#securitysafes

4 Best Bedside Gun Safes for Quick Access

LAKOTA NEWS: Source: PewPewTactical June 23. 2019 Lakota Editor's Pick: VAULTEK SMART SAFES - Altamonte Springs, Florida Want the quickest access gun safe to protect yourself and your family?

Vaultek Opening with Finger Learn the top criteria I used in selecting my personal bedside gun safe so you can apply it to your home situation.  Then followed by recommendations for all budgets. Then see the safes in action with my actual home defense pistol. And now we have a full YouTube video on our favorite safes that we cover in the article: If that helped, please subscribe to our YouTube channel since we’re adding new videos every week!

Safe Selection Criteria

Selecting a gun safe might be actually harder than what you went through selecting your handgun.

Best Handgun Safes There’s so much stuff out there across so many price ranges.  I’ll try to make it easier by going through my top criteria when selecting my actual bedside gun safe. Quick Access: My home defense pistol will be going in this safe and in a defensive situation, I want to be able to access it in around 1-2 seconds. Reliable: I’ll likely be groggy and fumbling around in the dark.  Is the safe 100% reliable and easy to use in that state? Adequate Protection: Expensive and less used guns go into my larger and more secure safe.  This bedside version is just to deter smash & grab burglars or to stop a nosy guest.  I’m not looking for extreme child or fire protection here. Space: Enough of it to hold a full sized handgun like my Glock 17. Mountable: I make sure that the safe is small enough to be mounted high the closet or nightstand drawer so it’s harder to access for small children and won’t just walk away with someone.

Best Bedside Quick Access Gun Safes

1. Fort Knox FTK-PB Through all my research and asking around, I ended up with the Fort Knox FTK-PB Simplex Handgun Safe after a less than optimal buy or two.

Fort Knox Pistol Safe It met and exceeded all the criteria I had set out for myself.  I do not regret my decision and I tell all my new gun owner friends to get their own. And each and every one loves it after install. Quick Access “Simplex” means that instead of electronic keys, a rotary dial, or biometrics, it uses mechanical buttons that provide good feedback and allow me to open the safe in around 1.5 seconds. *2018 Update*: 2 years worth of usage and going strong for my simplex safe. All I do is put in my 2-stage code and turn the knob clockwise.  An example of a 2-stage code would be pressing the 1st and 3rd button simultaneously, followed by pressing the 5th button. I also like that I can previously input the code and turn the knob clockwise but not actually open the top.  This means you can have super fast access to it at night if you open it before you go to bed.

Fort Knox FTK-PB Simplex Open Reliable I wanted something that, like my self-defense gun, would “always go bang.”  The Simplex lock is American made (as is the entire safe) and does not need batteries, like so many of the popular safes out there, need for electronic keys or biometrics.  Also, no beeps and reading errors that could get you killed.  There’s a lifetime warranty too. 2 years in of nearly weekly use…it’s still going strong with no messups.  Plus the foam is still good even after some oil dripped out from my gun. Adequate Protection The safe is really heavy (~20 lbs) since it has 3/16″ steel doors and 10 gauge steel bodies.  I feel confident if it ever fell off a truck, or got attacked by a crowbar, it would put up a good fight.  I also like that the corners and sides are folded in to make prying much harder.

Fort Knox FTK-PB Corner

Fort Knox FTK-PB Inner Corner Space Plenty of space for my full-size Glock 17 and extra mag.

Inside Fort Knox FTK-PB Handgun Safe There’s also two layers of foam underneath my gun and I feel confident that you could put at least one more full sized pistol in there if you wanted.

Fort Knox FTK-PB Double Foam Mountable 4 pre-drilled holes on the bottom for easy mounting.

Fort Knox FTK-PB Fastened Cons It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.  The first few things I don’t like are nit-picky but the last one can be a deal breaker for you. First is that it’s susceptible to water damage.  My wife left a cold cup of something in the top left which formed condensation and left a pattern.  I’m just glad it’s kind of cool looking.

Fort Knox FTK-PB Simplex Handgun Safe The foam around the hinge gets in the way of closing but is easily addressed by just cutting it off.  Here’s the finished product.

FTK-PB Hinge Foam Cut And the potential deal breaker is that it only has 1081 combinations that any smart child could try in a relatively short amount of time.  However, if you don’t have kids yet, or plan on concealing the safe, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. GunVault SpeedVault & GunVault 1000S What I recommend to people who want pretty good quality but at a lower price point.  The GunVault SpeedVault and the GunVault 1000S are top sellers with great reviews for electronic locking safes. View and purchase by clicking: GunVault SpeedVault GunVault 1000s Quick Access: Quick access in the 2-second range.  Video later shows slight speed reduction in taking out a handgun for the side opening models such as the 1000S. Reliable: Not as reliable in my opinion as mechanical Simplex locks, but tons of people swear by them.  I’d be comfortable using them if I were to unlock them before going to sleep.  Can turn off the key entry sounds for “stealth” mode. Adequate Protection: Tight fittings and thick steel meet my requirements for protection against burglars and nosy guests.  12 million combinations so the possibility of someone brute force trying all of them are much less likely.  However, it still has a key override so keep it hidden. Space: If it can fit a full-size 1911 style handgun, it will fit my Glock 17.  Other GunVault models are available for smaller or bigger storage needs. Mountable: Easy to mount and the SpeedVault defines what it means to be a bedside or desk side safe with its ingenious opening mechanism.

