TL-15 vs TL-30 vs RSC: how the safe burglary ratings compare

The burglary-rating ladder

Burglary ratings come in two kinds: descriptions of how a safe is built, and results of a timed attack in a lab. Only the second kind is a test. Here is the ladder from the bottom, using UL's own descriptions for RSC (UL), UL's scope for the TL classes (UL 687), and a safe dealer's summary for TL tools and construction (Safe and Vault Store).

Two cautions on reading that table. The RSC and TL tests are separate standards, so the minutes don't translate one to one. And the "typical buyer" column is guidance, not a rule: nothing stops a homeowner from buying a TL-30 safe, and plenty of businesses use RSC safes. Our UL RSC rating explainer covers the residential standard in more depth.

What "net working time" means

The number in a TL rating is not the length of a burglary. Safe and Vault Store explains that the 15 or 30 is "the net working time in minutes during which the safe must resist a tool attack under UL 687", and that "net working time counts only the seconds when tools are actually in contact with the safe." Setup, planning and breaks are not on the clock.

Construction rules sit around the timed test. The same dealer lists a minimum weight for TL-15 and TL-30 safes of "750 lbs or bolted to concrete", and says "the body must resist a 5-minute attempt by TL-30 tools to create a six square inch opening", even though the full-length test hits the door and front face. UL's scope for UL 687 confirms that split: TL-15, TL-30 and TRTL-30 are tested against "the door and front face", while the X6 classes are tested against "the door and body".

RSC has its own weight line. UL says RSC products weighing 750 pounds or less must pass a drop test unless they have reliable mounting provisions and installation instructions. Either way, the lesson for a buyer is the same: a burglary rating assumes a safe that is either very heavy or properly anchored.

The safes side by side

One TL-30 gun safe and three RSC safes from our registry. Every cell links to its source; a dash means the figure isn't published in the sources we checked.

What the TL-30 adds, on paper

The cleanest comparison is within one maker. The AMSEC RF6528 is rated TL-30 on a dealer spec sheet, and AMSEC's own archived product page calls it "The only UL TL-30 rated gun safe on the market". The AMSEC BFX6030 carries a UL RSC Level 1 rating. Both use a mechanical dial as standard, and both carry the same warranty wording. Here is where they part:

• Door. A 6-in-thick high-security composite door on the RF6528 against a 1/2-in steel plate door on the BFX6030.
• Body. A 3-in overall steel body thickness against an 11-gauge outer wall and 12-gauge inner liner with concrete insulation between them. Our steel gauge explainer converts gauge to inches.
• Weight and size. 3,455 lb and 72 x 35 x 29.25 in against 1,081 lb and 59.25 x 30 x 26 in, for a similar maker-stated gun count (24 plus 2 on the door, against 22 plus 2).
• Fire evidence. This is where the TL-30 safe does not win. AMSEC describes the RF6528's 120 minutes at 1,850°F as "independently certified" without naming the lab, so we treat it as a maker claim. The BFX6030's 120 minutes at 1,200°F is ETL-verified. A higher claimed temperature is not stronger evidence; our guide to safe fire ratings explains why.

On our published gun-safe rubric, the RF6528 earns the top marks for burglary certification and construction but loses ground on fire evidence (no lab named) and on fit (3,455 lb), which is why its overall score sits just below the BFX6030's. A burglary rating is one input, weighted at 30%, not the whole score. The RF6528 also offers five lock choices at order, four mechanical dials or an ESL10 electronic lock; how those two lock types compare is covered in electronic vs mechanical safe locks.

Why TL-rated safes are rarely on Amazon

TL-rated safes are commercial-grade and rarely sold on Amazon. The RF6528, the only one in our registry, is sold through AMSEC dealers, and its link on this page is a plain reference, not an affiliate link. Weight is part of the reason a dealer is involved: a 3,455-lb safe needs a delivery plan and a floor that can carry it, which our guide to whether your floor can support a gun safe helps you check.

RSC safes are the opposite. Several listed models are sold on Amazon, including the AMSEC NF6036 and the Stealth UL28 above. Our best UL RSC gun safes ranking covers every listed gun safe in our registry and shows where each listing claim comes from.

Where B-rate and C-rate fit

You will see "B-rate" and "C-rate" in some safe listings. They are not tests. Safe and Vault Store's ratings page says of each: "No tests are given to provide this rating" ( Safe and Vault Store). It describes a B-rate safe as having a "¼ inch body, ½ inch door" and a C-rate safe as "a ½" thick steel box with a 1" thick door and a lock."

So a C-rate tells you about thick steel, but no lab attacked it. An RSC listing tells you a lab attacked the safe with tools, though the safe itself may use thinner steel; the Stealth UL28 is 12 gauge. They are different kinds of evidence. None of the safes in our registry is sold on a B- or C-rate, and we don't score one as a burglary listing.

Who should buy which

• Most households storing firearms: a UL RSC safe, bolted down. Level 1 is what the listed gun safes in our registry state.
• Households worried about fire as much as burglary: an RSC safe whose fire rating an outside lab verified, such as the AMSEC BFX6030 or NF6036.
• Collections or valuables whose value justifies commercial protection: a TL-15 or TL-30 safe from a dealer, with the floor and delivery planned first. Safe dealers frame TL ratings around the value of what's inside; if an insurer or a regulation sets a requirement for you, buy to that written requirement.
• Families whose main worry is children: any of these is more than the job needs. A listed lock box or a locked cabinet addresses access; our guide to storing guns safely with kids covers the options.