Cannon CA33

Cannon Gun Safe Review

Cannon Series

The Cannon CA33 gun safe is a bit of an enigma rapid in a riddle. Why? Well, first of all, it is the only safe series (of any manufacturer) that shares the same name as its manufacturer. Admittedly, this is not allthat interesting.

However, the CA33 is touted as being the second best safe series from Cannon and has some very good features. Nonetheless, it has some not so good features as well. Normally, the top 2-3 Series from any company are very good all the way around. I will highlight this discrepancy a bit more below.

Warranty: As mentioned with all other Cannon gun safes, the warranty is excellent. They pay all freight cost if you need a new safe due to fire, natural flood or break-ins.

All of the terms I use below are explained more thoroughly in my gun safe buying guide. If you need further explanation about any terms on this page, check out this comprehensive 20 plus page guide.

Key Advantages:

1. Fire Rating: The CA33 has a 60 minute fire rating that has been independently verified by Intertek-ETL. The 60 minute rating is very good and the independent verification is excellent. No complaints from me on this feature.
2. ULRated: This safe has a UL rated Type 1 electronic lock. The Cannon CA343 has a UL RSC rating.
3. Value: Despite some shortcomings, the retail is about $1,500 for a 60 minute fire rated gun safe with a 36 gun capacity. Not too bad.

Key Disadvantages:

1. Locking Bolt Sides: I am a bit astonished that the safe has locking bolts on only two sides of the door.
2. Steel: Again, this is the second best Series offered by Cannon and the Cannon CA33 uses only 12 gauge steel.
3. Clutch Mechanism: This safe does not have a clutch mechanism. When I spoke with Cannon tech support, the individual did not even know what this meant. Other companies’ use this term, and it is certainly not a proprietary term. Thus, I am not sure why he didn’t know what it was. Nonetheless, he did say that if a thief tried to crank on the handle to open the safe, the handle would disengage and spin around. Which, in terms of function, seems to be the same thing as a clutch mechanism. Right?

Fit and Finish

This is an attractive safe and comes in 6 different color choices. The interior is standard and does not offer a lot of customization. Like all Cannon safes, the Cannon CA33 has preinstalled electrical, USB andRJ45 connections. These can be very handy if you want to install an electric dehumidifier or if you want your computer in the safe.

Bottom Line

I am a little surprised that Cannon did not beef up some of the security features of this safe. However, it is a decent value for the money considering its fit and finish, fire rating and price.

Cannon CA33 – By the Numbers