10 Best Gun Safes 2023
A gun safe is not only a security measure but also a handy way to store any of the firearms in your home. This means that getting a safe is in the interest of anyone from a hunter to someone who wants to protect their home.
Due to this diversity in buyers, it can be very difficult to know exactly which gun safe you should be opting for. This guide will take you through all of the options and provide all of the information you need to make the right choice for you.
We have also crafted a list of the top ten available gun safes on the market to make the search even easier.
The Best Features
Here are some of the features to keep in mind while you are looking over our list of the best gun safe options:
- Size and Shape. The first feature that you should look at is the size and shape. Many buyers will buy to the size of their guns without considering where the safe will go on their property. Make sure your safe suits both your guns and your space at home.
- Style. This is closely related to the size of the safe. The best type of gun safe is one that blends into the décor. It shouldn’t be immediately obvious as this can make it a target if the property is ever burgled.
Top 10 Gun Safes Comparison Table
| Picture | Name | Exterior Dimensions | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. SnapSafe Lockbox with Key Lock for Handgun Storage of Full Size Pistols | 9.5” x 6.5” x 1.75” | $ | 4.6 |
 | 2. Sentry Safe Biometric Quick Access Pistol Safe Model # QAP1BE | 3.2” x 12.0” x 9.9” | $$$$ | 4.5 |
 | 3. BARSKA Hidden Real Book Gun Safe | 7.5” x 1.75” x 10.5” | $ | 4.5 |
 | 4. Stack-On PDS-1500 Drawer Safe with Electronic Lock | 11.8” x 8.6” x 4.2” | $$ | 4.4 |
 | 5. GunVault SV500 SpeedVault Handgun Safe | 6.5” x 3.5” x 13” | $$$$ | 4.3 |
 | 6. First Alert 5200DF Portable Handgun or Pistol Safe | 9.2” x 11.1” x 3.5” | $$ | 4.2 |
 | 7. Bulldog Cases Car Safe with Key Lock, Mounting Bracket and Cable in Black | 8.2” x 5.9” x 2.2” | $ | 4.2 |
 | 8. Barska Quick Access Biometric Rifle Safe AX11652 | 8.6” x 9.8” x 52.17” | $$$$ | 3.9 |
 | 9. Gunvault GV2000S Multi Vault Standard Gun Safe | 15” x 10.5” x 8.2” | $$$$ | 3.9 |
 | 10. Stack-On GCB-8RTA Security Plus 8-Gun Ready to Assemble Storage Cabinet | 17” x 11” x 53” | $$$ | 3.6 |
What Makes for a Great Gun Safe
The security of the gun safe is everything and this is exactly what you should prize above all else.
Often buyers make the mistake of thinking that the security of the safe is easy to judge but this is certainly not the case.
Here we list all of the factors that you should consider before making the final decision between the best possible gun safes on the market:
- Thickness of Walls and Door. It is clear that the thicker the walls the better, but this does drastically affect the price. The best route to take is to get the thickest walls that you can afford, without limiting the space inside.
- Lock Type. At the very least you should be looking for an electronic keypad combination. There are several options that come with a dial unlocking system, but these should be chosen carefully as they do not all provide the same quality of security.
- Bolt Type. The best options will always provide a plate steel locking bolt.
- Fire Insulation. You shouldn’t just protect your guns against theft, fire is a very real threat and your safe should be able to deal with this.
Top 5 Best Gun Safe Reviews
1. SnapSafe Lockbox with Key Lock
In terms of a gun safe, you will not find anything sleeker looking than the SnapSafe Lockbox. Not only is this a lock box for storage but it also meets TSA travel standards so it makes for a great travel case too.
This is a small safe, which means that it is suitable for a handgun and a box of bullets. As a portable safe, this comes with a security cable as well as the metal tab lock for added safekeeping. No one would ever be able to get into this safe without you opening it for that person.
With the price and the size of this case, the quality is kind of surprising. It is much heftier than you might expect just looking at it. The sleekness of the case also means that it doesn’t look overly obvious either.
2. Sentry Safe Biometric Quick Access Pistol
The Sentry Safe Biometric Quick Access safe is a great find in terms of gun safes. It has enough space to hold a J & K size revolver or a semi-automatic handgun. While this might not be the large hunting gun safe everyone needs, it is perfect if you keep a handgun around for protection.
The biometric aspect and the electronic keypad make for the perfect combination. You can program in your fingerprints so the safe opens automatically and share the key code with your partner if you wish. This makes the safe secure but also flexible if you want to make sure everyone can protect themselves in your home.
This kind of single-handed access will come in handy if you ever need to access your gun in a hurry or in an emergency. One of the things that make this the best gun safe is how easy it is to use and how clear the instructions are to set the whole thing up.
3. BARSKA Hidden Real Book Gun Safe
If you are looking for a hidden gun safe, then the BARSKA Hidden Real Book Gun Safe is perfect. This is a safe that keeps your gun secure and hidden in plain sight, something perfect for making sure you can access your gun quickly without alarming the kids that there is a gun nearby.
The book shell is very realistic and the actual safe itself is entirely made of steel. You can get in with a key only. Not having a secondary way of accessing the materials inside the safe is only ever an issue if you lose the key.
The book itself weighs less than 2lbs so it won’t add too much weight to a bookcase or display but the weight is an indication of the great quality of the safe itself and its smaller size. This is a safe that is most well suited for a handgun with more space for money or passports and other valuables of the sort.
4. Stack-On PDS-1500 Drawer Safe
Stack-On PDS-500 Drawer Safe is everything that you want to have in a gun safe: it is easily concealed, it is made even more secure with concealed hinges and live action locking bolts, and it is a smaller size. If you are the kind of person that wants to keep a handgun around but also doesn’t want it to be obvious in your home or at your work, then this safe is ideal.
Older versions of safes like this one have been easily broken into with paperclips or by having the hinges removed, but all of those things have been remedied with this model. With a safe, security should never be an issue and now it isn’t.
The look of this safe is professional and sleek. It is about 13lbs in weight and it will take up a good amount of drawer space in your desk. The black finish is glossy and it doesn’t chip so the safe will always look new.
5. GunVault SV500 SpeedVault Handgun Safe
The GunVault SC500 Speed Vault Handgun Safe has been designed to keep your gun safe and secure but to also give you access in a hurry. This combination of making sure only you can access your gun combined with the ability to get to it quickly is the reason for the higher price, but it is so worth it.
There are multiple mounting options, which also means that you can set the gun up, however, best suits you. This is the kind of flexibility that chunkier safes just can’t give you. The smaller size and the mounting options do not mean that you give up anything in quality when you opt for this safe.
It has a digital keypad that gives you access but there is also a backup override key included to ensure you can always have access to your gun. The fast-activation drop down drawer is one of the main reasons to trust this safe over others in an emergency.
