When choosing a gun safe, there are many factors to consider. One important factor is the rating of the safe. This gun safe rating guide will help you understand the different ratings and what they mean.
There are three main types of ratings: burglary, fire, and insurance. Burglary ratings are determined by how long it takes for a thief to break into the safe. Fire ratings are determined by how long the safe can withstand intense heat. Finally, insurance ratings determine how much money the insurer will reimburse you if your guns are stolen from your home.
In this gun safe rating guide, the most important thing we want you to remember when choosing a gun safe is to pick one that fits your needs. For example, you’ll want a safe with a high burglar rating if you have valuable guns. But if you stay in an area prone to wildfires, you’ll want a safe with a high fire rating. And if you’re concerned about reimbursement from your insurance company, you’ll want to choose a safe with a high insurance rating.
So how do you arrive at buying a gun safe that meets your needs? This gun safe rating guide is here to help.
Burglary ratings
All gun safes are not equal when it comes to burglary attempts. Every gun safe comes with a degree of protection that it will provide against attempted burglary attacks. This is why the insurance industry established the safe construction ratings to develop a standard that will determine the safety a gun safe can provide against burglary attempts.
The ratings are guidelines to help gun safe users decide which burglary rating is best for their protection. So before you buy a gun safe, there are ratings that can help you make informed, safe buying decisions.
These burglary ratings are founded on years of conversations with insurance company underwriters who set the maximum insurable limits for gun safes. The difference in ratings determines which value of items a gun safe can protect. The most common construction ratings are the B-Rate, B/C-Rate, and C-Rate. In this gun safe rating guide, we will discuss both the standard ratings and the more advanced ones too.
B-Rate gun safes
The B-Rate gun safe rating is the industry rating for any box with a lock. The B-Rate gun safes are also called the UL RSC (Residential Security Container). These safes are normally constructed with an unwritten standard of ¼ inch body and ½ inch door. Today, many gun safe manufacturers use 1/8 inch steel for the body. So both the 1/8 inch and the ¼ inch steel bodies are available on the market today. The ¼ inch steel body gun safes are more solid and provide more security against burglary than 1/8 inch steel body gun safes. Therefore, they also cost more than the 1/8 inch steel body gun safes.
When you decide to buy a B-Rated gun safe, make sure that you check how the locking mechanism, hard plate, and relockers. Note there was no testing before these ratings were provided.
B/C-Rate Gun Safes
This rating is a catch-all rating for gun safes with ½ inch door, a ¼ inch steel body, and an additional 10 or 12 gauge metal layers where composite fire-resistant materials are also deployed. Before you decide to buy a B/C-Rate gun safe, make sure you look at the locking mechanism, relockers, and other features. Note there was no testing before these ratings were provided.
C-Rate Gun Safes
C-Rate Gun safes are defined as ½ inch solid steel box with a 1 inch solid door and a lock. As before, look at the lock work, the relockers, and other features when buying a C-Rate gun safe. Note there was no testing before these ratings were provided.
TL-15 Rating
Any gun safe with a UL TL-15 rating passed standardized tests defined in UL Standard 687 using the same tools.
Construction Requirements
- The gun safe must have UL listed Group II, 1, or 1R combination locks. In addition, these gun safes may be provided with UL Listed High Security electronic locks, which MUST be rated “Type 1”.
- Must be at least750 pounds or have anchoring instructions in a larger gun safe, a concrete block, or on the premises where used.
- Body equivalent to at least 1″ open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 PSI.
- Walls are fastened as equivalent to a continuous 1/4″ penetration weld of open hearth steel with at least tensile strength of 50,000 PSI.
- A 1/4″ or less hole accommodates electrical conductors arranged to have no direct view of the door or locking mechanism.
Net Working Time Definition
The UL TL-15 means that the gun safe can resist entry for a NET working time of 15 minutes using hand tools, drills, punches, hammers, and pressure-applying devices.
The 15 minutes NET working time does not mean that it takes 15 minutes for a UL TL-15 rated gun safe to be broken into. The time it takes to break into a gun safe depends on the tools, the safe cracker’s skills, and how much they know about the safe. This is a common misunderstanding of UL ratings in general, and we think we should let you know in this gun safe rating guide. But also note that the higher the UL Burglar Rating, the more time and skills it takes to break into a gun safe.
TL-30 Rating
The construction requirements of TL-30 gun safes are similar to the TL-15 above. And the tests are essentially the same as the TL-15 test. The only difference is the net working time. This states that it will take more than 30 minutes for tools such as abrasive cutting wheels and power saws to gain entrance.
TL-30X6 Rating
The TL-30X6 rating means the TL-30 test was conducted on all six sides of the gun safe. It offers protection against standard mechanical and electrical hand tools (hand, picking, automatic or handheld electrical tools, carbide drills and pressure applying equipment or mechanisms, abrasive cutting wheels, and power saws).
Construction Requirements
- A UL Listed Group 2M, 1, 1R combination lock or Type 1 electronic lock should be required.
