The Safe House

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Regarding Gun Safes: Q. Won't my guns get damp inside my safe with all that insulation? A. If you store your guns in a record safe you will probably get some moisture on them. That is why most American Made gun safes use gypsum board for an insulator. Gypsum board is fire resistant but not made with water like the insulation in record safes and filing cabinets. Q. Why is the fire rating test on my gun safe at 1200 to 1500 degrees? A. Although gypsum board is an excellent insulator it will not insulate for as long or for temps as high as a record safe or fire proof filing cabinet. There are gun safes available that will offer 45 minutes to 120 minutes of fire resistance at temperatures up to 1500 degrees, with an internal temperature of 350 degrees. Q. Why are most of the fire ratings tested to 350 degrees internal temperature ? A. Damage to the contents of a safe occurs around 350 degrees (paper burns at around 450 degrees) Q. What is a "Residential Security Container" my gun safe has this label on the inside of the door? A. The "RSC" rating came about several years ago and is an actual insurance rating for a home or office safe. Unlike a fire-proof record safe that is specifically for document fire protection. With an RSC rating you know that you have additional burglary protection on your safe. Not as high as a TL-15 (Jewelry Store rating) the RSC would be equivalent to TL-5 Regarding Files: Q. Why do I need a special file? My everyday files are metal - they won't burn. Back to Top A. Everyday metal files may not burn, but they will directly conduct the fire's heat inside, where your records will ignite and burn. In a sense, your metal files become incinerators. Q. What good is a product that is rated Class 350 or Class 125? Fires get much hotter than 350 °F or 125 °F. A. The UL class rating signifies the maximum internal temperature allowed during the fire test. Depending on the length of the UL fire test, the external heat to which the product is subjected will range from 1550 °F to 2000 °F; yet the internal temperatures cannot exceed 350 °F or 125 °F- for paper or computer media, respectively. Q. What good is a product that is only rated for one hour? Fires last longer than that. A. The average fire burns at around 800 °F. As it passes through the building, the fire's intensity changes as flammable items are consumed. Fires usually average only 20 minutes in any location. This intense burn is comparable to the burn portion of the UL test. After the flammable items are consumed in the fire, the overall temperature decreases, leaving items inside the fire to absorb the radiant heat. This part of the fire is comparable to the cool down portion of the UL test. Depending on the product being tested, the cool down portion of the test can last as long as 15-25 hours, during which the internal temperature and humidity levels cannot exceed the standards set forth by the test. Most products that fail the UL test fail during this cool down period. Be wary of marketing hype that says "tested to UL standards" - tested doesn't necessarily mean the product passed the test. A one-hour rating means the product will also survive the cool down period. Q.

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