Best Long Gun Safes & Cabinets: Tested by a Gunsmith in 2025

Whether you're looking for a sturdy safe for your rifles and shotguns, or just a budget gun cabinet, you need something you can rely on. Read my hands-on reviews.

FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

1. VAULTEK RS Series - Heavy-Duty and Biometric

HIGHLIGHT:

Connects to the internet to send info to your phone.

PURCHASE MOTIVATION:

I had a massive safe envy over my neighbor's new Vaultex RS. He called me to come see this gun safe, so as a red-blooded American, I had to get right over there. After I saw his, I placed an order to get the exact same one for myself.

BUILD QUALITY:

Let me start this by sayin, this isn't just your run-of-the-mill lockbox. This is a full-blown heavy-duty safe. From the moment I unpacked it, I could tell by the exterior coating and interior padding that this was a high-quality product.

SECURITY LEVEL:

The Vaultex is made from heavy steel. It is not as tough as the fireproof, super safes, but it also does not need a safe moving company to move it from the truck to the house either. The manual tells me that the steel is 14-gauge carbon steel. This will not be easy to bend with a pry bar by the criminal aspect.

SIZE:

Standing at 4.5 feet tall, 16 inches deep, and 14 inches wide, this gun safe can fit just about anywhere, offering easy access to its contents. Even with the shelf in place, it accommodates my AR-10, Mini-14, shotgun, and multiple handguns. You could probably store six rifles comfortably: five inside and one on the door. However, the shelf does limit the height of the firearm you can store, so a full-length Remington 700 bolt action won't fit with the shelf in place.

WEIGHT:

The safe weighs in at 120 pounds, according to the owner's manual. I don't know where this scale is, or I am getting older faster than I think, but it moves around like it weighs much more.

INSTALLATION:

Installing this safe was straightforward. I secured it to an interior wall in my workshop's front room, where customers and guests usually hang out. This setup allows me to store some of my latest tactical projects without bringing folks into my main firearm storage area. I used three of the provided holes and a one and a half inch screw to secure the safe to a stud. I appreciate how the inside holes are covered with a little plate, giving a neat appearance by hiding the screw heads.

ACCESS OPTIONS:

I was thrilled to discover that you can set up and use both a custom code and your fingerprint. I have another gun safe that offers both unlocking functions, but setting the fingerprint makes it so you can’t use the code function. With this Vaultek, that's not the case. You can always open the safe with either function. You can add up to twenty unique fingerprints, allowing multiple users access without compromising the master code. You can also delete individual fingerprints online, thereby restricting access. The instructions are super easy to understand, from battery installation to setting up the code and fingerprints. Honestly, it was the easiest electronic device I've ever set up. No kidding! One of my favorite features is the absence of an opening lever. Once you input your code or fingerprint, the door pops open and simultaneously activates an interior light. When the door is shoved closed, it locks on its own. The LCD display illuminates when it detects motion, making it easy to input your code or use the biometric reader.

NANO KEY USE:

This gun safe comes with something called a Nano Key, which sounds fancy, cause it is. Essentially, it lets you open the safe remotely once paired. This could be crucial if you need to retrieve an item quickly. I set this Nano key up in the opposite corner of the room from where I installed the safe, not for any tactical advantage, but simply for a little WOW factor when I access the safe to show off a firearm.

APP FEATURES:

Setting this up with the App on your smartphone or website allows you to monitor functions and features with ease. Through the App, you can get info and alerts on when the safe has been opened, if the keypad or fingerprint reader has been tampered with, battery power level, and more. Living in Georgia, I appreciate being able to monitor the temperature and humidity of the safe from my smartphone. I can even take out other people’s' fingerprints from the access roster without removing everyone who is authorized. The App also notifies you if you leave the safe open, which I think is a pretty neat addition other safes I’ve used didn’t have in the past.

BATTERY:

This Vaultek operates off one rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The display includes a battery life meter, which isn't common with other battery-operated types of gun safes. To recharge the battery, there is a port at the bottom of the safe on the right side, so you can just plug it in and you're done.

CUSTOMIZATION:

Customization is a significant advantage with this Vaultek! The back wall and the inside of the door feature perforated mounting boards, allowing you to adjust the configuration to achieve any personalized setup you may want. You can accessories with a lot, like full or half-width shelves, even twin handgun racks, plus eight slot magazine racks for hand guns, or even four slot AR magazine racks. There’s also barrel mounts, adapters, and single racks, plus spring loaded mounts for ARs that tighten it around the rear stock part. There are also 2 and 3 handgun holsters and various configurations of handgun and magazine racks and holsters.

ALTERNATE LAYOUT:

My neighbor rearranged it a bit differently. One shelf layer holds his handguns, and the other holds ammo boxes. He has installed two AR magazine holders on the door rack. Since the safe is not deep enough to use the door-mounted magazine holders and rifles with magazines inserted in the same space, he moved the door-mounted holder so it does not run into the magazines in the rifles. Remember, it has a full complement of LED lights that make it easy to see everything inside the safe, and it turns on when the door opens.

OVERALL:

This is a seriously serious safe. It's incredibly tough and rugged, with Vaultek's most upgraded system to stop thieves from breaking in. So, is it worth the money? Absolutely! In the name of my wife’s favorite musical, as Annie would say, (her name is Annie) you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

Get it from Amazon now: $1,999.99 & FREE Returns

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2. Blacksmith - Swiss Fingerprint Technology

HIGHLIGHT:

Easy to maneuver and fits anywhere.

INITIAL FEEDBACK:

This gun locker came to me for review, and I was ecstatic to get my fingers on another BlackSmith product. The materials they use are top-notch and heavier metal than other gun lockers. The combination pad and biometric readers are easy to set up and use.

