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There are some products you order online and wait for the UPS guy to drop them on your porch. A 1,200-plus-pound gun safe isn’t one of them.
When my Winchester Big Daddy XLT2 showed up, watching this giant box of steel make its way off the truck and into place really put the name “Big Daddy” into perspective. This thing is massive, and that was exactly what I wanted.
I’ve owned some form of gun storage for most of my adult life. My first “safe” wasn’t really a safe at all. It was one of those thin metal gun cabinets that you stick in a closet and lock with a key. I eventually learned a lesson the hard way when some of my guns started developing rust inside of it.
As my involvement in hunting and shooting grew, so did the number of firearms, optics, suppressors, ammunition and gear I needed to protect. That growth taught me one of the most important lessons I can give anyone shopping for a gun safe: buy bigger than you think you need.
That lesson eventually led me to the Winchester Big Daddy XLT2.
I also had the opportunity to sit down with Greg Walters, VP of Sales and Marketing at Winchester Safes, on Episode 332 of the Soul Seekers Podcast, “Securing Your Passion: The Essential Guide to Gun Safes.” We dedicated the entire episode to gun safes, firearm security and what consumers should actually be looking for when buying one. That conversation reinforced something I had already started learning through experience. Buying a safe isn’t as simple as looking at the number of guns printed on the sticker. Fire protection, security, storage layout, humidity control, locking systems and where the safe will physically live all matter.
The Big Daddy XLT2 checks a lot of those boxes.
About Winchester safes
Winchester Safes traces its history back to Granite Security Products, which began in 1991 before eventually building its safe business under the Winchester name.
Today, Winchester offers everything from smaller residential gun safes to much larger models like the Big Daddy XLT2. What attracted me to this particular safe was the combination of size, fire protection, steel construction, interior organization and Winchester’s GunStiXX storage system.
Buy Bigger Than You Think You Need
One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying a gun safe is buying for the firearms they own today instead of thinking about what they may own five or ten years from now.
Gun collections grow. So does everything that goes with them.
A rifle that starts out bare suddenly has an optic, bipod, sling or suppressor attached to it. Then there are handguns, ammunition, magazines, range gear, suppressors, important documents, hard drives and other valuables that start finding their way into the safe.
That is why advertised gun capacity only tells part of the story.
The Big Daddy XLT2 is rated for up to 70 long guns, but real-world capacity is always going to depend on what you own. A bare rifle takes up significantly less room than a scoped hunting rifle or an AR with an optic, lights and accessories hanging off of it.
Greg and I talked about this on the podcast, and it was refreshing to hear someone from the safe industry acknowledge it. The number on the sticker gives you a benchmark. The interior space and how efficiently you can use it are what really matter.
That is where the Big Daddy XLT2 starts to separate itself.
GunStiXX
The GunStiXX system might be my favorite feature of the entire safe.
Traditional gun safes typically use some form of barrel rack. That works, but once you start filling the safe with scoped rifles, ARs, suppressors and different barrel lengths, getting one gun out can quickly turn into a game of firearm Tetris.
Winchester’s GunStiXX system takes a different approach. A rod fits into the barrel of the firearm and connects to an adjustable plate above it, allowing the gun to remain standing vertically without relying entirely on a traditional barrel rack.
The benefit becomes obvious when you look at the rifles I actually have stored in my XLT2. They aren’t identical bolt-action rifles lined up neatly beside each other. I’ve got hunting rifles, modern sporting rifles, optics, suppressors and suppressor covers all taking up different amounts of space.
The GunStiXX allow me to position those firearms where they fit best and make better use of the available space. I also don’t have to lean expensive rifles against each other just to squeeze another gun into the safe.
The XLT2 comes with 30 GunStiXX, and the mounting plate has multiple locations that allow you to move things around as your collection changes.
It is a simple idea, but it works extremely well.
Interior Storage
The interior of the Big Daddy XLT2 is highly adjustable, which is important because everybody is going to use a safe like this differently.
The shelves can be moved around depending on how much space you want dedicated to long guns versus ammunition, gear, optics, suppressors, documents or anything else you want protected.
And believe me, once you own a safe this big, you start finding things to put inside it.
That was another point Greg made during our podcast. We call them gun safes, but firearms aren’t the only valuable things in the house worth protecting. Important paperwork, computer drives, family documents, jewelry and other valuables can all end up sharing space with your firearm collection.
The door organizer adds another layer of useful storage. It includes dedicated handgun pockets along with larger accessory compartments. Keeping handguns on the door gets them off the shelves and makes much better use of an area that would otherwise be wasted space.
That is what I like about the XLT2 interior. There isn’t one single way you have to use it. You can configure it around what you actually own.
Electronic Lock
I’ve always preferred the convenience of an electronic lock. Enter the code, turn the handle and you’re in.
My concern with electronic locks was always the same one a lot of people have: what happens when the battery dies?
I specifically asked Greg about that during the podcast. The battery on Winchester’s electronic lock is accessible from outside the safe, and the combination is retained when the battery is replaced. A dead battery doesn’t erase your code or permanently lock you out.
I also like being able to change the combination myself whenever I want. With a mechanical dial, changing the combination generally involves more work and may require a locksmith.
For me, the electronic keypad is faster, easier and more practical.
A safe only works if you actually use it, and easy access for the owner while keeping everyone else out is exactly what I want.
