By Caleb Daniels

Perhaps the most essential item to purchase with a first firearm, or any firearm for that matter, is a quality way to safely store it. While all new firearms come with a lock of some fashion, by law, trigger or bore locks aren’t the best way to secure a self-defense firearm. Nor do they prevent theft. Our responsibility as gun owners includes ensuring these tools remain out of irresponsible hands.

Peace of mind and security are critical, and finding the best gun safe for you and your needs is the first step in that journey. Thankfully, gun owners have a variety of options, with safes that are travel friendly, biometric or, in the case of larger safes, drop-shipped to you. 

Best Gun Safes for Concealed Carry and Travel

• Vaultek Lifepod
• Vaultek Slider Series
• Hornady TrekLite

Safe gun storage extends beyond making sure firearms are secure when at home and not in use. It also is an important part of being a responsible gun owner in the public square. Most states have limitations on where someone can carry a gun, such as courthouses, post offices and government buildings for example. This means that people will have to secure a firearm in a vehicle at some point. And auto glass hardly provides security. 

Thankfully, numerous companies manufacture safes that can be used in a car. Some use a security cable to tie off the safe to the seat. Others, like the Vaultek Slider Series, can be bolted into a vehicle. It provides ready access while on the road, via a biometric or keypad entry, and a drawer that springs open on command. For a dedicated car gun, this is a solid option. 

Those looking for a small safe to secure a handgun while in non-permissive environments, inexpensive but quality options like the Hornady TrekLite series are suitable. These options have the added benefit of doubling as single pistol travel safes in the event of needing to secure a firearm while staying in a hotel or Airbnb.

For travel, one of the best gun safes available is the Vaultek LifePod series. I have used an earlier model for most of my domestic and international travel. Even when I travel overseas and without a firearm, I find having a compact safe to store cash, passports and other critical items to be imperative. The current available models include organizers in the lid for that very purpose.

Best Gun Safes for the Nightstand & Office

• Vaultek Barikade
• Vaultek SmartSafe
• Hornady RAPiD Safe
• StopBox USA

Other important gun storage areas are the home and the office. For the nightstand and office, folks need rapid access with little hassle. It also needs to fit the location, such as in a drawer for the office. 

Both safes, if needed in an emergency, should be staged in a consistent manner for a fast response. To help with these scenarios, many compact safes now offer biometric scanners and spring-loaded lids or drawers.

Perhaps the most aesthetic option on the market, the Vaultek Smart Station is a brilliant safe for the nightstand. The safe doubles as a nightstand clock and has a wireless charger on the top. The safe and its settings can even be managed via the Vaultek app.

Many reputable brands make nightstand size safes in a variety of price points. This includes the Hornady RAPiD Safe series and Vaultek’s Barikade line.

More economical options exist as well, such as the StopBox USA safes. These have the added benefit of being entirely mechanical, meaning no batteries or charging cables are necessary to access the safe. These safes also use a clever finger pressure combination lock system (think like the valves on a trumpet) with 81 possible combinations.

These compact options are meant to be functional companions to daily life and a home-defense or concealed-carry handgun.

Best Gun Safes for the Home

• Fort Knox Vaults
• SnapSafe Modular Series
• Hornady Mobilis Safes

For the avid collector, a large home safe is a critical asset to protect firearms and other valuables. On that note, it is wise to review the fire rating of these safes before keeping legal documents and other irreplaceable items within. 

Another factor to consider when getting a large safe is the desired location. These safes are large, so getting them through standard doors or rooms requires serious planning in advance. Movers are also strongly encouraged for these safes, as the weight of these cannot be understated in many cases.

For home safes, Hornady and Fort Knox both offer a great lineup of gun vaults in a variety of sizes and price points. SnapSafe produces good options for those looking for protection and easy setup. These safes can be drop shipped and assembled on site, like IKEA furniture. The design allows them to remain secure, however. The primary benefit is that because the safe comes in pieces, it is drastically easier to move into an established home, through standard doorframes, and into most any room in the home for assembly.

Gun safes are much like holsters and firearms; they each serve a specific purpose. Determining that purpose is the first step in determining what safe to buy. 

Lastly, gun owners need to think about safe access like training. The first time someone draws a handgun should not be in the middle of a defensive situation. Nor should those same folks race to access a safe during a home invasion. Folks need to train for access, as well as for the street. 

Tags: Gun Safes, gun safety, gun storage, Hornady, Safes, SnapSafe, Vaultek