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Stop storing your unsecured firearms in a drawer, seriously stop doing that. There are many cases of accidental gunshots, and most of them are done by kids. If you don't want that happening to you and want to keep your guns safely stored away, stay tuned as we go through some of the best nightstand gun safes on the market.
One of the most important parts of being a responsible gun owner is making sure that unauthorized people don't get access to your firearms. That's even more important if you have kids.
Another reason why you would be interested in one of them is to hide your guns in various places in your house, especially those places where you spend most of your time.
You can mount these safes anywhere and hide your guns. That way, if you didn't happen to have a gun with you, there will usually be a gun around you. These types of safes are also good for those business places that won't let people carry guns.
Now, if you are out of the house and someone has an unlimited amount of time with a safe, sure they are going to get into it. In fact, they are going to get into any safe for that matter.
If they come with an angle grinder and a blow torch, there isn't any safe out there that is completely impenetrable.
When it comes to safely and securely stashing your home defense handgun, nothing beats a good bedside safe.
Why Do You Need A Nightstand / Bedside Gun Safe ?
The problem most people run into is "How do I keep my guns secured but still be able to get to it quickly if I need to?"
One of the most popular places to keep a home defense gun is right beside your bed. You don't want to keep your gun on top of a nightstand or put it in the drawer. And as you know, that's not very secure.
If you want to store your handgun safely, you need to keep them in a safe that is small enough to fit into your drawer. And for that, you need the best bedside gun safe on the market.
But what separates the top tier models from the bargain bin garbage? In this guide, we are going to find that out and give you a list of top 5 best nightstand gun safes out there.
Top 5 Nightstand Gun Safes
Our Top Picks By Experts
Budget Friendly
Our Best Pick
All-rounder
Top Nightstand Gun Safe 2019 - Comparison Table
Image | Name | Dimension | Weight (pounds) | Batteries | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 16 x 12 x 7 inc. | 21.4 | No | Steel | ||
 | 14.5 x 10.6 x 3.3 inc | 16.31 | 1 Lithium ion | Steel | ||
 | 6.1 x 2.4 x 7.5 inc. | 5.25 | No | Steel | ||
 | 10.5 x 7.5 x 2.5 inc. | 8 | No | Steel | ||
 | 263.6*177*50mm | 9.2 | LITHIUM-ION | Steel |
Top 5 Best Nightstand Gun Safes
This first product in this list is from Fort Knox. I'm sure all of you are familiar with this brand because it is one of the best safe manufacturers out there. We are starting our review the PB1 because it's a top choice among gun enthusiasts. If you don't feel like reading the rest of this review, you can stop right here and get this one.
Because the rest of the products are just comparisons between this one. It is a big 10-gauge steel constructed box with simple mechanical locking mechanism. To open it up, put your code in and rotate the knob clockwise. If you mistakenly put the wrong code, you simply rotate the knob counterclockwise and put your code again.
Inside this safe, there is enough storage space to put two standard size handguns, and if you want even more room, it has two layers of cushioning which is removable. The door is heavy, but there is a hydraulic hinge to help you open and hold the door in place. For mounting, there are four holes on the bottom. The heavyweight door has a massive, 3/16" tamper-resistant design.
The best part is that it is made in the USA. This beautifully crafted gun safe has set the bar for strength and reliability, and it's practically impossible to crack it open with common hand tools. It's even tough to put a dent on this massive door. The pry-resistant lid adds more security, and unlike other safes, it doesn't have a bypass key. If you truly want to get the best bang for your buck, this is the gun safe to go with.
Pros
Cons
The Vaultek PRO VE is a good alternative to mechanical lock safes. This one has a good electronic lock that has a quick response keypad. It has enough storage space to hold two standard size pistols as well as some magazines. This one can be easily mounted to a nightstand, and the keypads have proximity sensors that light up in the dark.
This is important as you won't be able to see what buttons you are pressing in the middle of the night unless the keypads light up. It has Vaultek's signature build-quality, and they are known for rugged construction. This safe is sturdy as nails thanks to its 14-gauge heavy-duty carbon steel construction. In addition, it also features interior shielding and hinges as well as anti-pry bars construction.
It's strong and comes with pre-drilled mounting holes. You can easily mount this safe with the included mounting kits, or you can use the 4-foot long steel mounting cable. This one has an auto open lid to give you quick access to your guns.
The interior has built-in LED lights that illuminate the valuables just enough to see what you are picking up but not bright enough to make you go blind in the dark. This safe is battery powered and comes with its own sets of rechargeable batteries. You only need to charge them for 2.5 hours, and they will power this safe for four months.
Pros
Cons
The 200M solo-vault handgun safe features a mechanical lock that is similar to the simplex lock you have seen on Fort Knox's vault. However, the mechanism is almost the same. You enter your 4-digit code and rotate clockwise to open it. To reset it, rotate the knob counterclockwise if you press the wrong combination code.
Like simplex, it can only store a certain number of combinations, but what most people are concerned with is the security bypass key. Some consider it as a security risk because, with proper tools, one can get past the security bypass key lock. This lock isn't challenging to pick, but whoever wants to break into it, they can do if they know how to use proper tools.
And burglars don’t come prepared, or most of them don’t have the time. Despite this feature, they are useful for most purposes. The body isn’t that thick, but it does feature a pry-resistant lid. There are pre-drilled mounting holes on one side to run a steel cable to secure this safe. It also has pre-drilled holes on the bottom.
