Investing in small gun safes will protect you and the people around you. You want to secure your weapons from any damage and you want to keep them away from unauthorized access. These should be your top priorities when looking for the ideal gun safe to address your needs.

If you wanted to make a big purchase, you will prepare for it so your money won’t end up being wasted. You need to do your research so your decisions have actual basis. At first, you might find it stressful to look at different variations of gun safes but trust the process because you will eventually get to know the basics. This will help you decide the best small gun safe to purchase.

Why you need a small handgun safe?

Some people think that a handgun safe is a luxury they can do without. Such people store their guns in drawers and cabinets in their homes and offices not knowing the danger they are exposing themselves to and those close to them with such a careless manner of storing handguns. Below are concrete reasons why you should get a safe if you own a firearm.

To protect the children in your home

Kids are playful and they use everything they come across as a toy. They will, therefore, play with a poorly stored firearm and this can have harmful consequences. The kids may end up firing the weapon and injuring themselves and others and as a parent, you wouldn’t want this to happen to your little ones. To prevent this, parents are advised to buy a safe and lock their firearms and gun accessories inside. Parents are also advised not to share the keypad combinations with their kids to prevent them from opening the safe and accessing the stored rifles.

Parents who own firearms usually train their kids on firearm safety and as such, the concept of their kids coming across a gun and handling it does not scare them. This, however, is not reason enough for you not to get a safe since your kids may invite their friends who are not educated on gun safety and they may end up playing with the loaded rifle that you have stored casually in a drawer or cabinet.

To protect the children in your home

You also need a safe for your protection. A gun that is stored properly will not get into the wrong hands and as such, it cannot be used to harm you. Let’s say one thief makes way into your home and when searching for valuables, he comes across your loaded gun in a drawer in the study. You wake up because of the commotion and head to the study to see what is going on only to come face to face with the intruder pointing your gun at you. This can end badly and to avoid such scenarios, you should get a safe for storing your weapon and its accessories at home.

To always know where the rifle is

If you don’t have a fixed place where your firearm is all the time, the chances of you misplacing it are very high. With a firearm safe, you will always know where the rifle is and this will help you avoid the heartache of trying to find the gun during emergencies. You will be able to access the gun quickly when a burglar breaks into your home and use it right away to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property.

To protect the investment

Guns and gun accessories are very expensive and as such, you need a safe that will guarantee their safekeeping. Because of their high resale value, firearms are now targets for burglars and this makes it mandatory for every owner of a gun to get a safe for proper storage. Most handgun safes can be fixed to the wall or floor with bolts and this prevents one from stealing the safe with all its contents. The best safes on the market also have water and fire protection and this way, they can protect your firearms from damage in case of a flood or a fire outbreak in your home or office.

To secure other valuables

The best handgun safes are spacious and this allows you to protect other valuables that you have in your home or office. You can use the safe to store ammunition for the gun which are very expensive and personal effects that you would not like to be seen by other people.

The top 5 best small gun safes of 2020 are:

What makes an ideal rifle safe? There are many variations out there and choosing the best handgun among them is confusing. So how will you know which one is fit for you? Ssome things that can help you decide. Below are the four essential questions you need to ask yourself before deciding to purchase a rifle safe: 

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How Big is the Perfect Single Gun Safe?

This is the first thing you need to consider. Buying a gun safe that can’t fit your weapons will be just a waste of money. As early as possible, think about the size that you want to get and the guns that you are planning to buy. If you want a small safe, it is much cheaper and easy to carry around.

However, there are many gun owners who usually buy the wrong size since they added a few more guns after purchase. An ideal safe can store all of your weapons and some additional ones in the future.

Will it bolt?

Nobody wants a gun safe that’s easy to steal or break. So it is important that you choose a gun safe that can be bolted to the floor or mounted on the wall since this is the safest option. With this, you need to understand that this added feature can be a bit pricey.

What's the Best Locking System?

This is the most basic thing you need to consider. There are three options that you can choose from: key lock, fingerprint, and passcode combination. The key lock has the most affordable price but it also offers the weakest security. Aside from that, it won’t give you the fast access that you are looking for, because let’s face it, key lock takes forever to unlock.

Apart from that, there is a huge chance that your children might find the key to your safe. This will only be a good option if your house is situated in a secure area and you have excellent hiding places that you can use to hide the key.

The passcode combination is a much better option. You can simply type the passcode into the keypad then it will immediately open. No one can access the safe aside from the owner. The only way to open it is by breaking the safe. But on top of it all, you won’t spend an eternity unlocking the safe using a key, since it only takes a few clicks to open it. This is very helpful during break in situations.

When talking about security, the biometric fingerprint scanner beats the two previous locking systems. It is the most efficient and the most expensive as well. As its name implies, these safes are opened through fingerprints. With this advanced locking system, nobody can access the safe unless they will use a sledgehammer.