PACKAGING QUALITY:

To start this review, I am going to talk about the way Blacksmith packages this gun locker. The outside of the box, or the shipping box, can show up trashed as mine did, but the inside packaging will be perfect. Unless this box gets chopped in half or run over by a tractor, the safe will be in good shape. Blacksmith uses three-inch-thick Styrofoam and hard plastic edge and corner protectors over the Styrofoam.

METAL THICKNESS:

The Blacksmith is made of heavy-duty metal. The standard gun locker metal is .7mm thick, and this one is made from 1.7mm thick. So, this is a gun locker and not a true safe.

WEIGHT:

The Blacksmith gun locker is made from heavy steel. Heavy enough that the locker should be bolted to the wall studs or floor to prevent tipping over when the door is opened. On that note, this safe is not too heavy to move by one person with a hand truck or two people to haul it up the stairs. The Blacksmith is made of heavy-duty metal.

SIZE:

The outer dimensions are about 12 inches wide, deep, and five feet tall. So this will fit in a closet in the bedroom and only displace about five flannel shirts in the old man's wardrobe. This safe will hold anything I can lift on top of it for a handy shelf. I keep other BlackSmith gun lockers around here and at the cabin, and I move clothing in front of the safe to make it out of sight, out of mind.

EXTERIOR FINISH:

The locker is coated with a good-looking powder coat finish. The color looks grey-brown, but I have a hard time seeing colors; I am sure it is darker grey or black in some tone. The finish is slick and looks great. It will fit well if this locker sits in an office or living space. The outline of the safe is studded, I guess, is the word with button head rivets, giving a great finished look. Though the rivets do not add to the strength of the safe, they make it look much tougher than other lockers.

BOLTING & ANCHORING:

The locker should also be bolted to the studs for security; that is obvious. A loaded locker can be hauled away with a dolly and done person. Then that bad guy can spend the time opening the Blacksmith and make as much noise as necessary in a different place. If the Blacksmiths are not secured to the studs, it will keep your fingers off of things you want secured or untouchable. I opened mine when taking pictures for it and had the front corner of the door tip forward and bang into my safety socks (I was in my office in my defense); it was easy enough to hold the top of the locker to keep it from tipping if I remembered to do that in the first place.

DOOR DESIGN:

The gun vault part has a heavy-duty door and a full-length hinge. Bolts lock the door on both sides of the opening. The bolts are moved by turning a good-looking spindle after opening the lock. So it's secured by six bolts activated by turning the handle.

DOOR STORAGE:

The door has a nylon storage system installed and holds large handguns. The door also has three cut-out areas that will hold a lot of stuff or smaller handguns if left in the box or a holster. I use the door cutouts to hold ammo boxes. The door cutouts do not fit regular or standard capacity magazines too well. If I get a magazine pushed into the cutout, it takes a bit of wiggling and cussing to get it back out.

FIRE & WATER LIMITS:

It's very strong but not fireproof. It will not protect guns or other stuff from the heat of a house fire. This safe is made for keeping things locked away and out of touch. There will be zero water protection from a flood. Maybe from fire sprinklers or pipe leaks and things of that nature.

LOCK OPTIONS:

The lock is biometric or code and comes with a hidden key lock. At first, I used the key lock right now because I haven't taken the time to enter everyone's fingerprint that may need to be entered to get into the safe. Then I realized that the biometric fingerprint reader is simple and easy to set up. The owner's manual has easy-to-follow directions on how to put in the batteries and set the fingerprints.

OVERALL:

I have two of these gun lockers from Blacksmith, one in my home office and one at the cabin. I plan to give my family these gun lockers for Christmas presents this year because I like this high-quality gun locker option so much.

Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns

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3. Steelwater - Heavy-Duty + Fireproof

HIGHLIGHT:

Fireproof safe.

PURCHASE MOTIVATION:

My wife was worried about having guns in the house because we have grandchildren, and I get that, so I got this safe, and I'm thrilled with it.

STORAGE:

It's a good-looking safe that stores my rifles, ammo, and pictures. However, it doesn't hold 18 guns as advertised. I've got it bolted to the floor and built into the wall, holding two AR-15s with scopes, two shotguns, one .22 rifle, one .308 rifle with scope, and several pistols. That's about all it holds, maybe one or two more. The guns with scopes take up a lot of room. If we're talking about long guns with no scopes, it might fit ten.

TRUE SAFE CATEGORY:

This is a true gun safe, not a locker, and it's available on Amazon. What a time to be alive. The Amazon delivery driver in the electric van is not the person to deliver this safe; that is sub-out to a freight carrier, and for a good reason: this thing is big and heavy. The weight comes from the construction materials, the overall size, and the fireproofing sheets that make this a true safe. The Steelwater gun safe is made to the highest standard, will look like furniture in your main floor rooms, and will be made tough enough that living in the garage will not scare it.

FIRE RATING:

This gun safe will compete all day with other safes priced over triple the price. At about two thousand bucks, the Steelwater gun safe is a true gem of a secret that I am about to let out of the bag. The safe is made from 12-gauge steel. The top, sides, back, door, and door frame are all lined with a double layer of fireproofing material; this gives it a one-hour burn time. What that means is that if you are in a fire, this safe will keep your contents safe from harm for one hour; after that, there are no guarantees.

HEAT SEAL FUNCTION:

The door also has a fire or heat-activated seal. In a fire, the heat-activated seal will swell and block flames and smoke from entering the safe; this will also keep the water from the fire hoses out of the contents. The manufacturer states that this safe is water resistant. I am sure what that means is it will do OK in a house with leaking pipes or possibly a flood issue, but it will not hold the water out if thrown in the river or dropped off a boat into the lake.

