Cannon vs Liberty Gun Safe: Which one is Better ?

A gun safe is one of the most important investments that you can make in your life. Owning a firearm does not give one the right to act irresponsibly with it or to expose others to danger. This is why every lawful gun owner should have a quality gun safe.

The number of guns that a person owns should not be an indicator of the size of their gun safe. Generally speaking, a person who owns multiple guns should have a larger gun safe than someone with only one or two guns.

Today is not about what you need depending on how many weapons you own; it deals exclusively with the difference between a Liberty Safe and a Cannon Safe.

In this comparison we will find out that which gun safe is better and durable, and that what makes the US made Liberty Safe stand out versus the rest of the competition. Here we will compare the much popular Cannon's Safe which is imported and stands out from the others in its own ways.

Summary of Cannon versus Liberty Gun Safe

1. Main Difference Between a Cannon and Liberty Gun Safe?

Both Liberty and Cannon produce excellent gun safes that can be tailored to suit your specific needs. For example: if you own only a couple of firearms and they weigh less than 500 lbs combined, then the Liberty Franklin 25, might be big enough for you. If you own many guns and/or heavier guns, such as a 12-gauge shotgun, the Liberty Presidential 50 might be a better choice.

Cannon safes are made for someone who wants their guns to be protected inside something that could survive being run over by a tank. Liberty gun safes are made for homeowners who have weapons they want to keep in their home. Setting a Cannon safe would not be as easy as setting a Liberty gun safe, and this is due to the fact that they were designed for two very different applications.

2. Which One Is Better for Your Needs: A Cannon or Liberty Gun Safe?

This article will provide information on some of the details of both Cannon and Liberty safes, so that you can make an informed choice when thinking about your security investment.

Price

First, let's start with the obvious. It is no surprise that a Cannon safe costs on average $1000-$1500 less than a Liberty safe. This price difference mainly has to do with the workmanship and components used in each safe's construction. Cannon makes more of their safes overseas (China, Taiwan), while Liberty makes their safes in the USA. Cannon uses thicker steel in the sides of their safe's doors, which are 3/16" to 9/32". Liberty uses 12 gauge steel for their standard door thickness, but you can upgrade to 11 gauge for about another $100. Also when considering price, although it is true that Liberty has a lifetime warranty on their safes, Cannon's is no slouch. They offer a full 5-year warranty on the whole safe including fire protection.

Fire Resistance Ratings

Next let's look at the safes' fire resistance ratings. Both manufacturers rate their safes to protect documents and some ammunition for up to 1 hour in a fire. Liberty rates their safes to protect paper up to 1750 degrees, while Cannon will protect it up to 1850 degrees. Cannon's ratings are for the average temperature in the heart of a fire, whereas Liberty's rating is just to be able to say that they can do it. The real difference here is that Liberty claims that their safe will protect ammunition. Cannon's safe is rated for up to 30 minutes at 350 degrees, which is nowhere near the temperatures that ammo are tested to survive. The bottom line here is that if you are looking for fire protection, buy a real safe instead of just buying a gun cabinet and calling it good.

Construction

Now let's look at construction. Both safes have a steel door and body. The main difference is that the Cannon safe has 2 steel layers in the door, where the Liberty safe only has one. These layering differences are not going to make a huge difference for most people, especially if you secure your guns with a cable lock. If you really want to make sure your guns are safe, you should use a gun safe instead of just locking your guns in a cabinet.

The Safes' Interiors

Looking at the safes' interiors, both manufacturers claim to have an accessory system that allows you to store multiple handguns and other accessories. The Liberty rifle rack system allows you to place several rifles into their racks so they can be locked in place. You can also purchase additional racks for storage of other items. The Cannon Safe rifle rack system works similar to Liberty's, but they are not interchangeable. Both manufacturers use an electronic lock that comes with a back-up key in case the batteries run out of power or if you want to open your safe manually. It is important to note that the electronic code pads on both safes are the same as those found in some gun cabinets. If you have a combination lock on your cabinet, be sure to change the factory code before using it to open your safe.

Cannon vs Liberty Gun Safe: Design And Durability

From the above measurements we can see that Liberty is larger and has slightly more space to offer for storage. Moreover, it uses 12-gauge steel for its body. Cannon on the other hand falls behind as its weaker design offers lesser space and has used 11-gauge steel.