All you need to do is to wave your hand in front of the safe and it opens up immediately. It will offer fast and hassle-free access in case of emergency break in.

How safe is the Small Gun Safe Box From Fire?

After making sure that the safe is well-protected from attempted access and thieves, you need to guarantee that it will be safe from fire as well. See to it that the safe you will purchase is fireproof and UL rated.

The UL rating

When a safe has a UL rating, it simply means that a third company evaluated and rated it, not just the company alone. This guarantees that the information about the safe is unbiased.

There are countless options in the market if you are looking for safes. Consider the four questions above before purchasing any model of small gun safes. This will give you higher chances of finding what you are looking for.

Qualities of The Best Small Gun Safes

Once you are a gun owner, you need to invest in a small handgun safe that will keep your weapons secured. It should be your top priority to protect your guns from unauthorized people such as thieves and burglars. Apart from that, you also need to think about the well-being of the people around you. Keep your firearm away from your children to protect your family and those around you. All these things can be overwhelming if you are a first-time gun owner. But don’t fear because we have curated some notable points you need to know if you are planning to buy a small gun safe:

Perfect size

The best gun safe that you can get is that which can comfortably accommodate your firearm and its accessories. The reason for getting a safe is to store your weapon and its accessories and if you are not able to do that because the safe is small and it does not have enough room, then you will have failed yourself. The rule when it comes to buying a safe is to get one with a bigger capacity than what you need. This will allow you to store your firearms without them colliding and leave you with enough space left for the firearm accessories and other valuables. If you have a long gun, get a safe that is suited to the storage of long guns and do the same if you have a small weapon.

Tough steel gauging

Your main priority for getting a safe is to ensure that no one can access the contents of the safe without your permission. This includes burglars who may want to open the safe by breaking the walls. It is for this reason why you should buy a safe made of thick steel to make it impossible for thieves to break the safe. Steel is available in various gauges and for maximum protection, safes made with 8 gauge steel and above are the best.

Tough door

A thick door made of heavy-duty gauge steel will make your safe resilient and able to withstand break-in attempts by burglars. Without your key combination, the only way burglars can access the contents of your safe is by blasting or drilling it but their efforts will be futile if your safe has a thick door. You should also insist on a door with a gas strut that will allow you to open and close the door without banging it.

Mounting anchors

Your main priority for getting a safe is to ensure that no one can access the contents of the safe without your permission. This includes burglars who may want to open the safe by breaking the walls. It is for this reason why you should buy a safe made of thick steel to make it impossible for thieves to break the safe. Steel is available in various gauges and for maximum protection, safes made with 8 gauge steel and above are the best.

Quick access

The best gun safe for sale that you can get is that which allows you easy access into the safe in case of an emergency. During an emergency such as a burglary attack in your home, you will not have the time to key in the safe combination and that is why you need a quick access safe that allows you to open it quickly using other methods such as biometric scanning. Such a safe will save you crucial time and allow you to respond to emergencies in the shortest time possible.

Security Features of a Small Pistol Safe

Investing in a trustworthy and high-quality safe is essential. This will allow you to leave your home during the day and sleep well at night knowing that your firearms are completely secured.

With new technologies, safes are being developed to have modern security features. There are some that can be opened by voice recognition, fingerprint scanner, or passcode combination. These provide optimum security and quick access during emergency.

Placing the Gun Safe Box

Safes are usually placed inside the bedroom, near a drawer, or against the wall. Wherever you put it, you need to make sure that children can’t reach it. If you travel often, you can also install a safe in your car to protect yourself from thieves. 

The Gun Holder

If you have a collection of guns, you need to have a pistol holder at home. It will maintain the overall condition of your weapons and keep them out of reach of children.  

Lighting the Compact Gun Safe

Safes are now equipped with built-in LED lights. In case you need to replace or install brand new lights, always check for compatibility. Lightings are an essential part of gun safes because it will help you locate your weapons right away. There are rifle safes that offer added feature and you might consider purchasing it to strengthen your security system. 

Best Small Gun Safes – Most Recommended Products

Our Rating

Top Rated Small Gun Safe

5/5

This small handgun safe is compact with tight locking system. Vaultek VT20i is small enough to fit under the car seat which is perfect for travelling since it can easily pass through checkpoints. Aside from that, it has an amazing locking system that provides optimum security to guns.

This tough and heavy duty safe is ideal for your range raiding pistol hauler. It can easily be mounted because it comes with a 4 foot long 5MM diameter steel security cable. Especially created to protect weapons and personal valuables, this sturdy 16-gauge steel body is precision designed to safeguard what really matters to you.

It also has anti-pry bars that prevent unwanted access. To complete its smart features, the interior hinges are impossible to reach from the outside.

