Quick Access Pistol Safe Recommendations

[sdh91]

I am looking for recommendations for small pistol safe for home. I have been surprised at how many of the "quick access safes" are insecure and can be opened by items such as a paper-clip. My requirements for a safe are as follows:

• Quick Access
• Reliable Opening Mechanism
• Large enough to store a full size pistol, ammo and some jewelry or other small valuables
• Ability to bolt to wall/floor

So far, the leading candidate I have found is the Fort Knox PB4 Personal Pistol Safe although it is a little small. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

 

[coachcash86]

GunVault MiniVault

I have had no issues with my GunVault MiniVault. It easily holds my Shield and a full size MP .22 laying flat with the extra mags in the middle. It has the electronic push button combo for opening and it's easy to use. My favorite part is the spring loaded door that pops down instead of side to side. Some of the reviews when I was shopping around indicated an occasional battery life issue, but I've opened mine twice a day since October with no issue. It does have a key also. I'm not sure about mounting it as I have mine just sitting on the top shelf of my closet. One thing to consider is that it does beep when you push the buttons. That's a plus for me, but if I can hear it so can the bad guy.

 

[armorer951]

I purchased one of these Sentry digital safes and mounted it in the bedroom. It has a lighted keypad, and a sequence of four touches on the pad opens the door. The safe utilizes an internal, battery operated power supply of 4AA's, but I substituted a 9 volt battery.....seems to last a lot longer.

| Sentry

 

[Kanewpadle]

Buy the Fort Knox or this one. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/V-Line-Draw-Security-Case-Black/dp/B000T24OFG"]Amazon.com : V-Line Top Draw Security Case (Black) : Gun Safes And Cabinets : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51unmp9SW9L.@@AMEPARAM@@51unmp9SW9L[/ame]

I've owned three Gun Vault products. The electronics failed on all three. I have a V-Line pistol box and it still works fine after almost 20 years. The lock is purely mechanical. No batteries. No solenoid. No circuit board.

 

[FAS1]

You can order this with the standard holster instead of the suppressor holster and besides the storage area you see him use here in the bottom and the rear, the whole front of the safe is empty if you aren't using a suppressor.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_xXZ0NxUY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_xXZ0NxUY[/ame]

 

[chief38]

In general I am not very fond of these. Maybe I am alone here, but I have always been fearful that in the heat of the moment I'd fumble the combo or the finger print reader would malfunction and I would not be able to arm myself.

If you are using one of these to keep kids out I understand. When my kids were too young to understand about firearms I would hide my carry gun in a place that they could never find. I mean never - but yet still rapidly attainable by me. I still use that place from time to time so I can not say how I do this here, but I would bet most of you could come up with something similar if you tried.

I am not saying they are wrong for gun owners who have young kids or a full house, but it was just an uneasy feeling for ME. Better methods are attainable if you really put your mind to it!

 

[jfd]

VLine or Fort Knox. Both are built well and satisfy all your requirements, have a quick opening, unlikely-to-fail mechanical lock. Neither are cheap but you get what you pay for.

 

[sdh91]

I think the VLine or Fort Knox will be the choice. One of my goals for security is to keep curious teenagers out. I have read too many reviews about the GunVault, Sentry and Stack-on being easy to pick the locks. Thank you everyone for your suggestions, it is appreciated.

 

[email4eric]

I've never liked or had good results with electronic fingerprint or push button lock boxes. I use a simple key lock box that is cabled to the main bed beam. It gets opened on the floor next to the bed with the lid propped on the legs of the night stand when I'm home (and at night asleep) and gets locked and slid out of sight when not. As such, the weapon is instantly available when needed and is locked and securely attached to a large object when not. Takes two seconds to go from one mode to the other.

I'm an advocate of not making a firearm easily available to a burglar but keeping the HD pistol in the gun safe negates it's utility. Using a lock box is my compromise between instant access while home and making it difficult to remove by burglars while the police are responding to the alarm when away.

It's a minor PITA to unlock it when I get home and lock it when I go out but quite frankly it's part of my routine now and I don't even think about it.

Anyway, one man's point of view.

 

[kbm6893]

Buy the Fort Knox or this one. Amazon.com : V-Line Top Draw Security Case (Black) : Gun Safes And Cabinets : Sports & Outdoors

I've owned three Gun Vault products. The electronics failed on all three. I have a V-Line pistol box and it still works fine after almost 20 years. The lock is purely mechanical. No batteries. No solenoid. No circuit board.

