I Have 4 Kids - Which Safe For Bedroom?

[bk1]

I have a safe in the house that currently houses my handgun. That is a necessity as I have 4 kids from 2-8yrs in age.

I want to investigate my options for keeping a handgun in a safe in the bedroom.

The two main priorities would be safe storage and quick retrieval when necessary.

So, what would you recommend?

I have begun searching through the old posts but thought I would start a new one to get me pointed in the right direction.

Thanks.

So far, I have my eye on this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Gunvault-Mini-Vault-GV1000C-STD-Standard/dp/B000KL0QPS

 

[jad0110]

I've got a Gunvault sitting between my chair and my bed as I type this. I practice opening it freqently in the dark, and have little trouble accessing my handgun in a second or so. There are 4 programmable buttons on top of the safe, fit inside the raised outline of a hand (sans thumb). Makes the buttons very simple to find in a dark room. When the correct code combo is entered, the spring loaded door pops open downwards and my trusty Smith & Wesson is right there. They come in single and double level varieties; I opted for the 2-level model and removed the 2nd shelf. I have fairly large hands and simply wanted the larger opening the 2-level model affords. They can be bolted to the floor, if so desired. Makes a great travel safe too.

Biometric safes are an option as well (finger print readers). However, I have found them to be finicky (hit or miss with finger print reads). My wife, with eczema on her hands, can't get biometric safes to work at all for her. So try before you buy one with that feature.

 

[gbw]

Good for you.

I chose the V-Line compact. This fits bolted in the bedside drawer. Overall I'm satisfied, though I think it's overpriced. Reasons for choosing this model were:

- Good security from kids. (But no security from a determined thief, that was not a requirement).
- Top swing-up opening. The End-opening versions did not fit my needs.
- Relatively small size. This is both an advantage and disadvantage - see below.
- Tactile operation (easy to use in total darkness.)
- No batteries to fool with.
- Very fast. Realistic delay of 3-5 seconds, a price I gladly pay to minimize chance of little hands finding a gun.

Disadvantages:

- The lock mechanism extends down inside the box too far and limits useful space. One large handgun, any type, and one small gun, flat auto, is about it's limit.

- It does make noise when opening, not much but I'd prefer it were quieter.

- The top is not spring loaded. My view this is an oversight for convenience, it would be nice if the box sprun open when unlocked - think jack-in-the-box. It's also a serious safety fault - the box can be closed but not locked, so it's possible to think guns are secure when they are not. My fix to this was to mount a strong spring inside the box which forces the top open. It's from one of those cheap plastic clamps and takes almost no space. Now the box now springs open when unlocked and will not stay closed unless it's also locked.

 

[devildog4329]

+1 on the gun vault. I went through the same situation a couple of months ago. My daughter was getting to the stage where she wanted to get into everything so I got the 2-level gun vault. Fits in the night stand. Easy to open and find in the dark. You can use batteries or the AC cable.

I store my daily carry 380 and my night stand G19 in it. Plus an extra mag for each. As well as a mini mag LED light. So far I have no complaints other than the noise of the buttons and the noise of the spring released door.

 

[FAS1]

Good for you.

I chose the V-Line compact. This fits bolted in the bedside drawer. Overall I'm satisfied, though I think it's overpriced. Reasons for choosing this model were:

- Good security from kids. (But no security from a determined thief, that was not a requirement).
- Top swing-up opening. The End-opening versions did not fit my needs.
- Relatively small size. This is both an advantage and disadvantage - see below.
- Tactile operation (easy to use in total darkness.)
- No batteries to fool with.
- Very fast. Realistic delay of 3-5 seconds, a price I gladly pay to minimize chance of little hands finding a gun.

Disadvantages:

- The lock mechanism extends down inside the box too far and limits useful space. One large handgun, any type, and one small gun, flat auto, is about it's limit.

- It does make noise when opening, not much but I'd prefer it were quieter.

- The top is not spring loaded. My view this is an oversight for convenience, it would be nice if the box sprun open when unlocked - think jack-in-the-box. It's also a serious safety fault - the box can be closed but not locked, so it's possible to think guns are secure when they are not. My fix to this was to mount a strong spring inside the box which forces the top open. It's from one of those cheap plastic clamps and takes almost no space. Now the box now springs open when unlocked and will not stay closed unless it's also locked.

Our design addresses most of the disadvantages that gbw mentions while retaining the advantages. Ours is more secure (3/16" steel). The lid opens with a gas assist strut and holds it open while presenting the gun to you in a holster mounted to the lid. We purchase our Simplex lock with the optional spring latch. Simply close the lid and it is locked. Most boxes with this type lock you need to re-lock by turning the knob once the lid is closed. Drill holes where you need and mount vertically or horizontally.

 

[mongo4567]

I use a Gunvault for my carry guns and love them, I have had two for many years. Great thing to keep the guns away from the kids and very fast to open. The spring-loaded door allows you to use/mount it at any angle. I will second the comment on the beeps for button presses and noise of the door opening....but it is probably better than no button feedback or a weaker door spring.

 

[357 Terms]

My lil vault slams open fast, really quick access. If you keep your thumb down to catch the door you can let it down easy. I love mine, only changed the batteries once in 4 years. It provides a great sense of security for me while still allowing quick and easy access.

 

[rbernie]

One thing that bears repeating - whatever you buy, you really need to bolt it down, even if only to a piece of wooden furniture. That'll make it slightly less easy for the neighboorhood delinquents to make off with it when they kick in the back door and rifle through the MBR looking for swag and stash.

 

[a1abdj]

I have pointed a number of people towards the safe that FAS1 offers.

I chose the V-Line compact. This fits bolted in the bedside drawer. Overall I'm satisfied, though I think it's overpriced.

The lock used on these types of safes is more expensive than the cheap electronics used on most of the alternatives. It really is a matter of getting what you pay for. These Simplex locks are just about as good as it gets in terms of reliability and longeivity.

One thing that bears repeating - whatever you buy, you really need to bolt it down, even if only to a piece of wooden furniture. That'll make it slightly less easy for the neighboorhood delinquents to make off with it when they kick in the back door and rifle through the MBR looking for swag and stash.

Every safe should be bolted, especially anything weighing less than 750 pounds. A safe like those being discussed here, not bolted, is merely gift wrapping the contents for whomever carries it out of the house.

 

[FAS1]

I have pointed a number of people towards the safe that FAS1 offers.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I use the standard Gunvault. It's been adequate. I don't like the beeping from the keypad either. I deactivated it per the instructions: hold down the "learn" button on the "ceiling" of the vault for two seconds, three times. This causes the green light to blink three times, after which the "learn" button is released. Then press and hold buttons two and three for five seconds. this disables the beeping.