The 8 Best Long Gun Safes To Protect Your Weapons

Our guns are investments that require the best protection possible. A long gun safe will protect your prized asset from ending up in the wrong hands. If there is any chance that your rifle could end up in the hands of an unauthorized family member, child, or burglar, then a top-quality gun safe is vital.

There are many gun safes out there, which makes it hard to determine which is the best long gun safe. In this guide, I’ll break down everything you need to know about these crucial security products.

You will learn the different types of locks available, important fire ratings to look out for, and many other factors to consider when looking for a safe that offers the utmost security for your long gun.

Our Pick Of The Top 8 Long Gun Safes On The Market Today

To assist you further with narrowing down your choice, I’ve picked out the 8 best safes for long guns in 2020. I’ve tested each safe to provide an accurate and trustworthy review of how well each one can protect your treasured possession. Moreover, you’ll find a list of pros and cons for each safe for easy comparison.

Tips on Choosing The Best Long Gun Safe

To ensure you purchase the best long gun safe that’s out there, you’ll need to think about a few different factors. Considering the factors below will help you find the right safe for your gun and your home.

Size & Capacity

The size of the safe is one of the most important considerations when looking to safely store your long gun.

• • You need a tall unit that will fit your gun when standing upright with about 2-3 additional inches extra so it’s easy to get the gun in and out.
  • Also, consider a safe with some additional space for storing extra items, like private documents or other valuables.
  • A gun safe that has a door organizer for handguns or other items is also a good idea.
  • Measure the area where you plan to place the gun safe. This will ensure that the unit you buy is the appropriate size

Weight

You should also consider the weight as you’ll want to find the right balance between lightness and heaviness. You don’t want a safe that’s too light as thieves could easily carry it out of your home, however, if it’s too heavy, you’ll have trouble getting it into your home in the first place.

Locking Mechanism

Your safe will have one of two types of locking mechanisms.

• • A manual mechanism which is usually a combination lock.
  • An electronic mechanism that typically uses a passcode.

Every gun owner has a preference. Although a manual combination lock will never fail you, some gun users believe an electronic passcode offers more security.

Locking Bolts

A good safe should have at least four locking bolts, all at least one inch thick and made of steel. Four thick and strong locking bolts like this will do a good job of tightly sealing the door.

Anchoring

Can you bolt the safe to the ground or the wall?

• • If you want to anchor your safe to the floor or wall, choose a unit that has pre-drilled holes.
  • Because the walls of a gun safe are usually very thick, drilling holes for anchoring yourself will prove extremely difficult.
  • If you buy a safe without pre-drilled holes and then decide you want to anchor it down you will most likely have to pay a technician to come out and do it for you.

Need a gun safe closer to you at night while you sleep? Check out this review on Top Bedside Gun Safes For Your Money here.

Gauge of steel

Opt for a safe that is made of solid steel, preferably 7-gauge solid steel. This is fairly expensive, so if you’re on a budget, aim for one between 10-11-gauge steel. This is drill-resistant. Even if someone tries their hardest to enter your safe, your gun will remain protected with this gauge of steel.

Power source

Electronic locks will require batteries or an electronic power adapter, but a manual dial lock will not.

• • If choosing an electronic lock, consider the power source it uses. While some require a power cord, most of the best gun safe electronic locks do not need to be plugged in to get power.
  • The majority of locks on the market run off of a 9V battery. This battery is easily able to be changed out, even when the door is closed.
  • Some safes, however, may use a rechargeable battery that just needs to be plugged in.

Internal or external hinges

Are the door hinges internal or external?

• • The main difference between them is the degree of the door opening.
  • External hinges let you open your door 180 degrees, whereas internal hinges will only open to 90 degrees.
  • External hinges also have another benefit. They allow you to remove the door if needed, such as to significantly reduce the weight during moves.
  • A big pro of internal hinges is that they can’t be tampered with. Since you can’t see them from the outside, there’s no way thieves can remove or tamper with them.
  • Internal hinges may also give a sleeker and more modern look than external hinges.

In summary, external hinges give greater accessibility whereas internal ones give better security.

How Much Should You Spend?

Guns are expensive, therefore think of your safe as insurance for your gun. Just like when taking out insurance, you don’t want to go for the cheapest option available. Safety doesn’t come cheap and like with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Expect to pay between $500 to $5,000 for the best gun safe, depending on your budget. The safes we reviewed here cover all price ranges to offer high-quality choices for protecting your family regardless of how much money you have to spend.

If these gun safes are not within your budget, check out The Arms Guides review on The Best Gun Safes Under $1000.