It's not as rugged and robust as the previous model, but it is portable, and if you properly mount it, it will serve its purpose which is to keep your gun safe from unwanted people and give you quick access to your firearm when you need it the most. It has two internal locking points, and this mini safe is constructed using 14-gauge military grade steel.
Pros
Cons
4. V-Line 2597-S Desk Mate HandGun Safe
This security box is solid as a brick. If you want a nightstand safe that you can open faster with minimal thought, this is the one. This quick access safe is DOJ approved, and you can easily mount it under a desk. If you prefer mechanical locks over electronic locks, you will be very impressed with this one.
You don't have to rely on cheap electronics when you need to get to your gun in a life or death emergency. With an electronic lock, especially the cheap ones that go into a small gun safe, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. They are prone to user error, the batteries can die unexpectedly, and some are susceptible to moisture.
But with this one, you don't have to worry about all of that. You just open the simplex lock and the drawer slides right out. The interior isn't that big and spacious enough to hold two full-size pistols. It is also a good alternative if you have a proper place to floor mount this one.
Just make sure you mount this safe to a durable nightstand. Because if it's a small, wooden nightstand, it will be easy for a thief to pick up the whole safe. Thanks to its quick release mounting brackets, you can easily take the safe and move it somewhere else. The mounting bracket is accessible only if you open the safe door.
Pros
Cons
This safe is a relatively new product on the market and has been widely accepted by gun enthusiasts because of its safety features and durable construction. It's not very heavy and has a compact form factor that you can easily place it inside your nightstand or a closet. There is an app that lets you control the safe.
With the app, you can unlock it, manage fingerprints, and even change passwords. It also has a biometric lock. Unlike cheap biometric safes, the fingerprint recognition technology on this one is very good. It will scan and recognize a registered fingerprint in 0.1 seconds.
If all the electronics fail, which I highly doubt it will, there is also a bypass key. The backlit keypad is also a nifty feature to have. In short, this safe allows for a wide variety of unlocking methods. Feel free to use whichever you like the most. Now, the locking mechanisms are all good, but what's more important is its construction.
It's a tough, heavy-duty, 16-gauge carbon steel constructed gun safe. To prevent corrosion, the steel has a durable powder coat finish. This will make sure your safe will last longer for years to come. It also features interior LED lighting, which is necessary when you want to get your gun in the middle of the night.
Pros
Cons
How to Choose the Best Bedside Gun Safe?
There is a lot of different products out there, and some of them are really good, and some of them are plain crap.
So, I'm going to show you how I came up with this list of top 5 nightstand gun safes, what features to look for when buying one as well as some common mistakes that most of us make when buying a safe.
Before buying any gun safes, ask yourself these questions:
- Can you get to your guns quickly?
- Does it have a durable build quality?
- Is the storage enough to hold my firearms?
- Are they easily mountable?
- Is it worth paying for the features?
Why do these questions matter? Well, these are actually the most important criteria when it comes to buying the best bedside gun safe.
Quick & Easy Access
Getting to your gun quickly and easily is very important, especially when it comes a nightstand gun safe. While they are not as secure as a full size traditional safe, which isn't what they are made for, they are handy when it comes to storing your guns away safely from children.
Also, they are quick to open, and most won't take more than 3 seconds. Whether the safe is under your bed, in a closet or a nightstand, you need to able to get to it and open the safe quickly.
You also need to be able to see the keys in the dark, if you choose to go with keypad locks. They should glow in the dark because you need to be able to put in the right combination code.
Plus, it will be an added bonus if the interior has built-in LED lights. It's not a must-have feature, but it's worth having because it will allow you to see what you are picking up.
Build Quality
Most compact safes will only have 14- or 16-gauge steel construction. They won't get thicker than that because the manufacturer has to stick to a specific price point plus making them any beefier would ruin the whole purpose of a compact quick access gun safe.
However, that doesn't mean that you will have to sacrifice protection. Even a 14-gauge safe can be made secure if you properly mount it. And since most high-end products will have anti-pry resistant doors and double locking hinges, it will be tough to get into one.
And most of the time, they are not easy to break into by using common attacks like punching or hammering.
Storage
The only gun safe that has the most storage space in this list is the one from Fort Knox. It can easily hold two standard size guns and some extra magazines. The interior is padded, which will protect your weapons from scratches.
When buying a safe, make sure it has proper space to hold one or two guns as well as some extra space to keep ammo and magazines.
Mounting Options
These safes are actually very easy to steal because they are small, and one can easily carry it. That's why, whatever you do, make sure you bolt down the safe first. All of them will have mounting holes on the side and bottom, and they will even come with all the necessary mounting hardware.
Features
Apart from basic security features, you will see some safe companies offer extra features such as a biometric lock, app support, LED keypad, silent mode operation, etc. While they are not necessary, but it's better to have them. But don't pay for more than what you need.
Final Thoughts
The products mentioned in this article are all based on positive feedback from longtime gun owners. I've checked a lot of security websites, and there weren't any apparent ways one would utilize to break-into these safes.
If you bolt them down or use the mounting cables, they should keep your guns reasonably secured from smash-and-grab burglars and small children. On top of that, you will be able to get into them when you need to. And that alone is what makes the best nightstand gun safe on the market.
Larry is a professional Shooter and his hobby is shooting and Hunting! He has been shooting for the last 6 years and he loves using many types of guns while outing as well. Based experiences with a different type of Guns and Hunting related products. He is sharing his opinion about various Guns so that a beginner can get started right way. Find him on Twitter.
Happy reading!