Handgun Safe

[Plinkerton]

I am in the market for a handgun safe. I was curious about people's personal experience with different kinds.

I have seen the GunVault MultiVault safe, which looks cool, but I am curious if it is too small.

The other ones, that the local stores have are the "Stack-On" and "Pro-Lock" brand safes. They look IDENTICAL, so I kind of think they are made by the same manufacturer. These ones seem like they will be great for what I need. They have an electronic button combo.

Anyone have one of these? Have anyproblems with them? They are pretty cheap, around 100$, and they seem pretty solid overall.

---I'm not sure if this is supposed to be in this section or not. I didn't know where else to post it-------

Thanks a lot,
Plink

 

[Henry Bowman]

I have had one for many years. I like it. Seems plenty big for at least 2 handguns (depending on size) and maybe some extra mags, etc. They eat batteries (8 - AA at a time) which must be replaced at least annually. I think $100 was a good value.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

I have a GunVault mini-safe. I just saw one at the local gun store for $89.

It works flawlessly. It's bolted to the dresser.

It is skinny but deep; The grip of my Ruger P95 takes up most of the width; a magazine next to it fills the rest. But there's room at the back for a stack of mags or a couple boxes of ammo.

I'm happy overall. Had I know that buying guns was addictive, I'd have bought the next bigger size with the shelf in the middle.

On the other hand, I only need one pistol to be quick-access, so I can keep other guns in the sturdy document safe.

 

[mr_dove]

I have a portion of my web site dedicated to mini-pistol safes. There is a full review of the Fort Knox handgun safe and I hope to get more full reviews up in the future.

http://www.mrdove.net/guns_lockboxes.htm

http://www.mrdove.net/ftknox.htm

 

[Greg L]

I've got the minivault bolted under my desk right now (as my knee keeps reminding me every time I whack it ). It's holding both my carry Kel Tecs (P11 & P3AT) & the bolt to a M44 that I have here that I'm working on cleaning/oiling when I have a few minutes every now & then. I wouldn't mind having a larger one (although it would never fit under the desk then) to hold something larger in case I needed it right here & now. However it does what I need & was well worth the money.

Greg

 

[gulogulo1970]

I have a GunVault double vault, I keep a pair of Glocks with two spare magazines each in there and still have some room left over. It works really well I recommend it.

 

[45 ACP]

I have a Double (non Deluxe so no internal light) GunVault upstairs in the bedroom. I have an HK USP Full-Size .45 and a Kimber 4" CDP with 2 spare magazines for each gun. I also store 2 50 round boxes of ammo and some keys. Plenty of room.

I also have a Single GunVault downstairs bolted in the coffee table and another 2 GunVaults in each of our cars. All 3 of those hold 1 semi-auto or revolver (5" or 3" bbl respectively) and 2 spare magazines/speedloaders each. Again, plenty of room.

I replace the batteries (AA) every year at the same time I do all the smoke detectors in the house. Easier to remember that way.

While I don't own stock in the company, I think they're fantastic. Easy to operate, they've NEVER failed to open when the combo is entered correctly.

 

[Ringer]

I have the Stack On, I believe it is the smaller one. It easily holds my Mini 9mm and SP101 on the top shelf and my USP 45f on the bottom shelf. It is pretty secure. I'm quite happy with it.

Things to be aware of. It is not easy to open in the dark. You cannot disable the "beep" on the keypad. These are not a problem for me as I don't depend on retrieving a gun from the safe in a hurry.

If you want fast access, go for the Gun Vault. If you want more space go for the Stack On. My $.02 YMMV.

 

[Plinkerton]

While the GunVaults do seem "cooler" overall, I bought the Stack-On today. I like the overall more "traditional" design on it, and the size definitely plays a big part. I probably won't ever depend on getting a gun out fast, so that's not too much of a worry. I don't have any kids, so I can just take it out, and place it next to my bed at night.

45ACP: That's awesome about having a GunVault mounted everywhere, and in your car. Ideally, I would love to have enough guns to do that with (except that I live in California, so it doesn't matter anyway.)

Thanks for all your input.

-Plink-

 

[45 ACP]

Hey Plinkerton, keep in mind that I live in California too...

 

[Plinkerton]

really....

So... are you umm... "bending" the law just a little?

Or did you actually get your grubby mitts on one of those CCW things that keep torturing me in my dreams?

 

[Plinkerton]

Hey Ringer, one more question.

How secure is the stack-on safe? What would happen if you broke off the front plastic panel? Since the locking mechanism is electronic, do you think it would be easy to just break it open, and connect 2 wires or something?

I don't expect it to be hard for "safe crackers" to get into, but what about the random guy with a hammer and a screw driver?

