Are Costco Gun Safes Worth the Investment?

Are you a Costco member or planning to avail of membership with their store because you heard their gun safes are good? Read this article to learn about the gun safes they sell.

Costco is a membership-only warehouse club offering its clients the lowest prices on premium name-brand products. The company opened its doors in 1976 bearing the name Price Club and gave its members access to unmatched savings through efficient operations and purchasing strategies.

In 1983, its name became Costco Wholesale. Costco has a wide range of products and services, from jewelry, travel tickets, insurance, truck rentals, household items, pharmaceutical goods, and electronics.

Along with the wide variety of products Costco offers, gun owners’ eyes are sticking to the gun safes in its racks, which of course, claim to be cheaper than other stores since that’s what Costco is known for.

Read on to discover additional information about the gun safe brands offered by Costco.

Factors to Consider When Investing in a Gun Safe

The security features, warranty and support, price, and other characteristics should all be considered when evaluating a gun safe’s quality.

But first, is Costco certified to sell a gun safe? Yes, Costco is transparent in its clauses about its vendors and suppliers. They even urge buyers to report fraud and other potential violations of policies set by local, regional, or national law and other misconduct.

Costco’s manufacturers of the gun safes provide detailed features for each. Here are some of the factors to consider when investing in a gun safe:

1. Security Features

This includes the gun safes’ building materials, the fire, water, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection, and the locking mechanisms.

The thicker the steel sheets used in building the gun safe, the better it is to deter theft and the higher protection against fire, water, and EMP.

2. Size and Capacity

It is essential to identify your need before buying a gun safe. Count the firearms and accessories you plan to house in a gun safe.

Gun safes vary in size and capacity. Storing firearms way more than the recommended number or capacity will compromise the gun safe’s function to keep your firearms secure.

3. Warranty and Support

Gun safe brands, primarily known ones, offer warranty and support under specific terms. It is essential to review the terms to avoid invalidity of warranty that will save gun safe buyers a lot of money regarding repairs and health checks.

4. Price and value

Things that are related to guns are pricey. That is why it is also essential to consider a lower price while maintaining quality.

Costco Gun Safe Brands and Models

Costco sells branded gun safes. Currently, the brands available on their website are Bighorn, Cannon, GunVault, and Sanctuary.

1. Bighorn

Bighorn by Rhino Metal, Inc. has been long-standing since 1999 with the tagline “biggest bang for your buck.”

With discounted prices ranging from $750 to $5000, Costco sells seven Bighorn models (B5529ECS, SB3020EG, B6030ELX, UAB7144EX, UAB5940EX, B6033XGL-PWT, B7242XGL-TTM) as of writing.

These gun safes are fireproof and floor-mountable and can house 30-54 firearms depending on gun safe size and your gun type. It features electronic locks with UL-certified door bolts.

2. Cannon

Cannon gun safe, born in 1965, is now one of the leading national safe companies.

Costco sells one Cannon model (Landmark CS5950) as of writing. It is priced starting at $1,699.99.

This gun safe has a good fire rating and can house 80 firearms, depending on your gun type. It features an electronic lock and a luxurious Interior protecting your firearms from scuffs.

3. GunVault

GunVault is a leader in manufacturing quick-access safes.

Costco sells one GunVault model (MV500F Flag Edition) as of writing, priced at $89.99.

It is a micro vault that can house one handgun or a rim of essential documents. It is small-size, but it boasts its security cable, lightweight but strong and solid all-steel body, and no-eyes keypad (dark-environment-friendly keypad) that is instant-open.

4. Sanctuary

Sanctuary by Sports Afield prides on its gun safes’ “design, manufacturing and fulfillment of innovative, feature-rich products focused on quality and unmatched value” and warranty terms.

Costco sells one Sanctuary model (Reserve) in two sizes with prices ranging from $700 to $1400.

These gun safes have high fire and water ratings and can house 14 to 36 firearms depending on the gun safe size and your gun type. It features an electronic lock type.

Pros and Cons of Costco Gun Safes

By reading the overview of the gun safe brands above, Costco gun safes are worth the investment. But let us look at their pros and cons, if any.

Pros of Costo Gun Safe

Costco has a great organization of its products and services. It has clear and legal-bound consignment contracts with its vendors and suppliers.

1. Competitive pricing

Costco offers the lowest prices on the market on premium name-brand products. It further provides discounts to members. It also gives promo packages for some of its gun safes if you buy more than one.

2. Wide range of models and sizes

You can choose a gun safe according to your preference and needs, with Costco having a good range of brand models and sizes.

3. Trusted brands

Costco sells gun safe brands that are known, trusted, and stand the test of time.

4. The convenience of shopping at Costco

There are 500+ Costo physical stores across the United States. It also offers delivery for convenience.

Costco’s web store has a good UX design if you prefer online shopping.

Cons of Costo Gun Safe

Costco is a warehouse with a very diverse product line; gun safe is only one of a hundred categories, making it the root of a few cons of purchasing one from this store.

1. Limited selection compared to specialized gun safe stores

Although Costco sells trusted brands of gun safes, its items are not varied compared to stores niching in guns and gun accessories.

2. Potential lack of expertise from Costco staff

Costco has technical product experts for customer service (which is free of over-the-phone assistance charges under the 2-year warranty). But chances are they will redirect you to the manufacturer’s customer service itself for your more specific, highly technical, or confidential inquiries (say lockouts).

3. Possible challenges in delivery and installation

Costco partners with third-party delivery companies and waives fees for ceiling purchase amounts (easily attainable with gun safe standard pricing). But gun safes are recommended to be moved by professional gun safe movers (e.g., Military Movers) and installers since it isn’t ordinary home furniture.

Alternative Gun Safe Shops

If you want to check other stores, here are some of the alternative gun safe shop categories:

1. Online Retailers

Online gun safe retailers mostly specialize in safes only. They can accommodate you one-on-one with your concerns via phone, email, forms, or live chats.

Look up the reviews of the online gun safe retailer that you found before placing an order and sending payment. Since some online retailers specialize in gun safes, their delivery process is at par as they know how to handle the items well.

2. Physical Stores

You can go directly to physical stores to see eye-to-eye and skin-to-skin choices. You can either have your gun safe delivered to your doorstep or pick it up with your truck if it is more cost-efficient, based on your calculations.

• Second-Hand Gun Safe

You can also ask your family and friends if they sell second-hand gun safes. You can also look for second-hand gun safe sellers on the Internet. Some sell refrigerators or soda machines converted gun safes.

Conclusion

This article shared information about Costco gun safes to help prospective buyers decide whether to purchase one or look for alternative gun safe shops.

It is important to consider security features, size and capacity, warranty and support, and price before buying a gun safe. One should also consider ease of transport. Also, ensure that when you buy a gun safe, you know if you need to register your new gun safe.

Keeping your guns secure is an obligation to yourself and the community. It is highly encouraged for gun owners to research and invest in the right gun safe.

FAQs 

Sources

“About Us.” Gunvault.com, gunvault.com/about-us/.

Sports Afield consumer products. https://www.saproducts.com/products/product-category/sanctuary-safes.

Costco. “About | Costco.” Costco.com, 2022, www.costco.com/about.html.