Electronic or mechanical lock?

Both electronic and mechanical locks have their pros and cons. Let’s explore these further.

Mechanical locks

Mechanical gun safes use a simple operation. They have a dial that is rotated in opposite directions to reach three different numbers. You open the door by turning the dials to your combination.

• As mechanical locks are manual there is no power supply needed and no need to replace batteries
• The simple combination lock can also mean less potential for hacking.
• As there is no technology, there is very little chance of it letting you down. Therefore, mechanical locks can be the most reliable choice.
• Mechanical locks are much cheaper than electronic alternatives.
• They also have an increased life span as they hardly ever break down.
• One point to consider with manual locks is that they do require some maintenance. This is because the tumblers tend to get misaligned over time.

Electronic Locks

Electronic gun safe locks have an internal circuit and a keypad that deal with the locking mechanism. You enter your numeric code via the keypad and once the circuit verifies it, it fires the unlocking mechanism.

• Electronic locks, including Bluetooth & biometric ones, can give greater ease of use.
• The technology allows you to set up multiple combinations, have a running log of access, and use your fingerprints.
• Changing the code is a simple task.
• If you’re faced with an emergency in which you need to get into your safe immediately, it’s usually quicker to get into an electronic lock than a traditional mechanical locking system.
• A big plus of these locks is the backlit technology they use. This makes it easier to open these safes even in complete darkness. With manual locks, you would need to grab a torch to enter the combination, losing valuable time.
• Moreover, the font size is large in most electronic locks making it an excellent choice for visually impaired folks.
• Another advantage is that these locks do not need to be locked every time. Manual systems require re-locking each time but with an electronic lock, you simply close the door to lock the safe.
• Some people believe electronic locks to be more secure. There is some truth in this. Burglars with experience can eventually break into combination locks with practice, although it takes a lot of time and effort.
• There are a few points to take into consideration with electronic locks. Because they are battery-powered, they can be prone to power outages and automatic lock-outs. Therefore, it’s vital to ensure your electronic safe has a backup access method.
• They also have a limited lifespan due to the use of electronic circuits that will eventually die over time.

As you can see, both electronic and mechanical locks are great in specific aspects but suffer from problems too. Weigh up the pros and cons of each style to decide which is most suited to you.

Important numbers & ratings (gauge, RSC)

When searching for a long gun safe, you’ll see a gauge number mentioned in the product description.

• Gauge is a measure of how thick the steel used in the safe is.
• Confusingly, the smaller the number, the thicker the steel is, just like with a shotgun gauge.
• The most affordable safes are in the 14 to 12 gauge range. These safes will have the thinnest walls.
• For a stronger, more secure safe, opt for 11 to 10 gauge.
• The thickest steel walls will have a gauge of ½” to ⅜”.

You will also come across the term RSC. RSC stands for ‘Residential Security Container’. Underwriters Laboratory (UL) coined this term and are responsible for developing standards for consumer products. Underwriters Lab conducts the test and provides certification to the safe manufacturers.

There are different levels of RSC ratings.

1. An RSA Level 1 safe has been tested to withstand five minutes of vigorous break-in attempts by one person. These methods of these attempts include prying, punching, drilling, tampering, and more.
2. An RSA Level 2 safe can withstand an attack by two people, using more tools, for 10 minutes.
3. RSC level 3 refers to 3 people using even more tools for 10 minutes.

How large of a safe do I need?

To decide the size of your new safe there are three things you should think about.

1. What you need the safe to do
2. What you will include in the safe
3. How much space you have in your home

If space is not a concern, a good rule of thumb is to look for a safe twice the size of what you need. So, if you need to fit 2 guns into your safe, look for a safe that advertises 4 guns instead. This will allow for you to fit your guns, and valuables, such as important paperwork or expensive jewelry.

• Bear in mind that the bigger the safe, the heavier it will be. If you need to protect your apartment or wooden floors from the sheer weight of a safe, a small gun safe will be better.
• If you want to hide your safe perhaps beneath a bed, rug, or art piece, you won’t want a safe that is too big. In this case, a floor safe or wall safe may be best suited to you.
• Finally, when choosing a gun safe, the most important thing to do is to measure how long and wide your gun is. This will make it easier to choose one that is tall enough and deep enough for all your firearms.

For the largest gun safes, we always recommend additional gun safe lights to help you see the contents.

Battery or adapter?

There are pros and cons to both battery and adapter operated electronic gun safes. Here are the biggest concerns for each one.

• One obvious concern of battery-powered gun safes is what happens if the battery goes dead?