LOCK FEATURES:

Like most other modern safes, the lock is electronic and has a code or biometric. What is really cool is that the manufacturer says it is EMP-proof. I have no idea how to test for EMP-proof locking mechanisms, but I am sure it is a cool thing to watch, and being part of it would be even better. The locking mechanism has a double lock or re-locking device. The re-locking device is a safety stop-gap measure that will lock the safe solidly if a drilling or manipulation attempt is made. The door is secured with twenty, one-and-a-half-inch bolts two inches long; when the dial is turned, it would be faster to cut through the side of the safe than try to pry the door open.

INTERIOR:

The interior of the Steelwater gun safe is basic, not filled with Italian leather or padded wool buffers. The top shelf is double thick and made of reinforced steel to hold ammo. This shelf will never sag under the weight of boxes of ammo. The top shelf will probably hold eight boxes of every caliber rifle you put in the safe. Look, the gun storage area is divided in half and holds the guns around three sides of each portion. This is great to get a high storage count; the one I am looking at states it will hold 22 long guns. The other accessory shelves must be removed to hold this many long guns.

DOOR STORAGE:

The door has a nylon hanging system like many affordable gun safes. The Nylon gun storage system will hold five handguns in a holster-looking pouch and five other punches for storage. The other pouches on the inside of the door are zipper-top nylon bags, for lack of a better word. These pouches are not my favorite for holding ammo, but it has a huge and solid shelf to do that work. The pouches will hold a double handful of magazines for everything in the safe. The pouches are not gun-specific and will also hold money or other stuff.

CAPACITY CLAIMS:

If you have ever seen this storage style, the 22-gun claim is due to math, not practical gun storage. I am sure 12 long guns per side is an easy fit, maybe even 18, depending on the guns. 22 long guns may be a stretch unless this safe is used to store a specific long gun in a store. I can fit 22 over/under shotguns that I sell, imported from Turkey, in this safe all day long, but that gun is only about an inch and a half wide and does not have a bolt handle or scope or other optic on it out of the box.

POWER OUTLETS:

To make this deal even better, the safe has three onboard outlets with 2 USB power plugs hard-wired in; plug in the outside hook up, and the rinsed is ready to run anything you put in there. The kit comes with a very nice LED light bar to see what is going on inside the safe, in the rifle storage area, or on the top shelf if you put the shelves on one side.

MOISTURE CONTROL:

The kit also has a 450-gram desiccant dehumidifying box to keep everything dry. When I finished eyeballing and drooling over this gun safe, I had not ordered it from the store where I stood. I went on to Amazon and put in my order there, and now I have to wait a couple of weeks for it to be delivered. Now, all I have to do is find a place to put it.

TIPS:

• Gun Safe labels are well-marked on the package. Be prepared to transport it inside quickly if you don't want to show it off to the neighbors.

• An appliance dolly is very handy for moving this monster.

• After unboxing, don't panic about the missing handles of the spoke. They're stored inside the safe!

• I got the safe with the spoke (you can customize how you want it). When you rotate the spoke to open the safe, it should be easy. If it feels blocked, try slightly rotating it backward (yeah, that would be counter-clockwise like my wife liked to correct me).

OVERALL:

Everyone who sees it comments on how rugged and serious it looks. My brother-in-law laughed when he saw me open it for the first time because he had never seen a safe like this. I like to keep mine out of sight to avoid curiosity about what's inside. So, all in all, this was a great buy, also because the customer service is amazing. A friend of mine went to Home Depot to get other kinds of concrete anchors. He forgot the size he needed and called Steelwater while shopping. They pointed him in the right direction.

Get it from Amazon now: $1,399.00 & FREE Returns

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4. Barska - Upgraded + DOJ-Approved

HIGHLIGHT:

Features an updated finger reader.

SHOPPING DECISION:

I read a lot of reviews and finally decided to go for it. I'm no stranger to gun safes or gun lockers, and I wanted something strong and solid but easy to move since I'll be relocating to another state. This safe is great, though I'm a critical person and no product is perfect.

UNBOXING:

The box arrived and my first impression was that it was pretty small. I had no problem getting it into the house, down the basement stairs, and unboxed by myself. It's fairly heavy, but I can move it. It arrived in perfect condition - no dents, no rust, and literally nothing wrong with it, like I had worried about. No other damage, like the ones mentioned in some older reviews. And the keys were outside the cabinet, so setup was easy. It also came with these larger bolts to attach it to the wall, which an added value.

STABILITY WARNING:

Other reviewers are right about some things, though - this unit is tipsy before you mount it, so this is your warning to be careful! Testing the location was tricky. But that’s expected with a compact unit like this.

CAPACITY:

It’s a pretty small safe, but with creativity and accessories, I stored three rifles and three handguns inside without issues. One shotgun was as tall as the safe, so it had to be placed sideways in front of the shelf. No harm done. Pistol grips, scopes, and other add-ons challenge the space. The ad claims it can hold up to eight rifles, but that depends on how they're stored. My uncle has the same safe and he always tells me to store guns barrel down, which allows to have more rifles in a safe than if they were stored stock down. Barrel down, I can fit nine to ten but that's really squeezing them in. Stocked right, it fits seven to eight max. There are pockets on the inside door for storage, which is nice. There's a single shelf that I may need to remove because some of my rifles are long, but no big deal. There's also a separate locking box at the top that takes a different key than the safe door (two keys included for each lock, total four keys). The inner lock box is a bit flimsy and can easily be pried open with a flat head screwdriver.

