Best 24 Gun Safe 2026: 9 Models Compared, and How Many Guns a '24' Really Holds

Quick Answer: The best 24 gun safe for most buyers is the Liberty Centurion 24 at $829 on Liberty’s store (14-gauge body, 7 locking bars, 40 minutes at 1200°F). The Stealth UL23 ($1,599.99) is the 12-gauge, UL RSC step up, and the Steelwater LD593024 ($2,099) has the strongest fire rating in this size, 1 hour at 1875°F. Expect fewer guns than the name: Steelwater lists its own “26 Long Gun” safe at 22 guns maximum and 14 to 18 on average.

“24 gun safe” draws about 1,300 searches a month in the US, with another 880 for “36 gun safe.” That number on the door is the first thing most buyers compare, and it is the least standardized spec on a gun safe. We compared nine safes sold as 23 to 26 gun models, using each maker’s own spec sheet or an authorized dealer’s listing. We looked at interior size, steel, bolts, fire rating and price, and worked out how much floor space each one gives every gun it claims to hold. Prices and stock were checked on November 4, 2026. We did not run tests of our own; every rating below is the one the maker or its authorized dealer publishes.

The 24 gun safes we compared

Sources: libertysafe.com product spec tables, stealthsafes.com, steelwatergunsafes.com, The Safe Keeper (an authorized Browning and Fort Knox dealer) and Sportsman’s Warehouse, all on November 4, 2026. Stealth also shows higher “compare at” prices ($2,099.99 for the UL23, $2,699.99 for the PR23); the table uses the price you would actually pay.

1. Liberty Centurion 24: Best Value

The Centurion 24 wins on price because it gives you almost the same interior as the Browning 24s (26.25 in wide versus 26 in) for $170 to $490 less. What you give up is steel and fire time. The body is 14-gauge, not 12, and 40 minutes at 1200°F is the shortest rating here apart from the 30-minute Stealth EGS23. One naming detail is worth knowing if you compare part numbers: the Centurion 24’s SKU in Liberty’s product feed is LBCN20, and the Centurion 32’s is LBCN24. Liberty’s Centurion line goes up to a 32 at $939, which costs $110 more for 4.5 inches of extra interior depth. Our best Liberty gun safe guide covers the rest of the range.

2. Stealth UL23: Best 12-Gauge UL RSC Under $2,000

The UL23 is the cheapest safe here that combines 12-gauge steel, four-way boltwork and a UL RSC listing. It’s the one to buy if pry resistance matters more to you than shelf space. The trade-off is room. Stealth fits 23 rated slots into 21 inches of interior width, which is 11 square inches of floor per rated gun, the second-tightest ratio we found. The same line comes as the UL28 ($1,799.99, 25.5 x 16.5 in inside) for $200 more. On paper that is a better 24-gun safe than the UL23 itself. Stealth’s full lineup, including its lock change from the NL UR-2020 to SecuRam, is in our best Stealth gun safe guide.

3. Browning BX24 vs. FMJ 24: Same Box, Different Ratings

Going by The Safe Keeper’s listings, the two Browning 24s share a shell, and the cheaper one carries the higher fire rating: 60 minutes at 1400°F on the $999 FMJ 24 against 45 minutes at 1200°F on the $1,319 BX24. What the extra $320 buys is a UL RSC burglary certification and a UL-listed lock. The FMJ listing claims neither, and lists its active bolts as “1-way.” If burglary resistance comes first, the BX24 is the better buy. If fire matters more, the FMJ 24 gives more rated fire time per dollar than anything else here. Ask the dealer to confirm both ratings before you buy, since these numbers come from a dealer listing, not Browning’s own spec sheet. More Browning tiers are in our best Browning gun safe guide.

4. Steelwater Heavy Duty 26 (LD593024): Best Fire Rating

The LD593024 is the most honest-labelled safe in this comparison, because Steelwater prints the numbers other makers leave out. A safe named for 26 guns holds 22 at most and 14 to 18 on average, which is 54% to 69% of the name. You also get the most room per rated gun, 22 square inches at the 22-gun maximum, and the longest fire rating, 1 hour at 1875°F. The same box with 9-gauge steel, 2 hours at 1875°F and 765 lb is the Extreme Duty HD593024 at $2,499. It is still a heavy safe for its size at 581 lb, so read our how much does a gun safe weigh guide before you pick a floor. Other models are in our best Steelwater gun safe guide.

5. Liberty Colonial 23: Best Name-Brand Fire Protection

The Colonial 23 shows why the number in the name tells you so little. Liberty sells it as a “23,” rates it for 25 long guns with the standard interior and 21 with the Pro Flex interior. Only the shelving changes. It costs three times as much as a Centurion 24 for about the same interior width. The money goes into 12-gauge steel, 1/4-inch locking bars instead of 3/16-inch, and 75 minutes of fire rating instead of 40. If those three matter to you, it is the strongest Liberty in this size. The 12 gauge steel gun safe guide compares it with other 12-gauge boxes.

6. Stealth PR23 Premier: Best Thick Steel

Of the safes here, the PR23 has the most steel for the money: 10-gauge plus a plate door with UL RSC, for less than the 12-gauge Liberty Colonial 23. It’s best for a smaller collection that needs maximum pry resistance. It’s the worst choice if you want to fill it. Stealth rates 23 guns in 220 square inches of floor, 9.6 square inches each, which is the tightest ratio we found. If you want this steel with more room, the PR36 ($2,599.99) has a 62 x 32 x 17.5 in interior.

