Best Handgun Safe: Security and Storage Options for Your Pistols

The first thing that should be considered with firearms is safety.

When most people think about firearm safety, they think of safe firearm handling, however, safety should continue to be a concern even when you’re not using a firearm.

Handgun safes are a perfect solution to store your handgun safely so that no unauthorized persons (especially children) can have access to it while also allowing you to access your pistol in the handgun safe quickly should you need it in a defensive scenario.

Here, we rank and compare the best handgun safes to help you decide which one is best for you and your pistol.

Categories of Handgun Safes

Although there are many different styles of pistol safes, most handgun safes can be broken down into two categories:

Mechanical Handgun Safes:  Mechanical handgun safes have a mechanical locking system that doesn’t require any batteries or electricity.

Mechanical safes are very popular for their simplicity and reliability. If you’re concerned about battery or electronic failure, then you should look for a mechanical pistol safe.

Electronic Handgun Safes:  Electronic handgun safes use electricity (commonly bateries) to operate the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism itself is still mechanical.

Electronic safes for handguns are popular for users who enjoy technological features like easy code setting, multiple means of entry (some can use RFID cards), and lighting.

There are pros and cons to each category of pistol safe. Before we discuss them, let’s quickly look at how I picked the best handgun safes.

How I Chose the Best Handgun Safe

As a former navy officer, I’ve had the opportunity to use many handgun safes. This experience has taught me what makes a good one. In this article, I’ve shared my own knowledge and consulted with other security experts who have a deep understanding of handgun safes. Their insights have helped me pick out the best ones you can buy right now.

Choosing the right handgun safe is a personal decision, as what suits me might not be ideal for everyone. That’s why I’ve categorized these handgun safes based on their best use cases, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Alongside these reviews, I’ve included a buyer’s guide to help you navigate through the factors to consider when selecting a handgun safe. Let’s explore and find the best safe for your security needs!

Best Handgun Safes for Each Type

• Best Mechanical Pistol Safes
• Best Electronic Pistol Safes

Best Pistol Safes

Best Mechanical Fort Knox Original Pistol Box		Editor’s Choice Simplex Lock Technology Heavy and Extremely Reliable	Check Price
Fastest Access Stopbox		Editor’s Choice Lightweight and Portable Extremely Fast to Access	Check Price
Best Electronic Vaultex Essentials Pistol Safe		Editor’s Electronic Choice Rugged and Rechargeable	Check Price
Best For Travel Vaultek Lifepod		Best Pistol Case for Travel Extremely Rugged and Lightweight	Check Price

Spec Comparison of the Best Handgun Safes

Reviews of the Best Mechanical Handgun Safes

Pistol safes with mechanical locking mechanisms can be either unlocked with keys or combinations. Key locks are typically very reliable, however, the keys are at risk of being lost (or found by those that shouldn’t have access). Combination locks can be handy because they aren’t as likely to be found by others and can be shared easily. However, combinations can be forgotten and certain combination locks (particuarly dial-style) can take a while to open.

The mechanical safes we recommend are just as fast as electronic safes and we even list one mechanical safe that has the fastest access of any pistol safe we’ve seen.

• StopBox Pistol Lockbox
• Fort Knox Handgun Safe

Fort Knox Handgun Safe Review

When it comes to home storage handgun safes, Fort Knox is the gold standard. They’re bulky and heavy–but in a good way. They’re a pain in the butt to move place-to-place, and their heavy steel construction works as a natural deterrent to would-be thieves.

And as if the bulk alone wasn’t enough, the Fort Knox Original Pistol Box comes with 4 pre-drilled mounting holes so you can ensure your safe stays put.

The real star of the show is the Simplex mechanical locking system the box has. It’s a mechanical pin system that’s been tried and true in security systems from lockboxes to front door mechanisms.

The Fort Knox pistol safe doesn’t have a whole bunch of extra features, but that’s ok with us. It’s a simple safe that performs exactly as it should.

This is the premium option on our list and the most theft-resistant.

Fort Knox Pistol Safe Pros and Cons

StopBox Review

If you’re looking for a lightweight, yet secure way of storing your pistol, that is super fast to open, then the StopBox is the way to go. Note, however, that this lockbox is not a “safe.” It is made from plastic and is meant to prevent unathorized acces (especially by children) and is not meant to hold up to an adult with the intent to gain access.

It’s quite unique for a mechanical lockbox. Many mechanical safes you’ll come across–such as our #1 on this list–tend to be large and heavy. However, the StopBox can give you the reliability of a mechanical safe along with portability.

The locking mechanism is actually a patent pending StopBox design that brings together a few different elements in order to operate. It may seem a bit tricky at first, but after practice, you’ll be able to access your weapon extremely quickly and efficiently.

