I have a biometric safe. tap a button on the side and it spring opens instantly. It has a code and a physical key backup. Paid $100 for it.
Looks like it went up to $150 though. https://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-Pistol-Biometric-Capacity-QAP1BE/dp/B00EXQW672/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1527307679&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=biometric+gun+safe
I understand where you're coming from because trigger locks are trash, but I'm talking about actually securing your shit with a pistol safe for quick access and a gun safe for everything else. Sure nothing is 100%, but keep the combo to yourself and that barrier will be enough to keep your kids out, and bolt it down and it will prevent theft from burglars.
If the threat model is persistent intruder, then you might have an issue even with a safe that's not secured to the location.
If the thread model is "kids/guests", then any sort of lock box is going to be just fine.
As you say, a quick-access safe in discrete concealment might meet the best of both worlds. A GunVault Micro at 8.5" x 11" x 2.5" is going to need a pretty big "book" to conceal. The "Nano" line is only 8.2" x 6" x 1.8", a bit easier.
Also, there's plenty of in-plain-sight furniture (shelving, tables, &c.) along those lines.
Edit: These multi gauge ones are the containers you want. The other ones will work, but they are taller and allow for the cells to move around more.
Also, MidwayUSA will usually have them cheaper if you can get free shipping.
The MTM Case-Gard shotshell case...bought mine via Amazon, but sometimes available at local bigbox stores and sports/outdoors stores. Here is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/MTM-Multi-Gauge-Shotshell-Forest/dp/B004Y7CKT4/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006OGNLKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_m4kXCbTFTX5W7
Yeah it's a extra step and every second counts, but it's about as quick as opening a drawer. If it makes you feel any better, you can blame the piles of shit in people suits who let their kids blow their brains out. That's what I do.
>My car doesn’t have a lockable glovebox, which sucks.
Get a locking container! They're $20-30. Here is one at Amazon, Knob Creek has a few on the shelf on the back side of the store near the cafeteria next to the used holsters, Cabelas sells them. They cable to a hard point on the car like a seat rail and lock. They are not safes but are a good layer of security.
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>Fun fact in KY is you can’t store a weapon in a non-OEM locked compartment.
I don't think that is an accurate statement. The typical legal language is "Not readily accessible" and "in a locked container".
I think you're conflating the older laws about vehicle carry. KY and several other states allow non-permit holders to carry a gun in a vehicle without a carry permit in an OEM compartment in the car. Even the restrictive states and also federal law regularly cite locking containers as being required for transport. Here in KY, the recent enactment of constitutional carry also makes this moot. If you can carry a gun on your person sans permit in KY then having a gun in your control in a car under any condition is also now legal.
I'd be real curious to learn if I'm wrong. A law that requires storage in an OEM compartment is stupid. If there is one I'd like to hear about it so I can talk to my state reps to get it fixed.
I picked This GunVault up from Amazon. I wanted something that was easy for me to get to and wasn't something my kid was going to get into. It has a keylock as backup incase the battery goes dead.
I grabbed this from Amazon. Fast and incredibly secure (for a pistol sized lock box). Holds 2 pistols, but if you got a huge holster maybe only 1 (my Philster holster for P365XL fits with another G19 sized gun).
Reliable fast access is the deal breaker here. If you need reliable fast access, the simplex lock is the king. I don't trust those crappy electronics they put on the small safes. They don't open fast, the battery can die, most are easily picked open (if your kids are older and sneak around behind your back then this is very bad because there's videos on YouTube showing how to do it), they usually lock you out if you try too many times, finger print ones are notorious for either opening for the wrong person or not working if your fingers aren't pristinely clean and presented perfectly, they have a backup key that you also gotta keep from your kids, some open when dropped, and they don't seem to like it when you input the code too fast.
If speed isn't your concern, aka your home defense gun is something else, then sure try one. If that's all you can afford, hey you're probably more likely to have your kid stumble upon your gun than need to grab it for a break in, so get the safe. But if you can afford it and speed is a concern, I highly recommend the simplex lock like on the V-Line and Fort Knox safes. Here's a Lucky Gunner video basically saying the same thing.