What “24 guns” really means

No industry standard sets how a gun count is calculated, and the makers’ own fine print shows it. Liberty’s spec pages say “gun capacity may vary depending upon size of guns and scopes.” Steelwater publishes a maximum and an average. Browning’s dealer listing for the FMJ 24 counts two rows of 12. To put the numbers on one scale, we divided each safe’s interior floor area (width x depth) by the number of guns its maker rates it for:

The arithmetic is ours; the dimensions and gun counts are the makers’. The spread is more than threefold. Steelwater’s own “average” works out to 27 to 35 square inches of floor per gun, while Stealth’s 23-gun ratings assume 10 to 12. If you apply Steelwater’s average as a rough yardstick, a Centurion 24 holds about 10 to 13 long guns in everyday use, a Browning BX24 about 11 to 14, and a Stealth UL23 about 7 to 9. Those are estimates, not maker figures. Scopes, bipods and wide stocks are what push real counts down, and so do shelves. Steelwater notes that on its two-section racks the small shelves can only go in the right-hand section, so using them gives up gun slots.

Same width, different number: Fort Knox

Fort Knox doesn’t name safes by gun count at all. Its model numbers are exterior inches: the Maverick 6024 is 60 inches high and 24 inches wide, the 6031 is 60 by 31, and the 7241 is 72 by 41. The Safe Keeper’s listing for the Maverick 6024 says it stores up to 10 long guns. That is in a 60 x 24 x 18 inch shell, almost exactly the outside size of Stealth’s 59 x 24 x 18 inch UL23, which Stealth rates for 23. The Maverick 6024 has a 10-gauge body, 9 locking bolts 1.5 in in diameter, a UL listing and 90 minutes at 1600°F, and starts at 586 lb. It was $3,591 at The Safe Keeper in colour editions on November 4. Treat any “24” on a safe from a brand you don’t know as a possible size code, not a gun count. Our best Fort Knox gun safe guide covers the Maverick and the tiers above it.

When a 36 gun safe makes more sense

If you already own 12 or more long guns, or most of yours wear optics, the yardstick above says a 24 will be close to full on day one. These were the 36-gun options with published specs on November 4:

The Stealth UL36 costs $700 more than the UL23 and gives you 2.4 times the interior floor (610 versus 252 square inches). Per square inch, that’s the best upgrade on this page. Liberty’s USA 36 is 60.5 inches tall against 66 inches for the Stealths, which matters in a closet or under a basement duct. Past 36, our best large gun safe guide covers 40 to 56 gun safes.

Weight, doorways and delivery

A 24 gun safe is the size where moving it yourself stops being realistic. The safes above weigh 293 to 581 pounds empty. Liberty says 98% of its customers choose professional installation, and it lists a minimum doorway of 22 inches for the Centurion 24 and 24 inches for the Colonial 23. Measure the narrowest door and stair turn on the route, add the handle depth the maker lists (1.75 to 3 inches on Liberty, 3 inches on Stealth and Steelwater), and check whether the dealer delivers. Our how to move a gun safe guide covers the DIY and professional routes, and gun safe delivery covers what delivery costs.

Recalls and California

A CPSC recall database search on November 4, 2026 returned no recalls under Liberty Safe, Steelwater, Fort Knox or Browning safes. The only Stealth result was an unrelated gaming headset. Stack-On’s gun safe recall in the database is from March 2019: about 1,250 Stack-On Sentinel safes (style FSS18-64-MB-E-S) whose lock could fail. That is not the Total Defense 24. Stack-On’s two other recalls, from 2000 and 2004, covered gun cabinets and Strong Box safes.

California buyers should check the exact model. On the October 31, 2026 copy of the California DOJ’s Roster of Firearm Safety Devices, we found Steelwater’s LD593024 and Liberty’s Centurion 12 and 18 listed by model name, but no entry named Centurion 24. Liberty’s own Centurion page calls the line a “California DOJ-approved firearm safety device.” Ask the dealer how the model you’re buying is listed. Our California gun safe law guide explains the standard.

How to choose a 24 gun safe

• Count your scoped long guns, not your guns. Use about half to two-thirds of the rated number as a planning figure, which is roughly where Steelwater’s own average sits.
• Compare interior width and depth, not the name. Two “24” safes can differ by 6 inches of interior width (20 in on the PR23, 26.25 in on the Centurion 24).
• Decide whether fire or theft comes first. For fire, compare minutes at a stated temperature; the gun safe fire rating guide explains the labels. For theft, look for 12-gauge or thicker steel, four-way boltwork and a UL RSC listing.
• Check the doorway and floor before the price. A 581-pound safe on a second floor needs a plan.
• Bolt it down. Stealth and Steelwater list four pre-drilled anchor holes on these models; ask any dealer for the bolt-down kit. Weight alone doesn’t stop a two-person carry-out.

The bottom line

The Liberty Centurion 24 is the 24 gun safe to buy on a budget: $829 for a 26-inch-wide interior, a UL-listed lock and 40 minutes of fire rating. Spend $1,599.99 on the Stealth UL23 for 12-gauge steel and a UL RSC listing, or $2,099 on the Steelwater LD593024 for 1 hour at 1875°F and the most room per gun. Whichever you choose, plan on fewer guns than the name. Steelwater’s own figures put a “26” at 14 to 18 long guns on average, and if your collection is already in double digits, a 36 is the cheaper long-term buy. For more options at the low end, see our best gun safe under $1000 and best gun safe guides.