StopBoxes come with a variety of other features alongside its size/weight advantage. It’s a slim-lined box for ultimate discretion; however, if you want to personalize it, there are 5 different colors to choose from. Also, you can swap out the locking mechanism for an advanced lock to provide even more locking combinations. Not to mention, it comes security cable ready.

StopBox Pros and Cons

Best Electronic Handgun Safe Reviews

Electronic safes can be opened either by combination buttons, fingerprints, RFID cards, and, in some cases, mobile devices.

Here’s a note: fingerprint/biometric gun safes might seem like a good idea, but we only recommend them if they also have combination button access. Also, in case of electronic failure, we recommend choosing a safe with a backup mechanical method of entry.

• Vaultek Essentials
• Vaultek Lifepod
• GunVault GV2000-DLX
• Hornady RAPiD Safe with RFID

Vaultek Essentials Handgun Safe Review

The Vaultek Essentials is one of two of Vaultek’s signature VT series–the cheaper of the two nonetheless (more on this in a bit). It’s a steel-formed case and the heaviest electronic handgun safe on our list.  The Essentials pistol safe is actually large enough to store two full-sized pistols with extra magazines for each. And it comes with mounting hardware and included security cable, so you can choose with option is best for you.

This safe’s got some pretty sweet features too. The numeric keypad is backlit, so you can make operate the unit easier at night. Plus, the interior is backlit with a soft red light. And as we mentioned earlier, it’s the cheaper of the VT series. The more expensive of the two is actually a Bluetooth model. But we highly recommend against that. Bluetooth is just another security gateway in which someone can get through to hack your safe.

Vaultek Essentials Safe Pros and Cons

VAULTEK LIFEPOD HANDGUN SAFE BACKGROUND

Our biggest gripe with this box though is that it’s possible to lock yourself out. And that’s because it comes with an

If you’re the outdoorsy type and plan on carrying along your pistol, you might want to consider the Vaultek Lifepod. The first thing you’ll notice about this pistol safe is just how light it is. At just over two pounds, it can fit snugly within your pack and minimize your carry weight. It’s another electronic keypad-type handgun safe with four available digits for the PIN. 

But what really makes this pistol safe unique from every other safe on the market is its ability to survive in the wilderness. Thanks to its specialized gasket, the Lifepod is waterproof and dustproof meaning your gun will still be safe even if you’re caught out in a storm. Another bonus is that this safe floats if dropped into water which will definitely come in handy if you’re out boating.

Our biggest gripe with this box though is that it’s possible to lock yourself out. And that’s because it comes with an anti-lockpick feature inside the box. When activated, you cannot use the key to open the safe–only the electronic PIN. And if you lose power (run out of battery), you’re screwed until you can hook up to an external power source or make a battery swap.

Vaultek Lifepod Safe Pros and Cons

GunVault GV2000-DLX Safe Review

GunVault safes are another pretty popular model due to their affordability and ease of operation. But the one we really like is their GV2000. And that’s due to their heavy walled design and their single shelf. The addition of a shelf maximizes the use of vertical space and creates a two-tiered handgun safe. The extra compartment is great for stashing things such as cash, extra magazines, medicine, or even a second pistol.

However, the GunVault isn’t perfect. Out of all of the safes on this list, this model has received the most complaints of electronic component failure. And while the safe does have a manual backup key, it just goes to show why we prefer mechanical safes over electronic. Fortunately, GunVault has shown exceptional customer service in these instances and replaced the faulty equipment.

GV2000-DLX Safe Pros and Cons

Hornady RAPiD RFID Gun Safe Review

At first glance, the Hornady RAPiD Safe looks like it can do everything. It’s large enough to keep a full sized revolver and has a spring-open assist. And it exceeds ASTM (American Society for Testingand Materials) safety and durability standards. However, the biggest draw to the Hornady RAPiD Safe is its unique method of opening.

This safe can be opened in three ways: barrel key, electronic pin, and RFID proximity. The RFID function works by opening the safe when one of five programmable RFID decals is hovered over the lid. Hornady even provides a wristband equipped with an RFID chip that way you’re always prepared.

But even though the RFID opening is the safe’s biggest strength, it’s also the biggest weakness. With five RFIDs able to be programmed at once, it gets difficult to actually control access to your gun because anyone with an RFID can open your safe.

Hornady RAPiD Gun Safe w/ RFID Pros and Cons

Upgrades for Your Handgun Safe

Even if you already have a pistol safe, here are a few upgrades you should consider:

Dessicant Pouches

Despite how sealed away your firearm is away from unwanted hands or criminals, there’s always a possibility that moisture or air can seep into your safe. This can even include sticky air that gets trapped inside your safe during regular opening and closing. And depending on where you live (or the humidity of your storage location), this air can cause rust and pitting to your pistol or other stored components.