LOCK STRENGTH:

The lock is strong and a good deterrent. I've been in law enforcement for over 30 years and I'm content with it. It can be defeated but will take work and make noise. I made a very secure "gun room" with a reinforced door and walls and a video camera system with motion text alerts, so combined, these will protect my investments sufficiently.

BATTERY:

This safe takes double A batteries, so ignore the part where it answers ‘no’ to the question of ‘are batteries required?’ Kinda a dumb thing to miss, but it was probably translated. The battery compartment slides out from the top inside door to supply power to the electronic fingerprint lock and digital combination. I don't know why the seller lists it as batteries not required unless you plan to only use the key, which is silly.

METAL THICKNESS:

After storing everything and bolting the lockers in place, I paid more attention to the sturdiness. When I pull on the front handle, I see the door bend a bit. It's thinner metal. Oh, and it also stays put bolted into the 2x6s I have behind it, so it won't move. I know with the tools I own, I could get into these. Thin metal is easy to cut.

BIOMETRIC PERFORMANCE:

The biometric feature works well. I took several scans of several fingers and had no problems with quick access. But when I set the combination, it doesn't allow using both the fingerprint feature and combination. You have to use one or the other. That's not a deal-breaker.

REAL-WORLD SECURITY:

If you buy this locker you can probably just put it in your home or in your garage and leave it be and when you do that, it's fairly decent. But the entire thing can easily be moved with two people or one person and a dolly or one stronger person. So be smart with where and how you place it. If you don't have a very secure room like I do, invest more money in a worthier gun safe. This alone is vulnerable to being defeated with the right tools. Don't let your guns get into the wrong hands! Honestly, you just have to reorient your perspective on this. It isn't really a gun safe, more of a gun locker.

HELPFUL TIPS:

• I recommended that you hang a magnetic, battery-powered LED light with a motion sensor under the shelf. It turns on automatically when the door is opened.

• Use an Eva Dry E-500 Wireless Dehumidifier on the top shelf. It absorbs humidity and can be recharged when saturated. I should have bought a smaller one, as this one barely fits and takes up space.

• So you can hang larger handguns, I recommend installing a Rack’Em 3 Pistol Holster that operates as an in safe rack for hand guns.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

Some reviewers are saying it’s more of a locker than a safe, and I’d have to agree that they’re probably correct for most part. The metal is too thin, and the safe is too lightweight. But it's perfect for my needs, and it costs merely $500, not $2,500 like the heavy-duty ones. You get what you pay for. Just make sure this is what you want. So, in summary, this safe is perfect for the average person wanting to organize and protect their firearms. If you’re a collector or have a large collection, you might need something more elaborate.

Get it from Amazon now: $513.99 & FREE Returns

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5. KAER - Upgraded + DOJ-Approved

HIGHLIGHT:

Upgraded fingerprint reader.

PURCHASE REASONING:

I spent a lot of time deciding whether or not to purchase this safe. There are many bad reviews talking about some pieces of damaged items and some of biometrics that don't work. I also read reviews about people who complained about size, but that's their fault for not looking at dimensions. I'm not sure I would have purchased it if I was looking to keep four rifles secured.

SAFE VS LOCKER:

This KAER safe is not actually a gun safe but a gun locker. What is the difference? A safe cannot be pried open and will have a fire rating. A locker is exactly that: secure storage, keeping fingers off the goodies by people who should not be touching the guns or whatever you put in the locker. I mean, the steel is thick enough to keep kids out, but a hatchet or ax could easily breach the sides or back.

SHIPPING CONDITION:

The package was a mess when it arrived, but fortunately the safe itself was undamaged. The paint and lock were scratch-free, though there was a small crack in the paint from the internal lock box installation. Because the interior is lined, the dimensions are smaller than the exterior.

WEIGHT:

The main benefit of this cabinet is its lightweight, making it manageable for one person to move, though a second person is safer.

BIOMETRIC SETUP:

My wife insisted that the instructions for setting up fingerprints were brief and confusing, but I managed to get it working. Biometrics have performed well so far. I will update as time passes.

BATTERY TYPE:

The lock requires four double AA batteries and works with a key.

CAPACITY:

The long gun compartment is said to hold eight rifles - maybe eight 22LR guns, but full-size rifles will occupy one and a half of the gun slots. The KAER will hold eight battle rifles unless they have large scopes mounted on them, which will burn up some space. The gun slots are located across the back and down one side of the inside. With scoped rifles, the gun will occupy space inside the L formed by the gun slots. The long gun section may not fit a full-size rifle unless the shelf is removed or not installed in the first place. I did not think to pull out the shotguns with full-length barrels to check the fit, and I am pretty sure even with the shelf removed, they will not fit.

AR & PISTOLS:

My sister also got this gun locker, but she was only looking to lock up an AR-15 and 4 CCW pistols. For those purposes, the safe has worked out great. Yes, her AR goes in sideways, but she can fit it without removing the scope or hand grips. Her AR is not kept with a mag present, so if you keep yours with a mag in place, it might not fit.

INNER LOCKBOX:

The top of the locker has a secondary lockbox built in. I don’t know what the locker inside a locker is good for, but if a client needs that, I will happily suggest this locker to them.

DOOR HOLSTERS:

The door also has four built-in nylon holsters to hold handguns. The built-in Nylon holsters will fit full-size Glock frames and revolvers without a hitch. The door compartment has two zipper cases to hold other items, like knives or papers. This nylon pouch system may lead to rusting if you live in a high-humidity area, so a dehydration system must be placed in the locker. The dehydrators are easy to get and find on Amazon or local shops that sell shooting sports items.

