Hollon Republic Series Fireproof Gun Safe Cabinets – How Do They Shape Up.

Experts in this field of gun safe cabinets, locksmiths and vendors alike, agree that there are a number of recommended guidelines for purchasers to follow when buying a gun safe cabinet. These recommendations are well documented on the internet and this article is not going to re-hash the reasons for following the recommendations. Rather, the purpose of this article is to summarize the guidelines and then compare the recommendations with the specifications for the Hollon Gun Safe Cabinet Republic Series.

What to look for when buying a gun safe cabinet:

• How many rifles do you want to secure now and consider what future requirements you may have.
• Safe doors with plate steel ¼" to ½" thick
• Safe bodies constructed of 10 gauge steel or thicker
• Constructed using continuous welds not stitch welds.
• Dial, digital or biometric lock

• 

  PRO RG39 Gun Safe with Pocket Door
  Organizer and Opening 180 Degrees

  A minimum of two locking bolts on each of the safes four sides
• Hardened steel locking bolts 1" to 1½" in diameter.
• A relocker of some form is essential.
• Preferably external hinges
• Pre-drilled anchor holes for anchoring the safe in position.
• Preferable the gun safe cabinet should be fireproof.
• A fireproof gun cabinet should have an expandable door seal.

How does the PRO Republic Series compare:

Coming in four sizes, holding from sixteen (16) to forty-five (45) rifles, and having security for pistols using the pocket door organizer the PRO Republic gun safe cabinet series has the range of safes to suit your requirements now and into the future.

5' Doors with 1 1/2" Locking Bolts

Having doors 5" thick with ¼" (3 gauge) solid steel plate added to the entire door for pry bar resistance and drill/ballistic armored hard plate to protect the lock the Republic series gun cabinet doors are well constructed to resist burglary attempts.

The body of the RG45 gun safe cabinet is constructed of 1/8" seamless steel

Unlike the body construction of RG16, RG22 and RG39 gun safe cabinets, which are constructed of nine (9) gauge (5/32") seamless steel the steel used in the RG45 gun safe is one eighth inch 1/8” seamless.

Debate is strong in the industry over what is the best lock for a gun safe with a number of people considering combination locks more durable and trouble free than digital locks and biometric locks even though they are slower to open. Combination locks come standard with the PRO gun cabinet.

Importantly all the Republic Series Gun Safe come with locking bolts on the hinge side. This is especially important due to the safes having external hinges. With the exception of the PDO-RG45 gun safe cabinet, which has eleven (11) active steel locking bolts plus five (5) fixed locking bolts on the hinged side, the other gun safes in the PRO series have seven (7) active steel locking bolts and three (3) on the hinged side. All the locking bolts are 1 to 1 1/2" diameter chrome plated solid steel.

An active spring loaded re-locker to prevent punch attacks comes standard with each gun cabinet in the series.

To allow the safe door to open a full 180 degree door opening the Republic series safes are constructed with external hinges.

While the gun safes may be quite heavy a determined burglar will still find a way of moving a safe so each gun safe cabinet comes with pre-drilled anchor holes.

Three layers of fireboard in the door and two layers in the body provide Torch Resistant Fire Rated protection of one hour at 1250 degrees F. To protect the safes interior, and the valuables it contains from smoke and water, the PRO series of safes have a heat activated expandable intumescent door seal.

The PRO Republic Series gun safes not only meet the recommendations but in many instances exceeds the recommendations living up to the Hollon Safes core value of ‘constructing safes to the top of industry standards and then a little higher to ours’.

A Biometric Safe - Reasons To Purchase

One of the most popular burglary safe options available is a biometric safe using fingerprint technology.  A fingerprint safe or as they are more rightly called, a biometric safe, are becoming more and more popular for a number of good reasons and the number one reason is their ease of opening. No longer do biometric safe users have the worry of remembering combinations, keeping keys hidden and in emergencies fumbling with opening the safe.

