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Keep in mind that Browning doesn't actually make anything themselves anymore (except maybe firearms). Anything with the Browning label is a licensed product. It could be good, but necessarily because of the name. Read up on what makes a safe good and then decide.
Curious. I have seen Green Mountsin safe has the same door system and pretty much the same specs and are made n USA. I wonder if they make the browning.
Most of the cost of a safe is the door and locks. The sides are the weak links. Given how easy it is to cut through the side with the right tool, rather than buy expensive safes, i prefer a less expensive one and firearm insurance
Nothing with the Browning name is "worth" anything anymore... a $2500 Citori comes in a Styrofoam shitbox, most shotguns of the same price range come with nice cases
Very true, or at least build a cheaper one into an enclosure of some type to "harden" the security a bit, and slow down access. Adding a security system helps with this also. In the end, have multiple layers of security is always better than just relying on an expensive safe alone.
I saw a really nice Liberty at the Shot show.Most of the cost of a safe is the door and locks. The sides are the weak links. Given how easy it is to cut through the side with the right tool, rather than buy expensive safes, i prefer a less expensive one and firearm insurance
Take your time to learn about the construction of different safes. Then you can decide if the browning name is worth the extra money.
I want to say browning safes are made by pro steel.?
I saw a really nice Liberty at the Shot show.
- TL30X6 (or maybe it was TL60x6, forget which)
- Dual S&G mechancal lock and electronic - the S&G is for redundancy in case the electronic lock fails
- About 4500lbs
- Retail $6995
Dave is right about the side door. Most gun safes are 10 gauge or even 12 gauge. The don't start to get difficult to breech until you get up to 7ga (3/16") or thicker and, even then, you are not in the realm of a commercial save unless you get one with a TL rating.
The RSC (Residential Security Container) most gun safes bear rating means "resistant to attack with hand tools for 5 minutes".
Once you do that, you will learn that no "gun safe" is worth the money. Buy a used commercial or jewelers safe for similar money and get a REAL safe.
They are all over Craigslist and typically have a 1' thick solid steel door with additional aggregate protection. The only problem is they weigh 3000 - 5000 lbs.
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You can get a similar used safe for less than half of that. Although I'm impressed that it sounds like Liberty is finally making a "real" safe.
Don
I believe the standard of what constitutes a break in for these tests is opening the door or making a 4" hole.Extent of resistance. The numbers 15, 30, and 60 represent the number of minutes a safe will withstand a series of attacks. The longer a safe can resist a break-in, the more likely it is that burglars will flee and that police or security guards will arrive before any jewelry is stolen.
The issue with Liberty and all other gun safes is that they have a limited TL rating; you don't usually see a TL rating on residential gun safes, only a RSC (Residential Security Container). They offer limited resistance against a tool attack (attempted burglary/robbery).
Safes that are certified as burglary-resistant bear the metal label of Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
The UL’s rigorous testing is conducted by burglary experts using a variety of devices, including diamond grinding wheels, high-speed drills with pressure-applying devices, carbide-tip drills, and hand tools such as hammers and chisels. The tests are conducted under ideal laboratory conditions, unlike those a real burglar usually encounters. Security experts say it could take a typical burglar as much as three or four times longer to crack a UL-tested safe. Thus, the UL rating represents the minimum protection a safe is certified to provide.
Underwriters Laboratories uses 10 classifications or ratings for burglary-resistant safes. They are, in increasing order of protection: TL-15; Deposit Safe; TL-30; TRTL-30; TL-15X6; TL-30X6; TRTL-15X6; TRTL-30 X6; TRTL-60X6; TXTL-60X6. Each letter and number of the rating code represents a different aspect of security that the safe provides.
Burglar’s tools. TL means a safe is tool-resistant, TR means it’s torch-resistant, TRTL indicates that it’s tool- and torch-resistant, and TXTL stands for torch-, tool-, and explosives-resistant.
The highest rating is the TXTL safe, which is rated against an attack using explosives. Very few safe manufacturers made these and I believe only one manufacturer still makes them. If you have to have the ultimate in security (short of buying a bank vault from Diebold), you'll buy a Chubb. You'll also pay out the ass for it.
Extent of resistance. The numbers 15, 30, and 60 represent the number of minutes a safe will withstand a series of attacks. The longer a safe can resist a break-in, the more likely it is that burglars will flee and that police or security guards will arrive before any jewelry is stolen.
Sides of a Safe. X6 means a safe provides equal protection on all six sides (including top and bottom). When X6 isn’t listed, it means the safe provides protection only on its front face and door.
Thus, a TRTL-30X6 UL rating means a safe is certified to resist entry from torch and tools on all six sides for a half-hour. A TL-15 rating means a safe can resist physical attack from tools to its front face or door for 15 minutes. TXTL safes do not have a numerical rating.
For RSC rated safes, Browning is a good safe, as is any safe made by Amsec. Liberty Safes are good against fire and the average burglar. The higher end safes made by Liberty Safe (Lincoln, National, Presidential) have thicker bodies, as do their cousins from the National Safe Company (which was purchased a few years back by Liberty Safe Company). If you want a commercial safe that is rated for TRTL-x, you can get one that is used and reconditioned at a reasonable price and comparable to what you would pay for a residential gun safe.
Uncle Duke
Excellent info, thanks for sharing.