Liberty uses a unique two-piece design. Its top, sides and bottom are passed from a single piece of steel and are folded to form a box. This way of design makes a surface area where the back is 100% robotically welded and placed, hence making it the strongest in its class. Its welding quality looks so different and durable. While cannon is the typical three-piece body, skip welded together which itself weakens and makes it prone for break-ins.

The image below clearly shows the difference between the welding

The Difference Between Cannon and Liberty Gun Safe in Doors & Lock

The military-style locking bars on the liberty are a solid piece of plate steel and offer five times more surface area resulting in more resistance to a pre attack the most common method of thieves attempting to open a safe. One can imagine how much the effort it takes to bend more than five times as much steel. While looking at the hinges we noticed that cannon uses a pin at the top and the bottom of the door which pivots the door into the opening this weaker design also reduces the size of the opening, making it difficult to place larger items on a shelf. In contrast the heavy ball bearing hinge on the liberty safe is designed to allow the door to swing out around the doorframe resulting in a more generous opening and easier access to the safe.

The handle shaft on the cannon is welded into a place. If it would be a thief that's putting too much force on the handle the weld will break. From the outside the locks of the two safes look similar but from inside the cannon falls short while its cheaper lock helps drive down the wholesale cost for the manufacturer. It will raise the repair and replacement costs for the consumer when the lock eventually fails. Liberty uses an industry standard lock template found on nearly all high-quality safes. The Liberty has drill resistant hardened steel plates protecting the lock as well as a spring-loaded re-locker system to keep the Liberty safes securely closed even if the lock is destroyed or not completely off the safe.

Fire Testing for Liberty vs Cannon Gun Safe

Things get interesting in our Fire ratings. Cannon Sierra 42 has a fire rating of 45 minutes at temperatures up to 1,200 degrees whereas the Liberty USA 36 has a fire rating of 40 minutes at temperatures up to 1,200 degrees. At a quick glance one would assume the cannon edges out the Liberty's safe in fire protection however the Liberty has a substantial amount of more fire insulation than the cannon safe. How could this be? In the safe industry there is no established standard when it comes to fire testing safes as a result you have manufacturers controlling the test instead of an impartial third-party testing facility. While some manufacturers are more forthcoming than others when presenting how the safe is tested. One of the distinct features of the Liberty safe is the fire rating label they place on the door it takes the guesswork out of figuring out how the safe is formed and insulated the

Liberty rating not only show use the fire test temperature and duration but also the metal thickness of the body and the amount of fire insulation layers throughout the safe bodies and door. The cannon safe simply shows durations and temperature. when we inspect further, we find that the Liberty USA 36 has a full extra layer of insulation in the most critical areas of the safe which are the ceiling and the face of the safe this is where most of the heat is when the safe is exposed to a fire. So, we have opened these up and saw just how they compare to each other. The door on the liberty is noticeably heavier and more rigid, the door panel on the cannon has just a few elastic fans and open pockets, no place would be comfortable storing a pistol. In contrast the Liberty has actual holsters to securely store handguns in zippered pockets as well as a few elastic open pockets for holding small items. We also noticed for Cannon the fabric and trim on the gun racks and shelves is a thin felt material that is glued on and is damaged easily. The fabric on the Liberty safe is heavier more resistant and stitched vinyl welting on the liberty resists staining from gun oils and is stapled in place.

Cannon vs Liberty Gun Safe: The Warranty

‌Liberty gives us the lifetime warranty on weld hinges and mechanism whereas Cannon safe warranted the parts and labor for one year.

‌Lock on the Cannon warranted one year for parts and labor while Liberty warranted for five years includes safe open and repaired if you experience a lock failure. Both Cannon and the Liberty safes are reliable for our home use, but the design, warranty and construction material make Liberty much better.

Conclusion for Gun Safe Buyers

The final decision on which safe to buy, a Cannon or Liberty gun safe, comes down to personal preference and what you are looking for in a safe. Both brands have their pros and cons, but it is ultimately up to the individual to decide which one they prefer. Some people may feel more comfortable with the extra security features that come with a Cannon gun safe, while others might appreciate the fire protection offered by Liberty safes. The bottom line is that both brands offer high-quality safes that will protect your firearms and valuables from theft and damage. So, whichever brand you choose, you can be assured of getting a quality product.