Are Winchester Gun Safes Secure? This is a very broad question and the truth is.. it depends. You see, security is relative and dependent on what you are storing. There are definitely minimums that should be looked at such as a UL rated lock, burglary rating and basic security features but the level of security needed is dependent on your specific needs. With safes you absolutely get what you pay for and it would be unwise to store $100k in an 18 gauge steel $20 lock box. Safes have a huge variety of security levels and prices, so in this review, I will help explain what you should look for depending on how much you are planning to store and if a Winchester gun safe is secure enough for you. Winchester gun safes are broken up into three levels of security, non-rated, CA DOJ approved and UL approved RSC.
Non-Rated Gun Safes – TS Series
As you can probably tell by the name, these models are not tested by CA DOJ or UL and have no security rating whatsoever. Winchester produces four models for Tractor Supply called the TS series with models TS12-30, TS20-30, TS-26-45 and TS36-45. These models are only produced for Tractor Supply and can not be found anywhere else. They were designed to be the absolute lowest price possible with the bare minimum in terms of security. All four models have 14 gauge steel, a non-UL rated lock with key override and only 6 locking bolts in total. They can be pried open, sawed open, drilled open and pretty much opened in any way imaginable and far too easily. They have had no burglary testing and likely would fail if they did. So, when it comes to the TS Series, are Winchester gun safes secure? No, these models are absolutely not secure and I would not recommend them for anything.
CA DOJ Firearm Safety Devices – Bandit Series
The Winchester Bandit series has been tested and approved by CA DOJ as a firearm safety device. This is the most basic security rating and not a difficult test to pass so long as you have the basic core requirements. Included on this series is a UL Rated S&G Mechanical lock that is high security, reliable and excellent quality. Optionally, you can upgrade to the S&G UL Rated High security electronic lock which is also a very secure and reliable lock. While the core features like 14 gauge steel and 2-way locking bolts remain the same as the TS series, the upgrade to the lock makes all the difference. So when it comes to the Bandit series, are Winchester gun safes secure? Yes, these are the most basic level of security and are ideal for storing items with values totaling less than the $10,000 and keeping firearms safely away from children.
UL RSC Gun Safes – Ranger, Silverado, Big Daddy, Legacy & Treasury
The rest of the Winchester gun safes are all UL RSC Burglary rated. This means they have undergone rigorous burglary testing including a pry attack, saw attack and drill attack and was able to successfully survive a net working time of 5 minutes per tool. Winchester maintains the same lock as the Bandit series but then upgrades the steel thickness and fire rating for each subsequent model. For example, the Ranger series includes 12 gauge steel and a 1 hour fire rating while the top of the line Legacy series features 10 gauge steel, 2.5 hour fire rating and 2″ thick locking bolts. UL RSC gun safes are ideal for those storing between $10,000 and $125,000 in total value and will protect against in-home burglaries. Sophisticated burglars with ample amounts of time will still be able to access but the average intruder will not be able to get into these safes. Series included in this category are the Ranger, Silverado, Big Daddy, Legacy and Treasury. So back to the original question, are Winchester gun safes secure? Yes, all of the UL RSC gun safes made by Winchester are very secure and reliable products.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully after reading this article, you can see the answer to are Winchester gun safes secure, is not a direct answer and depends. It depends on the security rating, the lock used and what it is you are storing inside. The maximum value placed in a Winchester gun safe should not exceed $125,000 and if you are entering that category, I would advise you search for RSC Level II or TL-15 rated gun safes such as the American Security BFII gun safes. Overall, the Ranger series and up are secure and reliable, the Bandit series should only be used for value under $10k and I would completely stay away from the TS series exclusively on Tractor Supply.
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