Are you a workhorse, but you still feel the need to keep yourself protected? Or do you work late hours and carry your firearm with you to ensure your safety? Whatever your reason for being armed, you will need to invest in a gun safe. To get the most value from a gun safe, you have to weight up a few of the key features. These features need to make the amount of money that you are spending worthwhile.
There are many people who enjoy the use of firearms. Whether it is to hunt, target shoot, or simply to protect their home or other property, a firearm has become a key product within their home or business. And this review will help you to decide what would be the ideal option for you. It will give you the opportunity to eliminate this risk and ensure that your firearms and valuables are kept.
Top Gun Safes on the Market Right Now!
We have decided to add this table to help you comparing these safes more quickly and find the perfect fit for your needs and household. These features are some of the most sought after and will give you a clearer view on the firearms and what they are made for.
#16 First Alert 2092DF Waterproof 1-Hour Fire Safe with Digital Lock
Generally the compartment spaces has been made for storing big files like three ring binders, but should you own a bigger item or handgun, you could easily just remove the shelves or space them to let your item fit. The inside has also been sealed off from any water, preventing your documents from getting wet if sprinklers should activate to extinguish flames.
The exterior consists of solidly constructed high quality black plastic and will feature an added keypad locking system. This will give you quick and easy access to items if you may need to get inside. Should your keypad system let you down, you are also provided with two backup keys to override the biometric system. This will ensure that you always have access to your safe.
The safe is quite compact and can easily be mounted to the wall or to the floor by using the pre-drilled holes provided. The 93 pound weight will ensure that no one can just pick up and move the safe and the deadbolts will increase the weight immensely. The color we think look stylish and can easily be concealed as well.
Not only is this safe great for keeping your documents dry, but it will also protect your safe from any fire or heat damage. The safe can resist fire for up to 1 hour at 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. This will give you optimal time to extinguish the flames if a household fire should start.
The safe has been tested to not only withstand household fires, but will also withstand a direct fire attack and the waterproof seal should keep everything dry and safe inside. It is worth noting that should a fire start, the safe will keep everything inside at a temperature of 350 degrees, this will allow you to even keep medical supplies safe inside without any fear that they might be destroyed.
Normally one would think that fire-resistant safes will sacrifice some of the security in order to improve the fireproof features, but this safe does not leave any opportunities on the table. The safe does not only feature pry-resistant concealed hinges, but will also lock with two deadbolts. These deadbolts will ensure that no one can pry open your safe.
The digital lock will unlock your safe quickly and give you access to your items in under a minute, making this a great safe to keep in any place in the house that you may think needs to have quick access to a firearm.
As for the extras, this safe does not lack any of them. Upon receiving the safe you will also receive a fire year limited warranty should anything break. The First Alert Company will even give you lifelong replacement warranty, should your safe break or damage in a fire.
This safe is the perfect buy that you will only need to make once in your lifetime and then it can also be passed on through generations. You will not need to keep the slip to get your replacement as they will just replace the safe. This shows great confidence in a great safe.
#15 Honeywell 1104 1 Hour Fire/Water Safe Chest for Legal/letter/A4 Size Documents
The safe may be perfect for your firearm as well if you own a small handgun. The regular sized handguns like the Glock will still fit inside, but this will fill up the safe, not leaving any space for additional documents.
This safe is made from extremely high-quality materials and the metal latch will ensure that you can carry this safe wherever you go. The design is made to look like a briefcase and this will also offer you the opportunity to conceal the case anywhere you go easily.
The lock mechanism is extremely easy to operate and uses a key. You will receive two keys when purchasing the safe and the steel latches will not only prevent any prying, but it will also keep everything inside dry and away from heat. The weight may be quite heavy to carry around, but once you have the perfect spot to put your safe, the weight may be advantageous to help protect against theft.
With fire and water being one of the main causes of property damage all over the world, the Honeywell Company has ensured to seal all the edges and mechanisms to ensure that water cannot penetrate.
The exterior is not only great for preventing prying but will also resist fire for up to 1 hour at 1700 degrees. This should give you enough time to either extinguish the fire or to move the case. The safe will also be waterproof for up to 48 hours, fully submerged in 39 inches of water. All your documents will be perfectly dry as well.
