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There are a lot of things that are said about gun safes out on the web. Many of them are correct, and many are not. With no real…followed rating outside of UL listing safes as a RSC (Residential Security Container) it is really hard to know what is or isn’t true.
I have compiled a list of myths and hope to shed some light on what is and isn’t true!
1. A modular gun safe can be “reverse engineered” and taken apart
This is something I have seen on some reviews, and is highly incorrect. Companies like Zanotti, Snapsafe, and SecureIt have all been building these modular safes for some time. The thing you see mentioned every time is that they are built from the inside of the unit. This means that the exterior of the safe does not allow access to the parts required for disassembly of the safe. This leaves the exterior to being susceptible to the same things as a welded safe.
2. When there are two safes with the same size, but different weights, the heavier one has more steel
So you are shopping for a safe, and it has come down to 2 safes. They both are 60″ high by 30″ wide and 28″ deep. First thought is to go with the heavier safe right? That means that it has more steel right? Unfortunately that is incorrect. There are other factors that can make a huge difference in weights of safe. You could have a 12 gauge steel fire rated safe that is much much heavier than the same sized 10 or even 9 gauge steel safe. This is due to the heavy fire-board that is used in the product.
If you are looking for a secure safe, it won’t always be the heaviest.
3. Every gun safe manufacturer exaggerates their gun capacity
While it may seem like very manufacturer exaggerates their gun capacity, that is not necessarily true. Manufacturers tend to rate their gun safes based off of a small type rifle with no sights or attachments on it.
So that said, if you have one of those rifles than it probably will fit correctly. Instead, when you are looking to figure out your gun capacity if your rifle has a scope, just count it as two rifles.
4. Every gun safe that is good has a fire rating
There are many highly regarded manufacturers of safes that do not have a fire rating. Pendleton Safes is a great example. Their 1/4″ steel high security safe does not carry a fire rating, however an entry level Chinese safe may have a fire rating.
Every safe is going to choose what features it does and doesn’t have. It doesn’t mean just because one has a feature that it is better than others.
5. More bolts means more security
While there are many safes out there that look impressive with a ton of locking bolts, it in fact does not make them more secure.
Many safes that have impressive bolts tend to be connected to the inside of the safe at a weaker point. When a safe is then pried on it buckles within the door, not at the bolts themselves.
For example, take a look at TL-15 or TL-30 safes and count the amount of bolts they have.
The Mesa MTLF7236 is a massive safe that is rated as TL-30 only has two sided coverage with 10 bolts total. Meanwhile there are imported safes that are smaller and still have a 20 bolt system.
6. External hinges are bad because they can be cut off and the criminal can gain access
Browning Prosteel is a great example of a safe company that decided to go full out and go with only external hinges. These hinges can be completely cut off and not allow the intruder to get any closer to the inside of the safe, and if anything will make it harder. This is because the bolt work is what keeps the door on, not the hinges.
Personal opinion, I would prefer external hinges just because this misconception exists. I’d prefer for a criminal to spend their time cutting off the hinges before realizing its not getting them any closer.
After taking a look at these myths, make sure to check out my buying guide that includes things to actually look for when buying a safe!
