Best long gun safes and how many rifles really fit

Who this is for

This page is for owners whose collection is mostly rifles and shotguns: hunting rifles with scopes, a shotgun or two, perhaps a modern sporting rifle with an optic. The threats are the same as for any gun safe (children and visitors, a break-in, a fire), and so is our order of evidence: a UL burglary listing first, then published steel and lock, then fire evidence. What's different is fit. A long-gun safe that can't hold your scoped rifles without knocking optics against each other isn't the right safe, however good its listing.

Mostly handguns? See our overall gun safe ranking and our handgun safe hub instead. Only one or two long guns, and the goal is keeping children out? A gun cabinet may be enough.

Advertised capacity vs what fits

A gun count is a rack count: the number of barrel slots, each holding a slim, unscoped long gun. Liberty's own spec pages say it plainly: "Gun capacity may vary depending upon size of guns and scopes." Only one maker in this group publishes a realistic figure next to the maximum. Steelwater lists the SW592818 at a maximum of 20 long guns with an "average recommended" capacity of 12-16, and the HD593924 at a maximum of 39 with an average of 24-30 (Steelwater's HD593924 page). For those two safes, the realistic number is roughly 60 to 80 percent of the maximum. Nobody else here publishes a realistic figure, so treat every other count as the ceiling.

The figures come from each maker's product page (Liberty's for the Franklin, Winchester's for the Ranger), linked from the cards below and in the sources. Our gun safe size guide walks through estimating your own number.

Depth decides scoped rifles

Height is easy to check: every published interior height above runs from 53.5 to 56.5 in, so compare it with your longest firearm. Depth is the number that decides whether scoped rifles fit, because a scope, a bolt handle or a bipod takes up front-to-back room that a rack count ignores. On this page, published interior depth runs from 14.25 in (SW592818) to 20.5 in (Franklin 29).

Steelwater adds one more lesson: it lists a "usable" depth 2 3/8 in shallower than the raw interior on the SW592818 and 2 3/4 in shallower on the HD593924. The product pages don't break down what takes up the difference, but it's a reminder that the published interior isn't all yours once shelving, racks and a door organizer go in. Plan around the smaller number when a maker gives you both.

What about fire?

Only one safe on this page has a fire rating an independent lab verified: the AMSEC SF6030, at an ETL-verified 60 minutes at 1,200°F. Every other figure is the maker's own, at furnace temperatures from 1,200°F to 1,875°F, so the minutes aren't directly comparable. If fire is a first-order worry for your collection, our fire-rated gun safe ranking starts with the ETL-verified safes. Its top two, the AMSEC BFX6030 and NF6036, also carry a UL RSC listing and publish interiors more than 18 in deep.

Which pick for which collection

• A handful of scoped hunting rifles and a shotgun or two, bought on Amazon: the Stealth UL28.
• Large optics or bipods, with a Liberty dealer nearby: the Franklin 29, for its 20.5 in depth.
• A big collection that's still growing: the Kodiak KGX5933W for a listed safe, or the Steelwater HD593924 for a published realistic capacity of 24-30.
• Fire as a first concern: the AMSEC SF6030, the only ETL-verified fire rating here.
• A mid-size collection with no need for a listing: the Steelwater SW592818, with its honest 12-16 figure.

How we scored and ranked

Every safe is scored on our published gun-safe rubric (see how we rate): an independent burglary certification is 30% of the score, construction 20%, fire protection evidence 20%, lock and entry 15%, fit and usability 10% and support 5%. Fit is where published interior dimensions and honest capacity figures earn credit. The UL RSC listing still leads, for the reason UL's own description makes clear: RSC Level 1 is a "five-minute attack by one technician using common hand tools such as drills, screwdrivers and hammers" (UL's notice on the revised RSC standard), and it's the only burglary evidence at this level of the market that comes from outside the factory. Our explainers on the UL RSC rating, steel gauge and fire ratings cover each input. We didn't lab-test or load any of these safes; the fit judgments come from the published dimensions above.

The picks in context

1. Stealth UL28

The UL28 combines the three things a rifle owner should want most: a maker-stated UL RSC listing, a 12-gauge door and body with twelve 1.25 in bolts, and published interior dimensions with 16.5 in of depth. It weighs 529 lb and comes with bolt-down hardware. The 60-minute fire rating at 1,200°F is the maker's own.

