Winchester Silverado 45 Gun Safe

This safe has been discontinued in 2012.

The Silverado 45 gun safe from Winchester Safes is one BIG safe. It can hold up to 51 long guns. Even with this large amount of storage, the entire package comes for under $2,000.

Large capacity and decent security features are what causes many value oriented gun collectors to choose Winchester as their gun safe of choice.

However, is all that glitters, gold? Yes and no. You will get many good features with the Silverado series, but you will also have to make some compromises.

There is a reason that you do not see videos of this safe surviving a tank driving over it. There is a reason it is not $5,000. Yet, despite all of this, the Silverado 45 is still a very good and popular option with many gun enthusiasts.

Let’s take a look at where this safe excels and where you will have to make some decisions about value vs. features.

Key Advantages:

1. UL RSC Rating: First and foremost, the safe withstood an expert door assault for 5 minutes. At least you know the slash
   and grab thief will probably not get your guns. They probably won’t have the time or expertise to get in this safe.
2. UL Type 2 Electronic Lock: It comes standard with an electronic lock, but you can usually get a UL rated combination lock for the same price.
3. Fire Rating: The Silverado 45 has a 1.5 hour fire rating. Winchester gun safes are fire tested in house, so we do not have
   independent confirmation of this rating. Nonetheless, if it holds true, it is an impressive fire rating. Also, like all Winchester Safes,
   the Silverado has a Palusol door seal, the industry standard in smoke sealing technology.
4. Locking Bolts: The safe has 18 locking bolts spread around all four door sides. Each bolt is a hefty 1.5″.
5. Height: The interior height is 66 inches. This should be ample room for most collections.
6. Weight: Sometimes the weight of the safe gets lost in the discussion. I recommend that a safe be at least 1,000 pounds,
   particularly if you are getting a larger one. This gun safe weights 1,090 pounds. Bolt this safe to the floor and it will be
   just that much more difficult to move or be compromised.

Key Disadvantages:

1. Steel: The Silverado 45 has 12 gauge steel. This is much thinner than I normally recommend. Of course, this should not be surprising since a safe of this size can be purchased for under $2,000. The savings have to come somewhere. In this case,
   it comes from thinner steel.
2. Interior Finish: This disadvantage is relatively minor, but you need to purchase a separate dehumidifier and lighting kit.

Fit and Finish:

Like all Winchester safes, the company only bought two different exterior colors (charcoal and granite). Interior coloring offers one choice, for all you gray lovers. The interior shelving is customizable.

Bottom Line

This safe is big and can be had for around $1,700-$1,800. This is real good value for the money. You do not get a flashy safe (for example, baked enamel finishes with 15 color choices, etc.). You do have some uncertainty regarding the fire rating and an experienced thief may make short work of the thinner steel. Nonetheless, it is hard to beat for the money.

Winchester Silverado 45 – By the Numbers