This safe may lack a little bit in terms of security, but the locking system will ensure that no one can pry open the safe. Unfortunately, the safe cannot be mounted and secured to any specific place. While this may put off some buyers, if you like traveling, this safe will be perfect for your trunk.
The key system may be a little slower to open, but this again will have its advantages. Biometric locks may sometimes melt or be destroyed in fire and water, but the traditional key lock will never let you down in these conditions. The key will also improve the waterproofness of the safe.
You will receive a staggering 7 year warranty with this safe. You will also be entitled to their life after safe policy. This will ensure that you will get a new safe, should yours be damaged in a fire. The new safe will be absolutely free and you will forever get a new safe each time your safe is damaged by fire.
#14 Fort Knox FTK-PB Pistol Box Handgun Safe
- Highly rated by the California Department of Justice
- Anti-theft and pry-resistant design
- Perfect for traveling and office use
- Added gas strut for one handed use
- Cannot be dead-bolted to the wall
- Lack of electronic locking feature may increase the opening time
The door opening has been designed to provide quality and also features hinges on the inside that will ensure that no one has the ability to pry open the door on the supposed weak spots. This safe will provide you with years of quality and has been proven to be impact resistant.
Internally the safe is capable of carrying one small handgun that is about the size of a Ruger with a 7-inch barrel. The interior has also been fitted with added foam protection that will enhance the protection capabilities, should your safe experience any sort of impact.
The safe is perfectly designed to protect your jewelry and valuable documents, but will not be suitable for storing multiple items. We recommend buying this safe specifically for and intended purpose. This means that you should either store a firearm or your jewelry inside to ensure that you get the maximum expected results.
The safe features a mechanical locking system with up to 1081 combinations to choose from. Unfortunately the safe does not feature a timeout period, but intruders and children will definitely need a lot of time to try and guess the code.
This feature is great for hindering kids any access to the safe and you will get maximum value from the safe. The added gas strut feature on the inside will keep the door open and you could easily open and access items by using just one hand. The safe features pre-drilled mounting holes that will allow extra strength and make it difficult to move.
Furthermore, the safe is one of only a few that exceeds the California Department of Justice specifications and firearm safety device requirements. The lightweight and compact structure will be a great benefit for your nightstand and can also be easily moved from place to place.
This safe may not have a lot of storing capabilities, but we definitely recommend the safe for office and traveling use. All your office documents will be safely protected and dead-bolted to the ground or even your desk. The only problem we have is that fact that the safe cannot be bolted to the wall as this will limit its use.
#13 Steelwater Heavy Duty 20 Long Gun Fire Protection
- Amazingly well built with heavier duty steel
- Great space inside to store contents
- Excellent fit and finish
- Extremely sturdy, durable and reliable
- The safe costs too much which might not suite with you
The safe also offers four adjustable shelves. These shelves can be taken out or used to store smaller items and create easy to access compartments. The interior has been specifically designed to withstand heat and keep your items inside the cooler that the firing temperature. This will allow you to store media devices and important documents as well.
This is definitely the heaviest safe on the list and weighs an impressive 425 pounds. This means that not only will you never move the safe, but intruders will definitely never move the safe. The frame is made from extremely high quality steel and will ensure that no one can punch open your safe.
The biometric locking system is easy to use and also features two backup key locks on either side. This means that you never be locked out of the safe. The semi-gloss textured powder coating will not only protect your safe from all the weather conditions but will ensure that it looks good wherever you decide to place it.
The capabilities of this safe are enormous and it has all the features that the most portable safes have to resist fire. The safe will be able to resist 1550 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 45 minutes. This resistance is not only for the frame but for the impressively designed keypad as well.
The outer coating will add an extra layer of protection and the safe will keep your items dry in case the sprinklers may activate.
The safe certainly doesn’t let up when it comes to security. The safe is not only heavy, but also fitted with five live action bolts to ensure that you have optimal protection. The keypad will allow you to store two different user codes and these can easily be reprogrammed.
The gear drive system will ensure that no one can pry open your safe and that it cannot be drilled through. The metal plates used for the construction are eight times stronger and harder than those of a high-quality computer. Furthermore, the door will expand once it comes into contact with heat and the locks will also expand if someone manages to dislodge it from the mounting station.
Upon buying the safe, you will also receive a free dehumidifier to keep everything cool on the inside. This will allow you to regulate temperature and keep medicinal items inside as well.
