Gun Safe Capacity. Claims vs. Reality.

A 14 gun safe will hold 14 guns, if they're mixed guns.

If they're all ARs or some other guns that stick out in every direction, you may have trouble.

But some ARs, some scoped rifles, some shotguns, some milsurp bolt guns, some lever-actions, etc., should allow 14.

Good answer

Usually, the capacity is just the number of notches that are up on the barrel rest(s).

I've heard/read from a lot of folks who'll alternate their long-guns, muzzle up to muzzle down, in their safe to squeeze in another handful. I haven't tried this myself.

My Sturdy Safe easily holds as many as they advertised it would, without any of the guns touching each other. If I wanted to I could take out the rack that separates the rifles and just have a big empty safe, which would probably hold twice as many as they advertise if I packed the guns in like sardines.

Like AB mentioned, it helps if you have a variety of guns. My non scoped shotguns and lever actions go against the wall where a scoped would be a problem, the scope rifles go in the middle where the scopes can "hang out."

They'll hold what they're advertised to hold though at max capacity it can get a little crowded in there (mine for example).

If you have all lever guns no problem.
If you have some EBRs with bipods, bolt guns with big glass, then maybe half the capacity.

CoRoMo is correct about the notches supplied, my safe is 22" and the manuf. said it was for something like 9 guns or so.

I tossed out the parts supplied and made my own with pegs as separators, think "U"shaped flat board with pegs about 3" apart all around, I also made a shelf to go above the rifles on the wasted space (some have this, mine didn't) I store about seven handguns barrel up on this shelf.

another wasted space is the area against the door when it's closed, I mounted a pegboard on the door and used 2" hooks with poly-tubing to hang 8 handguns "V" style, one hook on the barrel and one on the grip.


By doing all this I was able to increase the capacity greatly.

I'd say 1/2 to 3/4's as a rule of thumb. As said before--depending on the mix.

Will hold advertised amount of guns if there all single shot shotguns. Or half if mixed.IMO

My Am-Sec safe holds about 2/3 of the rated capacity with a mix of shotguns, ARs, etc. And even at that, they have to be loaded into the safe in exactly the correct order or the door wont close. No such thing as taking one out of the middle either--have to download the safe 'till I reach the one I'm after.

Here is the formula for finding the number of actual guns .vs the rated capacity: rated capacity / 2 = actual capacity.

Don

Capacity listing is a marketing gimmick.....just like the mileage ratings auto manufacturers put on cars. You might be able to get those same numbers, but unlikely unless you use their standards.

This is the Champion M22. Its advertised capacity is 24 guns. I thought that meant long guns. You couldn't get 24 in there if you melted them down and poured them in.

Yeah, that safe is configured very differently from the 14-gun safe I have. Mine (a relatively cheap Sentry) has a lot more open space than the pics above, and storage notches only around the perimeter.

Mine does fit 14, but in more actual space than the long gun area above.

If all of your long guns have scopes, pistol grips, AR mags sticking out, etc.......then oyu will have issues.........if they are basically hunting shotguns and rifles without scopes, you will be able to put the advertised capacity in them

I think a ton of it depends on the inner configuration of the safe. bottomshelf's pictures show that half of his usable "long gun storage" area is actually taken up by shelving on the left hand side.



This safe is set up in the picture in a similar manner, where there are shelves on the right hand side, but they were easy to move to allow me to have space for all of the long guns. The shelves are on brackets, and by keeping my shorter guns (ARs, lever rifles, short shotguns) on the left and right I could move the shelves above the guns and not lose the shelf space. The longer guns, mostly shotguns and scoped rifles, stay in the middle of the safe where their barrels fit between the shelves.

Other little things also help. The racks that hold the guns have the notches offset about an inch from each other on every row, so if all you have are scoped rifles they will still fit with the scopes sitting in between the stocks of the rifles in the next row over.

Bottomshelf, you are seriously in need of more guns.

Bless you, KRS. I'll show your post to my bride as proof of the fact, and go shopping tomorrow.

Actually, it IS nice when your wife is on friendly terms with your toys.

Actually, it IS nice when your wife is on friendly terms with your toys.

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AMEN!!!

I've heard/read from a lot of folks who'll alternate their long-guns, muzzle up to muzzle down, in their safe to squeeze in another handful. I haven't tried this myself.

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Very correct --- I can get about 25% more in either of my two gun safes doing that !!!

Capacity listing is a marketing gimmick.....just like the mileage ratings auto manufacturers put on cars.

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As they say, YMMV... I've got as much as 26mpg out of my Caprice station wagon, advertised as 16/24 mpg in 93.

There's really no way of knowing. I know a guy that got plenty more than the advertised capacity in his Sentry RSC from walmart. OTOH, you've got guys that cant get half the advertised capacity.

The rule of thumb when buying a safe is find one that is big enough, and go up a size or two. Or, if you own your home (once the safe is installed, it aint goin no where), buy the biggest you can afford that will fit.

I get a more in the safe than advertised. I take out all the racks, leaving only the high shelf. I then put them all in zipper bags or slip-over storage socks. You can also stack them upside down and add about 30% capacity.

Sure, but if you'd bought a bigger safe to start with you could get even more in there.

I vote for 1/2, give or take a couple.

John