People often believe that most gun safes are designed to, well, keep the gun safe – away from those that can accidentally get hurt with it, like children. However, there’s more to it than that – a safe can actually protect your weapon from outside elements. Not just corrosion, or water, but also the fire.
Thus, it’s always a better idea to look for a fireproof gun safe, that can protect your valuable weapon from such an accident. Ideally, you want to get the best of both worlds and get a highly secured gun safe, that also can protect it from fire. Are there such options in the market? Indeed!
Today, we’ll share with you everything you need to know about this device, and what you have to pay attention to when wanting to choose only the best fireproof gun safe.
Top 5 Best Fireproof Gun Safes: Comparison Table
| Product | Fire Safety | Lock Type | Capacity | Dimensions | Weight |
| SentrySafe EF4738E Fireproof Waterproof Safe | 30 minutes at 1400°F | Electronic | 4.71 cubic feet | 19.4 x 11.7 x 35.7 inches | 217 pounds |
| SentrySafe SFW082CTB Fireproof Safe | 1 hour at 1700°F | Combination | 0.82 cubic feet | 19.3 x 16.3 x 13.7 inches | 77 pounds |
| Fortress Gun Fireproof Safe | 30 minutes at 1200°F | Electronic | 24 guns | 20.75 x 23.5 x 55 inches | 315 pounds |
| Kodiak KB5529ECS Gun Safe | 30 minutes at 1400°F | Electronic | 30 long guns & 10 hand guns | 55 x 29 x 20 inches | 385 pounds |
| Amazon Basics Fire Resistant Security Safe | 20 minutes at 1200°F | Combination | 2.1 cubic feet | 16.93 x 13.8 x 25.98 inches | 90 pounds |
Why Should You Purchase a Fireproof Gun Safe?
In 2019 there have been over 1,200,000 fires across the United States with damages over $14.8 billion, according to USFA report. It’s common practice for people that own a gun safe to place other valuables in the secure compartment. It could be documents, jewelry, pictures – whatever you hold dear. To ensure that none of the above valuables are lost to “The Red Flower” – you need a fire resistant gun safe, that can withstand temperatures of at least 370 °F.
Fire Ratings Explained
Gun safe manufacturers can quickly slap a “fireproof” label on their products without performing proper testing. Thus, such claims are not enough – they need to be backed up by proof. So to be on the safe side, you want to look for products that have received the Underwriters Laboratories certification.
They are an independent organization that has been performing tests on gun safes for over a century. UL evaluates around 20,000 models annually, so most reputable manufacturers are working with them.
Underwriters Laboratories tends to assign different class fire ratings:
Class 125
A small gun safe fireproof with this class will withstand internal temperatures up to 125 °F. Such a product should be enough to protect flexible computer disks, but that’s about the only valuable you can reliably store in it. It can also sustain humidity of up to 80%, and it comes equipped with a water-resistant seal located on the door. Unfortunately, just like most of us aren’t storing anything on floppy disks anymore, Class 125 is mostly outdated.
Class 150
This is a slight upgrade over its 125 counterparts as it can protect against temperatures up to 150 °F. Moreover, it sustains 85% humidity. A fireproof rifle safe with this class could protect your compact disks or wallet, which might be sufficient for some.
Class 350
This is the class you should aim for as it will protect all your valuable documents and items. It can sustain temperatures up to 350 °F with a humidity level of 85%. The temperature mentioned refers to the one inside the six walls of the safe. When it comes to the outside temperature, the highest fire-rated gun safe of this class can withstand temperatures of up to 2000 °F. Most of our fireproof gun safety models will feature Class 350 or above because we know people tend to store both documents and cash in their safes.
Best Fireproof Gun Safe: What to Prioritize?
Duration of Fire Resistance
The above fire ratings are adept at showing you what temperature your gun safe will withstand, but the duration is also significant. Even a cheap fire-resistant gun safe should offer protection against fire for at least 30 minutes. However, ideally, you should look for a product that will keep your Colt, Glock – any gun, as well as ammunition safe for at least one hour.
Size
If you are looking to purchase the highest fire-rated gun safe, you might want to consider what exactly it is that you will be storing inside. Is your gun collection ample? Are there any other valuables that might need to be placed in the safe? Do you plan on purchasing something bigger like a Mossberg shotgun and want to store it as well? The answer to those questions is critical because it’s paramount that you avoid purchasing another safe in the future. They might say size doesn’t matter, but that won’t apply to the best fireproof gun safe. We strongly suggest you get the largest possible model, if your budget allows, of course.
Security
Purchasing the best fire-rated gun safe that could easily be pried open, let’s say by a burglar, would be an inexcusable mistake. The first thing burglars will do is try to force a gun safe open, and if they fail, they might attempt to remove and flee with it. Thus, you need to get a fireproof gun safe that can’t be opened as easily.
Thus, doors with secure locking bolts made out of thick steel will make it almost impossible for them to open the door. Another thing we’ve learned while creating our fireproof gun safe reviews is that attaching it to the floor will prevent the burglars from removing the safe quickly. Plus, they won’t have access to the back of the gun safe, which might be vulnerable.
Interior
This might be a personal preference, but we highly value an affordable fireproof gun safe with a pleasant interior. It’s also nice to have removable shelves and pouches for your ammunition. That’s because having removable shelves might prove very useful if you plan on adding new weapons or replacing your existing arsenal. Additionally, choosing a model with some internal LED lights would add a touch of class to the safe’s interior.
Internal A/C Plug
Installing a dehumidifier for a gun safe is even more critical for the fireproof models. The best dehumidifiers on the market will require A/C power so that you won’t need to replace the batteries or recharge them. And the LED lighting might also require an A/C plug, depending on the model.
How to Install a Fireproof Gun Safe?
The installation will significantly depend on the size and weight of the fireproof gun safe you choose. For larger models, you want to find a way to anchor it, so that thieves can’t just walk away with the entire safe.
If you have a small gun-safe fireproof model, they tend to be more compact and not too difficult to install. That’s because most of them have predrilled holes, making it easy to attach the safe to either a wall or the floor.
How to Maintain the Fire-Resistant Gun Safe?
The most crucial aspect when it comes to maintenance is to make sure that the weapons and the ammunition are stored separately. While making our fireproof gun safe reviews, we’ve discovered that if the temperature gets high, the first thing that will ignite will be the gun powder from within the ammunition. Therefore, you want to keep the ammunition as far away as possible from the weapons themselves. Dirt and dust also need to be addressed at least once a month to ensure that the locks will continue to function correctly. You might need to perform maintenance more often for a 10 gun fireproof safe or larger model due to their sheer size.
Conclusion
Choosing the best fireproof gun safe 2023 isn’t the easiest of tasks. However, we believe that you shouldn’t encounter any issues if you pay close attention to aspects such as the UL fire ratings, internal A/C availability, and robustness of the locking mechanism.
Also, don’t forget to take maintenance into account when choosing the best fire-resistant gun safe to store your weapons and crucial documents!
So, have you ever had a fireproof gun safe? Or is it the first time you’re considering it?