Biometric Lock with Finger Scanner

Before deciding on a biometric safe, it is well worth looking at the options available to see which one is the most suitable. Options include biometric pistol safes, gun safes and wall safes all of which are suitable as home or office safes.

All you need to do to access guns or valuables stored in a biometric safe is a quick scan of your fingerprint. Place your finger on a fingerprint reader pad or slot and have quick and effortless access to guns and ammo in an emergency. The reader recognizes fingerprints held in the memory of the biometric safe and the safe opens quickly and easily. Because everyone has a unique fingerprint pattern and because user fingerprints are pre-programmed into the biometric safe memory, users can rest easy knowing when the reader is touched only they can crack the safe. A good biometric safe allows multiple users to register their fingerprints.

Most biometric safe manufacturers include some form of external override system in the safe’s design to safeguard against the batteries powering the biometric scanner failing. External biometric safe overrides can be a power override that is plugged into the safe to activate the fingerprint scanner to open the safe as normal, or a mechanical key override where a key is inserted in the safe door and used to manually unlock the safe. Where an override key is provided, remember not to lock the key inside the biometric safe for safekeeping.

BARSKA Biometric Drawer Safe

In the home, biometric pistol safes keep guns secure; keep guns safe from inquisitive children and at the same time keep pistols a fingertip away. For pistol owners, high-end fireproof biometric pistol safes combine fire and burglary protection security with the required quick access.

No longer do you need to remember the right safe combination or search for that elusive key. Whether it is an emergency or not, with a biometric safe you'll never have to worry about not being able to open your safe again.

Gun Safes – Twelve Key Recommendations for Buyers

The following twelve rules of thumb for buyers purchasing gun safes have been compiled using the blog articles, videos and commentary of locksmiths and industry experts in this field. In their commentary about what to look for when buying gun safes these well-regarded experts all refer to these recommendations in one form or another. The reasons for following these gun safe cabinet recommendations are well documented on the internet and this article is not going to re-hash these reasons. Rather, the purpose of this article is to summarize the guidelines to provide buyers with a framework of what to look for when purchasing  gun safes.

Recommendations for buying a gun safe cabinet:

• Know what the gun safe cabinet is to be used for now and what your future requirement might be.
• Gun safe cabinet doors made of plate steel ¼” to ½” thick
• Safe bodies constructed of 10 gauge steel or thicker
• Constructed using continuous welds not stitch welds.
• The gun safe cabinet can have a dial, digital or biometric lock
• A minimum of two locking bolts on each of the gun safes four sides
• Locking bolts made of hardened steel and 1”to 1 ½ “in diameter.
• Locking bolts on the hinge side of the gun safe cabinet door - minimum of two
• The safe should come with a relocker.
• Preferably external hinges but must have a minimum of two locking bolts on the hinge side.
• A gun safe cabinet should have pre-drilled anchor holes
• Preferable the gun safe cabinet should be fireproof.
• A fireproof gun safe cabinet should have an expandable door seal.

Locking Bolts on the PRO RG45
Republic Series Gun Safes

1 1/2" Chrome Plated Locking Bolts
Hollon PRO Republic Series gun Safes

Many gun safes on the market do meet and exceed the criteria listed above. It is then up to the buyer to weigh up which gun safe cabinet gives them the value for money for their budget.

AX11678 Quick Access Biometric Gun Safe

The AX11678 Biometric Gun Safe provides access to your guns and ammunition quickly and effortlessly using a quick scan of your fingerprints.  The owner of a biometric gun safe can register up to 120 user fingerprints that can be recognized by the high-tech finger recognition scanner to enable opening of the state of the art locking mechanism. Registering fingerprints for the biometric gun safe is very easy and takes only a matter of seconds and only the registered users you have selected can open the safe.

