Locked storage keeps guns away from children, visitors and burglars. For a home with a handgun or two, a small quick-access safe at the bedside or in a closet is the usual answer; for long guns, a steel cabinet.
Our picks at a glance
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
Best value
SentrySafe QAP2E Keypad Handgun Safe
2 handgun keypad safe
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
Best biometric
VAULTEK 20 Series Compact Biometric Safe
1 to 2 compact handguns, biometric
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 3
Long guns
Fortress Modular Steel Locking Gun Cabinet (18 to 24 guns)
18 to 24 long gun cabinet
Check price on AmazonPaid link
Choose by what you store and how fast you need it. Keypads are cheap and reliable; fingerprint readers open faster in the dark. Bolt the safe down or cable it to something fixed, or it can simply be carried away.
These are storage safes, not fire safes: none of the models below claims a fire rating, so keep documents in a fire-rated safe.
Top picks, and why
SentrySafe QAP2E Keypad Handgun Safe
- 16.4 x 9.8 x 3.2 in
- Gas strut lid
- CA DOJ certified
Holds 2 handguns, keypad with backup key, gas strut lid, California DOJ certified. under $100.
- Holds 2 handguns
- California DOJ certified
- Bolt-down kit and backup key
- Keypad only (no fingerprint)
- 4 AA batteries
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
VAULTEK 20 Series Compact Biometric Safe
- 16 ga steel
- Auto-open
- 20 fingerprints
16-gauge steel, a fingerprint reader for 20 prints, auto-open lid and a steel security cable. $250 to $500.
- 16 ga steel, anti-pry bars
- 20 fingerprints, keypad and keys
- Auto-open lid, steel cable and mounting hardware
- Fits compact handguns
- 3 AAA batteries or plug-in power
$250 to $500, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Fortress Modular Steel Locking Gun Cabinet (18 to 24 guns)
- All steel
- 6-point lock
- Removable shelves
All-steel cabinet for 18 to 24 long guns with a 6-point key lock. $250 to $500.
- Holds 18 to 24 long guns
- 6-point locking, double-bitted key
- Full-length piano hinge
- Key lock only
- A storage cabinet, not a fire-rated safe
$250 to $500, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Compare every pick
Paid links: we earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you. Amazon prices change often, so we show a range and link to the live price.
Quick-access handgun safes
A quick-access safe holds one or two handguns in a box that fits a nightstand drawer or shelf. Every model below has a backup key, which matters when batteries die: replace them on a schedule, not when the keypad stops working.
California's DOJ certification is a published test standard; the two SentrySafe models carry it.
Fortress P2EA Personal Pistol Safe
- Drop-down door
- Removable shelf
- Backup key
2 pistols, 4-digit keypad with a wrong-code alarm, drop-down door, pre-drilled for mounting. under $100.
- Holds 2 pistols
- Wrong-code alarm, silent keypad option
- Pre-drilled for mounting
- Keypad only
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
SentrySafe QAP2E Keypad Handgun Safe
- 16.4 x 9.8 x 3.2 in
- Gas strut lid
- CA DOJ certified
2 handguns, gas strut lid opens quietly with one hand, bolt-down kit included. under $100.
- Holds 2 handguns
- California DOJ certified
- Bolt-down kit and backup key
- Keypad only (no fingerprint)
- 4 AA batteries
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
SentrySafe QAP2BLX Biometric Handgun Safe
- Fingerprint
- Interior light
- Bolt-down kit
The same SentrySafe with a fingerprint reader and interior light. $100 to $250.
- Fingerprint, keypad and backup key
- Interior LED light
- California DOJ certified
- 4 AA batteries
$100 to $250, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
VAULTEK 20 Series Compact Biometric Safe
- 16 ga steel
- Auto-open
- 20 fingerprints
16-gauge steel with anti-pry bars and dual anti-impact latches, fingerprint, keypad or key. $250 to $500.
- 16 ga steel, anti-pry bars
- 20 fingerprints, keypad and keys
- Auto-open lid, steel cable and mounting hardware
- Fits compact handguns
- 3 AAA batteries or plug-in power
$250 to $500, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Long gun cabinets
A steel cabinet keeps rifles and shotguns locked up for far less than a full safe. It deters children and casual theft; it does not resist fire or a determined thief with tools the way a heavy safe does.
Fortress Modular Steel Locking Gun Cabinet (18 to 24 guns)
- All steel
- 6-point lock
- Removable shelves
All steel, 6-point locking, full-length piano hinge and removable shelves. $250 to $500.
- Holds 18 to 24 long guns
- 6-point locking, double-bitted key
- Full-length piano hinge
- Key lock only
- A storage cabinet, not a fire-rated safe
$250 to $500, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
The bottom line
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
Best value
SentrySafe QAP2E Keypad Handgun Safe
2 handgun keypad safe
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
Best biometric
VAULTEK 20 Series Compact Biometric Safe
1 to 2 compact handguns, biometric
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 3
Long guns
Fortress Modular Steel Locking Gun Cabinet (18 to 24 guns)
18 to 24 long gun cabinet
Check price on AmazonPaid link
Frequently asked questions
Is a biometric gun safe reliable?
Good fingerprint readers open quickly, but enroll the same finger several times and keep the backup keypad code and key handy. Dry or cut fingers read less reliably, so practice opening it.
Should I bolt down a handgun safe?
Yes. A small safe that is not bolted or cabled to something fixed can be carried off. Most include a bolt-down kit or a steel cable.
Are these gun safes fireproof?
No. None of the models here claims a fire rating. Use a separate fire-rated safe for documents.
Where should I keep a quick-access safe?
Where you would need it and children cannot reach it: a nightstand drawer or a closet shelf, bolted down. Keep the code private and change it from the factory default.
8 products are linked on this page. We have not lab-tested these products; picks are based on published specifications and our sizing rules. Amazon prices change, so we show a range and link to the live price. See our disclosure.
Size it for your home
Marcus Reed
Founder and Editor, CrunchYourDollars
Marcus Reed builds the sizing tools on CrunchYourDollars. He is a software engineer with a long-running PC hardware and power supply habit, which is where the watts, watt-hours and surge math on this site comes from. Product specs are pulled from manufacturer data sheets, electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and water chemistry rules from the Water Quality Association. He is not a licensed electrician or plumber: the tools show the math and the matching models so you can make the call, and anything involving your electrical panel should be checked by a licensed pro.
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