2. Liberty Franklin 29

The deepest published interior on this page, 20.5 in, is the Franklin's reason to be here, along with an 11-gauge body and ten 1/4-in locking bars. The UL RSC rating comes from a retailer's spec sheet; Liberty's page says "UL-Listed safe body." It's sold through Liberty dealers, needs a 29.5-in doorway per Liberty, and weighs 760 lb.

3. Kodiak KGX5933W

Rhino Metals states a UL RSC certification and California DOJ compliance for this 12-gauge safe with a maker-stated 41-long-gun count, the largest UL RSC count on this page. The product page publishes exterior dimensions (59 x 33 x 23 in) but not the interior, so ask the seller for interior depth before counting on scoped rifles.

4. Winchester Ranger 26

Winchester states the RSC listing outright and publishes a 17 in deep interior. The Ranger ships with a dehumidifier, a motion-sensing light and a power dock, which makes it a ready-to-use rifle safe. Its fire rating is Winchester's own claim.

5. AMSEC SF6030

A 19 in deep interior and the only fire rating on this page an independent lab verified (ETL, 60 minutes at 1,200°F). It has no UL RSC listing named on AMSEC's page, which is why it ranks below the listed safes, and it's sold through AMSEC dealers.

6. Steelwater Extreme Duty 39 (HD593924)

The widest body here (39 in) and one of the two safes with a published realistic capacity, 24-30 long guns. It has 9-gauge steel and 20 bolts of 1.5 in diameter, but no burglary listing, and at 932 lb it's a slab-floor safe.

7. Hollon Republic RG-22

A 16 in deep interior behind a 3-gauge door and a 10-gauge body, among the heaviest published steel in this group. It carries no UL listing, and Hollon's series page doesn't name the lock, so confirm the version you're buying; the Amazon listing describes a dial lock and a 1-hour fire rating, while Hollon's page lists 120 minutes.

8. Steelwater Heavy Duty 20 (SW592818)

The honest-capacity pick for a mid-size collection: 20 slots, 12-16 realistic, 11 7/8 in usable depth, 12-gauge steel and a bypass key. It's unlisted, so it's a strong-spec access box rather than a rated safe.

How to measure before you buy

1. List what you own now and what you'll likely add. Count scoped rifles, unscoped rifles and shotguns separately, and handguns on their own line.
2. Measure the longest firearm overall and compare it with the interior height. Every published interior height on this page is over 53 in, but check shelving: a full-height rack section is where long guns stand.
3. Measure the widest point of each scoped rifle front to back (often at the scope turrets or the bolt handle) and compare it with the usable depth, not the raw interior depth, leaving room for the door panel.
4. Discount the maker's count. Use the maker's realistic figure where one is published. Where it isn't, the Steelwater ratios above (roughly 60 to 80 percent of the maximum) are a reasonable planning check, not a promise.
5. Check the route in. Measure doorways, stairs and turns against the exterior dimensions plus the handle. Liberty lists a 29.5-in minimum doorway for the Franklin 29.

Set up the interior for rifles

Store scoped rifles so their optics don't touch each other. Put a hygrometer in the safe and read our guide to gun safe humidity levels before choosing a dehumidifier. Several safes here include power outlets (the Ranger 26's power dock, for example), which makes a plug-in dehumidifier or light easy to add.

Weight, floor and anchoring

Long-gun safes are heavy. On this page the published weights run from 453 lb (SW592818) to 932 lb (HD593924). Put the safe on a floor that can carry it, ideally a slab, and bolt it down using the maker's anchor holes before you load it. Our guides to whether your floor can support a gun safe and how to bolt one down cover both. UL's revised RSC standard requires safes of 750 lb or less to pass a drop test unless they're reliably mounted with the maker's installation provisions, which is one more reason to anchor a lighter listed safe like the UL28.

Long-gun safe mistakes

• Buying on the headline gun count. It's the unscoped maximum. Scoped rifles take far more room.
• Ignoring depth. Similar counts can hide very different depths: the 28-gun UL28 has 16.5 in, the 29-gun Franklin 20.5 in. Depth decides whether your optics fit.
• Counting door slots as rifle slots. Door storage holds handguns and accessories, not long guns.
• Sizing for today only. A safe that's full on delivery day will be too small after the next purchase.
• Skipping the lock plan. If you're ever locked out of an electronic lock, use the maker's key or backup procedure as the manual describes, then contact the maker or a licensed locksmith.