Top Cannon Gun Safe Reviews
Cannon brand safes are another big hitter in the full-size gun safe world and compete in quality with some of the top manufacturers out there. Cannon has been in the safe manufacturing business for over 45 years and has three high volume manufacturing facilities. Cannon knows how important your valuables are and chooses not to compromise on their quality to make sure your valuables stay safe from even the worst situations. I would consider Cannon to be an intermediate mid-level safe option and a large step up from brands like Stack On and Field & Stream. Their core values consist of hard work, loyalty and respect, quality and craftsmanship and to always constantly improve. Putting a high value on these basic core values has pushed the Cannon to be a successful respected name in the gun safe industry.
Cannon offers a descent sized variety of safes for your home and office and includes several different sizing options to fit most any application. Whether you’re an avid gun collector, occasional hobbyist, or just need a secure way to store high value goods like jewelry and cash, Cannon most likely has a solution. If you are in the market for a mid-level gun safe, you should definitely consider the Cannon brand.
Here are our Top Picks
| Best 1911 Grips |  |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 |
| Company |  Hogue |
 VZ Grips |
 Magpul |
 Pachmayr |
| Materials | G10 polymer | Synthetic rubber | Reinforced polymer | Wood, Rubber |
| Best Feature | Durable, Easily Cleaned | Wrap around groove, Non-desolve rubber | Easy magazine pull out, slim design. | Wrap around finger groove, wood finish. |
| Price |
Once you decide it’s time to take the plunge and get yourself a gun safe, the first thing you’ll need to know is how to actually pick out the right one. There are hundreds of different shapes, sizes, brands and feature varieties out there, which can make things very complicated. To make this easier on you, I have assembled key information and review categories for nearly every safe manufacturer that is relevant. These review categories will help you narrow down exactly what you need in your new safe and save you the headache from returning a 1,000lb chunk of steel.
One of the first things I take note of is the fire protection rating. This number generally ranges from the lowest being 20minutes up to the max of 2.5 hours. I would always suggest sticking with an absolute minimum of 60 minutes worth of fire protection in any scenario. The second thing I look for in a safe is capacity. This will tell you how many long-guns you will be able to store in your new safe as well as the actual physical size of the safe. My rule of thumb here is to always choose a safe that you can grow into and not out of. Don’t pick a safe that is too small.
The security of the safe is another important feature that plays an obvious factor in how safe your valuables will be from intruders. What I look for is a thick heavy gauge steel body, a door that is secured on all four sides using locking bolts, drill prevention hard plate and a quality re-locker. Your safe becomes a convenient target for burglars if you choose to be a safe with low security.
Click to See Lowest Cannon Prices
Another important thing to consider is the aesthetics of your new safe. Safes have recently become a desirable piece of furniture in living rooms, game rooms and bedrooms so if you’re planning on setting your safe out in the open for everyone to see, it is important that you choose a safe that looks good too. Canon does offer a few different exterior finish options to choose from, however, the color selection isn’t as wide as some of the other brands comparable in price.
Last but not least, a warranty. Most brands offer a lifetime warranty on their full-sized safe models, but some do vary on exactly what those warranties cover. A great warranty will come with lifetime repair or replacement that protects you against break-in attempts, flood damage, fire damage and of course manufactures defects. In addition, Cannon also offers free parts, labor and freight for the repaired or replaced safe.
Click to See Lowest Cannon Prices
Scout
The Scout is the most affordable series from Cannon and offers a formidable array of features at a great price. Even it is considered an entry-level safe, it still offers descent security and fire protection. Overall, I’d say the Scout is a serious competitor in the entry-level safe market. The Scout is offered in 5 different sizing options to fit nearly any sized collection, whether you’re are an occasional hobbyist or long time collector. The smallest of the Scout series is the S14, which can hold about 24 long-guns along with some shelving for accessories, while the largest of the bunch, the S40, can hold a generous 64 long-guns. They also make a 28 and 24 capacity option as well. Now that we’ve covered the capacity, let’s move onto fire protection.
The fire protection rating of the Scout is 30 minutes at 1200°F. Remember, this safe is considered entry-level so the fire protection may not quite be as good as what you’d hope for but is still more than what a lot of other entry level designs offer. I always recommend a 60 minute minimum of protection in nearly every case so If you are in fact sold on the Scout, I would suggest storing it somewhere that is not susceptible to fire, like a cement garage or basement. Along with the fire protection, the Scout does offer a unique expanding seal that protects the contents of your safe from smoke and heat damage.
The security features of the Scout include a thick 4” steel composite door that is secured to the body with 9 – 1” locking bolts and internal hinges. This helps protect your safe from being pried open and will definitely give any intrude quite the challenge. The uni-body construction of the safes is made from high quality 12-gauge steel to protect your safe heavy blows from blunt objects. It also comes with a commercial grade electronic lock for quick access to your good when you need them. Cannon makes sure that your lock stays safe by adding three layers of 60+ RC steel hard plates protects your lock.
