These products are made by Rhino Metals out of Caldwell, Idaho (close to Boise).  They are a US owned company, but do source products from around the world to build their safes.  While they make the Rhino series of safes in the US, the Bighorn series are made to their specifications oversees and imported.

Each Bighorn 19ECB has a 3MM thick steel body, which is just close to 11 gauge (most gun safes are thinner at 12 gauge).  UL testing shows that a metal thickness of less than 12 gauge (.105″) can be defeated with a cold chisel and hand sledge hammer in less than 5 minutes. Remember, the lower the gauge number, the thicker the steel.  It features external hinges to allow you to open the door 180 degrees as well as remove the door for easier transport (when removing the door, make sure you have a couple guys as it weighs about 150 pounds).  The door bolts are 1″ thick which is standard on most gun safes of this size and price.  The Bighorn does have a typical fire rating for most safes in this price point.  It is 1200 degrees for 30 minutes.

Each Bighorn Classic has two internal relockers and a seamless continuously welded body.  The door is a composite (made of several different pieces of steel) with drill-resistant armor.  All but the smallest safe in this series are California DOJ compliant and certified as a UL certified residential security container.  The model 19ECB weighs 407 pounds and has 19 cubic feet of interior space.  It claims a rifle capacity of 24 long guns, but I am always skeptical at that!

The warranty on these safes is not as unconditional as others such as Cannon safes.  If the safe is used in a residential application and you are the original owner and it was purchased from a Bighorn dealer and you have proof of purchase and you have a written statement, photographs of safe, and police report, Rhino will repair the safe.  Initially they will try to have it repaired and/or opened on-site by an authorized dealer.  If it must be returned to the factory for repair or replacement, you must then package and palletize the safe and make it available for curb side pickup.  Rhino will pay for the shipping.  If you fail to bolt the safe down, it voids the warranty.  The locks are only warranties for 1 year, regardless.

In summary, I think this is a decent purchase.  I personally think the Cannon Safe deal at Costco is maybe a better purchase.  Cannon has a better reputation and while that warranty is only 1 year, it doesn’t come with all these gotchas.

I was surprised to see that Menards had a 28 gun Cannon gun safe on sale for just $399.  Wow.  A name brand gun safe that large for that cheap?  I know that stores like to almost give away things on black Friday to get people into their stores, but this seemed too good to be true.  The next day, I got my Costco circular in the mail that comes with all the ads for the upcoming month.  And wouldn’t you guess, but there was another Cannon Safari safe on sale for $449.

I figured that this has to be a super cheap model or something to sell it for so cheap.  I decided to do some research and understand what both these companies were selling.

•  Costco claims to be selling a Cannon Safe Safari 5521 DLX Executive Vault at a $150 discount for $450.  It is 240 pounds with a 20 minute fire rating and electronic lock.  It is 21″ x 17″ x 55″.
• The Menard’s safe is a little larger at 29″ x 20″ x 59″.  They claim it is a 28 gun fire safe that weighs 382 pounds with an electronic lock and a 30 minute fire protection.  Unfortunately, there was no information on Menard’s website about this safe.

In doing a Google search, I can see that Cannon sells the Safari line at while many large retailers like Cabelas, Walmart, and even Sears sell Cannon Safes, but only some safe specialty websites talk about the Safari line.  It appears that in 2011, Cannon reworked their entire safe offerings.  They expanded to additional models and discontinued the Safari line.

I could not find the 5521 model, nor another 28 gun model in that low price point on most of these big box retailer sites.  I did find a reference to the Safari line on a couple smaller safe websites and at Sam’s club.  The sites that still displayed information about this line said that is is made of uni-body construction and 12 gauge steel.  It appears to have a lightweight fireproof interior, but this is really just sheetrock, which is probably the lowest form of fireproofing used in safes.

Cannon Safes has an excellent warranty that includes 100% replacement for the safe after a fire or burglary attempt/entry.  This is one of the best warranties in the safe business.  Interestingly, the Costco safe has only a 1 year warranty.  The Menards one was not listed on this website and so I am not sure of their warranty.