Fire Protection
The Big Daddy XLT2 carries a 90-minute fire rating at 1,400 degrees.
One of the biggest things I learned from Greg was that fire protection is more complicated than simply looking at how much a safe weighs. The construction, fireboard and expanding door seal all work together to protect the interior.
Fire ratings are one of those features you buy hoping you never have to test.
What matters is understanding what level of protection makes sense for where you live. Somebody living five minutes from a staffed fire department may have a very different response time than somebody living on rural acreage or relying on a volunteer department.
That was something I had never put much thought into before talking with Greg, and now I think it should be part of every safe-buying decision.
The Big Daddy’s 90-minute rating gives me a level of fire protection that I feel good about for what I am storing inside it and where I live.
Security
The XLT2 uses 11-gauge steel construction, 1.25-inch locking bolts and a UL-listed SecurAm electronic lock. It also incorporates a recessed door, reinforced return jamb, drill protection and an auxiliary relocker.
Then there is the most obvious security feature of all.
Weight.
My XLT2’s original placard lists the safe at 1,260 pounds. That much weight is absolutely a positive when it comes to theft. Nobody is casually picking up a Big Daddy XLT2 and carrying it out the front door.
Greg also explained why anchoring a safe still matters regardless of how heavy it is. A thief who can tip a safe onto its back has a better position to attack the door with tools. Keeping the safe upright and secured makes that considerably more difficult.
The weight is a security advantage once the XLT2 is in place.
Getting it into place is another story.
This is not something you and a buddy are going to slide across the living room with a furniture dolly. At more than half a ton, delivery and placement need to be thought through ahead of time. Make sure you know where it is going and how it is going to get there before the truck arrives.
Once it is there, though, that weight becomes one of its strengths.
Moisture Matters
Humidity is one of those subjects that sounds boring until you pull a gun out of storage and find rust on it.
Ask me how I know.
My first metal gun cabinet taught me that locking a firearm behind a door doesn’t automatically mean it is protected from the environment.
The Big Daddy XLT2 includes a dehumidifier and an internal power docking system with electrical outlets and USB connections. That gives you the ability to run moisture-control equipment and other electronics without having to improvise a way to get power into the safe.
Where you place the safe also matters. A climate-controlled room inside the house is very different from a garage, shop or barn where temperature and humidity can fluctuate dramatically.
If you are putting thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of firearms inside a safe, protecting them from moisture should be part of the equation.
A locked gun that is slowly rusting isn’t protected.
Pros
- GunStiXX storage system
- Adjustable interior configuration
- Dedicated handgun storage on the door
- 90-minute fire rating at 1,400 degrees
- 11-gauge steel construction
- 18 locking bolts
- Internal power outlets and USB ports
- Included dehumidifier
- Pre-installed LED lighting that is motion activated
- Limited lifetime warranty with fire and burglary coverage, subject to Winchester’s warranty terms and registration requirements
- Most states do not charge tax on gun safes, Texas is one of them
cons
- It is expensive
- At more than half a ton, moving and placement require planning and proper equipment
Those are really the two tradeoffs.
The Big Daddy XLT2 isn’t designed to be inexpensive or easy to move. It is designed to sit in one place and protect a substantial firearm collection. Once you get it where it belongs, the weight stops being a negative and becomes part of the security.
details
- Price: $3799.99
- Model: Winchester Big Daddy XLT2
- Exterior dimensions: 72″ H x 46″ W x 27″ D
- Long-gun capacity: Up to 70
- GunStiXX: 30 included
- Locking bolts: 18
- Steel: 11 gauge
- Fire rating: 90 minutes at 1,400 degrees
- Lock: UL-listed SecurAm electronic lock
- Interior: Adjustable shelving
- Door: Organizer with handgun and accessory storage
- Power: Two 110V outlets and two USB ports
- Lighting: Pre-installed LED light kit (one of my favorite things about the safe)
- Moisture control: Dehumidifier included
- Finish: Black textured finish on my safe (The safe also comes in a white color)
your next Gun Safe
A gun safe isn’t as exciting to buy as a new rifle, optic or suppressor, but it protects every one of those things.
After owning the Big Daddy XLT2, the biggest advice I can give someone shopping for a safe is simple: buy for where you’re going, not just where you are today.
Look at the firearms you already own and then think about everything that will eventually join them. Scopes, suppressors, handguns, ammunition, documents, hard drives and valuables all take up space. Consider fire protection, moisture control, security and where the safe is actually going to live.
Then buy bigger than you think you need.
The Winchester Big Daddy XLT2 gives me the room, organization and protection I wanted, but the GunStiXX system is what stands out most after actually using it. Being able to organize rifles with different optics, suppressors and configurations without stacking everything against each other makes the interior much more functional.
The safe is big, heavy and expensive.
So are the things I keep inside of it.
If you have a growing firearm collection and want a serious safe with room to grow, the Winchester Big Daddy XLT2 deserves a hard look.
Thanks for reading this gear review. If you want to know more about the Winchester Big Daddy XLT2 or my experience with it, feel free to reach out. In the meantime make sure to check out the Soul Seekers Podcast and Show as well as follow us on Instagram @soulseekersnation and X @soulseekershunt.
Knowledge is power and MENTORSHIP IS CONSERVATION.
Stay soulful!