Minimize this by tossing in a few dessicant packets. These packets soak up the moisture from the air and keep your safe’s internals dry. These are a cheap, effective way to maintaining your pistol in the best condition possible. We like these from Interteck Packaging because they’re cheap, effective, and rechargable.

Security Tethering Cable

Sometimes, having your pistol in a safe just isn’t enough to deter would-be thieves. In fact, your safe may be light enough to quickly scoop up and taken to be forced open later. However, you can further protect your safe by tethering it in place using a steel security cable.

You’ll find that some safes have predrilled holes just for this purpose making the installation of a security cable very easy. However, you may have to drill a small hole in other models. But once holes are available, this security cable from Liberty is a great quality, easy-to-install option. 

Best Handgun Safes Buyers Guide

A large firearm safe is a great tool for safely storing firearms. However, if you only have a handgun, or you’d like to keep a handgun near your bedside at night so that you don’t have to get to where your large safe is in an emergency, something much smaller would be more appropriate.

Thankfully, there’s something perfect for this: a handgun safe. They not only prevent possible deadly accidents, but it also prevents their criminal misuse (potentially against you).

Unfortunately, some safes have features that we think you shoud avoid completely (biometric only access) and others have extra features that you may not need to pay for. Also, some options just aren’t realiable enough to be trusted with your life.

Don’t get caught off guard! It’s not too difficult to find a top-notch safe that you can rely on if you know what you’re looking for (if you somehow missed them, we recommend our favorites above).

In this Buyer’s Guide, we’ll help you determine the right safe for you by examining these important factors:

• Benefits of Having a Pistol Safe
• What Types of Handgun Safes Are Available?
• Construction and Durability of Your Pistol Safe
• How Big Does Your Pistol Safe Need to Be?
• What Other Features Does Your Pistol Safe Need to Have?

Benefits of Having a Pistol Safe

You may believe that you really don’t need a pistol safe. Perhaps, you live alone and in a low-crime area. However, handgun safes have many benefits–not just to prevent theft or undesired access.

• Storing your weapon in a gun safe may be the only way to legally own a weapon, depending on where you live.
• Handgun safes are designed to protect your weapons from damage or rust.
• With your weapon safely stored in your safe, you won’t have to worry about children or other individuals accessing your firearm.
• Your gun becomes much less susceptible to theft.
• You have a secure space to store other valuables like money, jewelry, or sensitive medication.
• Allows you to safely travel with your pistol–even on airplanes.
• Handgun safes keep your firearm protected from the elements if bringing them outdoors when camping or hiking.

What Types of Handgun Safes Are Available?

As you can see, there are tons of different pistol safe styles. In our list above, we’ve got them broken down into two main types: mechanical and electronic. However, those are just broad generalizations.

Each specific type of handgun safe has its own merits and disadvantages. Let’s explore different types of handgun safes including the pros and cons of each.

Key Lock Gun Safe

This is the most traditional safe type you can find. These safes function via a conventional lock and key. These safes are the most reliable since there can never be any electronic malfunctions. The biggest downside to these safes is that you could lose the key to your safe. If this happens, you will need to call a locksmith to break into the safe and you will likely need to replace the entire lock.

Wheel Combination Safe

Another traditional safe style is the wheel combination safe. These operate just like any other wheel lock. They’re very sturdy and reliable as long as they’re kept free from the elements. A gummed up combination wheel can lead to improper entry of your combination. And if you forget the combination, there’s going to be trouble. Fortunately, most of these safes come with a lock and key backup.

Push Button Pin Mechanical Safe

In this mechanical style, the safe is opened by depressing the right combination of levers (or pins) associated with the corresponding number. Often, the entire passcode is only 4 or 6 digits long allowing for an easy to remember push code. These often allow a much faster access than wheel combination safes or traditional key locks. However, they’re much more prone to internal breakage of the actual lock mechanism.

Electronic Pin Gun Safes

These operate on the same principle of having a pin number like the push button mechanical safes above. However, with this safe, your pin is input via a keypad like on an ATM. These safes provide a super fast entry when compared to mechanical safes. Being electronically operated, these safes require a power source and are normally battery operated. The major downsides to these safes are that the batteries don’t last forever. Thankfully, most of these safes come with a mechanical means of backup entry such as a key or combination lock.

Biometric Gun Safes

These safes are the most secure to get for your home because they have a scanner that reads your fingerprints. Every human on earth has a unique set of fingerprints, and no one but those who have access to the safe will ever be able to open it. However, most of these types of safes allow you to program in many different fingerprints that way other trusted individuals can have access. Biometric gun safes are electric and usually have additional access methods such as a traditional key or number lock so you can still get access to your weapon should something cut the battery life short.

