There are plenty of high-quality gun safes made by esteemed engineers, but not all gun safes are created equal. They may vary in the thickness of metal used, the complexity of locks, and the level of fire resistance. All of these factors make up a gun safe’s ratings and certifications, which are characterized by its level of security. This gun safe rating guide is here to help users like you better understand the symbols and safety ratings used to categorize gun safes. The more you know about gun safes, the more informed your purchase will be. The result: a gun safe that provides the level of security you need for safety and peace of mind in your home, business, or vehicle!
The Versatility & Utility of Gun Safes
Gun Safes are a means to protect firearms and ammo. They prevent these high-risk items from getting into the wrong hands, whether that’s a dubious thief or an unassuming child. You can store other valuables alongside your ammunition, including documents, cash, jewels, and other keepsakes. Depending on the rating of your gun safe, it can be fireproof, waterproof, tool-proof, theft-proof, and more.
Rating Above Marketing
While there are many manufacturers who make truly exceptional safes, don’t just take their word for it. You cannot afford to make the mistake of trusting an advertisement alone. When shopping for a gun safe, look towards the rating above all else. While they can sometimes resemble a bowl of alphabet soup, these conglomerates of letters are ratings, earned by hours of testing and legal procedures.
The Major Gun Safe Ratings
Understanding UL ratings is an imperative part of any gun safe rating guide. Here’s the inside scoop about gun safe ratings.
UL Ratings
UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories, which is a global science group of experts in innovative safety solutions. They are industry leaders with a long history of successful retail product testing. Their tests allow them to refute or support manufacturer claims about products. UL ratings ensure secure, safe, and reliable results.
Burglary Ratings
Gun safes undergo rigorous testing to determine their ability to withstand common burglary attempts and other dangerous intrusions. These tests are essential in the gun safe industry. The safes are subjected to various and increasingly severe attacks, and their performance is recorded to assign appropriate ratings.
Burglary Abbreviations in This Gun Safe Rating Guide:
- TL: Tool Resistant
- TR: Torch Resistant
- NET: Net Working Time
- TX: Explosives Resistant
Tool-Resistant Gun Safes:
TL-15: Gun safes with this rating are constructed with 1-inch solid steel or equally durable metal and are designed to resist a 15-minute break-in attempt. This rating evaluates the safe’s strength and construction resilience, including its ability to withstand attacks on the door or face.
TL-15: Safes offer high security with robust construction, often featuring composite materials or concrete layers. They are a level, making them a valuable investment.
TL-15✕6: Similar to TL-15, the TL-15✕6 rating applies the same specifications but with a broader scope. While TL-15 focuses on the door or face, TL-15✕6 includes tool attacks on all sides: top, sides, and bottom- ensuring all-around protection.
TL-30: The TL-30 rating indicates that a safe has withstood 30 minutes of testing. Built with 1-inch solid steel or equivalent material, these safes can withstand assaults from power saws, abrasive cutting wheels, and more. The test starts with attacks on the door or face, and the rating is awarded if the safe remains secure after 30 minutes. A safe this fortified would deter even the most determined of thieves!
TL-30✕6: The TL-30✕6 rating involves more rigorous testing, with assaults on all six sides using standard hand tools, electrical hand tools, carbide drills, and other maniacal methods a perpetrator might use. This rating ensures maximum protection, with the safe enduring 30 minutes of testing.
Torch Resistant Tool Resistant Gun Safes:
TRTL-30: A TRTL-30 rating signifies that the safe has withstood a 30-minute NET working time under the scrutiny of standard tools and a torch. So, even if your burglar throws pyromaniac tendencies into the max, this gun safe will have you covered. This stringent testing ensures the highest standards of security for the locking mechanism, construction, and overall integrity.
TRTL-15✕6: The TRTL-15✕6 rating demonstrates that the safe has withstood attacks from both tools and torches on all six sides for a NET working time of 15 minutes, offering substantial protection.
TRTL-30✕6: The TRTL-30✕6 rating showcases exceptional resistance, with the safe enduring 30 minutes of assault from tools and torches. This high rating ensures top-tier security against a highly persistent thief with more than one trick up his sleeve.
