Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cannon Safe Experience

I am going to provide you with my experience with Cannon Safes and let you make up your own minds up. This was a Stack On safe where Cannon unbeknownst to me bought them out a few years ago. I have another Stack On safe that was manufactured by Stack On before the buyout by Cannon which I have never had an ounce of trouble with.

To make a long story a little shorter I went through two other Stack On safes before accepting the one that broke, the first one looked like it was in an auto accident which isn't Cannon's fault and the second one the electronics didn't work at all. The third safe seemed fine at first but then the mechanism to open the safe seem to be tight at times but not all the time. One day after scoping a 22-250 I just acquired I opened the safe and put my rifle in and shut the safe. I then realized I needed to open the safe to get something else out. That's when the shaft that goes into the mechanism to open the safe snapped. I couldn't believe it since the safe was less than two months old.

I then contacted Cannon CS who wanted pictures and a number of videos of the safe to determine if it was a legitimate warranty claim. I did all the pictures and videos that they asked for and then almost a month later after contacting them every other week for a status they tell me it's a legitimate claim. I then ask them how they will open the safe so that I can get my items out since they are locked inside. Cannon CS tells me they will not send anyone to open the safe and they will not reimburse me if I get my own locksmith. They explained their policy to open the safe is any means necessary (which is on you) to get the safe open. I explained to them that this was unacceptable CS and that it should not be up to the customer to either open the safe or pay to have someone else do it.

Cannon CS then sent me an e-mail stating that they would replace the safe via curbside delivery even though I paid to have the safe delivered inside my house. They also explained that they would not be taking the old broken safe out of the house.

So, at this point I am quite pissed off and call Home Depot where I bought it and explained to them the issues. They also would not send or pay anyone to open the safe but they would come and get the safe and refund me for it if I got my possessions out of the safe.

At this point I went to the store purchased a diamond angle grinder blade and opened the safe from one of the sides very carefully not to damage any of the contents. This of course was extremely dusty and dirty but I got it done and got all of my stuff out of the safe without any issues.

I then contacted Home Depot who sent a carrier and took the safe out of my house and refunded my money so at least I am rid of it and will now by a Liberty Safe that is made in the USA.

Oh yeah, I did respond to Cannon's e-mail and told them where they could shove that replacement safe.

Good choice on the Liberty, I've had mine for about 30yrs , never a problem.

Although I've had no direct experience with Cannon, I have read quite a few horror stories about them. Cannon would probably be at the bottom of my list if I was looking for a quality safe.

I've got a Cannon that eats 9v batteries. If I'd known they were junk I'd have bought something else. Got me and my dad one since Tractor supply had a good price on em. It pays to research before buying

I have 2 Liberty Safes, one old style dial type lock, and one digital. No issues out of either one. Have read many horror stories about Cannon and Sentry.

A friend of mine has the big Cannon safe, suppose to hold 80-100 guns or something like that, and one day a month or so ago, it wouldn't open. Electronics quit working. He contacted Cannon and they gave him the run around. Wouldn't pay for opening the safe, wouldn't pay for changing out the electronic lock, but would send him another electronic lock for free. And, the new lock has a key as a backup.

He looked on u-tube, figured he could drill the hole to get to the necessary bar that was not being activated by the electronic lock, and fix it himself.

He drilled the hole, which the new electronic lock covers, took a saw file and filed the bar into, and opened the safe. Changed the lock and he's back in business.

FWIW, the safe was given to him by the company he worked for when he retired.

I've got a 48 gun Cannon bought from Tractor Supply. I've had it 8+ years. I've only replaced the battery one time and have never had any trouble with it.

If that's luck, I'll take it.

We have a Dakota "Black Diamond". Plain Jane old rotary dial and wheel.
Had it about 15 years....and "NO!", it doesn't hold near as many guns as advertised.
Now, if all the guns were unscoped, lever guns like Win M94's or Marlin 336"s, it might just hold 30 guns.

After reading about safes off and on for several years prior to my purchase, I came to the conclusion that none of them really protect your guns from much of a fire or a serious thief, they just keep the smash & grabbers and people with sticky fingers who might wander thru your house from having an easy mark.

With that in mind, I started out comparing "budget" safes (up to somewhere just north of $1K) to see what that would get me. Came across the Cannon TS5934, a 40 gun safe at Tractor Supply and realized this one was huge on the inside and seemed to be better built than most anything else in the same price range. I read some disturbing stories about their customer service, along with others praising them, so I didn't get in a rush.

It was going for $900 last year, but a couple weeks after I looked at it, they just happened to run a clearance sale for somewhere around $444? and I pounced on it. Haven't had one problem with mine yet, and hope it stays that way.

American Security the way to go if you can swing the cost.

If I would have known Cannon purchased Stack-On before I bought it I would have passed it up. My old Stack-On safe is nice and built much better than the new ones.

If you don't want to F U C K around with all the Tractor Supply , F&F , Home Depot , Menards, S H I T get a Browns Safe, with a combination lock.

Most of the rest do not have a Burgulary rating....just some kinda household security box rating.

Not so sure on an upgrade by going to a Liberty (and I have owned one for 30 years). The last 2 safes I bought have been Sturdy Safes with plenty of steel in my upgrades. I also don't bother with keypads as they account for far too many failures. A dial lock rarely fails.

No idea on Cannon. Fort Knox here. Bought it 15 years ago as it had the highest fire rating I could find. Fire is more likely than burglars where I am. The 9V battery in the electronic lock lasts about a year. The electronic lock went out at about year 7, and I called Fort Knox gave them the model #. They overnighted me a new lock, no questions, no fees, even provided instructions on how to replace it. Would a dial lock have done that, no. I do like how easy the electronic lock is though.

2 Words.

Fort Knox.

Been researching gun safes for a while. I didn't want to break the bank. But didn't want any Chinese junk either. After looking at many safes online I narrowed it down to 4 safes made in the USA. Then it was time to actually go look at them and kick some tires so to speak. I had to do some driving and went to several gun shops and a couple of gun shows. I ended up buying a Liberty 36 gun safe. Got a good Cash deal on the Safe and it was delivered and placed right where I wanted it for no extra cost. The liberty dealer told me that I could upgrade to a top quality combination lock for $100. But he assured me that the electrotonic keypad lock was of good quality and not the same locks that are used on the Chinese competition. I have been very happy with the Liberty.

I bought a 48 gun Cannon earlier this year at a huge discount due to being the last one left over from Black Friday at a big box store. Got it home and settled (with help) and the door won’t open. Customer Service gives me the run-a-round after I tell them I bought it at a discount. I paid a locksmith to drill into the side at one of the bolt locations. Turns out they had a ton of [bleep] welds on the inside of the door. The welds had broken that allowed the shaft handle to engage/dis-engage the bolts. I welded everything up that needed it and greased everything else. No complaints about the safe now. It serves its purpose which is to store my guns out of reach of my kids and any lazy thieves.

BTW - buy a cheap roll of Led strip lights and a motion switch. Every time I open my safe, the lights come on for about two minutes. Best $25 spent in a while.

I have a TSC Cannon fire safe, bought it on a black Friday sale years ago. Haven't had any problems with the Cannon, but it's not nearly the safe a Fort Knox is.

I have had a mechanical Cannon safe with no problems for ~20 years now. No problems yet, Locks and unlocks easily. Bought it at Academy years ago.

Smash and grab junkies are who are most likely to break into my house, if they do breach it I keep the handguns I’m not using each with a part stored somewhere else, I doubt my shotguns and rifles would interest them much.