PROS

  • It has an advanced anti-theft security that includes two point anti-impact latches, anti-pry bars, brand new interior security brackets and interior mounted hinges for optimum security against theft. These features are available to the whole product line of Vaultek, even the recently released VT10i.
  • It is made from strong and tough 16-gauge carbon steel with powder coat finishing preventing corrosion and securing the long-lasting effect of your safe.
  • It provides speedy access to your documents, valuables, and most especially weapons. It utilizes an automatic opening door to ensure easy and fast access. You can choose from a biometric fingerprint scanner or backlit keypad since these are the most convenient locking system in the field.
  • It has a smart safe technology which offers specialized interactive experience using your smartphone. You can control the functionality of the safe wherever you are. It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can provide power for up to 4 months. It is fast charging with 2.5 hours of maximum charging time and it already comes with a micro-USB charging kit.
  • It has a responsive LED lighting that works perfectly even at night. The backlit keypad will allow you to locate your safe and view its contents without any hassle. It also uses an adjustable interior LED light which will give you the freedom to control the brightness of the light.

CONS

  • Fingerprint scanner doesn’t work all the time
  • The latch doesn’t lock the safe completely.

Our Rating

4.9/5

Heavy-duty and trustworthy are the two words that perfectly describe this carefully crafted small handgun safe. The Fort Knox Personal Pistol Safe has a thick 10-gauge steel body with a 3/16” pry-resistant door to secure the safe and make it impossible for anyone to break it open.

A strong tamper-resistant hinge is attached to the bottom of the door to safeguard it from any attack. It comes with the proven and tested Simplex push-button mechanical lock with more than 1,000 unique combinations which provides quick and easy use. This safe uses state-of-the-art locking system furnished with beautiful silver powder coat finish that screams quality and elegance.

The interior is specifically created with a carpet line to secure your weapons and valuables from dents or damage. This spacious handgun safe can fit a maximum of two compact guns. It has pre-drilled holes underneath allowing it to be easily mounted to a drawer, floor, or any part of the house with a flat surface.

On top of that, it comes with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer which beats the firearm safety device requirements of the California Department of Justice. This only means that this incredible small handgun safe has the best quality.

PROS

  • It is constructed using heavy-duty 10 gauge body and pry-resistant 3/16” door.
  • Its interior is carpet lined and it has four pre-drilled bolt down holes for easy mounting.
  • It uses top-rate Simple Mechanical Lock with 1,000+ unique passcode combinations
  • It has a high-quality powder coat that comes in a beautiful silver finish.
  • It is made in USA with a lifetime warranty.

CONS

  • The downside is the knob and buttons that look cheap because it is made from plastic.
  • The door keeps on sagging and it needs to be held carefully when taking the gun out.

Our Rating

4.6/5

There’s a new small handgun safe that can hold 3 handguns? Now that is something you should get your hands on. Introducing the Stealth Handgun Hanger Safe which is crafted with not one, but three steel rods to hang your three prized handguns.

Normally, typical handguns can store a maximum of only two handguns but this safe is unlike any other. Its rod is equally coated inside a heat shrink tubing to guarantee that it will be resistant to damage, scratch, and dents. You can simply slide the handgun from the rod and you are good to go.

Another added feature is the 2-piece steel door that measures 3/8” in thickness. Since it is spring loaded, the door instantly opens right after the appropriate passcode combination is encoded. Now that is what we call a quick access! The safe is also extremely heavy with pry-resistant door making it impossible to open without permission from the owner.

PROS

  • It can hold a maximum of 5 handguns: three handguns on the steel rod and 2 handguns on the flat surface.
  • It offers fast access with the spring loaded drop down door that comes with red interior light.
  • It also has an optional silent mode feature.
  • The safe is made from solid steel with heavy-duty locking latch, and anti-pry doors.
  • It has a brand new welded lock housing that’s pick proof and straw proof.
  • It has scratch resistant rods, high density foam interior, and strong security cable.

CONS

  • It doesn’t have a + and – indicator in the battery compartment.
  • The keypad is too loud. Much better if it has a volume control or mute button.

Our Rating

4.3/5

The most prominent feature of a small handgun safe is the builtin fingerprint scanner. That’s why Verifi Smart Safe was created with the most trustworthy and high-quality quick access sensor.

There are safes that have dual locking system including a fingerprint scanner and keypad. But usually, the fingerprint scanner doesn’t work leaving the gun owner to use the keypad. These are the type of safes that are cheap and low-quality. Verifi smart safe is not like that. It uses a large, capacitive fingerprint sensing technology that is proven and tested by the United States government agencies.

It comes with a quality TouchChip TCS1 silicon fingerprint sensor which is FBI certified to be the Next Generation Identification (NGI). It is the fingerprint image quality standard. This safe is made to be large because small sensor won’t deliver the ideal quality fingerprint images that are required to protect your weapons and valuables.