When of the strong points in the Scout series is it’s included interior accessories. These accessories include a door mounted storage panel that is packed full of pockets for tons of accessories, a fully upholstered interior including shelves and walls as well as a power system that has two outlets, two USB ports and an Ethernet plugin. All you need now is a dehumidifier and some LED lighting! The exterior of the safe comes in two basic colors, black or silver.
Cannon offers a zero cost, hassle free warranty on all of their safes. This means you do not pay for parts, labor or freight on your damaged safe! This includes fire damage, natural flood damage, break-ins and break-in attempts. Not too bad eh? This is definitely one of the best warranties out there.
Cannon Series
Cannon’s self-titled series is the next step up from the Scout series and offers much better security and fire protection. This seems to be Cannon’s most popular, best-selling safe from their lineup. The Cannon series comes in two different sizing options: The CA23, which is the smaller of the two at 59” x 30” x 22”and can hold a maximum of 24 long-guns. The CA33 is a bit wider at 59” x 40” x 22” than the CA23 and has a larger capacity at about 36 long-guns. Now that we’ve covered the two different sized models in the Cannon series, let’s to a quick look at the features.
Cannon offers 60-minutes of fire protection at 1200°F, which is double of what the Scout offers. 60-minutes is generally my minimum recommendation in any situation. Commonly, people fail to realize that the fire protection rating is just as important as the security qualities of the safe. To help aid in protection, Cannon has included a heat-activated seal that expands several times its size, sealing out smoke and heat. If you’re considering a Cannon, the self-titled series is a great place to start!
The security features are impressive on this unit. They start with a 12-gauge steel unibody design that allows for a strong rigid body. The 4 ½” thick steel door is secured to the body by 13 – 1.5” titanium-plated locking bolts that cover each side of the door. This combined with the anti-pry tabs makes it extremely tough and near impossible to pry open. The Cannon also comes with dual relockers, three hard plates, internal hinges and a type 1 lock combination lock.
The Cannon’s upholstered interior is complete with the Tru Rack adjustable shelving system for a plethora of interior configuration options. It also comes with a convenient door organizer that includes several pockets and pouches to store handguns and accessories. It also comes equipped with interior lighting, dehumidifier as well as a panel with two outlets, two USB ports and an Ethernet jack. The Cannon’s exterior comes in your choice of three different colors: Silver, black and gold.
I find Cannon’s lifetime warranty to among the best warranties available from any safe manufacturer. Their warranty covers natural flood, fire, break-in and break-in attempt at zero cost to you. This means Cannon pays for the parts, labor and freight.
Click to See all Cannon Series Prices
Armory
The Armory series from Cannon is not only huge in size, but also gun capacity. This is the largest safe in Cannon’s lineup and offers a storage capacity fit for nearly any collector. The Armory comes in two size options: Big and bigger. The smaller of the two safes, the A80, measures 59” x 48” x 30” and can hold about 80 long-guns. The larger model, the A100, can hold a whopping 100 long-guns and measures in at 59” x 52” x 35”. If you’re looking for a safe that can hold even the largest of collections, I would definitely consider the Armory.
The Armory offers 45min of fire protection at 1200°F. It also incorporates a heat expanding seal that completely seals all four side of the safes door one exposed to heat. This helps protect your valuables from smoke and heat. I always recommend a minimum of 60 minutes of fire protection but 45min may be fine depending on where the safe will be situated. I’d recommend somewhere like a garage or basement that is mostly cement.
To keep your items safe, the Armory series has a thick 4” door steel composite door with 12 – 1” thick locking bolts and anti-pry tabs that keep that door secured to the body to prevent prying. The safes body is made from 12-gauge steel with a unibody design and internal door hinges for strong burglary resistance. Also included is three 60+ RC steel hard plates located behind a type 1 combination lock to prevent drilling as well as dual relockers. I would classify the Armory series as a moderate security safe.
The Armory comes with a well-designed fully upholstered interior with plenty of storage for long-guns, handguns, accessories and valuables. Included is fully adjustable shelving for several different interior configurations, a door mounted storage panel that includes several packets and holders, a panel with two outlets, two USB ports and an Ethernet connection and a fully lit interior. The exterior of the Armory comes in your choice of two colors, black and gray.
Included with every Cannon safes is there unbeatable lifetime warranty. This lifetime warranty covers you from natural flood damage, fire damage, break-in and break-in attempts and at zero cost to you. This means you do not have to pay for parts, labor or even freight costs.