I contacted Cannon to see if I could understand the warranty issue on the Costco safe.  Here is an excerpt of the chat I had with them:

• Cannnon Rep: Thank you for contacting Cannon safe/Gunvault how can i help you today
• Todd Christiansen: I saw that Costco’s website has one of your Safes, the Cannon Safe Safari 5521 DLX Executive Vault available at an excellent price. Their website says it is only a 1 year warranty. I thought all your safes have a lifetime warranty. Can you explain?
• Cannnon Rep : its is a entry level safe
• Todd Christiansen: Even your Scout series, which is your current entry-level gun safe, has a lifetime warranty. Why the change?
• Cannnon Rep : no that is a cannon safe and the difference is the lock, re locking pin
• Todd Christiansen: But the one at Costco is labelled as a Cannon Safe. Is that not your product?
• Cannnon Rep : [yes] but that is a safe made specially for Costco with there [sic] specs
• Todd Christiansen: I see. Didn’t Cannon previously sell a Safari series of safes about 1 year ago? Isn’t that the same series?
• Cannnon Rep : yes we did but not with those specs. they were large rifle safes and manufactured 3 years ago
• Todd Christiansen: During the 1 year, would I contact Cannon or Costco for Warranty issues?
• Cannnon Rep : cannon safe
• Todd Christiansen: Great. Thank you.

This explains a bit about this.  Many other big box retailers such as Cabellas, Home Depot, and Dicks have safe’s OEM’d for them and put their name on the product.  In reality, they are made by Liberty Safe, Stack-On or someone else.  In Costco’s case, this is made by Cannon, but the marketing person must have figured that having the Cannon name would add value (and they were correct).  I assume the Menard’s version of the Cannon safe is the same deal.

Since I have not seen either of these safes, you should do some additional research when you see them in person.  Are these really 12 gauge, do they have any extra features not listed?  Just understand what you are buying.

This is one heck of a price point for a decent fire-proof gun safe.  This is not the best gun safe out there compared to the Sturdy gun safe, but if you are looking for a name brand gun safe that can hold a decent number of guns and is fire-proof, I think this is worth the purchase at that price point.

I am not suggesting that you open your 1000 pound gun safe and deposit everything including your watch and rings into that massive safe every night.  Maybe just by adding a couple extra steps, you can significantly upgrade your home security.  Here are some thoughts:

• A diversion safe is an ordinary looking object that has a false bottom or back to it.  This can be a Coke can or shaving cream can sitting on your counter that looks normal enough.  If you unscrew the bottom, you reveal a container that can hold your cash.  There are also book diversion safes like you would see in the movies.  No locks, just something ordinary that a thief may not think twice about.
• A small electronic drawer safe that fits inside your dresser or nightstand drawer can hold all your valuables at the end of the night.  It is also a great place to store your defensive handgun for when you hear that bump in the night.  You simply punch in your code and it opens.  No turning dials.  It is quick and easy, but also secure.
• Lastly, if you have no other option, you can use a small keyed safe box.  These are often less than $30, can hold about 1 ream of paper and are fireproof.

If you keep more than just pocket cash or valuables around, you need to consider other options money safes for home.

• An easy to install home wall safe is a quick way to both hide your cash and valuables, but give you considerably more security than just hiding the cash under your mattress.
• Several safe manufacturers, such as Barska,  make small safes that are about the size of a shoe box.  While many of these are labelled as biometric gun safes, they can also be used to store your money at home.  Make sure to secure this safe to something to prevent a thief from simply walking off with it.  This also will have much more home security that just a diversion safe.
• Small home security safes can be purchased a big box retailers including Home Depot and Costco for less than $100.  In fact, many of these are even fireproof, which will protect your money in case of fire.  These can easily sit your closet and be used each night to secure your valuables.

No matter which option you go with, you need to do something to protect money in your home.  Use some type of money safe to accomplish this.