Finally, you will receive a 1-year damage warranty and a lifetime fire and burglary warranty. This proves the confidence the manufacturers have in the safe and will ensure that you can always have peace of mind.
#12 Homak HS30103660 8-Gun Security Cabinet
- Extremely affordable
- Made from high-quality steel
- No mind-boggling codes
- No batteries required
- Fittings may require a little help and mounting may be difficult
The materials and mechanisms used in the composition of the safe have been specifically selected to ensure that little fingers cannot accidentally open the safe. The hinges on the inside have also been designed to make the safe more resistant to anyone trying to force open the safe and you will be happy to know that prying tools have been used for the development to ensure further quality.
The safe is extremely tall and will easily be able to store all your firearms and rifles. On the inside of this huge safe, you will find removable shelves that can easily be adjusted or simply just removed. These shelves will be great for storing smaller firearms and even jewelry items.
Also, you will find already attached barrel rests. This will allow you to store rifles with scopes and will ensure that they cannot be damaged. The safe will allow you to store up to 8 rifles, even with all the shelves till inside. This will provide you with multi-functionality and ensure that everything you own is always protected. Business owners will be glad to know that the safe features enough storage space for important and confidential files.
The safe uses a tubular locking mechanism that will lock on four points with live action bolts. These bolts are incredibly strong and pry-resistant. You should also be aware that the lock is a standard mechanical lock that is opened using a key. This will save you time and you will never need to remember any mind-boggling codes in order to open the safe.
One of the added benefits of this cabinet-style safe is the ability to protect your valuables and especially rifles from fires. The steel will expand once it becomes hot and this will add another layer of protection to keep everything inside safe. The safe also features pre-drill holes and mounting hardware to allow you the freedom of easily mounting the safe to the wall or ground.
The safe is quite heavy and will definitely be difficult to unload once you receive the safe. Currently, the manufacturers are in excess and the safe is sold at a further discount, making this one of the best safes under $500 on the market. You will also receive a lifelong manufacturer defect to ensure that you get exactly what you paid for.
The safe may not be able to house a lot of rifles, but it will be great for hunters and the rifle collectors that only look to collect exclusive rifles. With this safe, you will always know that your guns are protected and intruders will rather skip the safe than waste too much time on trying to break it open.
#11 Homegear 5 Rifle Electronic Gun Safe with Internal Jewelry/Valuables Lockbox
- Extremely heavy and easy to mount
- Durable steel construction
- Perfect for deterring kids
- Multifunctional for jewelry and rifles
- Plastic components may not be suitable for resisting fires and may cause weaknesses
It has been proven that even 1mm of solid steel will keep intruders out and ensure that they need specialized tools to try and open your safe. By doubling that amount of steel, you will ensure that intruders will not be able to access your firearms easily. The safe also comes with a CE and RoHS certification. This will make sure that you buy a quality product that never lets you down.
The safe has the capability of storing up to 5 rifles. This will mean that hunters and gun collectors will be able to find value from this safe. Once you open the safe, you should notice at the top that they have included a smaller lockbox. This lockbox will be great for storing valuable document and jewelry.
The added benefit of the lockbox comes in the form of double protection. The lockbox can be separately locked on the inside and this will mean that intruders will need to penetrate two layers of security before they have access to your valuables.
For added security, you will have the benefit of enjoying a keypad locking mechanism. The keypad will definitely be much more rapid to access and after testing the speed, we have seen that you will be able to gain access within 10 seconds. For people with faster typing skills, this can be cut down to 5 in certain situations.
The safe has also been equipped with backup keys and if you do not trust the electronic lock, you do not need to activate it. The safe will also allow you to use the manual mechanical lock. This may be slower but will bring peace of mind to skeptics.
The safe perfectly does its job to deter kids and keep anyone from prying. After three wrong attempts on the keypad, the safe will automatically force a timeout and then it will keep forcing timeouts after every wrong entry. The safe also comes with t pre-drilled holes that will allow you to mount it to the wall and the ground securely.
We like this safe for hunters and people that have a few rifles. The safe will certainly keep anyone from entering if they are not authorized and you will able to rest comfortably, knowing that when mounted, the safe becomes immovable. This safe is definitely worth considering as it provides quality for an incredibly low price.
