Top 3 Best Gun Safes Under $1,200

Overview

Quality gun safes under $1,200 are hard to come by. Most models in this category feature un-rated Solenoid electronic locks, no hard plate, no re-locker and are often sold by an unreliable company who may or may not honor the warranty. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the Top 3 Best Gun Safes Under $1,200 that you can trust. All of these models are CA DOJ Approved, have high quality UL Rated locks, advanced security features and are sold by companies who actually honor their warranty.

Lock – Top 3 Best Gun Safes Under $1,200

First and always most important for any gun safe is the lock. All three of these gun safes from Stealth, Hollon and Kodiak feature high quality UL Rated Type 1 High Security Electronic Locks. UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories and they are an independent agency that certifies that the locks are both secure and high quality. I always recommend to purchase a UL rated lock and all three of these options are very high quality.

Stealth Essential Gun Safes – NL UR-2020

Stealth includes the NL UR-2020 high security electronic lock. I highly recommend this lock and it is very high quality. In addition, the parts are globally sourced with the electronic boards and lock body produced in Europe and the keypads coming from Korea.

It is powered by a 9 volt battery that is easily replaced from the outside of the safe. Also included is a red LED light that illuminates the keypad in the dark. Finally, the lock features a 6 digit code and has over 1 million possible combinations. It is designed for decades of trouble-free use.

Hollon Hunter Gun Safes – S&G 6120

Hollon includes the S&G 6120 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. The locks are made in America with global parts coming from Mexico.

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. The battery needed is a 9 volt battery that is easily replaceable from the keypad outside the safe. Finally, there are over 1 million possible combinations on this lock.

Kodiak KBX Gun Safes – SecuRam Toplit

The Kodiak KBX Gun Safes come standard with the SecuRam TopLit high security electronic lock. SecuRam is a long standing and very reliable brand with a long history of making high quality locks. All of their locks and keypads are fully made in China.

This lock features a 6 digit electronic code that is easy to program to your own custom combination. It’s powered by an external 9 volt battery that is easily replaceable from the keypad outside the safe and the lock is designed to open 10,000+ times on just one battery. Finally, there are over 1 million possible combinations on this lock.

Hard Plate and Re-Locker

All three locks are also 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. 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 all of these Top 3 Gun Safes Under $1,200.

Burglary Rating – Top 3 Best Gun Safes Under $1,200

California has set the standard for ratings when it comes to inexpensive gun safes. Sellers must send four gun safes to a testing agency in the US where they do a torture test. This includes attacking it with several different tools including grinders, saws, screwdrivers, hammers and more. Once approved, the test results and two of the safes are sent to the California Department of Justice where they review all of the data and provide a pass or fail result. Once passed, it’s added to the roster of approved firearm safety devices for sale. All in all, Stealth and Kodiak took the time and spent the money to get all of their safes approved for sale.

If a safe meets a certain set of requirements like 12 gauge steel, UL rated lock and a minimum of three 1″ solid steel locking bolts or is UL RSC rated, it exceeds the CA DOJ gun safe requirements as a gun safe and does not need to be tested. Hollon exceeded those requirements on the Hunter series and it qualifies as a CA DOJ gun safe.

Security – Top 3 Best Gun Safes Under $1,200

When it comes to security, the Hollon Hunter series is stronger than both the Stealth and Kodiak models. Stealth and Kodiak use 14 gauge steel in both the door and body and Stealth uses 2-way 1″ solid steel locking bolts. Hollon uses 12 gauge steel in both the door and body as well as 1.25″ solid steel locking bolts that cover all 4-sides of the safe. This offers much better pry resistance and is overall more secure.

On safes of this security level, burglars will typically use a grinding wheel and attack the sides of the safe, completely ignoring the door. 12 gauge is thicker but not enough to make a major difference from 14 gauge steel. The Hollon Hunter series will offer more protection in a crow bar attack to force the door open.

New for 2023, Kodiak has introduced their revolutionary SafeX system on these models which completely changes the way the locking bolts secure the safe door. It becomes significantly more pry resistant by interlocking the door to the body without the need for bolts. I expect this new system to completely take over the safe industry, see the graphic below to see how the system works.

Fire Rating – Top 3 Gun Safes Under $1,200

When it comes to the fire ratings of the Top 3 Gun Safes Under $1,200, they are all near identical. They all use gypsum fire board for the fire insulation material. Stealth features a 30 minute fire rating, while the Hollon features a 45 minute fire rating and Kodiak has now increased their fire rating to 60 minutes. In addition, they all use intumescent door seals along the door frame that expand up to 7 times their size during a fire to keep smoke and heat from entering the safe.

Style and Function

Paint

When it comes to paint and styling, this is where the Stealth Essential series really stands out. Hollon and Kodiak use a low cost textured black powder coat paint that looks cheap and often shows smudges of fingerprints in the finish. Stealth uses a high quality armor black paint that looks like a crinkled matte. This paint is highly durable and looks fantastic.

Accessories

Another key differentiator is the door panel organizer. Hollon and Kodiak use a sewn-in style that features a few pistol holsters and a zippered bag. The items are permanent and can not be moved or replaced. Stealth uses a full Molle system with strap and snap accessories that can be moved, replaced and customized to your exact needs. This also allows for far more storage on the door so there is no wasted space in these smaller gun safes. Finally, Stealth and Kodiak include an electrical outlet for powering electronics like a light kit or dehumidifier inside the safe. Hollon does not include this feature.

Warranty

All three companies include limited lifetime warranties on their gun safes that cover burglary, attempted burglary and fire. All three companies also include parts and labor warranties where they will pay for a locksmith or safe technician to come out to your home and repair the gun safe on site and at no cost to you. These are reliable warranties from good companies that keep their word. The key differentiator in this category is that Hollon and Kodiak only provide a 1 year parts and labor warranty while Stealth doubles it to a 2 year parts and labor warranty. The longer the warranty, the more the company believes in the product. It’s really that simple.

The Bottom Line

All three of these models are easily the Top 3 Best Gun Safes Under $1,200. While the Hollon Hunter Gun Safes have thicker steel and the Stealth Essential series has better styling, I recommend the Kodiak KBX series because of the new SafeX locking system. This feature takes an entry level safe that is typically easily pried and makes it pry-proof. Kodiak also increased the fire rating to 60 minutes, they responded to the competition and blew them away.