Handguns safe are are alternative ways to lock your weapons but they are not real security device.Their main purpose is to prevent children accessing your guns or smash and rob situation.
Security for handguns safes
Its should be obvious that Hand gun safes are not secure,no matter how they are advertised.For handgun safes security can refers to following
Can it be accidentally opened by dropping(since it is easy to carry) or other inadvertent methods.
Although there are so many safes that seem to be strong and sturdy and are highly priced some fall behind because of their locking mechanism and design. One such safe is 9G imprint safe, now acquired by liberty safe. Their safe was so unreliable that if you drop it sideways two times the door just pops right open, because of its spring latch design. Similarly biometric safes like Barska have scanner that needs to be wiped after an impression otherwise it can false open with any fingerprint. We try to avoid listing safes with such faulty design. So we do not recommend barska biometric or 9g safe although they are popular models. Also all electronic keypad type small safe that have front bolt type door only look strong but have major flaw that they all can be open by bumping it two three times as the solenoid in it is spring loaded which just unlock the bolt when it is receive a minor jerk. If you want more info you can listen to the Defcon 19 talk and the Tobias analysis of popular small gun safes or the most latest test done by handgunsaferesearch.com and Lockpicking Lawyer Youtube channel.
Can the lock be pried open like with paper clips or small screw driver etc without any trail marks.
Locks in these small safes are of very poor quality.They mainly have either a pin and tumbler key lock or tubular key locks.They are so old and are very easy to pick.All these locks can be easily picked with a pin or clip or a tubular lock pick by looking at Youtube for few minutes.Even the biometric safes are only base level design.Also since all lock basically have a hinge or level or bolt that hold up hook in the door from opening, if any one can alter that reaching with a paper clips or screw driver you basically have an open safe.Another way around is by reaching to the reset button inside the safe through holes,which just reset all the data in electronic and biometric safe so you can reprogram it with new data.So if you can look for wide gap in the linings or any holes in the safe avoid that safe.An example of such cheap quality design is of all Stackon handgun safes.They have a rubber electronic or biometric cover pad which can be removed with bare hands leaving wide hole to pick open the locking mechanism inside.
Only mechanical locks with simplex lock (combination made by Fortknox,Titan,Vline etc are the one whose locks you can rely on against picking or prying attack.
Can it be properly secured at a place so that it cannot be grabbed away.
This options is provided by most of the safes.They either have cable to tether it to a place or holes for bolting in the floor desk etc.Cable option can be less secure but allows you carry the safe when needed.
All this may sound like that there are more safe to avoid than to buy.It is because it is exactly like that.To know more Visit this page on Small gun safe brands to avoid to learn the market scenario of handgun safe today.
What is the best child protection safe ?
Best safe models for child protection are mechanical safes with simplex locks.Below are the four best models.They are sturdy in design not prone to prying with clips or small tools and protected against accidentally opening by dropping or bumping or false reading.Also do not have key override so you don’t need to worry about the lost key or them getting into someone else’s hand.Also they do not require batteries so you can leave them forever without any maintenance.Only downside is if you forget the combination you have to go to the lock smith.
Fort Knox FTK-PB Pistol Box Handgun Safe
With 10 gauge steel all around and 6-7 gauge steel on top this safe is living up to its Fort Knox name. This safe is 22 pounds of security equipped with a simplex mechanical lock for those who do not want to fuss with keys or fingerprints and even has a gas strut to help with opening the door. Although this gas strut mechanism aids in opening the door it can also hinder your ability to do so in a quickly and timely manner. The only other downside that you may encounter with this safe would be the instructions that come with this particular model does not seem to always coincide with each other.
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Click here for Fort knox front opening FTK auto pistol box (Alternative model on amazon)
Titan gun safe
The Titan Gun Safe is loaded with many features that allow you to feel safe. This gun safe can be mounted in several different places to include your car, boat, or even RV. The safe allows you to draw your pistol almost instantly upon opening the safe as the door feature allows the gun to move outwards as you are opening the door. Weighing in at only 10 pounds, this safe features an all mechanical lock system without the use of batteries. The con in this particular model would have to be the price. This safe has a hefty price tag of $388.00 from the website but yet some may say you cant put a price on safety.
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V-Line Top Draw Security Case
This 9 pound beauty has a much more pocket friendly price tag attached with its sleek design for added piece of mind for your safety needs. It does not need batteries and has a simplex lock system in place for to use. Although it is advertised as a Simplex locking system it is made in China and is therefore a look alike. The V-Line safe has a pry resistant shell with its clamshell design made of steel. The interior has nice foam padding and this safe is also used without batteries for the added piece of mind about not having to worry about dead batteries.
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Fas1 gun safe
This is another good mechanical gun safe company that makes handguns safes for all sizes.There safes features top gas spring auto opening design which conveniently present the firearm to you when opened.
They comes for various option like suppressed handguns,handguns with tactical light or serbu super shorty shotgun.
These safe are made of all body 7 gauge steel ,probably the thickest among all brands of small gun safes.
They comes with optional in house manufactures In&out lock using camlock T8 to work in conjunction with simplex lock for extra security.
They do not have pre drilled holes but you can drill them yourself on any side depending on the way you want to mount it.
There aren’t any negatives for this safes and is highly recommended if want have only handguns and don’t want to go for larger cabinet for this price which is about $ 300.
Click here for more detail, latest price, reviews and ratings of fas1 magnum TL on Amazon.
Stealth hanger mechanical
This Stealth safe is manufactured in same factory as Amsec safe and is similar in design to Fortnox FTK-PB safe with 10 gauge body and 3/16 (7 gauge) wrap around door and a thick steel bolt.
The steel bolt is way more thicker than the Fortknox and provide much more pry resistance. There are also at the hinge side two 7 gauge lugs that hooks under two solid steel dead bars at either inside corners for protection against hinge attack.
The gas stut completely lift the lid and keep it open but the gas piston says to be made in china.
The KABA simplex lock however is made in USA and has 1081 combination options.The lock is encased in a steel to make it punch attack resistant.
It also has a removable handle to conveniently carry it around, is padded with high density pluck foam inside for customizable fit for the firearm.It has four pre drilled holes at the bottom for mounting.You can also mount it using a security cable passing through these holes.
People also found the simplex lock t be more securely fastened than Fortknox and the buttons do not slop.However some though fewer found to be exact opposite so maybe it was a quality control issue.
It has dimension of 4.25″ H (5.25″ H with knob) 12.56″ W 10.25″ (11.5″ D with handle), weighs about 24 lbs and and is quite a secure and sturdy safe.
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What is the best safe for self defence
If home protection is what that concern you look for safe that can be brought in the bedroom and with quick access and may be with biometrics. See- Bedside gun safe
Conclusion:
Online reviews are mixed for gun safe at this price. On the one hand, for people who were buying a safe with realistic expectations about how secure it is, were happy.
On the other hand, less positive reviews came from folks who didn’t understand what they were getting, and were expecting a high security safe to keep any thief out of their valuables. Keeping expectations straight at this price point is important!
If you choose to go with second option, our recommendation is you don’t buy a handgun safe at all and better find a place out of the way to hide your gun. You can more than make up for the useless construction of safes at this price with a really good hiding spot!