If you’re going to be a sharpshooter, then you have to do things right. And no gun enthusiast should ever be without a good quality gun safe. But how much does a good quality gun safe weigh?
A gun safe weighs anywhere from 200 pounds for a small (6-10 rifle) entry-level safe, to over 5000 pounds for a permanently installed walk-in safe. The average gun safe used in most residential applications weighs between 200 – 1000 pounds.
Most people want a safe that they can take with them when it’s time to move so the entry and mid-range safes tend to be more popular. Let’s continue to explore common gun safe sizes.
Common Gun Safe Sizes and Weights
The weight of a gun safe is directly influenced by the gauge of its steel, the layers of fireboard, its size, and the design of the safe. Here are some different types of gun safes and their weight:
| Entry-Level Gun Safe | 200 – 600 pounds |
| Mid-Range Gun Safe | 600 – 1000 pounds |
| High-End Gun Safe | 1000 – 1600 pounds |
| Commercial Safe | 2000 – 5000 pounds |
Now that we know the approximate weight of the different types of guns, let’s look at specifically sized gun safes so you can get a better idea of what you’re needing.
You can find Quality Gun Safes Here on Amazon or check out my other favorite places like Brownells or OpticsPlanet for good deals on gun safes.
What Determines the Weight of a Gun Safe?
Many different things go into what makes the gun safe heavier. A lot of people assume that the heavier the gun safe then the better quality it has to be.
But bigger isn’t always better so it’s good to know the quality of the design and materials that have been used for the gun safe.
For this we need to look at:
- The Design of the Safe
- The Gauge of the Steel
- The Layers of the Fireboard
- The Size of the Safe
How Does the Design of The Safe Impact Its Weight?
There are two parts involved in the design of the gun safe which I’ve found directly impact the weight of the gun safe:
- The number of layers of steel – the more layers there are to a gun safe means more material and, you guessed it, the heavier it’s going to weigh.
- The composite concrete layers – are used to protect your firearms from a fire or any chance of overheating.
The composite concrete ensures that if your safe reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the material will release steam to maintain the temperature of the safe between 200 – 240 degrees Fahrenheit and damage your guns or other valuables.
How Does the Gauge of The Steel Impact Its Weight?
The gauge of the steel is a measure of how thick the steel is. The thicker the steel, the more it’s going to weigh.
The gauge method actually measures thickness backward, so the higher the gauge the lighter the steel. A good quality gun safe will usually have a gauge of 10 (0.1345 inches) to 6 (0.1943 inches).
How Do the Layers of Fireboard Impact Its Weight?
Most gun safes will have an insulation layer of fireboard, usually made of composite concrete to fireproof the safe and the contents of the safe in the best condition possible.
How Does the Size of the Safe Impact Its Weight?
It goes without saying that the bigger your safe, the more it’s going to weigh purely because there are a lot more materials that need to go into making the safe.
Here’s a quick video talking about safe design and weight:
You can find Quality Gun Safes Here on Amazon or check out my other favorite places like Brownells or OpticsPlanet for good deals on gun safes.
Does the Weight of a Gun Safe Determine Its Quality?
Considering there are different aspects that go into what makes a gun safe heavy, you can use a general rule of thumb to say that the heavier the weight of the gun safe, means it is a good quality safe.
We don’t measure quality by size alone with a gun safe because an entry-level safe and a high-end safe could be the same size, but the weight will determine which one is the better quality.
That being said, it’s always best to check the design before assuming the weight makes it the best quality, because sometimes the weight is made up for in the wrong places of the safe.
How Much Does A 10-Gun Safe Weigh?
A 10-gun safe doesn’t have a specific weight, but due to its size, it usually weighs between 200 to 1600 pounds. The weight will be less if the size is smaller because of the design is for a limited gun capacity.
The majority of the 10-gun safes don’t need to have as many layers or fireboard layers and this takes quite the load off of the weight of the gun safe.
- Entry level 10 gun safe (200 – 600 pounds)
- Mid-range 10 gun safe (600 – 1000 pounds)
- High-end 10 gun safe (1000 – 1600 pounds)
How Much Does A 12-Gun Safe Weigh?
A 12-gun safe weighs about the same as a 10-gun safe, between 200 to 1600 pounds. Because of its smaller size compared to commercial gun safes with bigger capacities, a 12-gun will usually weigh less.
- Entry-level 12 gun safe (200 – 600 pounds)
- Mid-range 12 gun safe (600 – 1000 pounds)
- High-end 12 gun safe (1000 – 1600 pounds)
How Much Does A 22-Gun Safe Weigh?
Because the 22 gun safe has a much higher capacity, it will also have a heavier weight to it too. This is a good thing because if a bigger safe has less weight, it usually means the steel gauge is less or it has used fewer layers in the design and not be as good quality.
- Entry level 22 gun safe (300 – 600 pounds)
- Mid-range 22 gun safe (600 – 1000 pounds)
- High-end 22 gun safe (1000 – 1600 pounds)
- Commercial 22 gun safe (2000 – 5000 pounds)
How Heavy is A 24-Gun Safe?
The 24 gun safe is one of the heavier gun safes because of its size and the sheer amount of materials it needs to make the size of the safe. A good entry-level 24-gun safe should start weighing in at 300 pounds.
- Entry level 24 gun safe (300 – 600 pounds)
- Mid-range 24 gun safe (600 – 1000 pounds)
- High-end 24 gun safe (1000 – 1600 pounds)
- Commercial 24 gun safe (2000 – 5000 pounds)
Conclusion
So when you’re looking for the perfect gun safe, you can get a good idea of the quality of the gun safe you’re looking for when you look at the weight of it. But it’s always a good idea to check the design of the gun safe before just assuming it’s a great safe.
A heavy gun safe could mean it has a really heavy door, which will stop you from having easy access to your guns, and could be a problem in the future if the safe takes some wear and tear. Weight is a good indicator of quality but always check its design.