• The Cannon Safe SSL-04 lock light-Have you ever tried to open your pistol safe in the dark? Or maybe you have a flashlight handy, but you see spots after you turn it off and you need a moment to get your night vision back.  This small LED light has a red colored bulb to prevent giving you spots.  It attaches to your safe with a powerful integrated magnet.  Simply push the button and the light will stay on for 2 minutes.  It is powered by a 3-volt lithium battery and costs less than $20!
• Eva-dry EDV-E-500 Renewable Wireless Mini Dehumidifier-I have several silica packs in my gun safe.  I bought a large desiccant recently and it works great, but the downfall of these units is when you have to recharge them.  Most will have to be placed in the oven for a couple of hours at 200 degrees to re-dry the silica granules inside.  I never remember to do that.  This little Eva-dry works differently.  When the crystals turn pink, it is time to renew the unit.  Simply plug it into a 120 volt outlet in a well ventilated area and in 12-14 hours it will be ready to go.  It has a 5 year warranty and the crystals are expected to last 10 years.  You need one of these for your gun safe.
• The Browning ZeRust Protectant-This device is secured to the interior of your safe and it emits a tiny invisible vapor over its 1 year life-span.  That vapor forms a corrosion and rust resistant barrier on all metal surfaces.  This is an excellent and inexpensive (less than $10 at Amazon) to protect your guns and other metal items in your larger safe (it should be used in safes at least 30″ wide).
• Stack-On Pistol Rack-If you have a larger gun safe with rifles, handguns, documents, and other valuables, you may be feeling like your safe is a little unorganized.  Maybe your Glock is just laying on top of your Will or some birth certificates!  You need a pistol rack to get yourself organized.  These are made by Stack-On out of rugged ABS plastic with steel supports.  Great way to put some organization to your safe.

Spend a couple minutes looking at these inexpensive gadgets for your safe and how they might make life a little easier for you.

There are different types of storage. You can find rifle safes, floor safes and well as wall safes installed between the studs. Such types are very effective for protecting the valuables because nobody will know the presence behind the walls. People who collect different types of guns may like to have cheap gun safes for storing their guns. The best thing about browsing the internet is that you can come across retailers who sell top quality used safe as well. You can buy them for affordable prices. You can also look for cheap safes in websites like eBay and Craigslist etc.

Some retailers sell their old gun safes when they are getting ready to replace them with new ones. So you will be able to get good quality ones for affordable prices. You will be able to shop on such occasions at least once in every year. So look out for such opportunities. While buying the safes ensure that the products are UL registered. This means that the safes have passed a fire test. Such products are subjected to fire for different durations and temperatures. So, in the event of fire the items kept inside will be safe.

If you are interested you can also look for low quality types of safes for keeping your guns. They are known as filing cabinets, lock boxes or storage lockers. They are substandard especially, for storing your firearms. There are expensive varieties too. Electronic models, combination types and biometric are some of them. Stack on gun cabinets are an example of a high quality, but less expensive option.  They have exclusive features that are not available for the cheap varieties. So, if you want total protection for all your belongings you can look for such varieties too. But if you are on a slim budget, try to buy good quality cheap safes.

Cheap Safes

• Manufacturers cut corners on the thickness of the steel that they use for building the sides of the safe.  A cheap gun safe will have 14 or even 16 gauge rolled steel instead of plate steel.  A concrete saw can cut through 14 gauge steel in seconds and a fire ax can even be used to compromise a 16 gauge safe.  When purchasing a quality safe, you should be looking for 8 or 10 gauge rolled steel.  This will be more expensive, but it is worth it.  Also look for a UL rating of  ”RSC” which stands for residential security container, which is the minimum amount a gun safe should have.
• Cheap gun safes will have fewer locking bolts such as only three and are of smaller diameter.  Most better safe have at least 6 if not 8 bolts that are at least 1″ in diameter.  A locksmith will tell you that any safe bolts can be defeated with enough time and the right tools.  Some safe manufacturers built “relockers” into their safes that trigger during an attack, locking the door in place permanently.
• There are many ways that a manufacturer can built cheap fire safes.  There are several different rating agencies for fire safes including Underwriters Laboratories (UL).  As a way to save money, safe manufacturers may test their safe in their own labs, not following the same rigid procedures that an independent lab may use.  Also, if the safe says it comes with a “fire-liner” or “ceramic fire layer”, these are not the same as a fire safe.  These will not protect the cheap fire safe contents for any length of time.
• Moisture is your gun’s worst enemy.  Many cheap gun safes are sold with no door sealing gasket installed.  This can allow moist air to enter the safe and for rust and mold to form on your guns and destroy your paper contents.  Also, a good door seal is a necessity for both a waterproof safe and a fireproof safe.