Click to See all Armory Prices
50th Anniversary C50
The 50th Anniversary model is very similar to the Cannon series safes with the exception of some security features. If you’re interested in the Cannon series but want something with a bit higher capacity, I would spring for the C50. The C50 comes in just one size, a 50 long-gun capacity model that measures 59” x 45” x 26”.
The C50 provides 60 minutes of fire protection at 1200°F. It also include a heat expanding seal that provides protection against heat and smoke damage by completely sealing all four sides of the safe door by expanding several times it’s sized when exposed to heat. I always recommend at least 60 minutes of fire protection in any situation. Anything less than 60 minutes I always recommend storing in the garage or basement where it is surrounded by cement instead of fire susceptible materials like wood.
Cannon’s 50th anniversary C50 safe features a 4 5/8” thick door that includes two layers of 12-gauge steel and 13 – 1 ¼” locking steel locking bolts with anti-pry tabs to protect your safe from some extreme pry attempts. It also includes three hard plates that are located behind the type 1 lock to prevent your safe from drilling. The body of the C50 is made from 12-gauge steel in a unibody construction. I would consider this safe to have a moderate protection rating.
This safe features a plush fully upholstered interior that is trimmed in wood and fully lit. It also has several great storage configurations with completely adjustable shelving and a customizable door panel for handguns, ammo and accessories. The exterior of the safe comes luxurious looking charcoal color with chrome hardware. Also included with the C50 is a panel with two outlets, two USB ports and an Ethernet jack.
Included in any purchase of a full-size gun safe is Cannons lifetime warranty that completely covers you against natural flood damage, fire damage, break-ins, break-in attempts and manufactures defects. The lifetime warranty is completely zero-cost, which mean you do not pay for anything. This means you do not pay for parts, labor and freight costs. This is a tough warranty to beat!
Click to See all 50th Anniversary Prices
Commander
The commander is Cannons top of the line model and is packed with great security features and an enhanced fire protection rating over their other models. This is a great option if you’re looking for a safe that provides excellent protection for high priced valuables. The Commander comes in two different size and capacity options. The smallest of the two is the CO43, which can hold up to 36 long-guns and measures in at 72” x 40” x 26”. The largest of the two models will hold about 48 long-guns and is a touch wider at 72” x 50” x 26”. Now that we’ve covered the different sizes and capacities, let’s take a look at some of the other important features of the Commander series.
Cannon offers a generous 90 minutes of fire protection at 1200°F on their Commander series as well as a heat activated expanding door seal that provides protection against heat and smoke damage. This is the highest amount of fire protection that Cannon offers and honestly I find it to be plenty for pretty much any situation. I you find that you need even more than what Cannon offers, some competing manufacturers offer up to 2.5 hours of fire protection on some of their top of the line safes.
The Commander series offers a 5 5/8” thick door complete with two layers of high quality 10-gauge steel and up to 17 – 1.5” thick steel lock bolts depending on the size option you choose. This along with the ant-pry tabs makes this safe nearly impossible to pry open. The body of the Commander is made from high quality 10-gauge steel with complete unibody construction. Also included is a three layer hard plate to prevent drilling, as well as dual reclockers and TruLock internal hinges. With great security features like these, I would give the Commander series a high security rating.
The luxurious interior of the safe comes completely upholstered and lit up. It also provides numerous storage configuration options by offering fully adjustable shelving and a customizable door mounted panel for handguns and accessories. Also included is a power panel that includes two outlets, two USB ports and an Ethernet port. The exterior of the safes comes in your choice of three different finishes: black, gray and beige.
The Commander series comes with Cannons lifetime warranty that protects your safe from costly fire damage, natural flood damage, break-in, break-in attempt and manufacturers defects. This is a zero-cost warranty, which means you do not pay anything! That means Cannon pays for things like labor, parts and freight. I find this to be one of the best warranties out there.
Click to See all Commander Prices
Bottom Line
From their entry-level safes to their top of line flagships safes, every Cannon model is built with a high level of detail and craftsmanship. With over 45 years in the business and one of the best warranties out there, it’s no wonder Cannon is being compared to some of the biggest name brands out there.
It’s very important that you take the time to make sure that you really understand exactly what you need in a safe and that you also fully understand the all of the different features that make up a well-built, high quality safe. These features include safe capacity, fire protection, lock security, strength and the looks or aesthetics of you safe. If you’d like more information on these topics, my article “What to look for in a safe?” will help give you more information and instruction to help you pick out the best safe for you specific application.
If you feel like you’re ready to decide on which Cannon model best fits your situation, a great place to start is the self-titled series from Cannon. This includes the CA22 and CA23, which are some of Cannon’s most popular best selling models. These are great mid-level safes that provide just enough fire protection and security for most situations. It also includes plenty of great interior features like adjustable shelving, power supply, door organizer and a choice of a few different colors. If you are wanting something with a higher gun capacity, I would suggest going with suggest going with the Armory series.
