Best Gun Safe Under $500 – 2024 Buying Guide & Reviews

Cabinets and gun safes for weapons and hunting rifles fall into the category of safety metal equipment. Cabinets of this type are used for the safe storage of firearms. They are made following the legal standards of holding weapons. Using them is both responsible and practical. You will always know that your gun is safe, that it has been stored in the right place.

Top Picks for 2024

It should be mentioned that the use of safes for pistols and rifles is not only a conscientious step of people who have a weapon certificate, but it has also become an obligation. Namely, according to the new law, every person who owns a weapon must have a safe or security box with a storage locker. Only the person in whose name the gun or rifle is held may have the keys to the safe.

1. BARSKA New Large Quick Access Biometric Rifle Gun Safe Cabinet – Best For Small Spaces

If you want a secure solution that allows quick access, this works perfectly. The biometric scanner is high quality, stores 120 scans allowing for multiple scans of the same finger. Allows for nighttime, panicky attempts to open that work regardless of how your finger is positioned. Programming is easy, tons of features for the price.

 

2. V-Line Quick Access Keyless Long Gun Safe – Ideal For Storing Your AR-15

The size is excellent for a rifle and a couple of handguns, magazines, and spare ammo. It’s a perfect safe for people just getting into the A/R market. Secure and heavy enough to withstand any mediocre attempts to break into it.

 

3. Stack-On GCDG-9216 16-Gun Convertible Double-Door Steel Security Cabinet – For Owners With A Growing Collection

This cabinet is a niche item if you’re looking for a robust fireproof safe. What it does offer is ample storage space and plenty of customization options. Also, this cabinet is good quality/value for the price. It is easy to assemble too. If you are worried about some low-level thieves or your children, this works nicely. It comes with two keys for each side.

 

4. GunVault SV500 SpeedVault Handgun Safe – Single-Gun Capacity Safe

Great product, the mounting options are very flexible. Also, it’s very thin, durable. Be a responsible owner and buy one of these to keep your weapon out of the wrong hands and save lives.

 

5. SentrySafe Quick Access Biometric – Best Single-Owner

This thing is perfect for mounting on the wall at the head of your bed. It reads fingerprint just fine, and the code pad responds instantly! The code pad needs one press to come out of sleep mode and immediately be ready for your code entry. The fingerprint recognition is high-quality and useful. It wakes up the second you touch it, and then you slide your finger towards yourself across the metal reader. Once you swipe your finger, it takes about one full second for the safe to open.

 

6. SnapSafe Under Bed Safe 75400 – For Limited Spaces

The safe will come double boxed, and you might want to remove the outer packaging outside. The instructions are short, clear, and to the point. Be aware that the inner box is sealed with somewhat flimsy tape on both sides, so be careful you don’t break the seal with the safe weight. You will need to vacuum small pieces of Styrofoam up when you are done.

 

7. Verifi Smart.Safe. S6000 Biometric Gun Safe – With an FBI Certified Fingerprint Sensor

This thing is a delight to configure for the first time. Someone worked hard to code this thing to spoon-feed you and hold your hand through the setup, and it can be one of the best experiences of “setting up” something you’ve ever had. If you forget to close the door, you will be alerted immediately. Also, there is the auto-lock feature to protect the kids when you are absent-minded.

 

8. Stack-On E-040-SB-E Elite Junior Executive Fire Safe – Attractive design & modern features

This safe is very heavy and sturdy for its size, upgraded from a Sentry 2cf safe. Works as intended. Carpeted inside, and the shelves quickly move. It will not accommodate a rifle or shotgun. Also, the safe comes with wall/floor mounting hardware, and the build quality is excellent. Adjustable shelves and covered internals add to this safe’s usefulness and semi-soft interior.

 

9. First Watch Homak HS30136010 – Corner with a large capacity

It would be best if you were careful not to bang the cubbie sections or other guns when trying to remove guns from the back. The smaller cabinets lay the rifles along the back, making getting them out much more comfortable. The left side is excellent for storing handguns, ammo, misc parts, etc. The right side is perfect for long guns.

