Gimmicks About Gun Safes

Some safes advertise an impressive number of moving deadbolts, but more doesn’t necessarily mean better. For example, commercial money vaults nearly the size of our 2822 safe often carry one of the highest security ratings, TL-30, and they typically use only three moving locking lugs—none positioned on the top or bottom of the door. Their strength comes from a well-engineered locking assembly combined with heavy, thick steel, not from an excess of bolts. Gun safes should follow the same principle. Security isn’t about how many deadbolts a manufacturer can fit into a door; it’s about the quality of the locking mechanism and the thickness of the steel body. A safe with dozens of deadbolts but thin 10-gauge (or weaker) steel walls can still be breached through the sides, no matter how strong the door looks.

On many safes, the welds securing the lock bolt assembly and body are thinner or weaker than they appear. While they may look sufficient from the outside, poor welds compromise the overall strength of the safe. Ultimately, your deadbolts and safe body are only as strong as the welds that hold them in place.

Be cautious when looking at pictures of safes that supposedly endured a house fire. In just three and a half minutes, a real house fire can exceed 1,100 degrees—and temperatures continue to climb rapidly. Under these conditions, the first things to burn off a safe are the paint and decals, followed by the dial, which melts at around 530 degrees. Aluminum handles are often next to go.Another red flag is the environment shown in the photo. If wood studs are still standing nearby, or if the surroundings aren’t reduced to ash, then the fire wasn’t nearly as severe as it appears. Many of these “proof” photos are misleading and don’t represent what happens in a true, full-scale house burn. In reality, most fires are far less forgiving than the marketing suggests.

To cut costs, many safe manufacturers skip installing a proper raised mount for the combination box and instead weld the hard plate directly to the door. This shortcut significantly weakens security, since a welded plate without full support can be broken more easily. In addition, some hard plates aren’t fully hardened, making them even less effective. What you often can’t see is that many safes also rely on inexpensive, residential-grade locks. By contrast, a true Group 2 combination lock is built for durability and security, offering far superior performance and longevity—designed to last for generations.

Some safes advertise double-layer or “composite” doors as if both sheets of steel provide equal protection. In reality, only the outer sheet is defending the critical linkage parts. Once that first layer is breached, the internal mechanisms are exposed—meaning the second sheet adds little real security.This is why the outer layer of steel is what truly matters. Always pay close attention to the actual gauge of the first sheet, and be wary of the word “composite” when manufacturers describe total door thickness. It often disguises a thin outer layer paired with filler material that adds bulk but not real strength.

Fire ratings are one of the most misleading claims in the gun safe industry. Some manufacturers advertise inflated ratings that magically “double” when tested by a different facility. The problem is that most of these tests aren’t standardized—they’re conducted by independent labs hired by the manufacturer, often under conditions designed to produce favorable results. Unlike UL (Underwriters Laboratories) fire testing—which includes cooling periods and “point of no return” thresholds—these alternative tests often stop right before the contents would be destroyed. This makes even poor insulators, like thin layers of sheetrock, appear effective. In reality, most RSCs (Residential Security Containers) on the market do not carry a true UL fire rating, regardless of whether they’re lined with fireboard or other materials.What you’re left with is exaggerated “burn time” claims that don’t reflect how a safe actually performs in a real fire. Many companies rely on as little as $30 worth of sheetrock to market their safes as fireproof. By contrast, we test our safes in actual house burn-downs—because real fires demand real results.

Some safe manufacturers boast about impressive-sounding accolades—like being "awarded UL Residential Security Container (RSC) status" or holding "multiple U.S. patents for innovative security features." But here's the truth: these aren't awards in any meaningful sense. Manufacturers pay for UL testing and patent applications, and those costs are simply passed on to you. What’s worse, the UL RSC standard sets a surprisingly low bar. Passing it doesn't mean a safe is truly secure—it just means it survived a very limited set of tests. Case in point: that viral video of two guys opening a safe with a crowbar? That safe was a UL-rated RSC. Bottom line: Don’t let buzzwords and technical-sounding claims replace real research. Focus on what actually protects your valuables—not what looks good in a brochure.

Some safe manufacturers proudly promote their hardplates and relockers as critical security features protecting the combination lock. But look closer — many of them completely ignore a major vulnerability: the internal linkage that connects the lock to the rest of the safe's locking mechanism. The linkage is just as critical as the lock itself, and it’s a primary target for attackers. If it’s not properly protected, bypassing the lock becomes significantly easier — no matter how tough the hardplate is. When evaluating a safe, make sure:

• The hardplate protects both the lock and the linkage.
• The safe includes an independent relocker (not one built into the lock).
• The hardplate is not welded directly to the door — doing so reduces its effectiveness and defeats its purpose.

If a manufacturer skips over these details, that’s a red flag.

Many safe companies highlight their use of glass relockers—thin glass plates designed to trigger additional locking mechanisms if shattered during a drilling attack. While this sounds impressive, what they don’t mention is how fragile these components can be. In fact, something as simple as slamming the door too hard can accidentally break them, leaving the safe permanently locked—even to the original key or combination.

Some safe manufacturers exaggerate dimensions and capacity in ways that can be misleading. For example, a safe advertised with a 13.5" depth may only offer 11" of usable shelf space. Other common tricks include: oversized spoke handles counted as part of the depth (adding up to 3"), door organizers that reduce interior and gun rack space by around 4", inflated gun counts (as noted above), and even overstated weights. It’s no surprise many people say you should “buy bigger than you think you need”—because the real usable space is often less than advertised.