10 Best Gun Safes Under $1,000 of 2023
Shooting can be an expensive habit. You have to spring for the cost of the gun, ammo and all the accessories you need. Then there’s the gun safe – a necessary safety device that all responsible weapon owners should have.
Gun safes aren’t cheap, but they do not have to cost you an arm and a leg either. Here are some options for finding the best gun safe under $1,000.
Top 10 Gun Safes Under $1000 Chart
What Your Gun Safes Needs to Have
Any candidates for the best gun safe under $1,000 should have all the important features that make a gun safe valuable. They should have:
- A Good Lock. Your gun safe will either have an electronic or dial lock. With an electronic lock, you can set your code, or it may have fingerprint recognition. You need to be careful, however, to make sure the code is not something obvious that any children in the house may guess. So you’ll want to avoid codes based on your address or important birthdays or other dates in your family.
- Room for All Your Guns. You need to find a safe that’s big enough to fit in all the weapons and accessories you have. Think long-term for this too. Are you planning on buying another new gun next year, but haven’t decided what it will be? Figure this into your plans for how big your gun safe will be. You don’t want to spend the money for one and then realize next year that it’s too small for your needs.
- Keep Your Guns Safe from Fire. You’ve spent quite a lot of money on your gun collection. The last thing you want is for it to be completely wiped out in a fire. Some gun safes offer fire protection. You might want to consider looking for a safe that provides at least 30 minutes of protection if your house were to catch on fire.
- The Heavier, the Better. A heavy safe will be more difficult to get into your house and positioned where you want it. While you may be cursing the idea of ordering a heavy safe while you’re moving it, once it is in place you will be glad you did. Heavier safes are harder to steal. If you opt for a lighter safe, consider bolting it to something to make it harder to steal.
- How Thick Is the Steel. You’ll want to find a safe with thick steel that would be harder for a criminal to drill through. Steel thickness is indicated by a gauge number. While many people might think the higher the gauge number, the better, this simply isn’t true.
The higher the number, the thinner the steel is. Lower numbers, like 6 or 7, indicate thicker steel.
Top 3 Best Gun Safe Under $1000 Reviews
1. Steelwater Heavy Duty 20 AMSW592818-blk
This gun safe will offer you security in spades. It can withstand a 1550-degree fire for 45 minutes. Moreover, it has a maximum capacity of 20 long guns and an average capacity of 12 to 16 long guns.
The electronic lock is EMP-proof, and the safe comes with a bypass key, which means you’ll never be locked out from getting your guns, even in times of emergency or disaster.
This safe is almost 5 feet tall, and with a weight of 425 pounds, it would take a truckload of thieves just to budge it. It has a width of 28 inches and a depth of 18 inches.
It uses a gear drive system to protect against prying, punching attacks, and drill attacks. It also has a pre-drilled hole in case you want to install a dehumidifier to protect your weapons.
2. Steelwater Standard Duty 16 AMEGS592216-BLK
Much like the 20-gun model, this 16-long gun safe has an EMP-proof electronic lock system and the bypass key for added peace of mind. Although it can store 16 guns at best, the average capacity is 8 to 10.
It can also withstand a 45-minute fire, which means in the event of a fire, your weapons will be protected. It also has a heat-activated expandable door seal that will keep out both smoke and water in case of a fire.
This safe weighs an impressive 305 pounds and has 1-inch diameter solid steel locking bolts. The safe has a resistant hard plate that is meant to keep the lock from being drilled. The interior is upholstered in gray and has a two-section gun rack with four adjustable or removable shelves.
3. Steelwater Heavy Duty 16 AMSW592216-BLK
If you are looking for the best gun safe under $1,000, Steelwater is one of the top brands to consider. This safe has many of the same features as the Steelwater Standard Duty 16 gun safe – it has the same height and can hold the same number of guns; however, as the name implies, it is a heavy-duty model that offers additional protection for your weapons.
It has a 12-gauge solid steel body and a 12-gauge composite style door that will resist pry attempts. It also has the gear drive locking system that will keep it safe from punch attacks and drill attacks.
If you have a hard time remembering issued codes and like to make them more personal, this safe features a reprogrammable digit code.
