Top Mesa Gun Safe Reviews
Mesa Safe Company was started in the early 80’s by a man name George L. Vicente. George first began his career in the safe business at the age of 16 working for a local locksmith. Later, he opened his own locksmith company and then founded Mesa Safe Company. Since George’s primary job was to legally break into safes, he saw the need for high quality, all steel safes that provide excellent construction and lock security. Now, Mesa is a leader in the safe industry and provides high quality safes, at an affordable price.
Mesa Safe Company has a huge expansive line of all different types of safes, not just gun safes. This includes pharmaceutical, depository, under counter, hotel, fire protection safes and more! But for now, we will be talking specifically about their gun safe product line. Mesa provides two different models of guns safes, the MBF series and the MGL series. The MGL series is the more affordable of the two and offers entry-level security, three different sizing options and two interior configuration options. The higher end MBF series is their most popular best selling safe and offers high security, good fire protection and comes in three different sizing options.
Here are our Top Picks
| Best Quick Access Gun Safes |  |
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 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 |
| Company |  GunVault SV500 |
 First Alert 5200DF |
 Fortress |
 V-Line |
| Materials | 18 gauge steel | 18 gauge steel | Heavy steel construction | Solid steel construction |
| Dimensions | 6.5 x 3.5 x 13 inches | 10 x 12 x 3 inches | 9.1 x 7.3 x 12 inches | 42 x 12 x 3.5 inches |
| Best Feature | Fast activation drop down drawer | Programmable 3-8 digit “no see” pass code | Programmable four-digit lock | Keyless high-grade lock, Easy Mounting |
| Price |
When picking out a safe it is important that you consider a few important features to make sure that you choose the perfect safe that best fits your needs. In these next few paragraphs I will briefly describe some of these features that I will be going through in each in each of Mesa’s gun safes. If you’d like a more in depth explanation check out my article What to look for in a safe.
When deciding which capacity safe is right for you, there are some important things to consider. The first is expandability. It is important for you to choose a safe that you can grow into and not grow out of. If you choose a safe that perfectly fits your current gun selection, you will be out of luck when you get that new gun you’ve been wanting.
Choosing a safe with good security features plays the most important role in keeping your items safe and out of reach from children as well as burglars. Some things to look for are thick steel, several locking bolts, relockers and hard plates. It is also important that you In addition to security features, fire protection plays just as an important role in keeping your items safe. I always recommend a minimum of 60minutes worth of fire protection no matter your situation.
If your safe will be out in the open, you’ll want your safe to look good. Safe’s can be a centerpiece for a game room, living room or bedroom, so you’ll want something that looks nice and is aesthetically pleasing. If you plan on hiding it away in a closet or in the corner in the basement, aesthetics will not be as important to you.
You’ll also want to make sure that your safe comes with a good warranty. Odds are you’ll end up owning the safe for several years and maybe even a lifetime, so it is important that you pick up a safe that keeps you protected with a great warranty. I always recommend picking up a safe that has a lifetime warranty that covers fire damage, damage break-in attempt and manufactures defects.
MBF
The MBF series is Mesa’s most popular best selling full-size gun safe. This is because of its great security features, fire protection, design and affordability. If you’re sold on the Mesa brand, I would strongly suggest going with the MBF. This series features 3 different capacity options ranging from a small 14-gun option all the way to their largest model, which holds 42 long-guns. Since the MBF series is priced so well, I would suggest going with the largest capacity model.
The MBF provides 60 minutes of fire protection at 1750°F, which is my minimum recommendation for fire protection. Even though this is my minimum recommendation, it still should provide enough protection for most scenarios. In addition, the MBF provides protection at 1750°F when most companies choose to test at around 1200°F. The MBF series also includes a heat-activated seal that protects your valuables from heat and smoke damage.
The safe’s body is made from high quality 12-gauge steel and is rigid enough to survive a 2-story fall. The door of the MBF series is 4 3/8” thick and includes 14 –
1 ½” diameter steel locking bolts which cover all four sides of the safe. This will prevent the safe’s door from being pried open on all four sides of the safes door. Also included is a 3-way locking system, drill resistant hard plates, punch activated relocking system and your choice of electronic or mechanical lock. These are great security features at such a great price.
The exterior of the MBF series features a textured black finish with brass hardware and a stylish Mesa Safe Co. logo on the safe door. There aren’t any custom exterior options, which can be a downside for those of you looking to get something customized to match your homes décor. The interior of the safe comes fully upholstered with adjustable shelving for accessories and valuables as well as storage for long-guns. Also included is internal USB and power outlets.
The Mesa Safe Company provides a limited lifetime warranty on the MBF series. This will protect your safe from theft or fire damage as long as you are the original owner of the safe. You are required to pay removal and freight costs. Mesa also guarantees the electronic lock free from manufacturers defects for one year from purchase date. This is a pretty descent warranty, but not the best.
MGL
The MGL series from Mesa Safe Co. is their most affordable full-size gun safe and it comes equipped with entry-level security and fire protection. This is the perfect option for anyone looking for something a little more budget friendly. If you’re looking for a safe to store things of extreme value or that have irreplaceable sentimental value, I would suggest going with the more secure MBF model. The MGL comes in 3 different sizes, the MGL14, MGL24 and the MGL36. Depending on the model you choose, these different safe sizes can hold anywhere between 14 and 36 long-guns. Since there is not much of price difference between the 3 models, I always suggest going with the largest model. This makes expanding your collection much easier.
The MGL will provide 30 minutes of fire protection at 1200F°, which is a less than my minimum recommendation of 60 minutes. If you’re sold on the MGL series, I would suggest storing the safe in a location that is away from flammable objects like wood flooring and wood studded walls. Great places to store safes with lower fire protection are cement basements and garages. The MGL series includes a heat-activated seal that will seal all four sides of the safe door when exposed to high amounts of heat. This will protect your valuables from heat and smoke damage.
The body of the safe is made from 14-gauge high quality steel and comes with heavy-duty steel hinges. The safe’s door includes 6 – 3/4” locking bolts that aid against prying. It also comes with your choice of electronic or mechanical lock with a drill resistant hard plate. These security features are definitely entry-level and I would highly recommend not storing anything of high value in this safe.
The exterior of the safe comes in a textured black finish with a chrome handle and black lock. Since this is a more budget friendly safe, the exterior is not customizable. The interior of the safe is fully upholstered and includes adjustable shelving, gun rests along with an electric outlet strip that includes USB ports and electrical sockets.
Mesa Safe Company provides a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner of the safe. This means they will either replace or repair your safe if it is damaged from burglary or fire damage. You are required to pay removal fees and freight costs. The lock comes with a one-year warranty that protects you from manufacturers defects. This is the best warranty out there, but that is expected with a more budget friendly safe.
Bottom Line
I think you’ll find that Mesa Safe Company provides high quality safes at such an affordable price. I believe Mesa’s safes are so popular. It’s tough to find a safe that includes all of the great security features and fire protection of the MBF series and that is yet still affordable for the every day Joe.
If you are absolutely sold on the Mesa brand safes, there is no question about it; I would definitely spring towards the MBF series. It includes great security and fire protection features, awesome interior configuration and accessories as well as a descent warranty. When purchasing a safe, it is important that you buy the absolute best model you can afford. Safes are very heavy and a headache to move, so if you buy right the first time, you shouldn’t have to buy again.