Also to note, a dedicated pistol safe has foam inside and my gun doesn't move when the safe is closed, even of it's shaken. Idk what exactly you're considering from HF, but that information may or may not be important to you.
I use one of these: MTM Multi Gauge 25 Round Shotshell Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Y7CKT4/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_BAA6RDFSS0CCS4QPD8ZV
Ink sample vials fit perfectly, I put my nibs in those.
I'd first recommend finding a new roommate/place to live, but as that isn't in the cards for many, V-line and Fort Knox make excellent, non-electronic pistol safes. I purchased this one for my nightstand now that my daughter is old enough to get into stuff. Cable locking it to the bed frame is a decent deterrent for most casual thieves. I stay away from anything that requires batteries/has a key backup.
> a cheaper option right now
Keep a eye on amazon. I got mine on sale for $15.
I have a young son, and so to have my firearm secure but readily accessible, I got one of these, mounted to a night stand. I practice opening it and can open it in the dark pretty easily. I like the fact it does not use batteries so I don't have to worry about them dying. It's kind of pricey but it's a case of you get what you pay for. Fort Knox FTK-PB Pistol Box Handgun Safe https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H6MKI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cVCKCbEN08TMJ
I have a Streamlight TLR-7 and it's battery has lasted almost a year and still it is bright, so you might consider getting a different light if yours is dying that frequently.
OK, a good chunk of the answers here are full of shit.
You can't have guns in your house for the foreseeable future. Doesn't matter if they have the firing pins removed, etc. If the cops show up things could get really tragic really quick through something called Suicide by Cop.
A quick google search shows this map that lists places in the state of CO that have temporary storage for people in your situation. Call around and fine one that's good for you.
If you must have one gun for CCW outside the home then get a non-electronic pistol safe and cable lock it to somewhere secure in your car, preferably in the trunk. This one from Fort Knox received rave reviews from Lucky Gunner's YouTube channel. As soon as you get home your gun goes in here. No one else can know the combination. If there's a backup key for either the safe or the cable lock throw them away. Getting a locksmith out to cut the box/cable is better than accidentally leaving a key around.
Long term after your wife receives the treatment she needs you will need to get a proper gun safe if you want to exercise your 2A rights. This especially true if you have children in the house. You want something solid that's bolted to the floor and has an electronic combination without a backup key. Hidden keys will always be found and most good modern electronic designs allow you to change the battery without having the safe open. I personally have this exact setup with a Liberty Centurion 36, but there's lots of reputable companies out there.
I definitely understand your point, but as someone who works in tech I will say, consumer electronics are built to be shock tolerant within a traditional use case, especially given that the majority of housings I have seen for keypad safes are plastic, the chances of static shock killing a unit are extremely small if not zero given it isn't cheap Chinese quality.
As long as you replace the batteries bi-annually, or at least once a year as per manufacturer recommendation and dependant on how often you open your safe, you'll likely never have a problem.
Honestly, I trust my bedside safe a bit less than my main safe because it's hard to find a good quality bedside one and I've had mine fail, but there's some rather good full size fire safes out there.
GunVault SV500 - SpeedVault Handgun Safe https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006OGNLKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_0eCXFbJXT4F47
My dad still to this day says this is the favorite gift I’ve given him. And he has a full hidden room vault.
I would avoid Vaultek if I were you. They spend a bunch on social media advertising and sponsors so they are well known and get recommended by a lot of youtubers but they are all very easy to bypass. It isn't likely an issue for your toddler but that toddler will soon grow up to the point that they will be able to figure out how to shim something under the plastic lid to pop it open. And as soon as they are old enough to google things they are curious about they will find plenty of videos showing them how to bypass it.
