Im sure this has been discussed before but I cant find any threads on it...

Im looking into purchasing my first gun safe and looking for opinions. Im thinking between 20-30 guns is the size I prefer but Im having difficulty deciding what brand/tier to go with. Obviously like everyone I would prefer best bang for my buck but the more I research the more confused I get so I thought I would ask yall. A few brands Im interested in are:

Mesa
Cannon
Liberty
Winchester

My Budget would be $1,200 or less. Whats yalls thoughts? Thanks for any input.

Also i know this is larger than what I was looking for but it looks to be a good deal.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/mesa-safe-gun-safe-211-cu-ft-key-pad?cm_vc=-10005

I would stay away from anything with a digital keypad

Are they that bad? I like the idea of getting into it faster but definitely understand electronics can die... I would figure these companies would have solved most issues with the electronic keypads by now. Who knows though

I have a S&G dial on one of mine and wish it was digital. It can be a royal PITA to get into.

My small safe is a 36 gun Red Head. It holds 18 scoped rifles comfortably. Keep that in mind.

Yes, for the most part I am under the impression that you can fit only about half the amount of long guns in a safe than what the manufacture lists it at.

I have a Cannon 64 gun safe with digital keypad. Only had it about 5 months but so far so good. BTW, listen to people when they say buy double the size you think you need, I have about35-40 in mine and it's pretty full.

Buy bigger than what you junk you need. They only hold what they say the do if they are perfectly arranged.
If they are perfectly arranged you have to play Tetris to get the one you want to use, in and out.

Im good on the size I just dont know what is the best quality for the money... I would prefer something thicker than 14 gauge on the walls.

I prefer the dial locks. Never had an issue with mine, and don't find it hard to get into my safe at all. I had an electric lock before they swapped it out for the dial. It was a bit faster but I'm pretty fast with the dial now that I'm familiar with it. Been pretty happy with my Liberty Lincoln 60 gun.

Get one twice the size you think you need....I have two Heritage gun safes....56"W X 72"T & 33"W X 60"T...they fill up quickly....we store jewelry, documents, and a few family keepsakes in ours besides guns.....

I approached this decision the same way I buy tools and computers.....buy the best you can afford (even if you have to save up a little while) then buy something that will last you a long time if not a lifetime....

Good luck on your decision!

PS: I went with manual locks....don't trust electronic over the long haul...

This and actually they only hold what they say if they are Marlin Model 60's...buy bigger. As for the electronic keypad; I love mine. It's never failed me.

I've got a Cannon...it's a pretty good safe. I bought much bigger than I ever thought I'd need and I am approaching capacity, it sucks. I have the electronic keypad and it's been great...every Thanksgiving I replace the battery regardless if it is beeping at me or not and I've never had a problem. I guess mine is approaching 7-8 years old? I didn't buy a big fire number because I live in town and within 30-45 min my house will either be put out or burnt to the ground.

I bought a Liberty Colonial 50 at Gander Mountain, with a dial lock. It's been great. 72" tall, so I have 2 shelves over the long guns. They're on sale now.

As said, stay away from the electric lock. There are probably some good ones but they are probably in the higher price range. Mine came with storage built in the door. I really like that. Another thing I appreciate is the 72" height vs standard 60". It gives you another shelf, which is nice for paperwork, documents, etc. Keep in mind a 30 gun safe will likely hold about half of that. I think you are on to something with sidewall thickness. The door is usually attacked but the sides are the weak point. You can open one up pretty easy with a sawzall or grinder/cutting wheel. There are some youtube videos showing just how easy it is.

This guy is trying to sell his brand or Fort Knox. But it isn't the "truth" not bad info but not all factual. I get tired of seeing this guys video.
Every company around can and does make a video with just as much "truth" about their safes.

As far digital lacks if it says S&G it is good. That is the only ne I would trust.

I have had a Fort Knox for many years. Non-digital though. Love the safe and would not buy another brand honestly.

Cannon makes one with both dial and electric, best of both worlds for me.

I couldn't imagine dialing the damn thing every other day.

I've heard it a few times...
"Go bigger than you think you will need"
Helps to keep you from having to buy 2 safes.

Stay away from Cannon. Their locks tend to deteriorate, making it very hard to get in after a while. I had one once; never again.

I don't care what brand he's trying to sell (and it seems he sells quite a few brands), but he brings up some good points to think about when shopping for a safe.

A friend of mine who is state fire marshall, said if you store paper work in safe put biggest phone book you can on both sides, they will not burn and help protect your paper work, since he is in the fire business I think he know what he is talking about. I do this in both of my safes, like everyone one said they don't hold what they say. Good luck, also put it on outside wall facing the wind most of the time, I live on the coast and a south east is standard here so both are on that side of house. Food for thought.

None of the brands listed by the OP.

http://m.sportsmansteelsafes.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsmansteelsafes.com%2F&utm_referrer=#2761

Or


http://www.ftknox.com/

Liberty, manual dial! "Never spin a dial"!!!!

Got my Cannon 24 gun safe at Academy..ON SALE. No problem handling 20 rifles/shotguns. Good guarantee. It has a digital keypsd, I replace the 9 volt battery twice a year. 3 years with no problems.

Winchester has a factory in Fort Worth. They have warehouse sales. Look for Granite Security on face book and they will post when a sale is coming. I have 2 Winchester safes and love them both. For clarification I have two because I went small on the first one. Doubt be deceived by the number the manufacturer gives for capacity It's total BS, unless your loading it full of Daisy BB guns. I have inverted rifles to gain space but have never been able to match the number as represented. Anyway my point I think is get twice the safe you think you need.

Liberty is top notch. You definitely get what you pay for.

Buddy has this kit and I think it is well worth it.

Check it out.

Google search/amazon "Rifle Rods Starter Kit with Loop Fabric"