An Overview of the Past
Since Julius Cesar’s time, safes have existed in some shape or another. Jesse Delano is credited with inventing the first fireproof safe, which was patented in 1826. Silas Herring’s innovations from the 1850s inspired the modern gun safe. He built a fire-resistant gun storage safe out of plaster and steel. What’s intriguing and unfortunate is that today’s best Gun Safes aren’t built to Herring’s 1850 design’s requirements. Due to price and financial demands, the whole industry has shifted away from actual fire-rated safes. The vast majority of what is usually referred to and advertised as “Best Gun Safes” are UL-listed “RSC” or “Residential Security Containers” and are not true safes. This includes “safes” sold at all major retailers under well-known brand names such as “Liberty,” “Winchester,” “Browning,” and so on. You may have guessed correctly. Because the industry refused to build to the UL Safe classification level, a new RSC standard (Residential Security Container) was devised.
What is an RSC (Residential Security Container), and how does it work?
An attacker utilizing simple, non-powered hand tools can force open an RSC-rated container (gun cabinet) for up to five minutes. Screwdrivers, hammers (must be less than 3 pounds), and pry bars (must be less than 18 inches long) are all OK. RSC containers are not rated against any power tool attack or any attack that lasts longer than five minutes. This is security for a threat level in the 1850s. In less than 15 minutes, a high-powered battery-operated grinder with a cutoff wheel can cut a “gun safe” (Residential Security Container) in half. In just three minutes, a small portable plasma cutter can do the task. People assume that something that weighs 1000 pounds must be safe.
RSC Fire Rating Fireproof best Gun Safes are not available. Not in the least.
The UL fireproof safe class rating is the only consistent, dependable, and impartial fire rating. “Class 350 1-hour” is the lowest rating. The duration of the rating increases to four hours (Class 350-4). Unfortunately, no RSC best Gun Safes meet this rating since the materials and structure required to provide this level of security are too costly for the gun safe industry. Because each gun safe (RSC) manufacturer establishes their standards and fire tests, the fire rating or “fire certified” badge on the door of an RSC means very nothing. It is not a fire safe if it does not have a UL class 350 fire rating. It’s a thin steel box with drywall on the inside and carpets on the outside. The drywall adds weight to the safe and helps it feel more solid. It isn’t the case. Speak with the firefighters. Rarely do “best Gun Safes” (RCSs) withstand an open fire. For further information, see Gun Safe: Understanding Ratings and Certifications.
Consider the possibility of corrosion.
There are many resolutions on the market that are meant to reduce the corrosion of your guns in a “gun safe.” There’s a reason why these products exist. The chemicals in drywall or gypsum board used in RSCs are extremely corrosive to your weapons. Steel is very corrosive to formaldehyde, which is utilized as a dispersion agent in drywall manufacture. See http://pharosproject.net/blog/show/44/formaldehyde-additives-drywall for further information.
Safes imported from China are made of plasterboard, which poses additional risks to your firearms. High quantities of pyrite (FeS2), which produces carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide, all of which are corrosive to weapons, have been discovered by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and other organizations. The bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, which thrives in pyrite deposits, was found in 100% of the issue drywall imported from China. These bacteria eat iron and sulfur and produce sulfuric acid, which is extremely corrosive. When you open a Chinese import safe, do you sense a slight sulfur odor? There are numerous worries concerning Chinese drywall.
Best Gun Safes Have Other Drawbacks.
They’re big, heavy, and can’t be moved once they’re in place. They’re also quite large and heavy. Didn’t I say they were hefty? … You see what I mean. Does it make understanding to own a 1200lb metal box full of drywall in our modern, mobile society, where people move on average every 6.6 years (US Census Bureau)?
Your HOA may prohibit you from possessing a heavy old safe if you reside in a condominium or townhouse.
The “Little White Lie” of the Industry.
This gun safe, which is rated for 29 guns, can only hold 11 modern rifles. The capacity of a gun safe is a fabrication.
The capacity of the Gun Safe
What are you getting when a safe manufacturer advertises a gun safe (RSC) with a capacity of 30 guns? Keep in mind that the RSC will not be able to hold 30 guns. Either they aren’t very bright, or they believe their clients aren’t. According to the vice president of national sales for one of America’s top safe makers, it was the “industry’s little white lie,” according to the vice president of national sales. It appears that all safe manufacturers state their capacity based on the number of gun slots they can fit in the safe rather than the number of firearms that fit. We discovered that the real capacity for typical weapons is around half of what the manufacturers say in our product testing, including safes from several manufacturers. When new sporting rifles are added, the capacity lowers even more. We bought a 29-gun Steelwater gun safe and could only fit 11 contemporary rifles in it, so they were crammed together and hitting one other. The capacity of a gun safe is a ruse.
The depths of the gun safe are excessive.
To make you believe the cabinet is secure, manufacturers focus on developing very hefty, sophisticated doors and lock mechanisms. Because these doors are so hefty, the cabinet must be somewhat deep. Deep enough to continue the weight of the door when it is opened, preventing the cabinet from tipping over. This depth is incompatible with safe firearms storage. You end up with many guns and have to rummage through them to get to the rifles in the back. Please notice that a thief will cut through the thin steel on the side or rear of the RSC instead of the door.