No longer do you need to remember the right combination or find the right key when you own a biometric gun safe. Storing firearms in a biometric gun safe at home is being responsible; however, you also need to be able to access your firearms in an emergency and in most cases that emergency will happen at night. The dark of night and you being under stress will make it very difficult to enter a combination or enter a keypad code to access your gun safe. Should such a stressful situation arise all it takes to open your biometric gun safe is a simple touch of the finger in the correct position against the locking mechanism and the lock will open giving  immediate access to your weapons.

The AX11652 biometric gun safe stores up to 4 rifles securely and comes with a removable storage shelf for guns, ammo or both.

The AX11678 Biometric Gun Safe at a Glance:

Exterior Dimensions	8.6" x 9.8" x 52.17"
Interior Dimensions	6.3" x 9.7" x 52"
Cubic Feet
Weight	66 Lbs.

• New Silent Access Feature
• Allows you to mute beeping notification
• Holds up to 120 different users
• Three point dead-bolt locking system
• Operates on 4-AA batteries (included)
• CA DOJ Approved
• Includes set of emergency back-up keys and mounting hardware
• Internal 4 position barrel rest
• Steel Construction
• Black
• One Year Warranty
• 120 Fingerprint memory
• Biometric fingerprint
• Not Fireproof
• 2mm Body Thickness

Overview of BARSKA Biometric Safes

AX11224

Open the AX11224 Biometric safe with the touch a finger to access your valuables, guns or medicines. The advanced bio-technology used in the biometric safe holds up to 30 different users but only recognizes the the prints you nominate. All other prints are shut out.

AX11620

Designed for small spaces the small AX11620 but very convenient biometric safe allows the safe to be secured into hideaways in a wall, on a counter or in a draw using the pre-drilled holes. The contents of the biometric safe are only accessible to the person whose prints are stored in the safe. No more keys to carry or combinations to remember with this 30 user biometric safe.

AX11556

Featuring a top opening dual hydraulic hinge the AX11556 biometric safe is designed to fit into a drawer. Designed as a drawer safe the fingerprint scanner is conveniently located on top of the safe allowing quick, secure access to valuables using one finger scanning. The AX11556 biometric safe can store 30 different fingerprints.







Ax11650

The AX11650 biometric safe is a large safe using biometric technology that can store fingerprints for up to 120 users. Functionality is not lost with size and this biometric safe still gives you the ability to keep valuables secured while allowing quick and effortless access weapons in an emergency.





AX11652

With a biometric safe for your guns all you need is a quick scan of your fingerprint to access your guns and ammo quickly and effortlessly in any emergency. The AX11652 biometric gun safe stores up to 4 rifles securely and comes with a removable storage shelf for guns, ammo or both. The biometrics of this biometric safe allows you to register fingerprints in seconds and can hold as many as 120 users.

AX11644

Access to your biometric safe has been bought to a new level with this compact safe having three methods of opening. Each of the access methods functions independently providing the owner with peace of mind that under all circumstances the safes contents can be accessed. The biometrics of the AX11644biometric safe can register 32 users allowing quick opening by simply scanning a fingerprint; a numeric keypad function allows access to the safe when no fingerprint is available; a backup key for those instances where the battery is dead and the keypad combination has been forgotten.

AX11646

The Standard AX11646 biometric safe/keyboard safe offers the versatility of having both biometric and keyboard access with the backup of a key. Each of the access methods functions independently of the other to provide peace of mind that valuables and weapons can be accessed in an emergency. For quick access, the biometric safe simply requires the scanning of the fingerprint of one of the 32 different users stored in memory. When no one with fingerprint access for the biometric safe is available the numeric keypad function can be provided to gain access to the safe.

