Rated capacity versus real capacity
A gun safe's rated capacity assumes standard-profile long guns, packed rack-tight, with no optics. Real collections do not look like that. Scoped rifles, thumbhole stocks and wide-forend shotguns each take up meaningfully more width, and most owners also want shelf space for handguns, ammunition and documents. A practical planning figure is roughly two-thirds of the rated capacity — so a 24-gun safe comfortably holds around 16 real long guns plus gear. Buying one tier up is the single most common piece of advice from people on their second safe.
The Hollon gun safe series
Hunter — HGS-6, HGS-8, HGS-11E and HGS-16E, with a 12-gauge steel body and door and a 45-minute fire rating.
Dominion — DOM-11 and DOM-16 with 12-gauge steel and a 45-minute rating; DOM-22, DOM-36 and DOM-45 step up to 10-gauge steel and a 90-minute rating. Each offers an S&G Group 2 dial or a UL Listed Type 1 S&G electronic lock.
Crescent Shield — CS-12E, CS-24E, CS-36E and CS-45E, with a 12-gauge steel body and door, a 75-minute fire rating and a UL Listed Type 1 S&G electronic lock.
Black Hawk — BHS-16, BHS-22, BHS-39 and BHS-45, with 10-gauge steel for the body and door and a 90-minute fire rating.
Republic — RG-22, RG-39 and RG-42, with a 10-gauge body, a 3-gauge door with a 1/4" solid steel plate, fourteen 1-1/2" active bolts and a 120-minute rating at 1400°F.
How much fire rating do you need?
Fire ratings are tested against paper, holding the interior below roughly 350°F. For a suburban home minutes from a fire station, 30 to 60 minutes is usually proportionate. A rural property with a longer response time, or a safe in a garage or outbuilding with a heavy fuel load nearby, justifies 90 or 120 minutes. Note that ammunition and optics are more heat-sensitive than the safe's paper rating implies, and that a fire rating is a one-time rating — a safe that has been through a fire should be replaced, not reused.
Placement, weight and anchoring
These safes run from several hundred pounds to over 1,000 lbs empty. Site against a load-bearing wall and across joists rather than parallel to a single one; a concrete slab or garage floor is ideal. Anchor through the base — an unanchored gun safe can be tipped, which exposes the weaker rear panel and hands an attacker leverage on the door. Allow clearance in front for the door to swing fully open, and check the clear door opening on the product page, not just the interior width: the clear opening is the actual gap a scoped rifle has to pass through.
A smaller alternative
If you only need to secure a handgun or two, the Hollon PB10, PB20, PBE-2 and the PB-BIO-2 biometric pistol box are compact options that sit in a drawer, closet or nightstand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick is the steel on these gun safes?
The Hunter, Crescent Shield, DOM-11 and DOM-16 use 12-gauge steel. The Black Hawk series and the DOM-22, DOM-36 and DOM-45 use 10-gauge steel. The Republic series pairs a 10-gauge body with a 3-gauge door and a 1/4" solid steel plate. A lower gauge number means thicker steel.
How many locking bolts do these gun safes have?
It varies by model and is listed on each product page. For example, the Republic RG series uses fourteen 1-1/2" active bolts with four-way coverage, the DOM-22, DOM-36 and DOM-45 use fourteen 1.5" chrome bolts, the BHS-45 uses sixteen 1.5" bolts and the HGS-16E uses twelve 1-1/4" bolts.
Which gun safes here have the longest fire rating?
The Hollon Republic RG-22, RG-39 and RG-42 are rated for 120 minutes at 1400°F. The Black Hawk series and the DOM-22, DOM-36 and DOM-45 are rated for 90 minutes, the Crescent Shield series for 75 minutes, and the Hunter series, DOM-11 and DOM-16 for 45 minutes.
How does the Hollon CS-24E compare with the Black Hawk BHS-22?
The CS-24E holds up to 24 long guns, carries a 75-minute fire rating and uses a 12-gauge steel body with 1.5" chrome steel bolts and an S&G Type 1 electronic lock. It measures 59" H x 30" W x 21" D and weighs 570 lbs. The BHS-22 steps up to 10-gauge steel for the body and door and a 90-minute fire rating.
