I've owned or had daily experience with several fire rated gun safes including Smith & Wesson, Liberty, Sentry and Stack On. Finish aside I would rank them all pretty equal. Sentry and Stack On both are considered somewhat of a joke due to selling many of the simple lock boxes found in the box stores but the gun safes are in a different league. The only problem I've ever personally experienced was with a Sentry that had a dial lock. I followed the instructions from Sentry and went to a locksmith to open it. When I first spoke to the locksmith he thought it would be easy to get into but when on site he found it quite well built and not such an easy job. The end result was that the safe was drilled and had to be replaced which Sentry did at no charge including freight. The only expense they did not cover was getting the safe into the building.
As many will tell you, if a thief is determined they'll find a way to get your stuff. A gun safe should cover you as far as liability goes and will stop all but the most determined. As far as any tips go, buy the biggest you can fit/handle, bolt to the floors/wall and put it in a closet or corner (if confined they won't be able to get leverage on it). Also consider where you want it the house. The basement may be damp and fire burns up, which is a bigger hazard?