LINER SUGGESTION:

There's also a shelf that would need some padding or liner if you plan on storing handguns outside the holster or carry case, which comes from the manufacturer.

DOOR STRENGTH:

The door is hard to pry open, or at least I suppose it is. I did not own the one I had hands-on experience with to break the door; if I did, I would not break it to see if I could. The door is secured with six bolts around the door perimeter. I am sure to break into this locker; the door will not pry away, and the bad guy will have to pry away the frame from the door. To bend this locker that much will take space and time. The locker has the ability to bolt to the wall studs or the floor joists. This can be defeated, but it will be a long and loud process.

WATER & FIRE LIMITS:

The bottom of the door frame is about an inch from the ground, so it could repel a light flood, but if the flood is two inches high, the guns will get wet. The safe does not have a fire rating at all, and it will damage the guns inside if the fire is closed.

LIGHTING SETUP:

The light in the door is tiny, so plan to add more lighting.

KEY SET:

There are two keys for the main door and two for the small interior compartment, each numbered. The company doesn’t provide replacement keys, so plan ahead.

VALUE:

For the price, this safe exceeded my expectations. I call it a locker, though, because it feels more substantial than a mere cabinet but lacks the thickness of a true safe. However, it keeps household members away from firearms and has a low profile space-wise. I wouldn't purchase it intending to store more than four rifles. You'd be better off with something larger if you're thinking about storing all my weapons.

Get it from Amazon now: $249.99 & FREE Returns

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6. Langger V - Electronic Gun Cabinet

HIGHLIGHT:

Made to secure AR platform rifles.

FAMILY SAFETY:

I mainly needed this gun safe because my sister was staying with me for a few months to get back on her feet and she brought my nephew, a toddler who just learned to walk and open things, into the house with her. After searching and debating, I ultimately chose this one because I decided it would be good to keep things secure, which is the main reason I needed it. The size was perfect for my bedroom closet and because I don’t have a ton guns, it worked, and ended up being enough space, despite how tightly they fit, it got the job done.

BUDGET CATEGORY:

Now, before you consider anything else about this, you should know that if you’re looking for a bank vault for your guns, this isn’t the safe for you. Save your money and add a couple of grand and get yourself something bigger. But! If you’re looking for a three hundred dollar option for six rifles, then look no further. It's of decent quality, welded on the inside and comes fully assembled.

CLOSET INSTALLATION:

I like that it doesn’t take up much room in my small closet, and that you don’t even know it’s really there. I anchored mine easily with the provided bolts, just in the back, not on the ground, to avoid holes in my hardwood floors. That worked pretty well.

ORGANIZATION NOTES:

The safe comes with felt pieces, a shelf, and gun supports. Everything looks neat and organized. I ended up buying an extra support for the shotgun to stand in front of the shelf. I used a magnetic one, and it works perfectly. I do plan to make a few upgrades, like adding more light. I placed a motion sensor light bar inside for now, providing decent illumination. We plan to buy more to place beneath the lockbox and handgun shelf. The included ashelf came with a pistol foam rack for up to five pistols. Below it, you can place about six rifles. My longest is a 16g crack barrel and it wouldn’t fit below the shelf, however, it stands in front of it, which is good enough. It’s quite deeper than most gun lockers. Just keep in mind that there’s also not much room to move the guns around.

CAPACITY:

It can fit six rifles with scopes and not just turn to the side and count that as a fit. This gun locker will fit the scoped rifle as it should. With this deeper build, I put one of these in my dad’s camp trailer to hold rifles during deer and elk season. With the gun locker mounted in a camp trailer, we did not secure it to the wall studs for fear of driving a screw right out the side of the camper. We just screwed it to the floor, and that held just fine. The barrel rests are deep and high-density foam. The gun is well supported; even while riding in the trailer behind the truck, nothing has ever moved. We did not use the pistol rest and shelf in the trailer due to the need for more length. When we put the shotguns in the locker, we cannot use the pistol shelf. We just put the pistol rack in the home safe and use it there.

EXTRA LOCKBOX:

The extra lockbox inside is a nice addition. It uses a different key than the main door, too, so that’s a nice place. While I put ammo and mags inside it, you can also store pistols or other valuables. I fit two boxes of shotgun ammos, three boxes of 9mm, ten boxes of .22, three boxes of .38, two boxes of 7.62, and seven boxes of 5.56, plus two loaded thirty-round magazines, all in the lockbox. It’s like playing a game of Tetris, but it fits, so I really don’t mind.

DOOR DESIGN:

The door is surprisingly sturdy. Most gun safes or lockers have a nylon sleeve on the door, but this one uses an actual pistol rack, which is an awesome feature. I called customer service and asked about a door organizer. They sent it for free, which was so nice. That allowed me to store even more accessories.

ACCESS:

The lock is an electronic keypad. The keypad will send an alert if the wrong code is input three times. This will alert parents to kids who are curious or up to no good and other campers who are doing the same. If the batteries go dead, I can use the battery pack plugged in to activate the lock and open it to change the batteries. If all that does not work, use the supplied key and open the door. The problem with having a key locked is that it will negate the smart lock functions, and it is possible to hide a key so well that it can't be found again, not that I have ever done it myself or anything.

OVERALL:

This seller doesn’t make false claims about their product. It’s not fireproof, but it offers some protection. No assembly needed other than placing the removable shelf. It’s very sturdy and easy to open and lock. The external power pack is a nice touch, plus the emergency keys give you two ways to access if the batteries die. And setting the combo was easy. Also, I really appreciate how quickly customer service responds. So, if you need something small to protect kids, this is perfect. I wouldn’t rely on it to keep out thieves. It’s easy to get into or carry away if not bolted to the wall. Just remember what I said earlier, if you have a lot of guns, this might be tight, too tight, in fact.

