5 Best Handgun Safes [2024]: Keep Your Firearms and Family Safe

Handgun safes are one of the best ways to keep your firearms out of unwanted hands. Whether taking your gun on the go or keeping it on your nightstand, having a safe protects your most valuable belongings.

In this case, a firearm (or wallet, money, metals, etc).

The Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box is one of those leave-at-home safes that will easily keep prying hands away from your handgun(s). It’s constructed from heavy 10-gauge steel, with mounting holes to bolt it down, and features a Simplex mechanical lock that works well for home use.

Then you have the Vaultek LifePod 2.0, which is perfect for storing your wallet, gun, magazines, and anything else while traveling. It’s lightweight, water resistant, and offers biometric access.

We’ve been testing and discussing all types of safes for quite some time, from biometric to mechanical, cheap to premium, and even full-size rifle safes that bolt to the ground for extra theft protection.

Focusing on handgun safes specifically, this is a list of the ones anyone can use to keep their firearms safe no matter the circumstance. Since safes can get extremely expensive, we kept our recommendations on the affordable side without sacrificing security.

So, if you’re in the market for a pistol safe, take some time and read about our top picks and what to look for when making your decision of which one to purchase.

Best Handgun Safes

Image	Product	Price
	Best Overall Handgun Safe – Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box	Check Price
	Best Value Handgun Safe – Hornady One-Gun Safe	Check Price
	Best Mounted Handgun Safe – RPNB Carbon Knight	Check Price
	Best Standing Safe – Fort Knox Spartan Safe	Check Price
	Best Travel Handgun Safe – Vaultek Life Pod 2.0	Check Price

Best Overall Handgun Safe – Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box 

Specifications

Pros & Cons

Fort Knox has been keeping firearms and valuables safe for decades. From its large line of standing safes that cost more than a used car to its smaller personal pistol boxes, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with Fort Knox. The same goes for many of my friends.

The Personal Pistol Box weighs 20 pounds thanks to its 10-gauge steel construction and locking mechanism. The reinforced Simplex locking mechanism makes this safe damn near impossible to crack and has been proven to be more secure than Biometrics.

With a few presses of a button, your safe is open. It’s also more reliable since it doesn’t rely on batteries or an external power source.

At $345, it’s hard to complain. With the amount of security you get with the Personal Pistol Box versus what you pay, it’s easy to see why this safe is the best overall.

Best Value Handgun Safe – Hornady One-Gun Safe 

Pros & Cons

You don’t have to break the bank to get premium protection for your firearms. Along with making some of the best ammunition on the market, Hornady makes an excellent safe for gun owners who don’t want to spend a ton of money but still want to protect their firearms.

The Hornady One-Gun safe was the first one I ever purchased; the same day, I bought my first pistol (that wasn’t government-issued), and it served me for years until I decided to upgrade. It now belongs to a friend who just got into firearms, which shows I genuinely recommend it.

Since I’m terrible at keeping track of things, the visible low-battery indicator was huge. I always had a fresh set of batteries and never worried about anyone getting into that 16-gauge steel.

You can tell it’s built well right as you take it out of the box. I’ve had it slide off my dresser once and hit my concrete basement floor hard, but it came out unscathed. Don’t worry; I bolted it down after that.

The concrete did have a nice chunk out of it, too. This further showed me that the One-Gun safe is durable and reliable and won’t easily be broken by a few knocks. And for only around $150, it’s hard to beat.

Best Mounted Handgun Safe – RPNB Carbon Knight

Specifications

Pros & Cons

Mounting a safe to the side of your table or nightstand saves space where you need it while using it where you don’t. I have three friends who own the RPNB Carbon Knight and have said nothing but positive things about it aside from being a little loud when opening and not allowing attachments on bigger firearms.

You can get away with lights and optics on smaller firearms. I fit a Sig Sauer P365 X-Macro in the safe with both. And it worked out fine.

Whether you use the biometric sensor or keypad, the sliding door is quick and allows easy access to your firearm. It offers mounting on either side, three entry methods, solid steel construction, and a slim footprint that allows it to fit wherever you want to hide a firearm.

If you want to open the safe as quietly as possible, the RPNB Carbon Knight has a silencing option that eliminates the sound feedback. Why would you want the bad guy to know you’re armed and closing in?

What’s best is that the Carbon Knight can be had for under $250 (at least as of when this article was written). This quick sliding safe is easy on the wallet and perfect for anyone who wants to store their firearm discreetly.

Best Standing Safe – Fort Knox Spartan Safe

Specifications

Pros & Cons

Fort Knox is in the business of selling security. And for many shooters who like to keep their expensive firearms locked up tighter than bullion, there is no better option than a Fort Knox vault.

I’ve yet to own one, but my grandfather is an avid firearms collector and owns three Fort Knox safes, one of them being the Spartan, where he keeps his pistols and AR-15s.

Many of my friends also trust Fort Knox to keep their firearms safe. They’ve all provided stellar reviews, and I’ve seen the quality of each one of their safes firsthand.

When you consider the 3/16 inch plate steel it’s made from, the high-degree fire protection and the 12 solid steel bolts that keep the doors closed, it’s easy to see why so many people trust these safes.

Fort Knox offers many different configurations, and of course, the more you spend, the more protection you get.

I recommend this configuration for shooters who are planning on expanding their collection to include long guns and who want to keep their guns and valuables safe from not only thieves but fire, too. They are expensive, but it’s an investment.

Competitors like Liberty Safe have already been drowned by controversy, but Fort Knox has reassured consumers that only you (the owner of the safe) will have access to the codes that open your safe. It’s always nice to know that only you can access the contents.