Well, if the safe is well designed and manufactured this should not be a problem. If the battery does run out, the safe can be opened by using an emergency key or an external backup battery.

With an AC adaptor, you don’t have this worry. But you do of course need to ensure that where you’re placing the safe is close to the mains supply or within reach to use an extension lead.

• The biggest concern with a mains power-operated gun safe is what happens if there is a power cut?

Again, this should be no problem if your safe is from a reputable and high-quality manufacturer. In that case, the lock will come with a mechanical override that lets you manually open the door.

Long Gun Safe Fire Ratings

Just because a manufacturer claims that their gun safe is fireproof, it may not be the case. This is because they could have used cheap drywall offers affordable fireproofing. Moreover, many gun safe manufacturers use their own fire rating standards, which give them more flexibility to alter their results.

• It’s advisable to look for a safe that has a UL fire rating. This is the standardized examination undertaken by Underwriters Laboratories. It evaluates the fire resistance and protection of gun safes. The test is divided into three classes
• You should look for a safe with the strongest UL rating called class 125. This class was designed to protect the most materials including guns.
• All the best long gun safes will also have drywall fire protection. The gypsum drywall is a fireproof protection that nearly all gun safes use today. This solution is often used to minimize the spread of fire.

What is BF Certification?

BF is a specific fire rating from ETL-Intertek laboratory testing, which is the industry’s leading independent laboratory for gun safe fire testing.

• ETL confirms that AMSEC BF gun safes have superior fire protection for two hours at 1,200ºF.
• BF Gun Safes use a proprietary fill material called DryLight, which offers exceptional fire protection without adding excess weight.
• The safes are tested by being placed in a gas furnace which reaches a temperature of 1200ºF. This temperature is maintained for 120 minutes.
• Typical house fires only reach temperatures of 1100° F.
• A safe will fail this test if temperatures exceed 350°F anywhere inside the safe.
• What do I do if I forget the lock combination?

If you forget the combination of your lock you can do three things to regain access to your gun.

1. Check if your safe has a key override. Key overrides allow you to gain access to your safe via an alternative method. This works well for emergencies or situations where you might have to give someone access to your safe. If you’re not sure if your safe has this, check the user manual.
2. If your safe does not have a key override, determine if it has a change key. A change key allows you to change the combination that grants access to your safe. You insert the change key into the back of the safe. You then input the reset combination. This wipes the slate clean for you to set a new code to your safe.
3. If you have neither a key override nor a change key, your only option is to call out a locksmith. A locksmith can help you gain entry into your gun safe, however, be sure to use a professional and reputable locksmith who is familiar with gun safes. If not handled properly, you could potentially damage your safe and the gun inside too.

How Do I Clean My Long Gun Safe?

Even the best long gun safes need to be maintained to a certain level to ensure that they can provide the highest security and safety. If maintained and cleaned properly, your gun safe can last a lifetime.

Here are a few tips to cleaning and maintaining your long gun safe:

• To prevent dirt and dust from accumulating on the outside of your safe, clean it at least once a month.
• Gun safes that have textured finish, glossy finish, or powder coat finish should be cleaned with a soft, non-abrasive cloth. This will prevent clouding or scratching.
• Lubricate the screw chrome locking by applying grease on the bottom and front bolts. You should do this at least once per year to prevent the safe from sticking.
• The fire seal doesn’t require much maintenance, but you should keep an eye out for any tearing or damage. If the seal becomes damaged or ripped, it is no longer fireproof and should be replaced.
• Ensure there is no humidity inside the safe. Humidity causes corrosion on the steel structure and accumulates moisture in the gunpowder inside the ammunition. This can make the gun unsafe to use.
• There are several products you can use to ensure optimum moisture in your gun safe. A popular choice is a portable mini dehumidifier. These products run on rechargeable batteries and last 30 to 60 days between charges.

The Best Long Gun Safe

There are so many fantastic options on this list that it’s extremely difficult to pick just one. It also depends on how many guns you have, the lock mechanism you prefer, and what level of security you need.

For me, I was swayed slightly more towards the Quicktec quick access 5 gun rifle safe. I was most impressed by the fingerprint access and the ability to access my guns in just 2 seconds. This safe gives the quickest access compared to all the others I reviewed.

On the other hand, if you have many guns and need a more secure cabinet that offers fire-resistance too, the Kodiak fire rated gun safe stands out in these aspects so will be the best option for you.

Whichever, safe you go for, all the products on this list are of the highest quality and performance. I hope this will prove a helpful guide when it comes to navigating the market for the best long gun safe, and help you find the best protection for your precious rifles.