Long-gun safe · No. 1 of 15
Liberty USA 30
12-gauge steel · 60 min fire rating · Keypad
9.3/10Excellent$1,969Nov 13, 2026
Liberty USA 30 vs Browning Sporter 23
Liberty USA 30 or Browning Sporter 23? The USA 30 scores 0.9 higher; here is where each one earns its place.
$1,969at Liberty Safe, Nov 13, 2026
Check price at Liberty Safe
Long-gun safe · No. 9 of 15
Browning Sporter 23
12-gauge steel · 95 min fire rating · 530 lb
8.4/10Good$1,649Nov 13, 2026
Short answer: Liberty USA 30 wins this one, 9.3/10 against 8.4/10, mainly on published approvals and warranty and returns. Browning Sporter 23 answers with price and fire rating.
What really separates them?
Same 12-gauge steel, $320 apart, and each wins one argument. Browning wins fire: 95 minutes at 1,200°F against Liberty's 60 minutes at the same temperature, the clearest fire comparison on this site because the test temperature matches. Liberty wins certainty: its page names the lock, states a UL-listed body and prints a lifetime warranty, where Browning's page left the lock type and the warranty term blank on the day we read it. Browning also charges $449 for ground-floor delivery, or nothing if you collect it from a dealer. Far from a fire station, with a truck: Browning. Otherwise the Liberty's written guarantees are worth the difference.
Decide
Which one is for you?
Choose the Liberty USA 30 if
- You want more ways to open it: keypad, against a lock the page doesn't name
- You want the approvals in writing: UL listed + CA DOJ, against UL listed
- You want the stronger cover: transferable lifetime warranty that covers fire damage and attempted break-ins; the lock is covered for 5 years (10 years for $99 or life for $159), per Liberty's warranty page
- You need the room: 30 claimed long guns against 23
Choose the Browning Sporter 23 if
- You want to spend less: $1,649 against $1,969
- Fire is your main worry: 95 minutes at 1,200°F, by the brand's figures, against 60 minutes at 1,200°F, by the brand's figures
2 safes in this table: scroll sideways to see them all
| Safe | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Long-gun safe | Long-gun safe |
| Capacity | 30 long guns (claimed) | 23 long guns (claimed) |
| Body steel | 12-gauge steel | 12-gauge steel |
| Fire rating | 60 min at 1,200°F (brand's claim) | 95 min at 1,200°F (brand's claim) |
| Ways to open | Keypad | Not stated |
| Approvals stated | UL listed + CA DOJ | UL listed |
| Locking bolts | 6 | 8 |
| Weight | 565 lb | 530 lb |
| Outside size | 60.5 × 30 × 22 in | 58 × 30 × 20 in (22.5 in deep with the handle) |
| Inside size | 57.5 × 26.5 × 15.5 in | 52.5 × 27 × 13 in |
| Made in USA | Yes, per the brand | Not stated |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Not stated |
| Returns | 30 days | 30 days |
| Shipping | Charged or quoted | Charged or quoted |
| Sold by | Liberty Safe | Browning |
| Where to buy | Check price at Liberty Safe | Check price at Browning |
✓ marks the better figure. "Not stated" means the seller's page doesn't publish it. Fire ratings and capacities are the brands' own claims. Prices checked November 13, 2026 at the seller named in the table.
Which one is built stronger?
Liberty USA 30: 12-gauge folded steel frame; three hardened steel plates over the lock, per Liberty; 6 locking bars, 4 in wide and 1/4 in thick; 565 lb. Browning Sporter 23: solid 12-gauge (7/64 in) steel body; 1 in formed steel door with an inner steel plate, per Browning; 8 one-inch hardened steel bolts on three sides of the door; 530 lb.
Gauge runs backwards: a lower number is thicker steel. The USA 30 is 35 lb heavier, which helps once it is bolted down and hurts on delivery day. Approvals stated on the pages: Liberty USA 30, UL listed + CA DOJ; Browning Sporter 23, UL listed. A listing we can't read on the seller's page is one we can't count. Bolt down whichever you choose.
Which one protects better against fire?
Liberty USA 30: "60 minutes of certified fire protection" at 1200°F, per Liberty. Browning Sporter 23: "95 minutes at 1,200°F", per Browning.
These are the brands' own figures, quoted as written; no gun safe is fireproof. Both are quoted at the same temperature, so the minutes compare directly: the Sporter 23 claims 35 more. Our gun safe fire rating guide explains how to read these numbers.
Which lock is easier to live with?
Liberty USA 30: S&G Spartan electronic lock in the lock selector (a mechanical dial is also offered); UL-listed electronic lock per Liberty. Browning Sporter 23: lock type not printed in the spec list; the lock sits behind triple-steel hard plates and hardened steel pins, per Browning.
More ways in means fewer bad surprises: a key or a mechanical lock still works when a battery is flat. Whichever lock you choose, the code and the keys stay with the adults; the guide to California DOJ approved gun safes links the official child-safety advice, and storage laws differ by state.
What do they cost, and what cover do you get?
On November 13, 2026: Liberty USA 30 $1,969 at Liberty Safe, Browning Sporter 23 $1,649 at Browning. That is $320 between them.
Warranty: Liberty USA 30, transferable lifetime warranty that covers fire damage and attempted break-ins; the lock is covered for 5 years (10 years for $99 or life for $159), per Liberty's warranty page; Browning Sporter 23, no warranty term on the pages we read. Returns: Liberty USA 30, 30 days from purchase, per Liberty's refund policy; Browning Sporter 23, 30 days; a 15% restocking fee applies to customized safes once work has started, per Browning's refund policy. Delivery: Liberty USA 30, priced at checkout: curbside, in-home or in-home with bolt-down, per Liberty; Browning Sporter 23, free pickup at a nearby dealer; $449 for main-floor or garage delivery, $549 with stairs, per the product page.
Where to go from here
Full reviews: Liberty USA 30 review and Browning Sporter 23 review. Both appear in our ranking of the best gun safes, fireproof gun safe, best rifle safe, american made gun safes.
Other head-to-heads: Liberty USA 30 vs Fort Knox Maverick, Liberty USA 30 vs Winchester Ranger 26, Liberty USA 30 vs Rhino Kodiak KGXR5933, Winchester Ranger 26 vs Browning Sporter 23, Browning Sporter 23 vs Steelwater Heavy Duty 20.
Still deciding what kind of safe you need? Read our guide: Gun safe fire ratings explained.
By Grant Holloway, editor, gun safes · updated November 13, 2026
Liberty USA 30 or Browning Sporter 23: quick answers
All head-to-headsIs the Liberty USA 30 better than the Browning Sporter 23?
In our formula, yes: 9.3/10 against 8.4/10, with the edge on published approvals, warranty and returns and lock and ways in. The Browning Sporter 23 is ahead on price and fire rating, which may matter more in your home.
Which is cheaper, the USA 30 or the Sporter 23?
The Browning Sporter 23: $1,649 against $1,969 on November 13, 2026.
Which has the thicker steel?
Liberty USA 30: 12-gauge steel. Browning Sporter 23: 12-gauge steel. A lower gauge number means thicker steel.
Which has the better fire rating?
Liberty USA 30: 60 minutes at 1,200°F, by the brand's figures. Browning Sporter 23: 95 minutes at 1,200°F, by the brand's figures. Both figures are the brands' own claims.