Now that you know above, what to look out for, let’s talk about how you can save money on a safe.

Inexpensive Safes

• One alternative to a gun safe is a metal gun cabinet.  These cabinets are not nearly as indestructible as a gun safe, but they may cost 25-50% of the price of a comparable sized unit.  Understand, though that these will not protect your guns against a determined thief as well as a gun safe, but if cost is an issue, consider these.
• Modular safes are made by several manufacturers including Dakota Safe.  These are units that are delivered in several boxes and assembled at your site.  They are perfect for anyone that doesn’t want to haul a 1000 pound safe down the stairs.  They are also slightly less expensive, because they are made of lighter steel.  Because they can be assembled just about anywhere, you could consider improving the security of the unit by wedging it into a corner or even in a closet that makes it more difficult for a criminal to gain access to the thinner side panels.
• StackOn Safes markets some cheap gun safes, but they are still made with some nice features such as barrel holders, carpeted interior, and six 1″ locking bolts.  Their 8 gun safe with combination lock weighs just 160 pounds and is 52″ tall.  See the Stack-On GS-8 8-Gun Safe with Combination Lock here for just under $300.
• Lastly, if you are on a tight budget, but want all the features, consider a used gun safe.  You can find them frequently at safe dealers and on CraigsList.

Stay away from cheap safes, but look for inexpensive safes by reading the specifications and details of what you are purchasing!

1. This is a 2 person job.  Do not try to do this alone.  With a large gun safe such as a Stackon gun safe weighing up to 1000 pounds, trying to do this alone can be at least stupid and at worst, deadly.
2. Do not try to put this in your truck using the dock doors.  These are made for semi-trucks and the floor will be up to 24″ above the bed of your truck.  While it may seem easy to simply slide the safe off this higher ground, it can severely damage your vehicle or kill you if the unit slips and moves quickly into the bed of the truck.  The lower the truck bed height and taller the safe, the better.
3. Have the store bring the unit on its pallet to the entrance of the store or where ever they allow customer pickups.  The new safe should be on a flat level ground at the same height as the tires of your truck.
4. Before proceeding, you should inspect the tailgate of your truck.  For a brief time, the entire weight of this safe will be on the tailgate.  Many are not meant to handle 1000 pounds.  If possible, remove it for safety reasons.
5. Place the safe far enough away from the bed of the truck to allow the safe to lean over at a 45 degree angle.  Make sure to position the front or door of the safe to be up once the safe is in the truck bed.  In other words, this safe should travel on its back.  This is to prevent any damage to the locking mechanism and the fact that the door is most often the heaviest part of the unit and you don’t want it to throw you off balance.  This is especially true for Biometric Safes and their fragile electronics.
6. If you have a bed liner, add a piece of cardboard into the bed of the truck to make it easier to slide once you get it in there.
7. With one person on the back and one person in the bed of the truck, push the top of the safe to have it lean at a 45 degree angle resting against the lip of the open truck bed.
8. Now with both persons on the ground, lift up on the bottom, using the truck bed as a fulcrum point to distribute the weight.  You will find this is actually pretty easy to lift.
9. Once it is lifted to level, push the safe all the way to the front of the truck bed.  Be careful not to ram it into the front of the bed as you will bend or damage the truck bed.
10. To remove it, simply reverse the process.  It is just that easy to move your rifle safe.

If you need further information, there are several YouTube videos out there on how to do this.  Alternatively, see what the cost is to have your safe delivered from where you purchased it.

Update:  One more option is to consider the Dakota safe, Interlock XP, which is a modular safe that comes in 6 pieces, none of which weighs more than about 100 pounds.

