American Security is the oldest, most reputable and highest quality safe company in the world. They’ve been around since 1946 and have always headquartered in California, USA. They make real safes, not the illusion of security but real, actual , high quality, secure, insurable safes. While these wall safes are actually made in China, the WS1214 is still the thickest and strongest wall safe in the industry. In these American Security Wall Safe reviews, I’ll help you understand what makes the WS1214 a great option and the WEST2114 one of the worst options.
Lock – American Security WS1214 Wall Safe
First and always most important for any floor safe is the lock. American Security offers two different lock options on the WS1214 Wall Safe depending on your preference.
UL Approved High Security Electronic Lock – ESL5, ESL10XL or ESL20XL
First up is American Security’s own UL Approved high security lock, the ESL series. These locks are UL approved as type 1 which is the highest security rating possible. I don’t typically recommend American Security ESL locks and prefer ones made by NL, SecuRam and S&G. However, the ESL10XL and ESL20XL are built very high quality and typically used in commercial applications lasting decades. All three locks have over 1 million possible combinations and the ESL10XL adds Time Delay function while the ESL20XL adds multi-user and Time Delay.
UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock – Big Red
The second lock option is the Big Red Type 2 UL Approved Mechanical Lock. S&G is the oldest and most reputable lock company in the United States. This three number combination lock is built to last forever and is known for its longevity and reliability.
Both of these lock options are excellent choices and it really comes down to your preference. Wall safes are typically meant to be hidden and not accessed as much as traditional gun and home safes. With that in mind, it may be more convenient to use a Mechanical Lock in this application to avoid having to replace any batteries.
Hard Plate and Re-Locker
Either lock option is also protected by both a hard plate and internal spring-loaded re-locker. The Hard plate is a piece of hardened steel that absolutely destroys drill bits. The internal re-locker fires if the lock is punched through, securing the bolts in place. Both of these are essential security features and included on this safe.
Lock – American Security WEST2114 Wall Safe
On the WEST2114 American Security used a Solenoid electronic lock with key override. These are the most common types of electronic locks coming out of China because they are cheap. However, they lack the most basic functions of security and can be opened far too easily. They have no security rating, no testing whatsoever and are not reliable long term.
However, this is not the main issue with the safe. The fatal flaw is the key override. In an attempt to save some money and have a lower price, they went with a tubular override key. These locks can be opened with BIC pens just by inserting and twisting. There are also numerous tubular lock picks available on Amazon that pick these locks in seconds.
Security – American Security WS1214 Wall Safe
The American Security WS1214 Wall Safe is equipped with a massive 3/4″ thick solid steel door. The body and frame are built with 12 gauge steel and four pre-punched holes are included on the sides for mounting into the wall, in-between the studs.
Behind the 1/2″ steel door are three 1″ solid steel locking bolts that retract from the chrome handle. The safe door operates on an internal hinge and a heavy duty steel dead bar locks beneath that hinge. This is an extremely strong wall safe and very difficult to break into.
Security – American Security WEST2114 Wall Safe
The American Security WEST2114 Wall Safe is built with 3/16″ gauge steel construction with only two locking bolts that appear to be around 3/4″ thick.
Security is clearly not the focal point of this wall safe with the vulnerabilities in the lock, so if you need this as a very short term anti-theft lock box, it will do fine but as a security safe, it won’t stand up to any real attempt at getting it open. I recommend at least a 3/8″ thick door with 1/2″ being the ideal starting point.
Style and Function – American Security WS1214 Wall Safe
What’s unique to this wall safe and a handful of others is that it is 10″ deep. It’s very important to make sure your wall can accommodate this extra depth as the traditional wall safe is roughly 4″ deep. Next, the American Security wall safe is finished in a very nice textured gray that is so much better than the traditional powder coat used on imported safes. The interior features two removable shelves. Finally, hardware includes a chrome L Shaped handle and chrome keypad or black dial. All in all, this wall safe is styled very impressively and designed to last decades.
Style and Function – American Security WEST2114 Wall Safe
This wall safe looks like it hasn’t changed since the 1970s. It’s finished in an ugly cream paint job with plastic keypad and handle. Two removable metal shelves are included with no carpeting. I would not recommend this safe for style or security.
Warranty
The American Security wall safe comes with a 1 year parts and labor warranty. With a mechanical lock, these safes are bullet proof and are designed to last for many decades without any issues. In my experience, American Security is one of the easiest companies to work with for both service and warranty. No red flags here.
The Bottom Line
Would I buy the American Security WS1214 Wall Safe to protect my valuables? Yes, I absolutely would. With a UL Rated high security lock, 3/4″ thick solid steel door, advanced security features and backed by a long term, reliable company, this American Security wall safe is my #2 recommendation out of any wall safe. Don’t hesitate to buy this one.
Would I buy the American Security WEST2114 Wall Safe to protect my valuables? Not a chance. With a weak locking mechanism, tubular key override and thin steel construction, it’s nowhere near worth the price they charge.
With all that said, there is a wall safe I like even better than this one. The Stealth WSHD1414 wall safe comes with a 1/2″ thick solid steel door, UL rated high security S&G mechanical lock, hard plate, re-locker, 12 gauge steel body, double the warranty and is Made in USA. It’s my top absolute top pick in the wall safe category and significantly more secure. It’s also much less expensive than the American Security.