AX11648
The Large AX11648 is also a multi-access biometric safe suitable for home or office featuring the versatility of fingerprint, keyboard and key access. Where access is required outside normal operating parameters, eg the user/s with biometric access are unavailable, and because the multi-access features of the biometric safe operate independently, owners can delegate access to valuables and weapons using one of the alternative methods. The simplicity and quick access of fingerprint biometrics access combined with alternative keypad

Gun Safe Cabinets – Hinges, Anchor Holes, Fireproofing and Door Seals

Buying gun safe cabinets is an investment, an investment in the protection of your guns and valuables, and how much you spend will depend on the value of what you are protecting. Look for well-constructed gun safe cabinets and you will be able to rest easier that your guns and valuables are protected against burglary and fire.

Should gun safe cabinets have internal or external hinges?

If you require the gun safe cabinets door to open wider, to a full 180 degrees or the door to be removed for transport or servicing then external hinges are advised. While internal hinges enhance the look of the safe giving it a sleek, modern appearance from a security perspective external hinges provide no less security than internal hinges. Gun safe cabinets with locking bolts on all four sides of the door will remain locked in place even when external hinges are sawn off.

Do gun safe cabinets need pre-drilled anchor holes?

Gun safe cabinets with good steel protection are heavy and are even heavier when fully loaded. Your gun safe will not be too heavy for burglars armed with a pallet and pallet jack to remove the safe from your premises. Whenever possible all gun safe cabinets should be anchored in place with heavy-duty fasteners. Look for safes with pre-drilled anchor holes.

Do gun safe cabinets need to be fireproof?

Non fire resistant gun safe cabinets are nothing more than a big metal oven. Adding fire resistance to your safe is a big decision and needs to be made taking into account the odds of their being a fire. Statistics show that your guns are more likely to be fire damaged than stolen. Spend the extra money and get the fireproofing in any safe you buy.

Do the doors of gun safe cabinets need to be sealed to keep out water and smoke?

Smoke and water damage are the direct effects of a fire. The fire generates a great deal of smoke while the gallons of water poured onto the fire to extinguish it create clouds of steam. All this smoke, water and steam needs to be isolated from the contents of gun safe cabinets. Look for gun safe cabinets that come with a heat activated intumescent expandable door seal.  Intumescent seals swell as a result of heat to seal out smoke and water.

Gun Safes – Door Locks and Locking Bolts

What locking device should be installed?

Gun safes can come with combination dial locks or electronic locks. Which is the better can depend on who you are talking to at the time. While combination locks are slower to open than electronic locks there are a number of people who consider combination locks more durable and trouble free than digital locks. When using combination locks with gun safes you must remember to relock the gun safe by spinning the handle and working the handle. This process is sometimes forgotten when securing the gun safes door and results in the gun safe being left unlocked.  For some this is considered a disadvantage. If considering a combination lock look for gun safes with a quality lock similar to the S&G 6730.

The majority of customers prefer digital locks for their gun safes because they are considerably faster to open and on closing lock automatically. Not only are digital locks quicker to open they also have the added security of allowing owners to change and enter their own combination. Digital locks use batteries and while there are reports of the batteries lasting several years, it is highly recommended they be changed annually. The owner can change the batteries. Around eighty percent of gun safes being sold today are sold with digital locks.

How many and what diameter locking bolts are needed?

Ensure the door has a minimum of two (2) locking bolts on each of the gun safes four sides. Gun safes with hinges on the outside must have locking bolts on both sides of the door. If the safe only has bolts on the left side of the door and the hinges are cut off the gun safes door can be removed. Avoid gun safes with bolts on only one or three sides. Eight (8) bolts on a door is acceptable so long as they are on each of the door’s four sides, are hardened steel and of sufficient diameter. Generally speaking the more bolts the better the security however anything over twelve (12) bolts is probably not worth the cost.

1.5" Active Chrome Locking Bolt Used in Hollon Safes Republic Series Gun Safes

While some good gun safes have 9/16 inch diameter bolts you should be looking at bolt size diameters of 1” or 1.5”. To ensure gun safes remains locked during a burglary attack make sure the gun safe comes with a relocker. Relockers are designed to either block the main bolt work from retracting or block the door from opening.