certificate in the same fire that claims your 1911 collection is just adding insult to injury. LOCKS: DIAL, KEYPAD, OR BIOMETRIC — PICK YOUR POISON Ah, the lock debate. Mechanical dials are old-school reliable — no batteries to die, no EMP to fry ’em. But they’re slow; if you’re fumbling in the dark during a bump-in-the-night scenario, good luck. Electronic keypads are faster, often with backlit buttons and multiple codes for family access. Just change the batteries yearly, and choose wisely at the start, or you’ll be on first name terms with your locksmith when he comes to drill your safe open. Biometrics? Flashy, but finicky. Sweaty fingers, dirt, or a cut can lock you out faster than a bad date. Stick with reputable brands like S&G or LaGard for the guts. Redundant systems — key override plus electronic — are smart. And for God’s sake, avoid cheap Chinese imports with locks that a toddler could pick. Security is only as good as the weakest link, and a crap lock turns your fortress into a suggestion box. BUILD QUALITY: STEEL THICKNESS AND BURGLAR RESISTANCE This is where you separate the men from the boys. Gauge matters: 10-gauge steel (about 0.135 inch) is decent for the body; aim for 7-gauge (0.179 inch) or thicker on the door. But it’s not just thickness — continuous welding, reinforced corners, and anti-pry tabs are crucial. UL rates burglary resistance and RSC (Residential Security Container) are entry-level, good for 5 to 10 minutes against a muppet with basic tools. TL-15 or TL-30 ups it to serious protection against drills and torches, wielded by people who know what they’re doing. You could rely on a couple of sheets of drywall to insulate your guns from a house fire, or you could spring for stuff that actually works. This safe survived a wildfire in California and while it’s completely trashed, it did its job of protecting the contents. Check the hinges. External ones might look vulnerable, but with internal bolts, they’re fine (and make the door swing wider). Internal hinges add stealth but can limit access. Weight is your friend, and anything under 500 pounds is portable for determined thieves with a dolly, so anchor it to concrete, where possible, and to studs at a minimum. And inspect for gaps; a crowbar’s best friend is poor tolerances. A bare-bones interior is like a pickup without a bed liner — functional, but annoying. Adjustable shelving lets you customize for pistols on top, rifles below. LED lighting? Worthwhile, because fumbling in the dark for your bedside blaster is a recipe for stubbed toes. Dehumidifiers or golden rods keep rust at bay, especially in humid climates, and some safes have power outlets inside for running these or charging lights or cameras. Modular racks for mags, door organizers for holsters add value without jacking the price sky-high for the most part. If you’re into high-end stuff, look for carpeted interiors to prevent scratches or even climate control for heirloom pieces. Just don’t get suckered into overpaying for gimmicks like built-in alarms that connect to your phone; a separate security system is usually better. Of these rated safes, only the last one actually gets put to the test. In order to get an F rating, a couple of dudes who really know what they’re doing are given free rein to drill, cut, pry, and hack for 30 minutes. If the safe doesn’t give up its contents, it passes. BUDGET, BRANDS, AND BULLSH*T Expect to spend $500 to $5,000 depending on size and features. Cheap safes from big-box stores? Fine for a couple handguns, but they’re basically gym lockers. Brands like Liberty, Fort Knox, or Browning deliver American-made quality whereas imports like Rhino or Stack-On can be bargains but buy carefully. Avoid no-name Amazon specials, as they’re probably sh!t-tier Chinese garbage, complete with shill reviews. Warranties vary, but lifetime against defects is common and in this market segment customer service counts actually counts — a company that ghosts you when the lock fails isn’t worth it. Shop sales — but remember, you usually get what you pay for. Buying a gun safe boils down to threat assessment, so what’s your biggest risk — burglars, fire, kids, or all of the above? Measure twice, buy once, and test it in person if you can. Hit up a dealer, kick the tires (or doors), and ask hard questions. Mild steel really doesn’t provide much in the way of resistance to drilling, until you get up to 1/4-inch thickness. Many cheap safes may look like their doors are thick, but they’re really just sheetmetal bent around drywall. A good safe fades into the background until you need it, then