Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe Review

Hollon has been one of the fastest growing safe companies in the United States over the last decade. They have a full product lineup ranging from residential to commercial. While they don’t actually manufacture anything themselves, they do bring in a lot of different high quality products. In this Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe Review, I will explain why it is a solid UL RSC Burglary rated mid-level gun safe but a little over-priced compared to the competition.

Lock – Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe

S&G 6120 UL Rated High Security Electronic Lock

First and always most important for any gun safe is its lock. Included in the price is the S&G 6120 UL approved high security electronic lock. This is an excellent quality lock made by the oldest lock company in the United States. They have a premier reputation and make the highest quality locks. UL Approved type 1 is the highest security rating available and I highly recommend this lock.

This lock features a 6 digit electronic code that is easy to program to your own custom combination. In addition, the lock opens 10,000+ times on just one battery. Finally, there are over 1 million possible combinations on this lock.

If all that is not enough, S&G’s high-security electronic locks are proven to withstand military-level EMP attacks. S&G tested this lock using the U.S. military’s highest EMP impact standard. An independent lab applied a radiant transient electromagnetic field on this keypad following the Military Standard MIL-STD461F, Method RS105 at 50 kV/m peak exposure. At the end of the testing series the S&G locks were still fully functional.

S&G UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock

The second lock option available is a UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock. This is the S&G mechanical lock which is my top recommendation and the best in the industry. This high quality lock is designed to last forever and uses the traditional 3 number combination. It’s fully mechanical with no batteries or electronics. It has over 1 million possible combinations.

SecuRam ScanLogic UL Approved Type 1 High Security Biometric Lock

The final lock option offered is the SecuRam Biometric lock with keypad backup. In my experience with the lock, the Biometric scanner is somewhat difficult to use and program. All in all, my recommendation is to go with either one of the first two lock options made by S&G and not spend the extra money on the biometric fingerprint scanner.

Hard Plate and Re-Locker

All lock options are 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. In addition, 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.

Security – Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe

The Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe exceeds the CA DOJ Gun Safe standards and is UL RSC burglary rated. This ensures the safe can withstand an attack on the door with multiple different tools for a minimum of 5 minutes each. Finally, one attacker is used in the test and this is the same burglary rating as the most expensive Liberty and Fort Knox gun safes.

To achieve this rating, Hollon used 1/4″ steel plate in the door, 10 gauge steel in the body and adds a 4-way locking system that features 1.5″ locking bolts. This is a solid amount of steel and when combined with the 4-way locking bolts, offers significant pry resistance.

Fire Rating – Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe

The Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe is fire rated for 2 hours at a 1,400 degrees. Keep in mind this is a factory test and not verified by an independent agency like UL or ETL. With that said, only American Security tests their safes by an independent agency and with a 2 hour fire rating, it is designed to last six times the length of the standard house fire which burns for 20 minutes.

Hollon also includes a fire seal that expands up to 7 times its size during a fire to keep smoke and heat from entering the safe.

Style and Function

The Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe is finished in a charcoal gray powder coat or white gloss. Hardware includes a smokey chrome 5-spoke handle and black chrome keypad. Inside you’ll find a split gun rack with side shelves and a reinforced steel backed top shelf. This interior is fully carpeted to prevent scratches to your valuables. Also, a premium door panel organizer is included on the back of the door with pistol holsters and storage pockets. Vault style hinges are included to handle the doors weight. Finally, four bolt down holes are located on the bottom of the safe for mounting the safe.

There is one feature of this Hollon Republic Gun Safe which I do not appreciate and find misleading. Hollon advertises this as assembled in USA with American and Global parts. Many customers see this as made in USA but it is not even close to that. The safe is fully imported from China and Hollon only installs the locks. I find this very misleading and you should consider this safe as an import. This doesn’t mean it is bad, the safe is actually very high quality with a great lock. The advertising is just misleading and I don’t appreciate that.

Warranty

Hollon Gun Safes come with a lifetime warranty on fire, break-in and attempted break-in. In addition, they cover the cost of all freight to and from the factory as well. They also provide a 1 year parts and labor warranty on all components of the safe where they will pay for the locksmith or safe technician to come to the safes location and repair on site. All in all, this is an excellent warranty and Hollon is a reliable and trustworthy company to work with.

The Bottom Line

Would I buy the Hollon RG-42 Republic Gun Safe to store my valuables? Yes, I absolutely would. With the RSC Burglary rating, 1/4″ steel plate door, 10 gauge steel body, UL listed lock and 2 hour fire rating, this gun safe is both high quality and secure.

With that said, I find it overpriced compared to the Stealth Premier series. The premier series features the same 1/4″ steel plate, 10 gauge steel body, UL listed lock and offers double the parts and labor warranty. The only downside is the 30 minutes less of fire protection but 90 minutes compared to 2 hours is not worth the several hundred dollar price increase. I also like the paint styling and molle door panel organizer included on the back of the door better.