Get it from Amazon now: $249.99 & FREE Returns

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7. INTERGREAT - Metal Gun Locker

HIGHLIGHT:

The safe's door will actually opens to 120°.

SECURITY CONCERNS:

The other day, I saw a client’s rifle at the range. He had me install a new, bigger scope and wanted me to get it shooting on paper for him, and who am I not to take it to the range? It's customer service, after all. When I got there, some other shooters were spending a lot of time eyeballing the new scope and rifle, and I did not feel comfortable leaving it on the bench to go down range and retrieve targets, etc. This made me put the gun in the truck, lock the doors, and do all my down-range stuff. So, I thought, what if I get a cheap gun locker/safe and bring it to the shooting range to lock stuff up when I am not at the line?

MOBILITY & WEIGHT:

I found the Integrate gun locker for just over a hundred bucks in an Amazon search. So, I ordered and strapped it to a hand truck to take it to the range. I used the mounting holes to put an ¼ inch eye-bolt through and a bicycle-type lock to hold it to the bench or the shade cover posts. This is the best idea I have ever had. It weighs about 70 pounds, so it is easy to both unload and get to where you want it in your chosen location.

INTERIOR:

There is nothing much to report about the inside area. Like many other safes, the Intergreat has a built-in small storage box on the top. The big advantage here, though, is how they have put together the door storage units. The inside of the safe does not have any space to store other things, but on the door, that is a different story. It has three movable shelves holding a few boxes of ammo or pistols in a carry case and two nylon pistol holders mounted inside the door.

ASSEMBLY:

I was a little concerned about a firearms safe that is an assemble yourself option. Both in terms of quality of the safe and complexity of the assembly. But honestly it was a simple process and took me about an hour and a half by myself to put this together. All the holes are predrilled, and you assemble this with self-tapping screws. The lock mechanism is already installed in the door so there is no assembly required as far as the locking bars or other associated mechanisms are concerned. You can install this safe by using the 4 pre-drilled holes in the back panel and the included anchors and secure this to a wall easily. The base plate also has a reinforced bar across the middle that someone could drill through and mount this safe very securely to the floor if that option was desired.

QUALITY:

This safe is secured by 4 locking bars that are about ¾ of an inch thick. When the door is closed and these locking bars are engaged this safe is secure. The door does not rattle or shake like I have seen with some other safes in the past.

LOOK & STYLE:

This is a pretty attractive safe, considering the low price. I like the glossy paint and the slightly textured finish on the outside. All the corners are rounded, which is always great in the event this is somewhere that it can be bumped into. I really like how the locking bars are engaged by turning the outer ring of the keypad about a quarter turn clockwise. By not having a separate handle to engage those locking bars it just gives the exterior a clean appearance in my view.

USER SETUP:

The digital keypad is powered by AA batteries and is programmable by the user once you are ready. The process is simple and is laid out step by step in the included instruction book. The safe also comes with two keys that can be used to access your safe in the event of dead batteries or a forgotten code.

FINGERPRINT OPTION:

The keypad is basic and easy to use. It also uses biometrics to allow other shooters in your group to access the inside. The gun locker can also be opened with the key if needed. I noticed that if the sun is shining right on the fingerprint reader in my new super range security locker, it does not work well for me. When I went to the locker back home, it worked fine.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

It's basically a cheap, home-based, nonmobile gun locker. For the money, it's of solid quality, and it serves its purpose. Of course, some folks will say loading guns in the locker and putting them in the back of the truck will ruin everything in there. But I only use the locker to hold guns at the range. I transport the guns to and from the range in regular hard cases or even soft cases. So I recommend you think about your needs, and only then decide if this one is the right unit for you.

Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns

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8. Quicktec - Deep Interior

HIGHLIGHT:

Deep enough to store guns with scopes.

OVERVIEW:

I’m reviewing this piece of equipment as a gun cabinet, not as a gun safe. The door looks like a heavy safe door in the pictures, but it’s not. The cabinet is sheet metal, including the door. However, it is deep enough to store rifles with a large, mounted scope. I mean, the depth impressed me the most. I thought not to use this one for gun storage but to store primers in one and powder in another. I read the ad copy, and it says it has two movable shelves. Before I looked at the pictures to get my measurements, I hit the buy now button but needed my credit card in my wallet downstairs. In standard fashion, I closed the page before I left the desk. When I returned with my wallet and needed to spend money, I had to find the ad again, and this time, I looked at the pictures. The gun locker has two adjustable shelves ABOVE the gun rack. The gun rack is mounted about the halfway point. However, I decided not to cancel the order and use it for guns after all, and now I'm writing this review.

SHIPPING & PACKAGING:

It was shipped from California without a scratch. It pretty much arrived in pretty good shape after quick shipping. It was tightly packed with foam and plastic corners, and everything worked as it should. This safe is sent with two keys to fix the lost combo or dead battery issues. Clear instructions are included, and so are four lag bolts for securing the cabinet to the floor or wall.

DOOR WEIGHT:

Even when the safe wasn't bolted down, the door wasn't too heavy to cause tipping. It (the door) is secure with five bolts around it. So far I only added lights. Another thing, because the sheet metal clangs when disturbed, I plan to line it with carpet tiles to reduce noise. The bolts go through sheet metal, which can be defeated with moderate force. The locking bolts on the door work fine, but use the sheet metal edge of the door opening to lock against. A crowbar could defeat the door in minutes. So this cabinet is good for child safety, keeping young hands away from firearms, but even an amateur burglar could gain access with some time and tools. No fire protection. so as mentioned, this is a good one for the price but not a true safe.