saves your ass, so treat it like your firearms. Invest wisely, maintain it, and it’ll serve you for life. TOP OF THE HEAP After personally owning everything from sheetmetal lockboxes up to pretty substantial RSCs, it was time to go god-tier. Following much back and forth, we recently acquired a 6024 Tactical model from Brown Safe. While budget and midrange safes meet basic needs (and we have a few of them bolted inside a Conex box), it was time to think about just how much we’ve got invested in high-end firearms, and time spent away from home. The 6024 stands out in the premium category for its exceptional craftsmanship, advanced security features, and customization options. Brown Safe Manufacturing, a California-based company with over 30 years in the industry, positions itself as a premium producer of high-security safes, serving everyone from homeowners to U.S. Military installations and embassies. Their Tactical 6024 model boasts solid dimensions tailored for substantial storage without dominating a room. Its interior measures 60 inches high by 24 inches wide by 21.5 inches deep, offering up to 16-gun capacity in a full rack configuration or eight long-guns with additional shelving in the half-rack setup. Note that we were indeed able to fit the stated eight guns in there, and no, none of them were single-barreled shotguns. In addition to the eight long-guns, we also managed to store seven SBRs with the stocks folded on the top rack, three in the bottom compartment, along with 26 handguns, 15 suppressors, and a loaded SIG Rattler on the door panel for funsies. The exterior starts at 61 by 25 by 27 inches, expanding to 65.5 by 30 by 32 inches with optional fire protection. Constructed from 1/4-inch-thick steel walls and a 1/2-inch door, with continuous welded seams and reinforced jamb bars, it’s built to withstand abuse far beyond typical residential needs. To resist thievery, it’s equipped with a UL-approved commercial-grade lock, 1-inch hardened chrome locking bolts featuring anti-drive resistance, and advanced countermeasures like relockers that activate during attacks. Fire protection, rated at 1,700 degrees F for 90 minutes, uses a concrete amalgamate rather than drywall, and this has the added benefit of being hell on cutting tools, should anyone try to breach it with circular saw. The door’s adaptive storage system uses horizontal bars compatible with MOLLE or PALS gear, should you want to add things like holsters, and there’s a line of adapters with QD mounts in case you want something readily at hand as soon as you open the door. These also allow the use of dead space for more storage. Teamed with full-size MOLLE panels on both sides, there’s plenty of room to keep non-serialized accessories close by without taking up valuable space inside the safe. All this functionality is not without its costs, however. At 2,300 pounds, it’s worthwhile getting professional help with the install, and you’re not going to be humping it upstairs any time soon. If your main floor comprises typical residential framing, you’re going to want to reinforce it. It was probably designed for a live load of 40 pounds per square foot, not the 350 pounds per square foot the 6024 Tactical generates. If you’d rather spend your budget on more guns (and who wouldn’t?), is there a way to upgrade the performance of a lower-tier RSC? Indeed, there is. The first step is to bolt the safe down. Thieves often attack gun safes by tipping them over to bring more leverage to bear on the doors, so why make life easy for them? Next, consider building an enclosure around the safe, adding another layer of material for them to get through — 2x4s are good, concrete is better. Finally, think about other aspects of your security system, such as cameras and alarms. All safes — even high-end ones like the Brown 6024 — will eventually be breached, given enough time and determination. Your goal is making the time it will resist longer than the time it takes for you or the cops to show up. READ MORE: Best Biometric Safes: Fast Finger Access Action Best Gun Safes: Pistols & Long Guns For Homes & Vehicles [2025] Best Hidden Safes: Is It Secret? Is It Safe? Best Handgun Safes: Fast & Secure Firearm Access Why you can trust RECOIL Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. We deliver cutting-edge coverage of guns, gear, accessories and technology. We go beyond basic reviews, providing no B.S. buyer’s guides, hands-on testing and expert analysis on everything from firearms and survival equipment to watches and vehicles. 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