Roundup · Mid Tier
Best Mid-Tier Gun Safes (2026)
Mid-tier residential gun safes from about $1,000 to $1,650—Liberty Centurion 24, Bighorn SafeX, and Browning Sporter SP23—matched to workhorse capacity, warehouse volume, and thicker steel.
This roundup contains affiliate links. Rankings reflect our editorial criteria; commerce partnerships do not buy placement.
Long Gun4.6/ 5Liberty Centurion 24
USA-made 24-gun residential workhorse with 40-minute fire protection, Solid State locking bars, and a dual-flex interior that actually fits a typical hunting-plus-MSR collection. Full review →
- Price
- $1,099
- Lock
- UL-listed SecuRam TopLit electronic
- Capacity
- Up to 24 long guns
Long Gun4.5/ 5Bighorn SafeX 25.2 Cu. Ft. Executive Safe
USA-built Costco executive safe with Rhino Metals’ SafeX interlocking door, 60-minute fire protection at 1,400°F, and ~17" interior depth in a 44-slot footprint. Full review →
- Price
- $1,000
- Lock
- UL-listed SecuRam electronic
- Capacity
- Up to 44 long guns
Premium4.7/ 5Browning Sporter SP23
Premium 23-gun step-up safe with 12-gauge steel, UL RSC burglary listing, and 80/95-minute ThermaBlock fire protection for collectors who want construction that outlasts the value tier. Full review →
- Price
- $1,649
- Lock
- UL-listed SecuRam electronic
- Capacity
- Up to 23 long guns (7 on door + 8/8) plus 3 handguns
What this band buys
Between roughly $1,000 and $1,650, you are past closet starters and below custom thick-steel vaults. The useful purchases in this band are full-height residential safes from established makers: USA plants or serious dealer brands, electronic locks you can service, fire claims measured in tens of minutes, and enough width for a mixed hunting-plus-MSR battery.
You still do not buy TL-15. You do buy less apology than an under-$800 cabinet and less lead time than a Fort Knox build.
We lean on products we have already reviewed. Affiliate links may earn a commission; placement still has to hold up on the steel and the install.
Liberty Centurion 24 — the workhorse
The Centurion 24 is the size most households actually need once a slim 12-gun box is too small. USA-built Liberty chassis, 40-minute Cool Box fire at 1,200°F, seven Solid State locking bars, dual-flex interior, factory door panel. Street prices commonly land near $1,099.
Steel is 14-gauge. Interior depth is about 13.5"—tight once optics stack up. The “24 gun” claim is a marketing ceiling, not a packing plan. Bolting is still required. What you get for the money is Liberty’s plant, warranty language, and a layout that behaves like daily storage instead of a dark closet.
Choose it when you want a known USA residential safe with dealer and big-box availability, and you will live with shallow depth honestly.
Bighorn SafeX 25.2 — volume and Costco logistics
The Bighorn SafeX 25.2 (BFX6033) is Rhino Metals steel sold as a Costco online executive safe. Member price at our August 2026 check was $999.99 during a temporary manufacturer promo off a $1,299.99 list. The door uses Rhino’s SafeX interlocking plates and studs instead of traditional bolts. Fire claim is 60 minutes at 1,400°F. Interior depth is about 17.2"—the practical advantage over most 24-gun residential boxes in this price band.
Costco does not publish body gauge on this SKU. Mass is 430 lbs. Ground-floor delivery and setup are part of the listing we checked; stairs and long carries are where that promise stops. The distressed flag door graphic is cosmetic. The 44-gun slot count is not a loading plan.
Choose it when cubic volume, deeper racks, and warehouse delivery matter more than a published 12-gauge sheet.
Browning Sporter SP23 — construction step-up
The Sporter SP23 is Browning’s idea of entry-level: 12-gauge body, UL RSC listing, and 80/95-minute ThermaBlock fire numbers. Official pricing was $1,649 at our August 2026 check before delivery. Weight is about 530 lbs. Door-mounted long-gun storage changes how you pack the box.
You pay for steel thickness, a container burglary listing, and a longer fire claim—not for Costco convenience or Centurion street pricing. Interior depth is still about 13". Delivery is a professional job. Gloss finishes and freight push the out-the-door number higher.
Choose it when a Centurion or Bighorn feels like the right size and the wrong construction.
How to choose among them
| Priority | Lean toward |
|---|---|
| USA dealer network, familiar residential package | Centurion 24 |
| Interior depth and warehouse delivery | Bighorn SafeX |
| Published 12-gauge + UL RSC + longer fire | Browning SP23 |
If the sticker needs to stay under $800, use the budget roundup instead. If you already know you want 10-gauge uni-body and multi-hour fire, skip this band and read the Fort Knox Defender 6031.
Install reality
All three units are floor problems, not furniture:
- Measure width, depth with handle, and the path including doorframes
- Budget delivery, stairs, and floor protection as part of the product
- Bolt the day it arrives
- Change the factory code; keep backup credentials offline
- Put keypad batteries on a calendar
An unbolted mid-tier safe is still a crew-and-dolly target. The rating on the door does not fix a floating install.
What we left out
Imported high-count cabinets with thin doors, no-name “executive” clones, and biometric gimmicks with weak brand support. Sports Afield and Cannon boxes can make sense below this band; they are not the mid-tier construction story. Stack-On’s Total Defense line sits at the top of budget when fire/water marketing is the purchase reason.
We will add another mid-tier review when a product changes the map—not when a warehouse runs a clearance sticker on the same job.
