Gun Safes-Steel Gauges Used In Constructing the Body and Door.

Not all gun safes are built the same and one of the most telling differences is the security provided by the door and the body. The steel content of the door and the body of a gun safe, in conjunction with other construction features such as locks, locking bolts, re-lockers and hinges will determine how secure the gun safe is against a burglary attack. The thicker the steel the more protection the gun safe provides against burglars using cutting machinery.

The gun safe door is the first point of attack for burglars so it is important to research what materials are used in constructing the door. Most safe doors will feature much thicker steel than the gun safe body. Look for gun safe doors made with plate steel that is from one quarter inch (1/4”) to half an inch (1/2”) thick. Hollon Safe’sRepublic Series gun safe doors are 5” thick and are built using 3 gauge (1/4”) thick steel. Some gun safe doors may look thick but are actually only 1/16” plate wrapped around a layer of fire material. Steel is expensive and so are the valuables you are protecting, so be careful not to sacrifice security by purchasing a lightweight safe lacking good steel protection.

Generally, it is recommended that at a minimum, 10-gauge steel plate be used to construct the walls of a gun safe. Hollon gun safes use 9 gauge seamless. The thickness of steel used in the walls of most gun safes on the market today ranges from fourteen gauge (5/64”) to three gauge (1/4”). The thicker the steel used to construct the body of the gun safe the greater the protection against burglary attack by cutting. Also, the thicker the steel used the greater will be the weight of the gun safe.

The table below is based on the United States Code Classification Tables Sec. 206. Standard gauge for sheet and plate iron and steel.

Gauge	Frac. Inch	Dec. Inch	mm
0000000	1/2	.5	12.7
000000	15/32	.46875	11.90625
00000	7/16	.4375	11.1125
0000	13/32	.40625	10.31875
000	3/8	.375	9.525
00	11/32	.34375	8.73125
0	5/16	.3125	7.9375
1	9/32	.28125	7.14375
2	17/64	.265625	6.746875
3	1/4	.25	6.35
4	15/64	.234375	5.953125
5	7/32	.21875	5.55625
6	13/64	.203125	5.159375
7	3/16	.1875	4.7625
8	11/64	.171875	4.365625
9	5/32	.15625	3.96875
10	9/64	.140625	3.571875
11	1/8	.125	3.175
12	7/64	.109375	2.778125
13	3/32	.09375	2.38125
14	5/64	.078125	1.984375

Comparing Hollon Safes Republic and Reserve Gun Cabinets

Hollon Safes have two ranges of gun cabinets; the Republic range of fireproof gun cabinets and the Reserve range of gun cabinets. Both series of gun cabinets (gun safes) are, according to Hollon Safes, built to ‘far exceed California Department of Justice Regulatory Standards for Residential Security Containers’.

Not all gun cabinets are built the same and what makes one brand of gun cabinets more secure than another starts with the amount of steel used in the construction of the body and door. The Republic series of gun cabinets have ¼” (3 gauge) solid steel plate added to the entire door to for pry bar resistance and drill/ballistic armored hard plate to protect the lock. The body of the RG16, RG22 and RG39 gun cabinets are constructed of 9 gauge (5/32”) seamless steel and the RG45 gun cabinets of 1/8” steel. The doors and body of the Reserve Series of gun cabinets are constructed of slightly thinner,10 gauge (9/64”) thick steel, and like the Republic gun cabinets have drill/ballistic armored hard plate to protect the lock.

PRO RG-22 Fireproof Gun Safe with Organizer

PRO RG-45 Showing Locking Bolts

The following table compares other construction features incorporated in the security construction of the Republic and Reserve series of gun cabinets.

	Active Solid Steel Locking Bolts	Fixed Locking Bolts Hinged Side	3 Way Active Locking Bolts Covering all 4 Sides of Door	Active Spring Loaded Re-Locker	Pre-Drilled Anchor Holes
PDO-RG16	7 x 1 ½”	3 x 1 ½”	Yes	Yes	Yes
PDO-RG22	7 x 1 ½”	3 x 1 ½”	Yes	Yes	Yes
PDO-RG39	7 x 1 ½”	3 x 1 ½”	Yes	Yes	Yes
PDO-RG45	11 x 1 ½”	5 x 1 ½”	Yes	Yes	Yes
RSV922	7 x 1”	3 x 1”	Yes	Yes	Yes
RSV5930	7 x 1”	3 x 1”	Yes	Yes	Yes
RSV5939	7 x 1”	3 x 1”	Yes	Yes	Yes

Fire protection for guns held in gun cabinets is a critical feature when doing comparisons of the gun cabinets available in the market place. Both the Republic and Reserve series of gun cabinets are one hour fireproof rated at 1250 degrees F. To further protect valuables both series of gun cabinets have a heat activated expandable intumescent door seal designed to protect the safes interior from smoke and water.

The major differences when comparing the aesthetic features of the two safes is the high gloss powder coated exterior finish of the Republican Series and the inclusion of an organizer in the Republican gun cabinets. The following table compares the features of each of the gun cabinets in the Hollon Safes range.

	High Gloss Powder Coated Finish	Trim with Soft Plush Tan Interior	Full Length Adjustable/Removable Shelf	Small Adjustable/Removable Shelves	Removable Gun Rack
PDO-RG16	Yes	Yes	1	3	Yes
PDO-RG22	Yes	Yes	1	3	Yes
PDO-RG39	Yes	Yes	1	3	Yes
PDO-RG45	Yes	Yes	1	6	Yes
RSV922	Black Texture Powder Coated	Yes	1	3	Yes
RSV5930	Black Texture Powder Coated	Yes	1	3	Yes
RSV5939	Black Texture Powder Coated	Yes	1	3	Yes

In closing the major differences between the two series of gun cabinets are the gauge of steel used in their doors and bodies, the difference in diameter of the locking bolts and the exterior finish. This is reflected in the pricing of the gun cabinets. What this does provide is the flexibility for buyers to have exceptional gun safe security at a price and level to suit their requirements.