When you buy a gun safe, you might feel that you’ve been let down by the amount of storage that the gun safe manufacturer has suggested you can hold. Don’t worry, we’ve all been in the same boat and because of this, other manufacturers have developed gun safe organizers that hang on the back of the gun safe door.
This will help you utilize the space on the back of the door of your gun safe, and allow you to store small items such as ammunition and magazines up to full-sized, scoped weapons. We’ve put together a list of door organizers that range from cost-effective up to super practical. Let us know what you think!
Why do I need a car gun safe?
As with any safety, security and safety are the main reasons you will probably want a gun safe for a vehicle. As mentioned, if you live in a state where you can legally carry a firearm, most banks, schools, and certain office buildings will not let you carry your firearm into the building. If that’s the case where you live, you might want to find somewhere to store your firearm instead of just leaving it in your vehicle unattended.
If you leave your gun in the view of the public whilst being unattended, if the firearm falls into the hands of a criminal or someone with ill intentions, you could be held accountable and could be an asset to a criminal case that may end badly for you. You should also know that if you try to hide your firearm under a seat or in your glove compartment, this is classed as concealment and can leave you in a lot of trouble if identified by the police.
Cue the gun safe. Gun safe manufacturers had started to develop a car-based gun safe to allow for people who use firearms in public a place to store their firearms both securely and legally.
Below are a few gun safes that you should consider for your vehicle to ensure the best protection for yourself, your family and everyone else around you.
GunVault MV500 Pistol Safe
A possible market leader in small and portable gun safes is GunVault. As ever, GunVault released the MV500, a small, portable and vehicle-friendly gun safe. It’s a very simple design with a very simple lock, which we’ll take a look at shortly. Although it’s not the most flashy safe, you may not want to advertise your weapons to passing members of the public, which is why this safe is so well respected. As the safe is so compact, weighing less than 4lb, it can be concealed anywhere in your vehicle.
The security of the GunVault MV500 Pistol safe is as strong as some small home safes, with an interesting combination code that can only be changed by a special selection of buttons, it has a selection of 12 million combinations. To add to its security, its reinforced with 20 gauge steel for its external, and lined with a nice, smooth foam layer inside to avoid any scratches on your firearms. To add to the security, it also uses a cable and bolt to secure this to wherever you plan to keep it in your vehicle which is a nice little touch from GunVault.
Overall, the GunVault MV500 is a great little safe which is a very cost-effective way to legally and securely store your weapons in your vehicle. Coming in with a 3-year warranty as well, means you can have peace of mind should anything go wrong with the safe.
SnapSafe Combination LockBox
SnapSafe has developed a vehicle safe which is relatively large but allows you to store your firearms legally and securely whilst you’re away from your vehicle. This model is one of the larger safes on this list and will fit a very large majority for handguns.
The SnapSafe Lockbox is made from 16-gauge durable steel and meets the standards of many firearm safety tests including the anti-pry meaning people can’t brute force or pry their way into the safe without you being alerted by the noise. The locking system for the Lockbox is quite simple but is still fairly secure, although could be improved. The standard combination dial is very simple to use and can be set when you buy the safe.
To lockdown this safe, you are provided with a very strong cable that is tied to the safe. This cable has been tested for up to 1500 lbs. of force for added security and protection and is well above the majority of safes that also offer a cable-tied system. Unfortunately, there is not a bolt down method for this safe, unless you are considering damaging the safe by drilling holes in to allow it to be bolted down.
Overall, the SnapSafe Combination Lockbox is a great option for people who don’t want to spend much money on a safe for their vehicle, but it does come with the less-secure locking mechanism that could cost you your firearm to go missing should someone want to break into the safe and steal it in your absence.
SentrySafe Pistol Safe Biometric
Another biometric safe on this list, the SentrySafe Quick Access Biometric Safe is one of the more well-designed vehicle safes. This biometric lock is very fast-reacting and as soon as it reads your fingerprint, it will spring the door open to allow for you to grab the firearm within. Saying that, there is also a manual override key should your fingerprint fail to open the safe, or if the fingerprint scanner fails to read your fingerprint. As ever, the SentrySafe has a manual override key should you get locked out!
As with most of the safes in this list, the SentrySafe is great at keeping your valuables and firearms safe and away from children and others. With that being said, the biometric lock will deal with any unauthorized people, but when you put your finger on the scanner, a small but special gas piston will push against the lid and push the door open, giving you near-instantaneous access to your firearm.
