I'm not so much worried about fire, but it is definitely time to commit to a safe to lock them up in one locale and hinder smash/grab .  Unfortunately, my options of placement are limited.  I want the best theft protection money can buy (I know we all do within a spending limit), and so far, it looks like Sturdy is the answer.  I mean, you're paying for the steel and solid construction, to which after the countless reviews and company HYPE videos the Sturdy seems a great bet.  I don't need fancy lights and I'll just lay in liner myself once received, so before I blow the money on a safe that isn't quite going to hold what I have (but should fit most of my needs for everything but the cheapest FUDD guns), should I be looking anywhere else before I blow the $3k?  The heavier used TLR's aren't really an option because my home won't support it in structure or room and there is not a viable basement option.  I don't want to just go with a cheap storage locker if I'm spending the cash, as I might as well just leave them in a locked closet when those are tin cans.  

Basically, just wanting to know if the Sturdy name lives up to the hype and if there is another option in this category what is it?  Thanks in advance.

I'm thrilled to death with mine... hell, the liner is thicker than a lot of safe's out there

If $3k is your budget, consider a used commercial safe.  You can get a real UL burglary rating, and likely some good fire protection as well.  The downside is that you'd need to take care of the interior yourself.  For $3500, I recently picked up a large TL30 jeweler's safe, added interior and lighting, and it's working very well as a gun safe for me.  It weighs over two tons, though, so hopefully I won't need to move it again.

Yes, Sturdy safes are well worth the money and what's nice is you can customize based on your needs. Like you, I ruled out TL rated safes due to weight and IMO Sturdy makes pound for pound one of the strongest gun safes out there which made them a great choice for me.

I got my Sturdy about 12 years ago when they were a relatively unknown company.I did some extensive research while I saved up and I thought the Sturdy gave me the best value.I was really nervous about ordering since not many people had one.I got the 40" wide by 27" deep by 72" tall non fire lined.I think it was $2300 delivered from the shop in California to Florida.I was very happy and relieved when I got it.

Mine came with 3/16" walls and is a very solid safe.Welds look great and the fit on the door is outstanding with a gap only the thickness of a nickel.Now I've heard people say that too much is made of the tight door tolerances of a Sturdy but the way I look at it if the door gap is only 1/16" you're only going to get a small screwdriver in there and you're not going to pry much at all before you break off the tip.I've seen some safes with a good 1/2" gap that I could easily get a 6 foot pry bar in and go to town on it.

Early Sturdy safes like mine had a no frills speckled paint job unlike the gloss finish other safes have.I think they have vastly improved the finish on them.I've had zero problems with mine and consider it money very well spent.The absolute only negative I can say is that Sturdy like all other safe manufactures vastly overates the holding capacity.I think mine probably has 40 slots for rifles but when you start putting weapons in there with scopes and pistol grips you can cut the capacity by close to 1/2.Once again they all do this.My best advice is to buy much bigger than you think you need because you WILL fill it up.Also the extra shelf capacity of a 72" is very nice.

Have you looked at AMSEC? AMSEC BF6060

I think the Sturdy and AMSEC are pretty equal in the 3K price range for an RSC. I like the fill better on the AMSEC than the steel wool on the Sturdy for fire protection. Thicker steel on the Sturdy gets my nod as well. Can't go wrong with either in my opinion.

VERY happy with my Sturdy.  When I got it (9 or 10 years ago) it was the best "bang for the buck".  
Well constructed, door fits tight, thicker steel etc.  Never gave me any problems.  I think when you look at steel thickness you won't get more steel for your money than Sturdy (unless things have changed since I was in the market)

Only downside, in my opinion, is the fire protection may not be very good.  Ton's of discussions on here about it.
I really liked the concept of not using cement/dry wall as that releases steam, and by the time you get your safe opened after a fire all your guns would be a solid chunk of rust.  Unfortunately I think the steam is the only way to get true, long term fire protection.
If I were to buy another I might just not opt for the fire lining.

Another Vote for Sturdy. I've had mine about a year with zero complaints. As far as metal thickness goes, you're not going to get a better safe for the money.

Buy with confidence.

+1 for Sturdy

I'm happy with my Sturdy.  The knock on them seems to be that any old safe will deter smash and grab types from even trying and a Sturdy won't stop someone proficient -- so effectively you're paying for a useless level of protection and should buy cheaper or more expensive.

Me, I recognize I won't stop a pro but felt that making it a little harder for a smash and grab thief was worth it.  My sense (and it is only that) is that a safe advertises where the good stuff is and I would think it would be a target, even if not for very long.

Those are good points.  However, what made me get a Sturdy over the "safes" you find in gun stores etc was seeing the stories/ YouTubes etc over how easily those can be pried open with just a screwdriver.  I was going to spend around $800 or so, figuring it would keep the kids out and deter the "smash and grabs".  I think even the smash and grab types might be able to pry open anything cheaper.  You can figure most won't want to take the time as they want to get in and out quickly.  Of course if they see a safe and figure they can get something real valuable they may spend some time with a a screwdriver/pry bar (I'm sure they watch YouTube videos also...)

Sturdy level protection would typically at least require power tools rather than just a pry bar or screwdriver.

Safe in conjunction with an alarm is key so they won't have the time to work on it.

Whatever you do, bolt it down.

I have an amsec, forget the model. My use is fire protection and smash & grab. It's only about 800#.

My wife thought I was being ridiculous by bolting it down, until she came home from an hour long trip to the store and I moved the whole safe across the room. By myself... with nothing more than I can conceal on my person.

"That's why I bolted it down, honey"...

I got two of them and think they're great. Very simple design and thicker steel than all the local safe companies here. As another poster above said, the fire liner is thicker steel than some of the other RSC builders. Free shipping too!