I agree I still use a gunvault for my next to bed safe, but I out the key in it at bed time so I can open it that way. I have the Fort Knox one in the closet and it is solid steel and I bolt it and the gunvault to the phone.

 

[KSDeputy]

I have two large Fort Knox safes with electronic locks. As we have no two legged children, I have no need for a small one. Based on the record of the two Fort Knox safes I have, I would feel comfortable with their smaller one.

 

[sdh91]

UPDATE: I ended up purchasing the Ft. Knox Pistol Box. I have had it for two months and am very happy with my decision. Simplex lock provides quick access and has been 100% reliable. I bolted it down for added security. The foam inside has several layers so I removed two of them and I am able to store am SD40VE, 2 mags, 2 50-round boxes of ammo and some small valuables. Best of all, I feel the simplex lock and design are significantly more pry resistant than the gun vaults.

 

[Joe7]

Good info, thanks.
I have a small box to fit one pistol in but now have 2 pistols. LOL, and so it begins.
Anyway i also read about how easy some of the safes were to open with just a paperclip.
The Fort Knox line looks great.
Thanks again.

 

[MichiganScott]

In general I am not very fond of these. Maybe I am alone here, but I have always been fearful that in the heat of the moment I'd fumble the combo or the finger print reader would malfunction and I would not be able to arm myself.

If you are using one of these to keep kids out I understand. When my kids were too young to understand about firearms I would hide my carry gun in a place that they could never find. I mean never - but yet still rapidly attainable by me. I still use that place from time to time so I can not say how I do this here, but I would bet most of you could come up with something similar if you tried.

I am not saying they are wrong for gun owners who have young kids or a full house, but it was just an uneasy feeling for ME. Better methods are attainable if you really put your mind to it!

I agree with the Chief. If it's electronic, it will fail at the most inopportune moment. I have problems with touch screens recognizing my fingers. Plenty of reports online of the Hornady box unlocking, but failing to open and the owners sitting there listening to the internals grinding away. The have been plenty of threads on this forum about failures of gun safes with electronic locks.

If you feel the need for a lock box, buy one that is mechanical.

 

[Mainsail]

There are a lot of good choices already mentioned, so I will suggest one company to steer clear of. Center of Mass sells simple key operated lock boxes for securing a pistol, and since I wanted simple box for air travel I bought one.

When I got it is STUNK like petroleum waste. The foam inside was saturated with the smell of petro-waste products and it was so bad that there was no way I could put it into my suitcase. The company seemed initially receptive to correcting the problem but in the end told me I should go buy new foam since they didn't have any. They were buying their lock boxes from China and I guess one way to get rid of your industrial waste is to sell it to Americans. I think the company should have stepped up and replace the foam; I don't have a source and I don't have the right tools to die-cut the foam.

 

[gnystrom]

For your consideration.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erGOJxQIf5c[/ame]

I went with Liberty for a small vault with quick access. Personal opinion I opted for the electronic push buttons over the biometric model.

 

[FAS1]

Good info, thanks.
I have a small box to fit one pistol in but now have 2 pistols. LOL, and so it begins.

This safe (FAS1-Magnum S) has room for 3 handguns inside. One is in the holster that is mounted to the door and it is presented to you for quick access. Then there is another on each side in the bottom of the lined box. Plenty of room for a couple spare magazines as well.

This pic is with the door disconnected from the gas spring that automatically opens the door and presents the holstered gun to you so you can't see it, just the two in the bottom. The holstered gun comes down in between them and there is enough room for a couple spare magazines too. Not a very good pic, but you can get an idea of the size.

 

[blues7]

Late to the dance but I just received a V-Line BRUTE and it appears to be just what the doctor ordered.

Overnight, I leave my nightstand firearm out on the nightstand, (duh!), and then lock it up in the BRUTE in the morning when I retrieve the firearm I intend to wear that day...(usually a Glock 26, 19 or S&W 642-1). I can fit a pair of Glock 9mm's and a 642-1 in the box which is perfect for my needs.

The box is built like a tank and has four 1/4" holes which allow easy mounting to the floor or any solid surface for added security. (Recommended by V-Line.)

Prices vary online so shop around for the best buy.