Today’s gun safe manufacturers are most concerned with revenue. They don’t explain that they use cheaper, inferior materials in modern safes. Gun safe companies switched from using concrete and thick gauge steel to thin steel and drywall in the late 1900s to save on manufacturing costs. The safe’s of old were reliable and protected you well against fire and theft. The problem is they don’t make em’ like they used to, and gun safe companies are eager to hide this information deep inside their instructional manuals, far away from where the average customer will find out. Don’t you want to know exactly what your gun safe is made of? And exactly the level of protection your safe will provide? We want you to know the full story so you can make the best decision possible regarding your gun storage.

Your gun safes fire rating can’t be trusted. Modern gun safes no longer use standardized fire tests and most companies test their own safes in controlled, unrealistic environments. Back in the day gun safes primarily went through the UL 72 standardized fire resistance test. This was a rigorous test. It ensured that if your safe was UL 72 F.E certified, you could be confident that you had good protection. The problem is almost no gun safes today are UL listed. This test costs $60,000 for each run, and safes might have to be tested multiple times before they pass. So to avoid these expenses, most companies now run their own tests or use less verified third parties. So what does your $2000 safe with a “60 minute protection” rating really mean? We attempted a more realistic fire test to find out, check out our YouTube video if you want to see the results!

Your gun safes fire resistance is drywall and that’s a problem. Almost all gun safes today use gypsum drywall as their fire insulation (known as a fire-board). Safes in the past used concrete, but due to costs and transportation issues, companies switched to a cheaper option. Drywall as your safe’s fireboard may sound nice on the surface, but its chemical composition and actual performance cause much room for concern. If gypsum drywall is heated above 212 degrees, the water breaks its chemical bonds and begins to boil off as steam. As the water is released, the drywall falls apart and crumbles to the bottom of the gun safe. This steam can get hundreds of degrees hotter and cause significant damage to your firearms and gear in the event of a fire. On top of this, gun safe fireproofing today is not implemented well and thus performs poorly. The structural support of modern safe fireproofing is nothing more than a couple of layers of brittle, corrosive drywall. Under the real stress and the heat of a house fire, this drywall will steam and then break, ultimately damaging your firearms. Drywall is a poor fireboard for gun safes.

Thin steel and drywall won't protect you against a prepared thief. With modern power tools, the walls of your safe can easily be cut through in under a minute. And even a more expensive safe–costing upwards of $8000–can be breached in under five minutes. A modern thief breaking into your home is going to bring the right equipment and know how long he has to breach.

Insurance companies don’t legally view your gun safe as a safe. Here’s what safe companies don’t tell you. Your gun safe is legally defined as a Residential Security Container or “RSC”. Don’t believe us? Check for yourself by opening the door of your safe. On the inside, look for the RSC label saying “UL Listed Residential Security Container.” Now, what is an RSC rated to protect against? RSC’s are rated to withstand the force of a foot-long pry bar and a hammer for 5 minutes. Does this put your mind at ease? Would you place your most valuable items in a container designed to protect against a hammer and pry bar–and for only 5 minutes? Insurance companies don't label RSCs as safes for a reason. Yet safe companies continue to sell you the idea that their RSCs are the only way to truly protect your firearms.