A subsidiary of Rhino Metals, Bighorn is a brand they originally created to designate their entry level imported gun safes from China. Since becoming Costco’s exclusive partner, they have now begun to make Made in USA Ironworks gun safes that are stripped down versions of the AIW series. Overall, they are pretty good for entry level safes and Rhino Metals is a good and reliable company to buy from.
Lock – Bighorn Gun Safe Reviews
First and always most important for any gun safe is the lock used. Bighorn uses three styles of UL rated high security electronic and biometric locks. These locks include the SecuRam Toplit, SecuRam ScanLogic and S&G Spartan Direct Drive.
UL Approved Type 1 High Security Electronic Lock – SecuRam Toplit
SecuRam is one of the top three lock companies I recommend and overall this is a very good quality lock. Protecting the lock internally are three layers of armor plating called hard plate and re-locker fires during a drill attack to keep the bolts in place. The lock is tested and certified to survive EMP attacks and overall Bighorn made a great choice by including this lock.
UL Approved Type 1 High Security Biometric Lock – SecuRam ScanLogic
Included on all of the Ironworks styled, Made in USA, gun safes, is the SecuRam ScanLogic Biometric lock. This is also a very high quality lock, reliable and durable so long as you only use the electronic keypad. The biometric scanner on this keypad is difficult to program and not reliable for emergency situations. I overall don’t typically recommend this lock even though it is UL rated and would recommend just a standard keypad electronic lock. Protecting the lock internally are three layers of armor plating called hardplate and re-locker fires during a drill attack to keep the bolts in place. The lock is tested and certified to survive EMP attacks as well.
UL Approved Type 1 High Security Electronic Lock – S&G Spartan Direct Drive
Included on the Bighorn 47.3 cu. ft. High Gloss Gun Safe is a UL Approved Type 1 High Security Electronic Lock made by S&G. This is an extremely high quality lock, reliable and durable. S&G is the oldest lock manufacturer in the United States with an incredible reputation. Protecting the lock internally are three layers of armor plating called hardplate and re-locker fires during a drill attack to keep the bolts in place. The lock is tested and certified to survive EMP attacks and overall Bighorn made a great choice by including this lock.
Security – Bighorn Gun Safe Reviews
All Bighorn gun Safes are CA DOJ approved as a firearm safety device and the made in USA models are all UL approved as a Residential Security Container. Steel thicknesses vary from 14 gauge all the way up to 1/4″ plate door. Next, Bighorn gun safes use solid steel locking bolts that range in thickness. Overall, these are high quality and very secure gun safes made by an expert engineer.
In my opinion, there really isn’t a big difference between 11 gauge through 14 gauge steel. Burglars use the same tools to cut through the sides. The big difference comes from the American Security BFX gun safes with concrete composite in the walls. This type of material just destroys the saw blades. They are very comparable in price to the Made in USA models so while the Rhino gun safes are traditionally secure, for the price, I would go with the American Security BFX gun safes.
Fire Rating – Bighorn Gun Safe Reviews
Bighorn Gun Safes use Gypsum Fire board as their insulation material. This is consistent with nearly every other manufacturer besides American Security who uses concrete composite. Bighorn does not have their gun safes tested with ETL, an independent laboratory, to verify their claims. Subsequently, this means that they only do a factory test and we have to trust that it will actually survive. I would recommend looking for at least one hour of fire protection.
Also included is an intumescent door seal. This seal expands to multiple times its size during the fire to keep smoke and heat out. Bighorn also backs this gun safe with a lifetime warranty against fire.
Style and Function
Bighorn gun safes come in one of three options, standard textured black, high gloss or Ironworks styling. The Ironworks styling is the most impressive finish in the industry looking like something out of the 1800’s. All models come with standard shelving and gun racks with some including leather trim. Finally, door panel organizers, light kits and electrical outlets are included on some models.
The Bottom Line
With Bighorn varying so far from the imported models to the made in USA gun safes, it’s difficult to lump them together in an assessment. All models use good quality high security locks and have certified burglary ratings. For the price of the entry level gun safes, I think there are much better options such as the Stealth Essential Gun Safes and Kodiak Gun Safes. For the higher end Made in USA models, the American Security BFX gun safes blow them out of the water. Overall, Bighorn gun safes are a safe bet but not the best in class.