Winchester Safes announced a new line of tactical safes called the Defender. There are four sizes of safe in this line: the Defender 17, Defender 25, Defender 34 and Defender 44. The numbers do not correspond to the number of gun placements inside the lock box, rather to the rounded internal size of the safe as measured in cubic feet. On the small end, the internal space is 16.7 cubic feet. The top end size is almost 44 cubic feet.

Some of the features common to the Winchester Safes line include:

• electronic lock – Winchester Safes claims the lock is EMP resistant, though I imagine if that is ever put to the test we might have larger problems than trying to get warranty work. A mechanical lock is available.
• 12 ga steel body, 1/4″ heat treated steel front
• recessed door, reinforced steel jambs, anti-pry tabs
• fire protection rating of 60 minutes @ 1,400˚ F
• powdercoated finish of black or desert tan
• reinforced steel top shelf
• rubber coated barrel rests
• motion sensing red LED light kit
• PALS webbing on inside of door for pouches or accessories
• two internal 110v outlets and two USB power outlets
• pricing runs from $1,500 – $2,989 on the company website
• lifetime replacement guarantee for damage from fire or burglary

Note: The use of the word “safe” in this article is for the common meaning meaning of the word – a locked metal box. It is not used to mean refer to the technical definition of a safe with a specific level of protection. I’ve written about the differences in safes previously, and the vast majority of gun safes do not approach the same level of protection that a technical safe does. Even so, I maintain that a common gun safe is an excellent tool for keeping out kids, house guests and the typical smash and grab type of thief.