- It must be at least 750 pounds or comes with anchoring instructions in a bigger gun safe, a concrete block, or on the premises where used.
- Body equivalent to at least 1″ open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 PSI.
- Walls are fastened as equivalent to a continuous 1/4 inch penetration weld of open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 PSI.
- A 1/4″ or less hole accommodates electrical conductors arranged to have no direct view of the door or locking mechanism.
TRTL-30-X6
This rating means the gun safe is torch and tool resistance on all six sides for 30 minutes. This is the highest burglar rating on the market.
- TL – gun safe is Tool Resistant.
- TR – gun safe is Torch Resistant
- 30 minutes; this is the amount of time the safe can withstand an attack.
- X6 – burglary test is done on all six sides of the gun safe
What type of burglary rating is best?
In this gun safe rating guide, we recommend a B-Rate, B/C-Rate, or C-Rate gun safes, these ratings should be enough to give you some security in the home, especially if you are on a budget. For any safe, the most important thing we have stressed is how fast the safe can open when you need it to open. So, once you get that sorted out, a C-rate gun safe should be enough for personal use.
But a higher rating should be preferred if the gun safe is for business purposes. All in all, the gun safe you decide on should meet your needs as a gun owner.
Fire Ratings
Not all gun safes are fire resistant, so this is important to note if you are looking for a gun safe to keep your firearms and other valuables safe. In this gun safe rating guide, you will find different fire ratings available for different gun safes on the market. The testing to determine how long a gun safe can survive a fire is provided by testing from a variety of non-profit organizations such as Private Laboratory Testing, U.L (Underwriters Laboratory) Class of Fire Protection, K.I.S (Korean Industrial Standard) Fire Test, and European Fire Rating Standards among others.
Safe manufacturers who want to test for fire protection hire these reputable private laboratories to test and rate the gun safes. The recognized fire test is the U.L Class of Fire Protection.
Three basic tests are done to rate a gun safe; Fire Endurance Test, Explosion Hazard Test, and Fire Impact Test.
Fire Endurance Test
The Fire Endurance Test measures the degree to which a gun safe resists temperatures determined by standardized fire exposure conditions. The gun safe is placed in a cold furnace during this test, exposing all exterior surfaces except the bottom. Heat measuring equipment is placed in the safe and locked. The gun safe remains in the furnace for the period required for the desired classification.
Explosion Hazard Test
The Explosion Hazard Test determines whether the safe is protected against explosion if it comes under heat exposure. During the Explosion Hazard Test, the gun safe is placed inside a preheated furnace for 30 minutes at 2000 degrees. If the gun safe stands this treatment, then it passes the test.
Fire Impact Test
The Fire Impact Test measures the impact of heated conditions on the safe. In a case of fire, how is the gun safe affected?
Gun safes are grouped under classes A, B, C, D, and E. Gun safes in classes A, B, and C go through all three tests, and Gun safes under D and E do not take the Fire Impact Test. So we cannot ascertain the impact of fire on gun safes under these classifications.
The various gun safe classifications
| Classification | TIME IN FURNACE | TEMPERATURE REACHING |
| Class A | 4 hours | 2000 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Class B | 2 hours | 1850 degrees F |
| Class C | 1 hour | 1700 degrees F |
| Class D | 1 hour | 1700 degrees F |
| Class E | 30 minutes | 1550 degrees F |
What type of Fire rating is best?
In this gun safe rating guide, we recommend buying a minimum of 1 hour fire rated safe. This ensures you get adequate protection for your guns and other valuables you may keep in the safe. In the event of a typical home or business fire, a gun safe with less than 1 hour fire rating will not survive. So even if you are on a budget, select the gun safe with the longest fire protection you can afford.
Insurance Ratings
Insurance companies issue Insurance Ratings for gun safes. Insurance companies use the construction of the gun safe to determine a gun safe’s rating. The more solid the gun safe construction is, the higher the insurance rating.
Gun safes are rated from least to most secure using;
- B
- C
- E
- ER
- F
- G&A
The B Insurance Rating
The “B” insurance rating indicates that a gun safe has a wall less than ½ inch thick and a door less than 1 inch. This rating also shows that Underwriters Laboratories hasn’t tested the gun safe.
The C Insurance Rating
The “C” insurance rating indicates a gun safe wall of at least ½ inch thick and a door at least 1 inch thick. However, “C” rated gun safes haven’t been tested by Underwriters Laboratories.
The E Insurance Rating
The “E” insurance rating indicates a gun safe body of at least 1 inch thick and a door of at least 1 ½” thick. “E” is the final untested rating.
When it comes to insurance, it totally depends on you and the gun safe you are using because your gun safe insurance rating depends on the construction of the gun safe you have or want to buy.
Bottom Line
When choosing a safe gun, it is important to consider all the different rating factors. Burglary, fire, and insurance ratings can all play a role in determining which gun safe is right for you. By taking the time to research all the different options, you can be sure that you are choosing the gun safe that will best protect your firearms. We hope this gun safe rating guide gives you the information you need to choose the best gun safe.
