Ironworks Safes
Pros
- 100% Made in USA
- Unique Steampunk Design with High Quality Interior
- Thick Steel Construction in Door and Body
- High Quality S&G UL Approved Lock Options
- Lifetime Warranty from a Reliable Company
Ironworks safes are made right here in the USA by Rhino Metals. They have the incredible antique “steampunk” design and were the very first in the safe industry to start building this style. Don Suggs, the owner of Rhino metals, actually built the very first one for his father and from there friends and family were so impressed they requested one for themselves. This word of mouth grew and grew until eventually he started an entire factory in Idaho to produce these and offer them nationwide. Ironnworks safes split up into three categories from the Made in USA series including the Thunderbolt, AIW and RSB. In this Ironworks Safe Review, I will go into detail on the differences between the series and how they compare to competing safe lines from Liberty Safe, Fort Knox, American Security and Stealth.
Ironworks Thunderbolt IWT Series
The Ironworks Thunderbolt IWT series is their top of the line gun safe. It features a 1/4″ steel plate door with tri-step design including fourteen 1.25″ steel locking bolts, thick 3/16″ steel body, UL rated lock options, 170 minute fire rating at 1200 degrees, dual heat expandable smoke seals at two layers of the tri-step door, ball bearing hardplate, spring loaded re-locker, cast iron handle, pre-installed electrical outlet, LED light kit, door panel organizer, dehumidifier and fully upholstered interior that matches that the look and feel of the steampunk design. The Ironworks Thunderbolt compares most closely to the Fort Knox Protector Series, the Liberty Presidential series and the American Security BFX series. Each competing gun safe is not exactly the same as some have thicker steel doors, thinner bodies, different body materials or lower fire ratings however their overall security, quality and price point are the closest in their respective product lines. In all honestly, it’s hard to say if one safe is better than another as the comparison is not apples to apples. For example, Rhino Metals provides a comprehensive lifetime warranty on the Thunderbolt series whereas Fort Knox claims to but then requires you to send it in to their factory which is not feasible on a 1,000 lb gun safe. American Security and Liberty both offer 5 year parts and labor warranties and only the lifetime warranty on theft and fire. They all have the standard accessory features like electrical outlet, light kit, dehumidifier, high quality interior and door panel organizer but the quality of interior is different. For example, the Rhino and Fort Knox interior material is so much nicer to look at and feel than the American Security and Liberty options. When it comes to locks, Liberty partnered exclusively with SecuRam and puts the ProLogic lock on their safe which is the highest quality of all SecuRam products however I still prefer the S&G Spartan D-Drive Electronic Lock and S&G Mechanical Locks used on the Ironworks Thunderbolt due to their longevity, security and overall quality. American Security opts for their own lock, the ESL10XL or Big Red Mechanical lock which I still recommend overall but again, definitely prefer the S&G over all other options. The Thunderbolt series has the highest fire rating out of all the options at 170 minutes at 1400 degrees however the Fort Knox Protector has a 90 minute at 1780 degrees so even though the time is lower, the temperature rating is higher and American Security has a 2 hour ETL verified rating accomplished through their Drylight concrete composite material which offers superior burglary protection in the door and body. None of these comparisons are a perfect apples to apples and it honestly comes down to your personal preference and price point. At the end of the day, I opted to buy the Ironworks Thunderbolt Gun Safe due to its superior fire rating, S&G Spartan D-Drive Electronic Lock and comprehensive Lifetime Warranty. I felt the ball bearing hardplate, tri-step door design with 1/4″ steel plate was thick and strong enough to make up for the thinner steel plate door as compared to the 1/2″ door on the American Security BFX gun safe. Lastly, I think the steampunk design is the coolest in the industry and even the copy made by Fort Knox just doesn’t compare.