 

10. BARSKA AX11650 Biometric Safe – Allows for quick access

If you are considering this item, the chances are that you are particularly interested in the biometric functionality. The safe is quite roomy. It can store numerous pistols and hundreds (potentially thousands) of ammunition (depending on how efficiently you place the items). In short, it’s a secure, reliable, quick-access storage solution.

 

Buyers Guide and FAQs

What You Should Know About Gun Safes

As you should know, there are all kinds of safes of different sizes and materials, different types of installation, different levels of security, etc. A particular type of safe is those in which any kind of weapon is to be stored. We call these types of safe gunsmiths due to their apparent purpose of protecting weapons, whether short or long.

The classification of this type of safes can be summarized in three types of gunsmiths, which are the following:

1. Homologated gunsmiths: this type of box offers very high security, and of course, they are duly certified in two kinds of security degrees.

a) Grade I gunsmiths: these are high-security safes appropriate for storing long striped weapons and 2nd two cannons for private use, such as weapons or rifles used to hunt for more massive games. Also included are rifled barrels adapted to hunting shotguns and a chamber for metal cartridges. To achieve the homologation degree of class I, all these gunsmiths have to comply with the European Safety Standard for Safes EN 1143-1. They must also be certified by the company that manufactures them or by an accredited control body.

b) Grade III gunsmiths: for their part, these gunsmiths are indicated to store F license handguns for private use and as gunsmiths for companies that provide security or armed surveillance services. The gunsmiths to be awarded this degree of approval must pass certain types of fairly demanding tests to verify the case’s resistance and must also comply with the EN 1143-1 standard to be duly certified.

2. Non-homologated gunsmiths: On the other hand, some safes do not need this type of tests or have certified homologation because their purpose is to protect weapons, whether short or long, for which they are not required to be kept in certified safes. These gunsmiths’ goal is to provide a certain security level acceptable to prevent theft or any accident that may arise from handling weapons by the wrong person.

3. Decorative guns: Finally, we have cabinets whose primary purpose is the decorative display of weapons. They can be historical weapons or also valuable weapons but do not require a certified level of security.

The gunsmiths that count as safes are the homologated ones, whether they are grade I or grade III since they are the only ones that comply with current security regulations and have a resistance proven in terms of safety and protection for short or long weapons.

So, knowing what the type of weapon we are going to keep is, then with this information, we can define the kind of gunsmith we are going to need. It is essential to be clear that since it is a subject as delicate as security concerning weapons, one should think about protection against possible theft and the risk that any firearm’s improper manipulation can pose. The gun, by persons who are not qualified to do so. This point is essential that you keep in mind when purchasing a gunsmith because safety comes first.

In case you require more information about the types of gunsmiths and define which is the most appropriate for you, we can provide you with information and advise you to make a good purchase for you and your safety.

What company makes the best gun safe?

AMSEC or American Security is one of the best companies when it comes to safe manufacturing. This brand offers two main types of safes: RSCs and TL-rated safes.

What is the best fireproof gun safe?

The following are the top 5 best fireproof gun safes:

• SentrySafe and Water Safe, Extra Large Combination Safe with Dual Key Lock
• First Alert 2096DF Waterproof Fire Safe with Digital Lock
• SentrySafe Pistol Safe, Quick Access Biometric Gun Safe
• GunVault MV500 Microvault Pistol Gun Safe
• Stack-On FS-14-MG-C 14-Gun Fire Resistant Safe

Will paper money burn in a fireproof safe?

You should put your money in a fireproof safe because it is made from paper. That way, you won’t have to worry about it.

Brands to avoid

Many companies import safes from China and only change their name. Their designs are full of gaps so that the safes can be accessed easily. The following is the list of the safes you shouldn’t buy under no circumstances:

• Liberty HDX-150, Liberty Handgun Vault – HD-200 (Exception Liberty HDX-250 with updated design)
• RPNB – all models
• Billconch
• Freeway
• Bighorn safe co

Can you put a gun safe in an unheated garage?