Construction and Durability of Your Handgun Safe

One of the most important things to check when purchasing a handgun safe is its construction and durability.

You’ll want to ensure that your safe is going to be made out of a heavy-duty quality material. For less portable–and often mechanical safes–you’ll find that pistols safes have a high grade steel construction. While durable, this makes the safe much heavier and more difficult to tote around.

If you’re looking for something a bit more portable, you should opt for a polymer constructed safe. These are usually much lighter and easier to transport. Either safe can provide a high degree of protection and security for your handgun.

However, you do need to beware of low-grade weapon safes. You’ll normally find these being passed off as “budget cases”. But as is the case with many things, you often get what you pay for. Guns are expensive and dangerous. There’s no need to jeopardize safety or your investment on a cheap knockoff.

How Big Does Your Pistol Safe Need to Be?

When it comes to determining the right size of your pistol safe, there’s a couple different things you need to consider.

First, what exactly do you plan on storing in your pistol safe? Of course, you’ll have your pistol–that’s a no-brainer. And you’re also going to want room for a magazine or two. But what about anything else?

You may find that your pistol safe is also another great place to stash some emergency cash or sensitive medicines. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that your home safe is 1.5x bigger than you need it to be.

For instance, if your gun is 7” long by 5” tall, you’re going to need a safe whose minimum interior dimensions are slightly larger than that. But by getting a safe where your pistol fits extra snug, you eliminate extra room for magazines or other valuables. So instead, opt for dimensions that are 1.5x bigger. This would be a 10.5” x 7.5” interior measurement for the above gun.

Second, you’re going to want to consider the portability of your pistol safe. Typically, the larger the safe…the heavier and more difficult it’s going to be transferring it from place to place. If you’re looking for a handgun safe that you can just grab and go, you may want to consider pistol safes made out of sturdy polymer instead of steel casing.

Additional Features for Your Handgun Safe

When it comes to shopping for your next handgun safe, there are a bunch of other cool features you might want to check out.

Textured Button Indicators: If you’re going to need to access your safe quickly in the event of a home invasion, it’s probably going to be during nighttime. And that can present a certain difficulty if you can’t make out which buttons to press in order to enter your combination code. Look for safes that have textured button indicators–similar to Braille–that way you can determine what buttons your fingers are on even in the dark.

Lighting: Opening your safe in the dark may present a bit of a challenge no matter what type of safe you get. However, choosing a safe with exterior lighting can be a real life-saver. With many electronic safes, you’ll find backlit keypads or even small lights on the exterior to help you get into your pistol safe even in the darkest of environments.

Rechargeable Batteries: One of the biggest issues with electronic safes is that the batteries need to be maintained and swapped out. But some safes make it easier by having built-in rechargeable batteries. These work just like your phone does. When the battery life is running low, simply plug your safe into its charger, and you won’t have to worry about keeping batteries on hand for it.

Multi Layered or Drawers: Sometimes the best way to get more room in your safe isn’t by buying a longer or wider safe. It’s about stacking vertically. Getting a safe with drawers or multiple layers can give you more room not just for your weapon but extra mags, rounds, or pistol light. Just keep in mind…These safes are going to weigh much more than their single shelf counterparts and will probably be best as stationary safes.

Water and Weatherproof: If you plan on bringing your handgun with you on a camping or canoe trip, you’re definitely going to want to have a weather and waterproof safe. Exposing your gun directly to the elements over time can lead to rusting or other damage. Fortunately, there are lightweight cases available that are not only water and dirt resistant but will float in case of an overboard situation.

Best Handgun Safe – FAQs

How can a handgun safe be useful in a home defense scenario?

In a home defense situation, having a quick access handgun safe can be a lifesaver for gun owners. It lets you grab your firearm in seconds without messing around with keys or combinations. This speed is crucial when every moment counts to keep you and your loved ones safe.

What is the purpose of a steel cable in a handgun safe?

A steel cable is included with many smaller handgun safes for added security. You can use it to anchor the safe to something solid, like a bed frame or car seat. This makes it a lot harder for thieves to walk off with your safe and access your gun.

What should I consider when choosing a small safe for my handgun?

When picking out a small safe for your handgun, think about the locking mechanism, size, material, and portability. Look for quick access features like biometric locks or electronic keypads and make sure it’s built from sturdy materials like heavy-duty steel. Also, consider how easy it is to move and install, especially if you plan to use it in different places.

Are there any legal considerations I should know about using a handgun safe?

Laws about how to store firearms can differ depending on where you live. It’s a good idea for gun owners to learn the rules in their area, especially about locking up guns and how fast you can get to them in an emergency. Following these rules helps keep things safe and legal.