- Rhino Ironworks Thunderbolt IWT6033X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks Thunderbolt IWT6042X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks Thunderbolt IWT7242X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
Rhino Ironworks AIW Series
The Rhino AIW series is considered their mid-level safe in the Ironworks safe line however it is still so much stronger than competing safe lines. The main differences between the Thunderbolt and the AIW is that the AIW has a 10 gauge steel body, 130 minute fire rating and only one fire seal in the two-step door. It still offers the same thick 1/4″ steel plate door, ball bearing drill plate, spring loaded re-locker, high quality S&G lock options, fourteen 1.25″ solid steel locking bolts, distressed leatherette interior, 3-spoke cast iron hand wheel, door panel organizer, LED light kit and door panel organizer. Similar product lines include the Fort Knox Defender series, Liberty Lincoln series, American Security NF series and Stealth Premier Gun Safes. Out of all of the competitors, Rhino AIW gun safes offer the highest fire rating, a full 40 minutes higher than the Fort Knox, American Security and Stealth as well as 20 minutes higher plus 200 degrees than the Liberty. All of the options offer a 10 gauge body with 1/4″ steel plate door with the exception of the Liberty Lincoln series which has a thinner steel door at only 10 gauge. As discussed with the Thunderbolt series comparison, the S&G lock options provided on the Rhino AIW and Fort Knox Defender are superior to the SecuRam and ESL10XL offered on the Liberty and American Security however they remain equal to the NL UR-2020 lock option offered on the Stealth Premier series. While the Stealth and American Security options are significantly more attractively priced than the Rhino AIW Gun Safes, they are both Made in China as compared to Rhino, Fort Knox and Liberty being Made in USA. This is a huge deal breaker for many customers who prefer to only shop for Made in USA products. With the security features being essentially equal, the Rhino AIW series still remains the top of the line in this comparison due to its superior fire rating, S&G Spartan D-Drive Electronic Lock and comprehensive Lifetime Warranty. Lastly, I still think the steampunk design is the coolest in the industry and even the copy made by Fort Knox just doesn’t compare.
- Rhino Ironworks AIW6033X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks AIW6042X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks AIW7242X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks AIW7256X – Read my in-depth analysis Here
Rhino Ironworks RSB Series
The Rhino Ironworks RSB Series is the entry level gun safe in their Made in USA series. The main difference between the AIW and the RSB series is that the fire rating is reduced from 110 minutes to 80 minutes, the door and body are made of 12 gauge steel construction, the bolt diameter is reduced to 1″ from 1.25″ and it no longer has the riveted corner reinforcement or LED light kit. It still offers the same ball bearing drill plate, spring loaded re-locker, S&G lock options, 3-spoke cast iron hand wheel, pre-installed electrical outlet, distressed leatherette interior and door panel organizer. Similar product lines include the Liberty Colonial series, American Security SF series and Stealth UL series. Out of all of the competitors Rhino again offers the highest fire rating at 80 minutes compared to 75 minutes for Liberty and 60 minutes for American Security and Stealth. All four options include both a 12 gauge steel door and body with the exception of the American Security SF series featuring a 3/16″ steel plate door. As discussed with the Thunderbolt and AIW series comparison, the S&G lock options provided on the Rhino AIW are superior to the SecuRam and ESL5 offered on the Liberty and American Security however they remain equal to the NL UR-2020 lock option offered on the Stealth UL series. Once again, it’s important to note that the Rhino and Liberty are Made in USA whereas the American Security and Stealth options are Made in China. With the security features being essentially equal, the Rhino RSB series still remains the top of the line in this comparison due to its superior fire rating, S&G Spartan D-Drive Electronic Lock, USA made quality and comprehensive Lifetime Warranty.
- Rhino Ironworks RSB6030EX – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks RSB6040EX – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks RSB6636EX – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks RSB7242EX – Read my in-depth analysis Here
- Rhino Ironworks RSB7256EX – Read my in-depth analysis Here
The Bottom Line – TLDR
This Ironworks Safe Review explains how these high quality Made in USA gun safes compare to the nearest competitors made by Fort Knox, Liberty, American Security and Stealth. In terms of fire rating, security, overall quality, interior and warranty, the Rhino Ironworks Gun Safes are the best in class. They have a totally unique design and were originally engineered from a place of the purest intentions. Comparing safe lines is never apples to apples as they always slightly vary in one way or another but when looking at the big picture, you can sleep well knowing you have a Rhino Ironworks Safe protecting your guns and valuables.