• Anchor the safe down-Every safe, no matter how large should be secured to the floor or wall.  There are many examples of burglars simply rolling a 1000 pound gun safe out the door using nothing more than dowels or golf balls underneath.  They put it into their truck and take it back to their shop to work on at their leisure.  Ideally, the safe should be mounted to a concrete floor using multiple bolts on the bottom of the safe.  Make sure to use appropriate lag bolts or concrete anchors.  Consult with both the safe manufacturer and your local home supply store such as Home Depot or Lowes.  Some manufacturers, like Baraska will actually include mounting bolts with the safe.
• Double check the thickness of the steel on the bottom of your safe as a large pry bar may pull the bolts right through the bottom of the safe.  Adding a thick steel backing plate inside the safe, may fix this deficiency.  Stack-on safes, have reinforced bottoms to prevent this problem.
• Locate your safe in the corner of a room where you can protect at least one side of the safe.  Since the sides and top often have the thinnest steel, protecting those by blocking access can slow down a brute force attack with power tools against the safe.  If possible, put the safe in a tight area such as under a permanent shelf that makes it again difficult for thieves to maneuver tools to work on the safe.
• If you chose to put your safe in your garage or basement, make sure you don ‘t store any tools near the safe.  Several homeowners have found that thieves used their own tools against the safe.  In one case, a thief used the homeowners saw to open the safe!
• Before placing the safe, consider what items are nearby that could fuel flames in the case of a house fire.  This may be large wood beams, solvents or other chemicals such as paint, or propane tanks.  The contents in even a fire safe can be compromised if left long enough near a major combustible material.  Safes with plastic locking mechanisms, like biometric safes, may be damaged beyond repair and difficult to open after a significant fire.  A fire safe box many be a good addition to keep your most valuable items protected.
• Consider getting an alarm system for not only your home, but also for the safe.  It is proven that an audible alarm will deter most criminals from continuing to enter or burglarize the home.
• Hide your safe if possible.  Place large boxes in front of it, build a false wall.  If the they can’t find it, they can’t steal it or break into it.  This is especially important if you purchased a cheap safe that is not a secure as more expensive  model.
• If possible, purchase a cheap gun cabinet and put several junk guns in it.  The thief may take those guns and never realize you have another rifle safe that has more valuable items.

While these are not a comprehensive list, they can protect not only your safe, but the contents.

• Pry-resistant plate steel doors to slow down a thief from opening them.
• Two or Three live-action steel locking bolts that further secure the door from being pried open.
• Concealed hinges for better security.
• Most of them have electronic locks, but some are a true biometric safe with the same technology used in the models that are 10x the size.
• All of the better manufacturers have pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the drawer safe to mount it to the inside of the drawer.  Failure to mount this make this safe not much better than a simple shoe box as a burglar could take the box with him and open it at his shop.
• One other difference is that the doors on these safes open on the top to allow easy access while it sits in the drawer.

So why would you want one of these drawer safes instead of a normal larger safe?  I don’t think that this safe substitutes for a larger safe, I think it has a different use or purpose.  This small desk drawer safe is useful for quick access to a gun or weapon while you are in your office.  It keeps the gun protected and secure, but also quick accessible.  It can also be a temporary storage for cash or other valuables while you step out of your office for a short period.  It could also be used for important documents that you used frequently such as passports, credit cards, or other financial information.

Owning a drawer safe is a great complement to your safe collection.  You will be surprised at how many uses your find for this little workhorse.

A biometric control system like a biometric fingerprint door lock can prove to be quite a flexible solution. Biometric access control systems are indeed flexible solutions that can fit several types of security needs. One can use a biometric control system to monitor and limit access to a certain facility or it can also be used to ensure that employees, especially visitors can only access those areas where they have been cleared.

There are several ways to approve and disapprove access to a biometric system. There are some systems that rely on iris scans while there are also those that scan finger prints. There are even some that require a voice sample to match one that is included in the database before access can be given to that individual.

You might well be familiar with biometric access and entry control systems because you might have seen them in movies. However, these systems are not just works of fiction because they truly exist in real life. In fact, there are several modern facilities and large corporations that have already started to take advantage of this technological innovation. However, this should not lead you into thinking that these systems require an extremely large sum of investment. Depending on the design and features, you will definitely find one that would best fit your budget.

Biometric technology has changed the way we deal with security and access control. It is about time that we learn more about how we can apply this type of technology to our very own home so we can truly feel safe while we are in it, especially when we are sleeping at night. Because remember, security is an issue that should not only be dealt with in the workplace but more especially, in our very own homes.