A gun can be stored in an unheated garage, but there are some concerns a conscientious owner must address before storing any firearm in the safe.

Security

A gun safe should not be located near the door or in a location where it will be visible to others as firearms enter and exit—a corner of the garage where any potential thief has limited access ideal.

Surroundings

Power tools should not be stored in the same garage as the safe, as this helps any thief breaking into the safe. Also, cans of paint, paint thinner, gasoline, or other volatile products should not be kept near the safe, nor should there be any wood or wooden objects. Fire is likely to cause more significant damage to firearms if it burns closer to the safe.

Humidity

Rust is a firearms destroyer, and an unheated garage can allow moisture inside, especially if the safe is against an outside wall. Use a wand-type dehumidifier or gel desiccant inside the safe to keep water away.

The best for child safety

We suggest the following:

• Verifi Smart. Safe Biometric Gun Safe
• Fort Knox PB1 Handgun Safe
• SentrySafe QAP2BEL Gun Safe
• Vaultek VT20i Biometric Handgun Bluetooth Smart Safe
• BARSKA Biometric Safe

Best long gun safes 2024

Below we’ve listed out the top 3 long gun safes:

• New and Improved Steelwater Heavy Duty 20 Long Gun Fire Protection
• FCH Electronic Rifle Gun Safe Large Firearms Shotgun Storage Cabinet
• Barska Quick Access Biometric Rifle Safe AX11652

Are gun safes bad for guns?

Yes, safes are not the perfect place for storing guns because of the corrosion. That’s why there are so many products designed to prevent gun rust in safes.

Firearms and cold weather considerations

The cold attacks weapons in various ways. In the first place, a rifle stored in a case or the trunk sheltered from the cold tends to ‘sweat.’ When this rifle is taken outside, the problem arises since that “sweat” turns, in a few minutes, into ice, reaching that blockage that we have described.

On the other hand, a weapon exposed to the cold in a fixed place, for example, the case of a firearm stored in a townhouse (or a security gunsmith), without heating and for a long time, becomes rusty, since the metal You sweat and then the water progressively turns to rust, gradually attacking the metal. It can reach a point where the rust completely blocks the mechanisms, welding them together, and rendering the weapon useless forever. In these cases, the best thing is that it is stored, uncovered, in a ventilated place to dry completely.

Another attack of the cold affects fat or oil. It can also freeze or harden to such an extent that the cold blocks the mechanisms. The best thing to do is keep the rifle clean but dry, completely removing oil from metal surfaces. The last attack occurs directly on metals, since the most tempered, with the cold, tend to break as if they were glass when subjected to stress. I mean, in this case, the springs, which lose elasticity and split. That occurs in trigger mechanisms, insurance, recovery springs, chargers, etc. As for ourselves, the direct contact of our skin with an icy barrel, a trigger, etc., can cause us to burn, literally “stuck” to the steel. It occurs, of course, with very intense cold.

Are gun safes easy to break into?

Unfortunatelly, the answer is – yes, gun safes aren’t as secure as many gun owners tend to believe. Most gun safes are an easy target when it comes to breaking into.

Best place to put a gun safe in a home

The kitchen is an excellent place to install safes. You can take advantage of a corner that you have inside a closet or the area where you keep the pantry, and behind all the cans and preserves, place the box. Another recommended site for the installation of safes is the children’s room.

Watch the following video for more info on the best place where to put it in a house:

Should I bolt my safe to the floor?

Yes, it would be best if you did that because you’ll be more secure. It will be so much harder for thieves to access the belongings you keep in your safe.

Is it OK to put a gun safe in the basement?

No, you should avoid putting your gun safe in the basement because there’s a high level of humidity.

Conclusion

Now that we are clear about the types of gun safes that exist, you can choose what best suits your needs. Safety is essential when it comes to storing and guarding a weapon. It is necessary to prevent them from being manipulated by unauthorized persons and to avoid unnecessary accidents.