All Verifi Smart Safes have TouchChip TCS1 fingerprint sensor that has the ability to read fingerprints at a resolution as high as 508 dpi. This guarantees that every detail of a fingerprint is captured for accurate fingerprint recognition. The future of small handgun safe lies in Verifi Smart Safes.

PROS

  • It is the largest and the only hand gun safe that’s certified by the FBI.
  • It provides the highest resolution for fingerprint images that enhances recognition for fast access.
  • It sends tamper alerts to keep you updated from reset attempts, unauthorized access attempts, and back-up key access.
  • It has automatic locks, back-up key access, and LED night light.
  • It can store a maximum of 40 fingerprints and it has an easy user management.

CONS

  • Lock motor makes loud noises.
  • The electronic lock didn’t last long. It malfunctioned after 6 months.

Our Rating

4.1/5

The high-quality Tactical Top Draw features a simple and easy to program five push button mechanical lock that doesn’t rely on batteries. It can store a maximum of two pistols. It is constructed from a strong steel material and textured low gloss black powder coating detailed with gloss black V-line logo.

The lock has a faceplate that’s made from a rugged stainless steel. The interior has thick foam that serves as protection for your weapons and valuable items. You can mount this safe using bolts or optional fast release mounting bracket (part no. 2912/3912-MB BLK) because it already has pre-drilled holes underneath. Tactical Top Draw is made in the USA.

PROS

  • It has high-quality and durable steel construction.
  • It utilizes five button mechanical lock that provide fast access.
  • It is approved by the CA as gun storage.
  • It has pre-drilled mounting holes to keep it in place.
  • It has welded continuous hinge so rest assured that the pin won’t be removed.

CONS

  • The case slides on slippery surface since it doesn’t come with a rubber feet.
  • It is difficult to open, unlike those that are easy access in the market

Recommendation for a Small Handgun Safe

The Vaulteck VT20i Biometric Handgun Safe ticks off the right boxes for the gun owner. It’s main feature is its anti-theft two point anti-impact latches with anti-pry bars, interior security brackets and interior-mounted hinges. This is a signature feature of Vaultek across its line of gun safes.

It is also designed to be portable with its slim design which allows the user to be able to carry it with him to the firing range. The same slim design allows the VT20i to be kept under the car seat, or bolted down to the car with the help of a 4 meter 5mm diameter steel security cable.

FAQ

The best firearm safe for the money is the Vaultex VT20i Smart Safe. This safe is full of amazing features that will help you lock your firearm away from unauthorized users. It has anti-pry bars and interior hinges that make it difficult for thieves to break the safe open. The safe is made of 16-gauge heavy-duty steel that allows the safe to provide long-lasting protection to your valuables. Accessing the safe is easy and very quickly thanks to the keypad and biometric scanner. You can operate the safe from your smartphone thanks to its supportive smart safe technology. It has a rechargeable battery that provides enough power for up to 4 months.

The best quick-access firearm safe for your home is the Verifi Smart Safe. This biometric safe comes with a high-quality fingerprint sensor to grant access to the safe’s interior and this will make it easy for you to reach your pistol during emergencies. The safe also uses self-diagnostics to check whether the electronics and battery are functioning properly and this will ensure that the safe is always ready for the moments that you need it the most. Tamper alerts are time-stamped to keep you informed of unauthorized attempts to access the safe in your home or office.

The size of the safe that you should get is determined by the size and number of firearms that you have at home. If you have just one small firearm, then a small safe will serve you right. Just make sure that the safe comes with enough space to accommodate the pistol accessories. Those with multiple firearms should get bigger safe for their huge armory. If you plan on increasing your firearms, you should also consider getting a safe with a large capacity to accommodate the extra guns later on.

Liberty produces entry-level safes for your home or office. Their safes are cheaper than other models but they are still able to protect your guns from burglars and fire. This makes liberty a reliable model that you can consider if you want to protect your pistol and valuables.  

Final Words

Small gun safes will protect your weapons, your family, and the people around you. They are good investments that will help you in the long run. Careful consideration of the gun owner’s needs will help him decide what to buy. There are other factors besides the features and specifications which help decide which gun safe to purchase. It is not always about the size or the nor the thickness of the metal used. Sometimes, it is necessary for the owner to practice accessing the unit before he finally decides to buy one.

No matter what considerations are put into play, keeping a gun secure is the first priority. Purchasing a quality and reliable safe is very crucial since there are many different variations that you can choose from. But we have presented the pros and cons of the best small gun safe in the market and we hope that by this time, you already know what you’re going to purchase.

Just always consider quality design, brand, and style. Think about the appropriate size and reasonable price as well. Narrow down your choices and list down the pros and cons of each of your options to help you decide what to get.