THanks

 

[Ringer]

I don't know much about the electronic mechanism but I highly doubt you could open it by messing with the wires. Now with a hammer and a screwdriver I'm sure a motivated thief could get into it, but no easier than the Gun Vault or any similar "safe". Of course if it's not bolted down they can just carry it off too. I keep mine on my dresser more to keep guns away from unauthorized hands than from theft. I may bolt to the dresser and wall one day but haven't yet.

 

[Plinkerton]

Yeah. They definitely could just walk away with it. I want to bolt it to the inside of my closet, but I'm not so sure of the strength of the "wall" behind it. It's a bit hokey. I could probably stick my fist thru it without much effort. No sense in bolting a safe to something as strong as a wet paper bag... So far, I think my best theft deterrent is the fact that only my parents, girlfriend, and best friend know that I even have a gun.

I don't mind the "prying" aspect of breaking into it. I was mainly concerned of the plastic part on it, with the keypad and the knob. Someone could easily smash the front to pieces, so, hopefully that would be as far as they could get.

Thanks

 

[bubbygator]

I bought a single GunVault

And it works fine. Then I found the DAC gunsafe on Walmart.com that is twice as big at half the price - so I bought 2 of them also. They work exactly the same - DAC holds 2 pistols, single GunVault holds 1 pistol.

 

[Herself]

Husband and I have one of the $90.00 electronic-combination types, lagscrewed to the floor and wall in my closet. With two internal shelves, it holds all the handguns not "on duty" as personal defense weapons, one full-sized nine for each of us plus, umm, several small 9s and 45s. Money well spent. And it's semi-concealed in that location.

Still, it would never stop a determined thief with decent muscle and/or a good crowbar. But it keeps 'em out of casual sight, out of untrained hands, in a protected place, and there's no question that any handgun out of the safe and not taken apart for cleaning is ready. And that's really all a gun safe is for. (Plus we keep ammunition elsewhere, also locked: you've got to make an effort to load up a stored gun. Why? While nothing will prevent those moments of idiocy, there's no sense making them easier to have).

If you've got kids, one of the quick-release 1- or 2-gun "safes" mounted where you think it would be most handy might be a good idea. All we have are cats, so that's not an issue. (If cats ever grow thumbs, we're all in trouble! How many dead mice is a Raven or Galesi worth, anyway?)

--Herself

 

[4v50 Gary]

I think that GunVault can be popped open with a screwdriver.

 

[Dex Sinister]

I like the Brinks Anti-Theft Drawer Safe , myself.

It's in the $90-ish range, about 4"H x 11 1/2"W x 13 1/2"D inside, but the door is 3.6mm thick steel, locks with two live bolts, and has concealed hinges.

[Gunvault is all 16 ga steel -- 1/16" or roughly 1.5mm thick.]

Dex

 

[Plinkerton]

The stack-on safe I have looks to be about 6mm. Sweet.

 

[jptsr1]

Gun-Vault holds 2 easily.

J.

 

[Plinkerton]

Thanks for that pic jptrsr1. I've never seen the inside of one of those from that angle.

 

[dukeofurl]

I have a biometric fingerprint activated one. Its neat. This thing was a gift for my semi-valuable service at an IDPA match helping score inside a dark house.

 

[jptsr1]

"Thanks for that pic jptrsr1. I've never seen the inside of one of those from that angle."

_________________

No problem. When I took this pic I had my 141 and a G26 in it. Now I have a G21 and a Sig 220 in it. Still plenty of room for several Mags.

J.

 

[Girlwithagun]

My husband and I recently bought the Deluxe Multi GunVault. Here are some pros and cons:

*There is plenty of room for 2 pistols (may be able to get another in if they are smaller), extra magazines, flashlight, etc..

*The deluxe models come with interior courtesy lights that shut off after a few seconds.

*With the deluxe model, you have the option of plugging the safe in with backup batteries. (You have to buy the adapter separately. I haven't prcied that yet.)

*After 3 incorrect entries on the keypad, you will be locked out for 2 (?) minutes. This is good if you think someone is going to try to figure out the combination but it also means you need to know that combination very well and practice opening it.

*The system allows for many combinations because you can hit more than one key at once as a single entry. My hand is a bit too small and I have a very difficult time pushing more than one key at the same time. I can do it if I really try but that is not reliable enough for a middle of the night kind of thing.

*Do price comparisions with several places. I was able to buy the Deluxe MultiVault from a place on E-Bay for about the same price as the regular one after shipping.

Good luck!

 

[F4GIB]

For $30, one of these might do.
http://www.aacfi.com/products/secureit.shtml