I would stick to the Fort Knox that the other commentor recommended or save a few bucks and get this Vline which is very similar to the Fort Knox but in some ways is a bit better with a larger lip. https://www.amazon.com/V-Line-Compact-Keyless-Storage-Security/dp/B001H3QGJS
The biggest issue with these is that there is a limit of about 1000 possible combinations so it is possible some curious teen could try them all but that shouldn't be an issue for you for a long time. They also don't have a backup method for opening them so don't forget your combo.
I actually bought in a local online retail store were I live, but managed to find a almost identical aside from the branding on Amazon.
It's the X-Large size one.
The Sentry QAP1E might fit the bill depending on the size of the handgun you are wanting to secure. http://www.sentrysafe.com/Products/496/QAP1E_Digital_Pistol_Safe_
It has a backlit digital lock, barrel lock backup and includes hardware for mounting to a floor or shelf though you may need something self tapping to go through your cars floor. Its pretty well rated on Amazon.
As I have smaller children, I needed something that was a bit more "safe" than just velcro'd to my nightstand (which I did before they arrived). I switched out to a GunVault SpeedVault SV500. Its small, I actually bolted it to the back of my nightstand. Opens easy, drops down for a quick grab of my pistol. It would keep most robbers from even knowing its there (who looks behind a nightstand in a smash-and-grab...they generally just toss the drawers), keeps it away from the kids but keeps it quite easy to access. Costco has them often for less than $100 (they are $123 on Amazon right now)
I bought a cheap holster on amazon and attached it to the back of my headboard with some wood screws and washers, If you're concerned with burglars just throw a tshirt over it. Or you can think about getting something like this.
Well that we can’t disagree on.
A safe will cost you $85 on Amazon (I use this one and recommend it) and it is your responsibility, the owner, to purchase one. If anybody carries a gun because “you never know”, so I’ll encourage y’all to buy one of these, cause you never know when you might bump into a place where people may ban it, even for political matters.
Truth is politics will always play a role, so if we, gun owners do our shit correctly, I wanna see anybody pointing fingers at our guns.
Gun safe's are pretty darn cheap for basic models. Walmart has a 10-rifle safe for $99. It might not stand up to part (d) of the definition, but it's there. Amazon has a biometric rifle safe for $215 (and 2-day shipping) that gets decent reviews. These options aren't perfect, but they're a far sight better than keeping it in a travel bag in the closet, and don't add much burden.
I use these shotgun shell boxes. They're the perfect size for sample vials and they stack. Putting labels and/or swatches on a sticker on the cap makes it really easy to find what you're looking for.
My wife and I each have one of these bolted to the heavy nightstands on either side of our bed.
We keep our carry guns in them at night, and all of the rest of the guns are kept in the larger vault in the basement. Having a 3 year old daughter, our biggest priority is keeping her safe, so we needed something that wouldn't be easy to get into. For our nightstand safes, we didn't need something to keep out a determined burglar as those safes are empty when we're out or during the day. We mostly need to keep little fingers off of our guns while our guns aren't on our hips. These are perfect for that.
Just bought this one last week. Inexpensive and well-built. Bolted the tether cable to my vehicle in the spare tire compartment, so it's concealed and pretty much smash-n-grab proof. BARELY fits my HK VP9 + wife's Shield 9 at the same time.
Key-only lock, but it's 18ga steel, TSA approved, and cheap.
I've got the same one on the back of my nightstand next to my bed. Currently, got a Glock 41 (45ACP) with a light on it in it. All the rest of my guns are in a real safe. This one keeps it handy for quick access, but even more importantly, keeps curious little fingers away.
> The ones that I've been looking at are either too expensive, too slow to get open, or too easy for the kid to get into.
There are several small quick access safes that are both affordable (<$200) and secure. Here is one and here is another.
But by all means the family comes first both financially and safety wise. I don't have any guns right now because with money tight my wife and 2 kids are first. I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with a small safe such as what I linked you too either on the security side or on the speed of access side.
I also work in a damn Gun Free zone. I carry a tactical pen, and a olight S30R baton II flashlight. Good luck.