ADJUSTABLE SHELVES:

The adjustable shelves can open space from the top to the first shelf, which is about nine inches; the second shelf distance can be nearly a foot, which is a great place to hold ammo boxes. If the shelves are used, the longer guns may not fit, and that is something each shooter will need to investigate on their own. The best part about the adjustable shelves is they can be used or taken out to fit everyone's needs.

INTERIOR:

The one thing about this five-gun locker is that the guns are not squashed together. There is some space between the rifles and between the scope and the back wall. Most five-gun safes are about nine inches wide and deep, but the Quicktec is over a foot wide and deep. It fits an AR-15 with a scope without turning sideways and a 50 inch Remington Wingmaster. Still has clearance with added foam. Having more room than standard is great for shooters like me who appreciate the XXXL fit of things.

LOCK:

The safe uses a reliable programmable digital lock. I set my lock code and switched to silent mode on the first try. The keypad on the lock is very attractive. I am the last person to think a good-looking keypad is important, but for some reason, I was really attracted to the looks of this lock setup.

OVERALL:

I love when I buy something on Amazon, and it’s better than I expected. The safe feels heavy and solid. The door closes with authority, and the locking bolts extend about an inch into the frame when engaged. There's plenty of room for five long guns and ammo, and the small locking interior safe is large enough for several handguns or valuables. When I tried to program the lock again it was a little tricky, but Quicktec’s customer service was amazing. I’m really very happy with my purchase, and would definitely purchase again from this manufacturer. It might not be a bonafide safe, but it keeps guns away from the little human goofballs that run through my house.

Get it from Amazon now: $207.99 & FREE Returns

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9. RPNB - Heavy-Duty + Compact Pistol Section

HIGHLIGHT:

Will easily fit full-size rifles.

PURCHASE REASONS:

We wanted a basic gun locker to store weapons when we’re out of the house, all because we have the kiddos here. Other security cabinets in this price range were flimsy with bolted-together sheet metal and weak locks and hinges. This one looked really nice and strong, so we got it.

SHIPPING & PACKAGING:

The safe arrived so fast and was so well packaged with cardboard inserts and foam protection. However, it is heavy (probably 120 pounds), and I'm sure it got manhandled a bit during shipping. The finish on it was in pretty solid shape - no scratches, etc. I had one minor dent/ding, likely from shipping, but it's not really noticeable, and I don't really blame the manufacturer on that since the packaging was good. I think a large, heavy item like this is probably not treated gently during shipping, and that's not the manufacturer's fault. I’m happy it arrived in the solid shape it did, though, and I'm very happy with how the quality came, it’s welded well, with no visible seams.

INCLUDED SMALL SAFE:

My package also came with a small safe, which was a nice add-on. Both safes were easy to bolt to the floor (or shelf for the small one) on the bottom and a wall from the back.

LOCKER CATEGORY:

For a simple gun locker, that is better than most affordable options. It's not a fireproof or fire-resistant gun safe. This is a locker to keep hands and fingers out of things they should not be touching.

DURABILITY:

This is not a fireproof or fire-resistant gun safe. This is a locker to keep hands and fingers out of things they should not be touching. However, it is built well, and it weighs about 120 pounds because it is made of 16-gauge carbon steel. I like that the steel is pretty thick (I give it four and a half stars). It's not as heavy gauge as some more expensive safes but really a lot thicker than gun cabinets I've looked at in the past. It's what I hoped for in this price range.

AMMO LOCKBOX:

The sales copy calls the small inner lock box an ammo locker. Generally speaking, I don’t think storing ammo in this little box is required, but it is the only place to store anything that is not a rifle or shotgun inside the RPNB.

EXTERIOR:

The finish on the outside of the RPNB safe is black rocky, similar to a very low pile bed liner, and looks very nice.

PROGRAMMING:

Programming instructions were a bit hit and miss, but we figured it out.

PRY RISK:

The door is held secure with five bolts on the open side and the welded hinge on the other. This type of security is good for keeping hands out of the safe, but it is not a great pry-resistant option. The hinge will be much easier to pry away from the wall of the safe than the frame from around the locking bolts. I added larger washers to make them more secure when bolting in. The wall mount holes didn’t provide enough strength. I drilled holes in each bottom corner to secure it to the floor. I also had to buy my concrete anchors, as the provided ones weren’t long enough. I used wood spacers behind the drywall to prevent crushing while tightening the anchors.

BATTERY TYPE:

Don’t use rechargeable batteries! NIMH doesn’t hold enough voltage, and the lock won’t release. We contacted RPNB customer service and they were great, quick to respond, and solved the issue. The solution - use ALKALINE batteries as directed, and you’ll be fine.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Then I had another minor issue with the inner storage compartment on the door where the key lock is on my large safe, and RPNB fixed it super quickly and to my satisfaction. Honestly, I wasn't sure how it was going to go with customer service, but man I was surprised with how fast they got back to me in both cases. Customer service is critical, and they did a fantastic job.

CAPACITY:

RPNB claims it will fit five rifles with scopes. The length will fit most rifles, but if the scope is large, the door may rub the bottom of the rifle and may not fit at all, depending on the type of rifle. Upon experimenting with different firearms, I can say that it can easily hold five longer guns, and you can even add those with scopes on in there, too. Not sure you could have scopes on all five, though. It can also accommodate a couple of handguns in Velcro holsters on the inner door, and the Velcro sticks great to the inside of the door's carpet. We now store a 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and an AR with a scope and mag side by side, slightly angled. Ammo boxes stack nicely on the back wall. The small upper safe holds two or three semi-auto pistols and mags.