If you want to expand your collection and get the ultimate level of security for your handguns and rifles, look no further.

Best Travel Handgun Safe – Vaultek Life Pod 2.0 

Specifications

Pros & Cons

Lifepod cases have been a lifesaver for shooters who don’t want a huge metal safe but rather something portable and reliable. And while it’s not going to hold back a thief for too long, the LifePod 2.0 is great for keeping your firearm secure on the go.

They feature a standard four to eight digit keypad with an optional biometric scanner.

Vaultek constructs these LifePods using a non-metal polymer. While it isn’t going to be as durable as metal, it’s lightweight and easy to carry, which is the purpose of this safe. You can easily keep it in your car or a backpack.

And it’s TSA-approved. I’ve used one for a trip across the country and was happy to find my firearm in one piece. We all know how airlines treat luggage.

With many configurations priced under $200, it’s hard to beat such a trusted and capable product. And if you want the best portable safe on the market that also comes in different colors, this is it.

Who This Is For

This list is for gun owners who want to keep their firearms protected, whether it be at home or on the go. As you can see, I’ve made sure to list everything from pistol to rifle safes, so if you’re new to firearm ownership and only need one of the other, you’re covered.

If you’re going to be purchasing a firearm, then it’s important you either have a safe ready or buy one on the way out the door.

But this list is for everyone. We never want to single anyone out when protecting their firearms.

How We Chose Our Top Picks

When choosing the best handgun safes, we wanted to find safes that offered excellent security at an affordable price and had a good track history among ourselves and others.

Reliable function, internal and external power sources, and ways to open the safe were most important. We also wanted different types sizes in case you want one with more space for future firearm purchases, one that can be mounted to the side of a dresser, or even one that can be taken on planes.

I didn’t want all the safes to be standard biometric stay-at-home units bolted to the ground. They had to be somewhat small and portable, aside from one.

Ultimately, we want this to be a one-stop shop for safes. Reliable, portable, spacious, and secure.

Read more about how we choose products here.

Types Of Safes

Biometric

Biometric safes store your fingerprint(s) and allow you to open the safe in seconds whenever you place your finger on the biometric fingerpad.

Biometric safes offer many benefits, from quick and easy access to enhanced security since they store your fingerprint. If you’d like, multiple fingerprints can also usually be stored, so if your spouse wants access to the firearms, they can.

However, scanner malfunction has been a big problem in many biometric safes, turning many users away. I have personally experienced this and now buy other styles.

Keypad

Keypad safes use a set sequence of numbers that you must input whenever you want to gain access to your firearms.

While keypad safes aren’t as quick and easy as biometric safes, they have proven more reliable since the latter tends to suffer from scanner malfunction.

The problem with keypad safes is that the codes are typically easy to guess or get written down, which can be found by someone you don’t want to have access to your firearms. But, the quick fix is to make a more complex passcode and remember it.

Mechanical Combination or Dial

Mechanical combination locks (also referred to as dial locks) offer superior reliability and can offer one million or more combination variations.

While reliable, they require more time and effort to gain entry. In a high-stress situation where seconds matter, quickly dialing the combination and doing so accurately can be difficult.

What To Consider When Buying A Safe

Different gun owners will require different specifications for their safes.

For example, one person may only have one firearm and want to take it with them on the road, while others just want a massive vault to keep their selection secure. That leads us to your first consideration.

Size

The most crucial factor to consider when choosing a safe is how much space you will need. As I said before, if you want to buy more firearms, you’ll need more space.

You don’t want to buy a new safe every time you buy a firearm; safes are too expensive.

If you intend to own a single handgun and nothing else, then you don’t need to spend $5,000 on a gun vault. A simple Fort Knox Personal Pistol Box will do.

But, if you want to add an AR-15, hunting rifle, or Shotgun to the mix, you should get something more significant. It doesn’t have to be a Fort Knox, but you’ll want more space.

The beauty of many of these larger safes is the amount of security offered by the massive piece of reinforced steel bolted into the subfloor of your home. Not only are they virtually impossible to break into, but they will give you the space to secure multiple firearms.

Cost

Safes can be expensive. They get more expensive as the levels of luxury and security increase.

But don’t worry, as you’ve seen from our list, they aren’t all expensive. If you’re only getting a safe for a handgun, you can find a good quality safe for $150. Just take a look at the Hornady One-Gun Safe.

Biometric safes are usually more expensive due to the technology, and I’d say the expense isn’t worth it unless it’s for a firearm you’ll need quick access to, like a home defense gun. But I would recommend considering a safe that has biometrics and a keypad in case the biometrics fail.

Security

We talked about the types of locks above, but the security of your safe goes way beyond how you get into it. Some safes offer fire protection, some offer water resistance, and some even offer warranties covering the safe in case of damage.

It ultimately comes down to how much peace of mind you want. It will cost more if you want the best security and fire protection.

Conclusion

While we provided several great safes to consider in our list above, plenty of other quality safes are also available.

For example, we considered ones like the Hornady Fireproof Keypad Safe, which is an excellent option if you have a lot of space on your desk and don’t need a portable safe. But it’s too heavy and bulky for nightstands and too short to be a viable standing safe, so it didn’t quite make it on the list.

But the Hornady Fireproof Keypad Safe should be considered if you have the space and don’t need to store long guns.

Price and security were our most important factors when choosing our top handgun safes. We also wanted to mention something portable but capable of protecting your firearm, which is why the LifePod 2.0 is on here.

You should be able to find a safe that suits almost any of your needs. Before buying, make sure you take into consideration what type of security you need. You don’t have to buy more than you need but definitely don’t buy less.

Be good and take care.