Need a new safe

watch the truth about gunsafes vid on youtube. your collection will thank me

Here's the skinny
a GUNSAFE
is NOT a safe

It's a wall locker, with a fancier lock, a better coat of paint and some WALL BOARD for fireproofing

Ok, so not EVERY RSC rated (or unrated, some of the UNrated ones are actually built to a higher standard) gunsafe is this weak, but the vast majority of them are little better than a highschool gym locker, it's SHEETMETAL (like they make AC ducting out of)

So, if you spend more than a grand, make sure you know what you are guying, a GOOD lock, like LeGaurd or S&G, quality steel, with a GOOD thickness, at least 3/16th all around, most will say lock is protected by a *plate, and the door is 3"thick, that's nice, but all the metal together is less than 1/4. Not very impressive, I can pop any box store safe, gun store safe, you can pry to door, or just take a skill saw and cut the back or side out and go through that.

Buy used or save up more money.
You have a fair value dollar wise in guns and ammo.
Far more than the $500 you are willing to part with for the gun safe but I do understand tight money,if that is the case.
I was in a similiar situation when I bought my first safe back around 2003.
Although I did no research before buying I still came out pretty good for what the little 5517 imported(did not know it when I purchased it) American Security Highland series offered in the way it had a 10 gauge body and a 1/4 inch plate steel door and weighs 275 pounds.
After bolting it down in a specific security driven location it was fairly secure.
Have now moved up to the Amsec BF 66x36(at close to six times the cost of the smaller unit three years ago when I purchased it and even more now by a grand!!) and use the little Amsec for mostly low end shotguns and .22's.
Think on it harder and do more research.
Plenty of good past threads here on gun safes.
Some actually near Biblical thickness in content....
I paid around $430 for the small Amsec then.

Um, you are getting stuck on things that REALLY don't matter
first off, how was the safe tested? standing or laying down (they do that)
when was the time started? at Temp, or when the furnace turned on?

Your safe is a run of a mill Granite, is the Lock UL rated, the 'smaller' lock on the Liberty probably was a LeGaurd or S&G, which are the industry standard, is the LOCK UL rated?

what is the safe made of, those liberties, they have some good safes and some that might as well come out the same CHINESE factory as the Granite, who, BTW do the VAST majority of gunsafes, you can buy a Stack-on or Sentry that is for all intents and purposes the SAME safe as the Winchester labeled Chinese box.

The typical residential security container is a metal box with an impressive door. A sawsall can cut a hole though the 10-12 ga top, back and side steel pretty quickly.

The question is are you being burgled by a snatch and grab or someone that knows you and your habits, knows you are off to work and has time to open your safe.

Clutch

As for a pro...a pro will almost never use a sawzal...why...damage the contents of the safe. A pro will drill it, will try and spy, well do a number of things before he would even consider cutting it whether a torch or a sawzal. Ask a locksmith how they would get in...there is your answer.

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Ask a locksmith how to get in quickly IF you don't mind trashing the RSC, and you'll get a different answer.

A pro won't be burglarizing a homeowner's gun collection anyway - too much risk for a relatively small return.

If you really want into any RSC in a hurry, ask any of the thousands of welder/fabricators out there how to open a 10ga box without damaging the contents - I know I could have any RSC emptied in 5-7 minutes if there is power available, with a tool I can carry in one hand and can (and did) buy for less than $100.

RSCs are effective against typical residential burglars and average teenagers. They are far more effective when used with alarm systems, both electronic and canine. Layer your protection, and most thieves will look elsewhere - if they were willing to work hard, they wouldn't be burglarizing houses.

Just as any gun is better than no gun, any safe is better than no safe. A safe will slow down a burglar - and most of them prefer to be in and out quickly. A concealed safe is better, as are multiple safes. I have two clearly marked gun safes in my home office, neither of which actually contain guns. My gun RSC is concealed in a confined space and anchored to floor and walls. It would be a b1tch to get into, compared to most others I've seen - even if you found it. In addition, my alarm system has a radio link in addition to the typical phone landline link, and battery backup, and the Sheriff's Department substation is less than 4 miles away. The alarm company has a standing order to alert the Sheriff that there are guns on the premises - so they tend to get here in under 5 minutes.

Best of all, I don't keep a lot of valuable guns at home - I have off-site very secure storage for them - and everything is insured.

People who live in remote, isolated areas probably need better protection. People with large, expensive collections probably need better protection. The average shooter with $5K in firearms probably needs a RSC, a decent alarm, and a rider on their homeowner's policy.

BTW, my local Costco has that Winchester for $549. They don't show it online, so if you are a member, check the store.

Just remember to have it bolted down in an area that prevents a pry bar attack.
Torches,sawzalls,etc. are used by pro's or by people who have overheard way too much from the safe owner himself and already know to come equipped for such.

While I have had safes for a long time I just found out about safes that you can assemble yourself. That saves some delivery and installation cost and you can put it in more places.

Both the Snap Safe and Zanotti can do this.

http://www.snapsafe.com/

I got one from Wal-Mart of all places. Great deal and great shipping price.

Box store bargain shoppers beware. After doing some repairs locally here in Reno, NV I've taken note of cheap locks, or keypads that give an illusion of a gun safe equipped with a lock when it does not qualify as a lock IMO. I mean you might as well just mount a wafer lock on a steel box and conceal it with another piece of steel that pivots over it. if your just trying to protect your own family from improper gun use thats one thing. But these products are in no way of any valuable security. Look for U.L. listings, on the gun safe itself but especially on the lock.

Look guy if you want a solid door forget all up those light gauge steel wrapped around sheetrock built up composite "refrigerator" doors that are oh so common on way too many gun safes.
I am not overly enamored with Champion safes as their top of the line Crown series,that you would not even be interested in because of your budget, has an outer door skin of 10 gauge steel with a back steel panel of 3/16 steel.
And I got that directly from Champion through an e-mail.
Buy used or spend more.
Edit to add...And get a door with at least 1/4 inch plate steel as it's main support.

I have decided to p my budget to 800

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Being as picky as you seem to be, and an $800.00 budget aren't going to mix well. You need to at least double that budget, or accept a low budget purchase and all that comes along with it.

I watched two guys open a RSC with a rotary saw in a few minutes. They started at one corner, and cut all the way around the top. The insulation slowed it down a tiny bit, but they only needed one disc to do the whole thing. The rotary saw is a tool most often used by firemen to gain access into commercial buildings, and other emergency cutting chores. Although very loud, they work real fast.