LOCKING:

The electronics on it are awesome, and the lock was very easy to program in. If the lock keypad is attempted three times, it will turn yellow and alert the owner of attempted entry. After three attempts and the alarm rings, the lock will go to sleep for twenty seconds. The keypad will accept a code of three to eight digits of your choosing. The door lock and lever mechanisms are made of plastic, so be careful when moving them into place; you could knock the handle right off.

IMPROVEMENT AREA:

RPNB should consider making the top compartment an open shelf or adding a locking metal door. Some plastic parts, like the battery compartment, are a bit on the cheaper side.

LONG TERM USE:

After more than a year, I can attest that this safe still works great, as does the smaller one it came with! I have found it can fit a shotgun with a 28-inch barrel with about an inch to spare for height, along with another shorter shotgun, three rifles (one with a scope and one with a red dot sight), and four handguns in these holsters things attached to the inner door.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

This thin-walled safe won’t keep a determined thief out, I don’t think so, but keeps things away from curious preteens. Just bolt it to the wall or floor, or both! Considering I wanted a secure option at a reasonable price, this safe was ideal for my needs. It's not fireproof or as heavy-duty as larger, more expensive safes, but it's thicker and better quality than a normal type of gun cabinet.

Get it from Amazon now: $429.00 & FREE Returns

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10. Paragon - Durable 18-Gauge Solid Steel

HIGHLIGHT:

Very nice look.

SHIPPING EXPERIENCE:

I bought the safe online from Lowe's and opted for free shipping, because why not? The box was delivered to my porch with no problem. Because the safe is heavy, my wife and I had a hard time lifting it to the second floor, unpacking, and installing it. After all that, I discovered the locking mechanism was defective. The safe is supposed to lock automatically after you twist the latch and handle counter clockwise, but nope, it doesn't. You can't lock it back with your passcode. Instead, I managed to lock it by pressing random buttons, turning and shaking the latch and handle, and doing all kinds of magical passes. All this, each time you need to lock it.

MECHANISM ISSUES:

On Lowe's site, the safe is listed under “Fleming supply,” but on the manual, it's 'Paragon'. There's a support site link. I pretty much just described the problem and applied for support. They quickly got back to me and offered some troubleshooting on how to take apart the door to reach the electronics, and pull out wires to reset things. I followed the instructions with zero results. Nothing changed in the locking mechanism's stupid, wild behavior. At that point, I was requested to send a copy of the invoice, which I did. Then they suggested returning the safe to Lowe's since it was a recent purchase. I refused, because dragging the unpacked safe down the stairs and back to the car would be a major ordeal, possibly destroying my stairs, porch, and car. Then they requested a video of the malfunction to "continue assisting" me. I did, and the next response was unexpected: they said they wouldn't provide further assistance because they weren't the makers of the safe.

MANUFACTURER RESPONSE:

Paragon said I needed to contact the mythical 'Fleming Supply' instead. Like, what? Seriously? Yeah, that was my train of thought. But wait a minute, isn't it just a name Lowe's slapped on your safe for marketing purposes? Didn't you verify before that it's a "Paragon" safe I own? Isn't your company name and support link on the manual? Really? You couldn't find any good reason to refuse service, so you do it without any reason?

SECOND UNIT:

The company contacted me, apologized for the error, sent a whole new safe without additional charge, and said I could keep the old one. So I'm really impressed with their service and support. Even though I didn’t have a great first impression, overall, this is a company to trust.

CLOSET PLACEMENT:

The second unit arrived, and I was really pleased with it. It is made from 18-gauge steel walls, so it's really heavy. It will take some doing and a hand truck to get it in place, then some grunt power to put it in the closet (if that is where it will live), and then you are set. Identify the wall stud locations before getting the locker in place, or plan on using the floor mounting option. The heavy door will cause the Paragon to tip forward when it swings open, so it needs to be secured one way or the other for safety.

DIMENSIONS & FIT:

It is one of the few gun lockers that will hold full-size long guns right out of the box. The Paragon can fit the long guns even with the small locker in a locker at the top of the gun space. This is a slim, long gun locker that easily fits inside the bedroom closet. So, you need to consider that this gun locker is made for full-size rifles and shotguns. A shorter platform like an AR or AK, even some shotgun shotguns, will not reach the barrel cradle foam. Not a huge deal if you're OK leaning the gun in the corner of the safe, but if you have a gun that has particular sights or don’t want to lean it in the corner, you will need to order some extra foam barrel cradles and put them lower in the safe.

PRY RESISTANCE:

Paragon sends the mounting bolts along with the locker, as many do, so the gun safe can be secured to the wall studs or the floor. The door on the Paragon is made with bolts on one side and a hidden and welded hinge on the other. This does not bode well against a crowbar IF the bad guys can get it lying on its back. If the gun locker is secured to the wall, and the bad guys are trying to work on the door in a tight space for a short time, there is a good chance they will not get inside.

ACCESS:

The keypad is powered by four AA batteries (not included) and is easy to program. The Paragon keypad allows you to input your own code that is between three and eight numbers long. The locker has two physical keys that will open the safe if the code is forgotten or the batteries die before the owner gets them changed out.

LIMITS:

This is a good deterrent to entry but will not work for fireproofing. It will not work as waterproofing either. What the 18-guage walls will do is keep things inside the safe out of reach of those who should not be reaching them.

Get it from Amazon now: $429.99 & FREE Returns