Speaking of vehicle burglaries, this safe is fairly portable but is very rugged. Its shell is forged using 12-gauge steel, meaning that it’s near impossible to pry or brute force your way into the safe using a pry-bar. On the reverse side, the interior is lined with a very soft foam lining, which ensures your firearms and valuables are not damaged if moving around often. The inside, unfortunately, doesn’t include a light, which might want to be added if you plan on storing this in a dark place, or if you want to prepare for using this without looking whilst opening the safe.
Overall, the SentrySafe Quick Access Biometric safe is definitely a contender with some of the other vehicle gun safes, however, if you were planning to use this on a wall or floor, unfortunately, it can’t be directly mounted or anchored, but you could definitely design something to hold them safe in place in your vehicle.
GunVault NV200 NanoVault 200
The GunVault NV200 is one of the more manual safes on this list. The gun safe comes with an easy to operate key lock system that means you can always get to the handgun should the need arise. Unfortunately, there is a downside to this, it is a lot less secure as locks can be picked, drilled and easily opened should the key be found by someone who has ill intentions.
Regardless of this, the slim design of the safe makes the safe great for a vehicle, as it can sit pretty much anywhere due to its low profile and small dimensions. Along with this, you will receive a 1500lb cable included which allows you to strap the safe down to your vehicle, further securing your firearm and safe. Something that this safe contributes well to is the ability to take it overseas. The safe meets the safety criteria of TSA Airline firearm guidelines. You can take it on your trip without any issues, as long as it’s all locked up.
On the inside, the safe has a nice memory foam interior, which can store the handguns and other valuables without needing to worry about scratches or damages to your firearm and valuables. Although this might seem nice, the foam does have a strange smell when you open the safe, meaning an air freshener won’t go amiss when using this safe.
Overall, the GunVault NV200 is really a nano vault, with the ability to store this anywhere and the added protection of being able to tie it to your car, this is a safe that can’t be overlooked.
FortKnox FTK-PB Pistol Handgun Safe
As the name suggests, this next one is truly Fort Knox. The FTK-PB has is very reliable and is very easy to access with its mechanical buttons that allow you to open the safe for around 1.5 seconds. Dualed up with the turning know to allow for access means you can unlock the gun safe, although it still looks locked for even faster access, although this is not recommended when around younger children.
As we mentioned above, the Fort Knox FTK-PB is fortified with 3/16” steel doors and a 10-gauge shell. It goes without saying that this safe weighs significantly more than other safes on this list (20lbs), you can rest assured that this safe won’t go down without a fight should it fall out of your vehicle. It has rounded corners that are pry-proof and brute force won’t get you in this safe. On the inside, it has a super-soft foam lining that stays strong even after damage to it, but you can rest assured that your firearm and valuables are safe and protected from scratches within the safe.
Along with this, the safe is very reliable, no corners have been cut as the safe is made in America and doesn’t need batteries, unlike others. With that being said, this also means that you don’t need to worry about it making a noise such as a beep or reading errors that could alert someone should you try to grab your weapon if someone is holding you at gunpoint.
Although the Fort Knox FTK-PB is a little more on the expensive side for these safes, you are definitely paying for the protection. Along with this, you are also getting a lifetime warranty which is great for peace of mind.
The Bulldog Cases Car Safe
A possible ‘Underdog’ with the gun safe industry, but it shouldn’t be…
The bulldog safe is one of the more heavy-duty safes on this list, with its construction that is made from steel all around, to prevent brute force attacks on the safe. Prying tools can also be ruled out as the Bulldog safe has a curvy design and is quite small so it’s very difficult to pry open.
Something that Bulldog has done that other manufacturers haven’t is they’ve incorporated the mounting bracket into the safe’s functionality. The mounting bracket that is included with the safe, plays a key part in the security of the safe. In order to open the safe, you need to release it from the bracket, which can’t be done when the safe is locked. It’s confusing, but in short, in order to access your firearm, you need to unlock the safe, pull the safe out and then open the gun safe. Although this is a bit slower than a standard combination lock, biometric lock or simple key lock, it’s a lot more secure as the gun safe can be stolen from the car and some intruders may not know how this works so may not be able to gain access.
Overall, if you’re on a budget and want something that still gives you a lot of protection, then the Bulldog case may be for you. For its price, it gives you great overall protection and is well worth its value.
Conclusion
Depending on which state you are in, a car gun safe can save you from a world of trouble should the firearm be stolen and used in a crime. Buying one of these safes will cost you less than the firearm itself in most cases and with the added protection, you can rest assured that your firearm, family, and the public are safe from your weapons.