Rhino Ironworks Vault Door Review

Made in Idaho, USA, the Rhino Ironworks Vault Door is built to similar specifications as the AIW gun safe series and made with premier quality and unbelievable style. Rhino pays attention to detail on every single product they produce with a relentless focus on quality. In this review, I’m going to explain exactly why the Rhino Ironworks Vault Door is one of the best in the business.

Lock – Rhino Ironworks Vault Door

First and always most important for any vault door is the lock. Rhino Metals offers three excellent options depending on your preference.

S&G UL Approved Type 2 High Security Mechanical Lock

Included in the price is the S&G UL Type 2 Mechanical Lock. This is one of only two mechanical locks I recommend as it is high quality, reliable and known for longevity. It uses a three number combination that rotates into the lock body on the inside of the safe.

S&G Spartan UL Approved Type 1 High Security Electronic Lock

Next, they offer the S&G UL Approved Type 1 Spartan D-Drive Electronic Lock. This is one of the three brands I recommend when it comes to Electronic Locks with the other two being NL and SecuRam. S&G is the oldest and most reliable lock company in the world, you can rely on either lock option for decades to come and S&G has one of the best warranty and service departments if you ever need help with your lock. These aren’t some cheap Chinese lock, they are high quality, made in USA, UL tested and approved locks. Finally, this lock has over 1,000,000 possible combinations and operates on a 9 Volt Battery replaceable from the keypad located outside the safe.

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.

Security – Rhino Ironworks Vault Door

The Rhino Ironworks Vault Door is an absolute beast when it comes to security. It features a 12 gauge steel door that is the first layer of the 5.39″ thick door with 1/4″ steel core.

Next, it has a 1/4″ steel outer door frame. You would need advanced machinery and thousands of pounds of pressure to bust the door.

It also features 3-sided bolt work with sixteen 1.25″ thick locking bolts. The bolt work is anti-punch and anti-drill as well as the handle features a patented F-4 internal anti-tamper clutch. Finally, the lock is protected by an internal ball bearing drill plate and internal glass re-locker.

Fire Rating – Rhino Ironworks Vault Door

Rhino didn’t stop at just a great quality lock and security features. They also added 120 minutes of fire protection at 1400 degrees. This fire rating can vary depending on the size, thickness and style of the vault room this door is used with. Also included is a genuine Palusol fire seal. It expands to 7 times its size during a fire to keep smoke and heat out.

While this fire rating is not verified by ETL, an independent laboratory, Rhino safes have successfully survived many fires. Ultimately, I’d say the proof is in the pudding.

Style and Function

Take one look at the Rhino Ironworks Vault Door and you can see the incredibly unique antique finish that looks like something out of the 1800s. As a matter of fact, this is the perfect safe for the man cave, garage or bedroom.

Hardware includes a cast iron wheel handle on both the outside and inside with internal release so you are never locked out.

Installation hardware is not included and I highly recommend you hire a professional contractor prior to ordering to ensure you select the right size for your space and to assist with installation as these doors are 900 lbs and very difficult to install.

The Bottom Line

With a lifetime warranty including repair or replacement, very high security, better than most fire rating, top of the line lock and top of the line style and function, the Rhino Ironworks Vault Door is one of my top picks in the category. This vault door isn’t lacking anything and you should not hesitate to purchase. Support an American Company that makes a superior quality made in USA product. All things considered, I recommend you buy the Rhino Ironworks vault door.

With that said, I do find them overpriced compared to the American Security BFQ Vault Doors. The reason I like the American Security Vault doors better is that they include a 1/2″ steel plate door with an inner steel liner and concrete composite material in-between. This concrete composite material offers significantly better fire and burglary protection than any other vault doors available.