Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 Review

Winchester used to be a strong and prominent brand in the gun safe industry selling made in USA gun safes. A few years back they decided to completely shut down their factory in Ft. Worth, Texas and exclusively import from China. They use the same Chinese factory as most of the other major importers like American Security, Rhino and Hollon. The quality on the Ranger series and up is actually still pretty good. However, when it comes to the Tractor Supply exclusive gun safes, there are definitely some red flags. In this review, I will help you understand why the Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 is not the best gun safe in the world but still better than nothing considering the price.

Lock – Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45

The Lock used on the Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 is the worst part of the safe. They use the same cheap Solenoid lock with key override found on Sports Afield, Mesa and nearly every other low end gun safe brand. The key override is included to help you gain access to the safe when the lock inevitably fails, and it will fail. A safe is only as good as its lock. I always recommend a UL rated high security lock made by NL, SecuRam or S&G. When a lock doesn’t even come with a brand, that is a huge red flag. I would not purchase this safe purely because of the lock.

Security – Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45

When it comes to security, the Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 is constructed of 14 gauge steel which is consistent with comparable models. It has a total of 8 steel locking bolts with only four active on the door side. It does not include a relocker or hardplate with the Solenoid lock which helps protect against drilling attacks and they likely did not include it because there are just too many weak points on the safe. I would not be surprised if this could be opened with a screwdriver and a hammer, you don’t even need a crowbar.

Another common weak point in these safes is the locks reset button. It is just a red button inside the door that can usually be accessed with a coat wire. There are just too many access points for me to recommend this safe from a security standpoint. Finally, it has absolutely no burglary rating.

Fire Rating

The fire rating on the Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 is 30 minutes for 1400 degrees. This is actually 200 degrees hotter than the standard 1200 degrees. With that said, the safe has not been tested by any independent agency, so we have no idea if the safe will actually survive that. There is also no mention of an intumescent door seal but looking at the pictures, it does have one. I would be very surprised if this safe survived even the standard house fire. I would not recommend it for fire protection.

Style and Function

The Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 is finished in a textured gray powder coat paint job. Hardware includes a black keypad and 3-spoke black handle. The interior has gray carpeting with a split gun rack, adjustable shelving and top shelf that both feature leather trim. The door has a door panel organizer and overall this is a very simple gun safe.

The Bottom Line

While the Winchester 26 Gun Safe TS26-45 is very attractively priced (on sale for only $649), the quality leaves a lot to be desired. The safe is far too easily defeated, it has a very poor quality lock and no independently tested burglary or fire rating.

There are much better options in this category such as the Stealth EGS28. The reason I like this safe so much better is that it uses a UL rated high security electronic lock, is CA DOJ approved, is built to a higher quality standard and has a 2 year parts and labor warranty along with a lifetime warranty against burglary and fire.

I would also recommend you check out my list of the Top 3 Gun Safes under $1,200. These are all high quality models with UL rated locks, sold by reliable companies.