#10 Protex Through-The-Door Locking Drop Box (WSS-159)
- Unique and innovative design
- High-quality materials
- Perfect for individuals working with large sums of money
- Approved by the California Department of Justice
- Definitely not ideal for dropping jewelry of firearms from this distance to the hard inner shell
No interior cover is present and that makes the safe a little less fit for storing jewelry or any items that may easily break, but envelopes and cash will perfect fit inside the safe and you will have no more need to keep all the cash lying around.
The safe has been designed using high-quality and durable materials and the hinges of the door have been placed on the inside to remove any weaknesses and ensure that no one has the capabilities of easily prying open the safe.
The best feature of the safe should be the design and while you may show people the door where everything goes in, they will not see the door that you need to open to access the items. From the throw in the lever, you will also notice that you cannot reach any items that have been put inside.
The safe will need to be bolted to the door or inside the cupboard. You will have a lot of multi-functionality with the safe. Once it has been dead bolted to a specific area, the safe will become virtually impossible to move and the added weight bonus will only increase the security that you have.
The locking feature will make use of keys to operate and the door will lock and unlock with a highly advanced and secure metal hook that attaches to the other side when locked. The lock has also been designed to withstand any lock picking attempts and intruders will need more industrialized equipment.
The safe has been approved by the California Department of Justice to ensure that you have a high-quality and durable safe. To mount the safe and get the most out of the features, you will need to make rectangular holes in door or cupboard to allow the slot area to be available for use.
The mounting process may be a little difficult, but with basic hand working experience, you should e able to easily and efficiently mount the safe without any hassles. It is also worth mentioning that the safe can just as easily be used as a mailbox, but the warranty does not cover this.
We highly recommend this safe for restaurateurs or anyone working with large sums of money. The safe will allow you to securely keep all of your money hidden and ensure that no one can easily get the money, should they know where it is.
The safe may be used as a mailbox, but we do not recommend this as the safe is not waterproof and other elements of nature may damage the safe over time.
Buyer’s Guide : Key Features to Consider
While scouring many places I have found a few essential features that you need to consider selecting the best gun safe. These features are quite generals, but they will determine the price range that you need to look in and we have tried to narrow the features down to the best features for cheaper gun safes.
During all of our research, we have found these features to be some of the most sought after and many experts claim that they tend to look for these features to choose the best gun safe. Ensuring that your safe is filled with these features will not only give you peace of mind but will also provide you with quality that will make up for the price over the long run. So let’s take a look at some of the key features that you will need to look for when you want value in a safe:
#1 Durability
If your gun safe is not durable, it will be the same as storing your items in a wooden box. It is extremely important to take into account the type of materials that have been used as they will immediately add quality to your safe. Many gun safes rely on 14-16 gauge solid steel construction, as this metal is extremely resistant to high temperatures and will provide you a lot of extra protection.
#2 Security Features
It is important to note that the more security features you want, the more expensive the safe will be. The security features may include fire resistant metal or even a waterproof sealer. If you live in an area with a lot of home fires or other problems, you may need to look into adding these features.
We have also found a few gems that we will show you. These gems are packed with extra security features at no additional price and while this may seem disheartening, it is important to understand the basic security composition of safes.
#3 Portability
Portability may not be important to everyone, but for people looking to buy something they could constantly travel with, portability will make a huge difference. Cheaper safes tend to be lighter and more portable, meaning that if your budget is $500, you might be able to get the perfect portable safe.
#4 Weight & Size
Obviously, bigger gun safes weigh much more than smaller gun safes but there are different manufacturers and some may offer a gun safe that is heavier than it looks or should be. You may need a heavy gun safe due to its resistance to prying or fire. A smaller and less heavy safe may be made of flimsier material and hence be easier to break into while the bigger one may be made of sterner stuff and withstand pressure better.
You on the other hand will need to get a gun safe that is light to carry and easy to access or one to keep the guns away for long periods of time. That’s where the size and weight factor comes in. Bigger guns that cannot be disassembled need longer, bigger safes while handguns & pistols can be put in smaller safes. Ensure to get one of weight and size that you can manage.
#5 Additional Features
When you have a large budget, we recommend that you also consider the fire resistant and water resistant safe types. These features are great and they are accompanied by a huge warranty most of the time. This will give you a lot of value and you will never lose your belongings to a household fire that the neighbor might have started.
