Home Security & Safes

Why Brazos Safe & Vault

Made in the USA, built to order

Brazos is a Texas manufacturer, founded in 1974 as Security Products. Each safe is hand-built after you order it, and each door is hand fitted so the fire expansion seal works as intended. The hinges are made in-house and fitted to each safe individually.

Four fire protection levels

Every level includes at least one layer of 5/8" ToughRock® Fireguard X® gypsum board. In Brazos's own words:

• Single: Protected to 1200 degrees for 45 minutes. One layer of Fireguard X®.
• Double: Protected to 1600 degrees for 45 minutes. Two layers of Fireguard X®.
• Triple: Protected to 1200 degrees for 90 minutes. Three layers of Fireguard X®.
• Ceramic: Protected to 2400 degrees for 60 minutes. A 1" ceramic blanket, a single layer of 5/8" Fireguard X® and an inner liner of 12 gauge steel.

All Brazos safes include a Palusol® door seal that, per Brazos, expands to eight times its original size in a fire to keep out smoke and flames. The Custom Steel Vault Door has a layer of ceramic fire insulation rated to insulate up to 2400 degrees for 60 minutes.

Steel you can choose by model

• Imperial 50 (Gold Collection): full 1/4" steel in the body and door, holds 53 to 62 guns.
• Pioneer 50 and Pioneer 42 (Silver Collection): 10 gauge steel body with a 1/4" steel door, holding 54 to 64 or 32 to 42 guns.
• Bandit 30 (Bronze Collection): 12 gauge steel body with a 10 gauge door, 60 inches tall, holds 19 to 20 guns.
• Custom Steel Vault Door: 1/4" steel door, 5/16" steel frame and 1" steel bolts, with a relocker and an inside release for use on a walk-in vault or safe room.

Brazos welds the body thoroughly and forms it from one continuous piece of steel with no seams.

Locks and bolts

Choose Brazos's own recessed, vertical-mount key lock, a Sargent & Greenleaf electronic keypad or a combination dial. Larger models can mix and match them. Manganese steel reinforces critical parts of every lock. Brazos says lab tests show the dual dead bolts on its key-lock safes take over 25,800 pounds of force to break, and key-lock safes add an internal relocker. Bolt-action safes use 1" hardened steel bolts driven by a five-spoke wheel.

Made your way

Pick from Sportsman, Collector's or Enthusiast's interiors, left or right hinges, and body, trim and lock colors. You can also add an LED light kit and a dehumidifier rod.

Warranty

Brazos offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser covering defects in material and workmanship. During that time, it will also repair or replace a safe damaged in a forced-entry attempt. Locks and keypads carry their own manufacturer's warranty. See Brazos's warranty terms for the details and what is not covered, such as water damage.

Quick guide to choosing a safe

• Size and what to store: Count your long guns, then size up. Scopes, bags and ammunition use more room than the gun count suggests, and most collections grow. For documents, cash, jewelry and heirlooms, an Enthusiast's interior with shelves top to bottom works well. The 60-inch Bandit fits under lower ceilings and in closets; the 72-inch Pioneer and Imperial hold more.
• Fire rating: Compare both the temperature and the minutes. A longer rating or a higher temperature gives more margin if a fire burns long or hot. Keep papers and photos in a sealed pouch inside the safe, since water from firefighting is a separate risk.
• Lock type: A key lock never needs batteries. A keypad opens fastest and lets you change the code. A combination dial has no electronics at all. If more than one person needs access, choose the lock everyone can use easily.
• Where to place it: Choose a spot out of sight, such as a closet, basement or garage corner on a concrete slab. For an upper floor, check that the floor can hold the weight. Measure doors, halls and stairs first. Freight delivery drops the safe on its pallet inside your garage, so plan how it will get to its final spot, or ask Brazos about delivery and installation.
• Bolting it down: Use the pre-drilled holes to anchor the safe to the floor, ideally into concrete with hardware sized for the job. A bolted safe is far harder to tip, pry or carry away.