TRTL-60✕6: The TRTL-60✕6 rating represents a 60-minute attack test on all six sides using tools and torches. These safes are often used in commercial settings and offer outstanding security for high-value contents.
TXTL-60✕6: The TXTL-60✕6 rating is the highest level of security, the final boss of gun safe burglary ratings. It boasts the ability to endure attacks from tools, torches, and even explosives for 60 minutes. This rating provides the highest level of protection available from Underwriters Laboratories.
Residential Safe Ratings
This Underwriters Laboratory rating assesses safes for residential use. These ratings are based on the NET working time and the number of attackers involved. This gun safe rating guide includes the basic standards for all residential safe ratings:
- The safe must have an anti-theft device that can resist attacks for at least 5 minutes.
- The disassembly and removal of protected property must be included within the 5-minute test duration.
- The product must be placed in its intended position during the test.
- Tools used for the attack must include hammers, wrenches, chisels, punches, pry bars, and screwdrivers of specified dimensions.
RSC Level 1 (UL RSC I)
This is the entry-level rating. To qualify, the gun safe must withstand vigorous break-in attempts by a single person for five minutes. Methods used include drilling, tampering, punching, and prying with tools. This is the most basic rating, and if a safe does not meet this standard, it is not worth investing in.
RSC Level 2 (UL RSC II)
At this level, the safe must withstand a 10-minute attack by two individuals using more aggressive tools such as carbide drills, pressure-applying devices, and picks. Technicians also attempt to make an opening in the door or front face of the safe. Only if the safe resists all these efforts will it receive an RSC Level 2 rating.
RSC Level 3 (UL RSC III)
This is the highest rating on the Residential Security Containers Scale. For this rating, two or three technicians use more tools and greater aggressiveness to bombard the safe. The attack targets all six sides of the safe—top, bottom, face, door, and two sides. Now that’s a safe you don’t want to mess with.
Insurance Ratings:
All security safes come with an insurance rating, which indicates the level of security they provide and the amount of cash coverage an insurance provider may offer. The general rule of this gun safe rating guide is: the higher the rating, the better the safe. Keep in mind that unlike UL and RSC ratings, insurance ratings are based on the construction of the safe rather than on testing. Wall thickness, door strength, and locking system complexity are key features to consider when deciding what to buy.
B Insurance Rating
- Indicates a gun safe with a body made of steel less than half an inch thick and a door less than 1 inch thick.
- Not tested by Underwriters Laboratory, so performance may be subpar.
- Requires a locking device but is not very effective against burglary attempts.
C Insurance Rating
- Denotes a gun safe with a half-inch thick body and a door around 1 inch thick.
- Not UL certified and offers less security.
- Requires a functioning lock, but burglary resistance is similar to B-class safes.
E Insurance Rating
- Indicates a safe with a door 1.5 inches thick and a body 1 inch thick.
- The highest rating offered without testing.
- Provides the highest level of protection among non-tested safes.
F Insurance Rating
- Equivalent to the TL-15 rating by UL, with a 30-minute testing time and additional tools used.
- This is a tested rating and the basic one offered by insurance providers.
G & A Insurance Rating
- Similar to the UL-30 rating, with testing on all six sides, including the floor.
- A good rating, making these safes a solid investment.
Fire Ratings
Fire class ratings indicate how well materials can propagate or support fire and the amount of smoke they produce when exposed to fire. These ratings are determined using a flame spread index.
The flame spread index is calculated by observing a material’s behavior during a ten-minute tunnel test. This index is a numerical value ranging from 1 to 100. Again, the trend here is: the higher the rating, the better the safe. Having a fireproof gun safe can provide immense peace of mind in the event of an accidental fire or a pyrotechnical burglary attempt. Explore fireproof gun safes to mitigate risk and protect your belongings from even the most volatile elements.
Put This Gun Safe Rating Guide into Action
We hope this gun safe rating guide has educated you on how gun safes are categorized, so that you can identify the right one for you. There are many gun safes with elite engineering and the right ratings and certifications. Enjoy the heightened peace of mind and safety that comes with a certified gun safe.
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