Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe Review

Liberty safe is the #1 seller of gun safes in the USA and there is a huge reason why. They implement the highest quality standards on every single gun safe. I have so much respect for Liberty Safe and the team running it. The Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe FR40 is the next level up from the Colonial series. It increases the fire rating to 110 minutes but then brings the steel back down to 12 gauge.

While this is a secure and reliable product, I find it a bit overpriced for what you get. Read until the end to find out which safe I think is better.

Lock – Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe

First and always most important for any safe is its lock. The Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe FR40 comes standard with the S&G UL Rated Mechanical Lock. This lock is very high quality and reliable utilizing a three number combination with no batteries or electronics.

You an also upgrade the lock to the SecuRam UL Rated BackLit high security electronic lock. SecuRam is a long standing and very reliable brand and one of the three major lock companies I recommend with the other two being NL and S&G. The BackLit keypad is a huge upgrade from the TopLit used on the USA and Centurion models because it is full stainless steel construction compared to the ABS plastic. This makes the keypad significantly more durable and long lasting.

They also vastly improved the way the 9 volt battery goes in and out by utilizing an interlocking plastic tray. Now you don’t have to slide the entire keypad up to change the battery, it’s a way better design. This lock features a 6 digit electronic code that is easy to program to your own custom combination. The lock opens 10,000+ times on just one battery.

Security – Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe

The Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe FR40 is built to standard UL RSC gun safe construction with one layer of steel and multiple layers of gypsum fire board. It features both a 12 gauge steel door and body with their patented military style locking bars. This design is far superior the traditional round bolts as it has a larger surface area and is one uniform piece. Liberty also makes these safes on a robotic line that folds the steel in a 2-piece roll form body which eliminates the needs for internal welds like most other safes.

It exceeds the CA DOJ Gun Safe requirements and overall is significantly more secure than most safes. Finally, a drill-bit destorying ball bearing hard plate is placed in-between the steel door and internal lock body. A dual re-locker keeps the bolts in place if the burglar attempts to punch through the lock.

Fire Rating – Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe

The Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe FR40 comes with a 110 minute fire rating at 1200 degrees. They also use genuine Palusol Fire seals which are the highest quality seals. They expand to 7 times their size during a fire to keep smoke and heat out.

Keep in mind, this is a factory test and not certified by an independent testing agency like ETL. Liberty safes have endured tons of real world fires with amazing success stories so the proof is in the pudding.

Style and Function

The Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe FR40 comes in a variety of color options and finishes including textured, marble and high gloss. This model does come with a door panel organizer, Brightview Light Kit and electrical outlet included.

Finally, the interior includes a split gun rack with adjustable or removable side shelves and a top shelf, all upholstered in a high quality fabric and finished with a black plastic trim.

Liberty Safe offers a lifetime warranty against break-in, attempted break-in and fire in addition to a 5 year parts and labor warranty on all components of the safe.

The Bottom Line

Would I buy the Liberty Franklin 40 Gun Safe FR40 for my firearms and valuables. Yes, I definitely would as it is a good quality safe at a decent price and made in the USA. There are however nearly identical options for significantly less such as the Stealth UL50 Gun Safe.

The Stealth gun safe is not made in USA like the Liberty but has the exact same UL RSC burglary rating with 12 gauge steel construction, UL High security lock and 60 minutes of fire protection. In my opinion, the extra fire protection and pretty color options don’t justify the significant increase in price.

Most companies in the safe industry don’t keep Liberty gun safes in stock. They end up having to order them from Liberty, have them shipped to their warehouse, then shipped out to you. This adds a significant amount of time from when you order the product to when you actually receive it. That’s why I’ve partnered with Dean Safe company. They have the largest supply of in-stock Liberty Gun Safes in the industry. All of their product pages will tell you which models are available as In-Stock and able to ship same business day. You can see all of the available In-Stock Liberty Gun Safes Here.