Easy-to-Install Gun Safes for Pistols
Securely store your personal defense weapon in a quick-access, small gun safe.
A small gun safe is an essential investment for anyone who owns a handgun. Compact and often equipped with advanced locking mechanisms, like biometrics or keypads, a small gun safe ensures quick access while keeping the wrong hands from easily accessing your firearm.
Small gun safes for pistols are also typically portable, affordable, and designed to protect your firearm from theft, damage, and environmental factors. These factors make them ideal for those with limited space who need to secure their handgun from a smash-and-grab robbery or curious kids.
For nearly 40 years, our family-owned store located just outside of Seattle has been helping folks from all walks of life secure their firearms. While we’re certainly in the business of selling safes, our top priority is helping you have the level of safety and security you need to protect the ones you love.
To help you select the best small gun safe for your needs, we’re sharing the following:
What to Store in a Small Gun Safe
The model of a small gun safe will dictate what you can store. The ViSN Slider, for example, is only equipped to hold a handgun. That being said, the other recommended safes could hold several small items ranging from cash and passports to jewelry.
The following are the most popular items to store in a small gun safe:
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Pistol(s)
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Jewelry
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Cash
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Passport(s)
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Watch(es)
What Not to Store in a Small Gun Safe
We always recommend purchasing a safe that’s aligned with the value of what you’re storing. For example, we would never recommend storing $1,000+ dollars in any of these small gun safes.
Instead, think of these safes as a good solution for temporary storage that will keep unwanted individuals from easily getting their hands on your valuables — while still giving you quick access.
To this end, we would always recommend moving your personal defense weapon to a higher security gun safe when you will be gone for an extended period — such as on a vacation or work trip.
Top 4 Small Gun Safes for Pistols
Each small gun safe on this list can hold a full-size handgun and offers a dependable locking mechanism.
1. Discrete Rapid Deployment: ViSN Slider
Vaultek updated its popular slider, introducing the new ViSN Slider that allows you to customize your settings and alert preferences so you know who is accessing your safe and when. Equipped with an HD Biometric Scanner, it can store up to 80 unique prints, so approved users can access the safe easily and quickly.
The ViSN Slider can be discretely mounted on a solid surface, such as a bedside table or desk. When opened, the quiet slide reveals the handgun’s grip for quick and easy removal.
2. No Mounting Required: 20 Series
With a compact design and easy-to-use security cable, Vaultek’s 20 Series handgun safes are arguably our most popular ‘portable’ handgun safe. They include responsive LED lighting so that you can locate your safe in low-light situations, along with an interior LED light that allows you to see the contents.
The backlit keypad allows you to customize your combination from over 40,000 unique sequences. Plus, if the battery dies, the key backup ensures you never lose access to the contents.
3. Multi-Purpose: Vaultek DS5i Bedside Safe
Vaultek’s largest bedside safe, the DS5i can hold two full-size pistols, giving you even more storage capacity. A multi-purpose bedside safe, it offers charging ports and doubles as a digital bedside clock. While we wouldn’t call it ‘discrete,’ it looks perfectly at home on most bedside tables.
4. Higher-Security: AMSEC BFS912E5LP
If theft protection is a concern, the AMSEC BFS912E5LP is an excellent small gun safe solution. Bigger than the first three safes we recommended, it still has a relatively small footprint (12.75" H x 16.25" W x 16.375" D), while offering an impressive 145-pound weight.
This isn’t a safe you’ll pick up and run away with — especially if you bolt it to the floor. It’s also a safe that gives you a fighting chance in the event of a fire, with an 80-minute fire rating.
What else makes this small, but mighty, safe unique? It has a plate door, which most small safes don’t. This security feature substantially reduces the chance of pry attacks. (It’ll take much more than a screwdriver to get into this puppy!)
It also has a UL-listed lock, which offers a higher level of security and dependability. In short, this safe delivers a higher value for its higher price tag. (It’s $945 full retail.)
Small Gun Safe FAQ
What is a small sun safe?
A small gun safe is a compact, secure storage container that holds handguns (typically one or two). Any safe we recommend for securing a handgun would be constructed from a durable material, such as steel, and offer a dependable locking mechanism.
Where would I install a small gun safe?
The beauty of a small gun safe is how many places they can be installed. Generally, folks like to install them by their bedside or within a closet. However, the options are relatively endless. They include:
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Under a Bed
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Bedside Table
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In a Closet
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Under a Sink
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In a Vehicle
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In a Garage
I have a large rifle safe. Why do I need a small gun safe?
If someone is breaking into your home, will they politely wait while you get your handgun from your rifle safe? The odds will not be in your favor. A small gun safe gives you a quick access solution for your personal defense weapon. In short, if you have a personal defense handgun, we recommend having a small gun safe.
Can I travel with a small gun safe?
Yes (and no). Only some of the small gun safes we recommended would be good for travel. The ViSN slider needs to be mounted. The AMSEC BFS912E5LP weighs nearly 150 pounds. However, Vaultek’s 20 Series are just 7.2 pounds and small enough to be carried in most duffle bags and suitcases.