GunVault SpeedVault Under Desk 3. Stack-On PDS-500 What I first chose as my gun safe due to its immense popularity on Amazon and its great reviews. The Stack-On PDS-500 is a great budget safe but just be aware of its shortcomings. BEST BUDGET SAFE Stack-On PDS-500   Quick Access: Pretty quick access in the 2-3 second mark depending on your code.  However, I found the top opening door is smaller than the base, you can have occasional hangups of your gun.

Stack-On PDS-500 Open Reliable: Not super reliable in my opinion.  I tested myself with late-night wake-up drills to try and open the safe and I found myself forgetting to hit the “*” key after my code.  The knob also sometimes does not work if you immediately turn clockwise…I found I had to turn counter-clockwise until it reset and then turn it clockwise for 100% reliability.  I’d only be comfortable unlocking it before I slept. Adequate Protection: Decently heavy (~10 lbs) and seems pry-resistant.  Includes backup key access when you pry off the “Stack-On” nameplate on top to keep it hidden.  Older models seem to be easily picked with just a paper clip.  You can protect against this by getting a new lock or just super-gluing the plate. Space: Fits my full-size Glock easily with extra space for a mag or two. Mountable: Has bottom mounts. 4. Vaultek V20i & V10i Want a reliable fingerprint and Bluetooth accessible safe that looks sweet?  Check out the Vaultek VT20i and VT10i. HIGH-TECH OPTION View and Purchase here Vaultek VT20i  Quick Access: 4 easy ways to access your firearm: key, number code, fingerprint, or Bluetooth app. Reliable: Fingerprint scanner was a little iffy when our fingers were wet.  But the other options were 100%.  If using this for your bedside gun safe…I’d stick with the number code. Adequate Protection: Very robust feeling that resists drops and hits.  Plus pry-resistant.

Vaultek Abuse, Greenlight Shooting Space: The smaller VT10i will hold most handguns with a mag or two to spare while the larger VT20i will accommodate 4″ revolvers and full-sized handguns with 3+ mags.

VT10i with Glock 19

VT20i with S&W 686+ 4-inch Mountable: Comes with two pre-drilled holes and screws.  Plus cable attachment.

HOW TO CHOOSE A HIGH QUALITY SECURITY SAFE

Posted On October 7, 2015 by Ralph Goodman - SOURCE: UNITED LOCKSMITH A safe is an investment. Before starting the research process into the type of safes that can protect your belongings, ask yourself if you have valuables that warrant a significant investment in protection. I would say that everything warrants significant protection, but I will not be buying your safe. The price of the safe needs to be something that the buyer can justify to themselves. If you don’t want to buy something built sturdy and secure, and just want a safe, then you probably don’t need a safe. If you just want to keep your kids out of your guns or don’t want people seeing your files, a cabinet with a lock can do that. This is an article about safes. Safes are security. This is not about concealment or layers of security. Layers are of course the best way to protect your home from criminals, but this piece will focus on the best safe companies. What makes them superior, and by that same logic, what makes them expensive. Everyone is on a budget, but even homes can be purchased on a budget. All of these companies will have several models, varying in price and protection. Rest assured, with these brands, a larger investment will provide additional protection.

Education

The unfortunate thing about most safe companies is that so many do not advertise their product’s specific security and construction. As a result, you will have to know what questions to ask. When asking your questions, you should also know what answers you want to hear. Buying blind, or buying without independent research might end in a large purchase that does not offer the right protection. You have probably seen Weapons Education’s video about safes, and if you have not I recommend checking it out, but here are the points you want to focus on. Steel Content Find out the steel content for the body and the door. The body of most safes is ½ to ⅓ the metal content of the door. The gauge of the steel is also important. 12 gauge is the lowest gauge steel that the department of justice allows to call an item a safe. A Fire Axe will split 12 gauge steel. As the number decreases, the strength of the steel increases. Example: 12 gauge steel is two ratings lower than 10 gauge steel. Additional stainless steel layers will disperse heat from torch attacks, as well as provide added strength. Be wary of composite doors, as their thickness does not represent the steel content. Welding For the sturdiest construction, you want to buy a safe with a continuous weld. That means that the weld is used to fuse two metal pieces. A continuous weld varies greatly from a spot weld. A spot weld is significantly weaker and uses binding points that can be compromised. Sledge hammers can be used to break spot welds, but there are several other ways to take apart spot welded metal. You can drill out the spot welds, burn them out with a torch, or use a specific spot weld removal tool. The end result of a continuous weld is a solid piece of metal. Fire Resistance Standards Almost every safe company uses different standards to measure fire resistance. And despite some very bold claims, there is no safe that is fireproof. When you are finding out the company’s specific testing criteria pay attention to the heat that the safe was tested at and how long the test was run. A low temperature and a high resistance time might be the same as a high temperature and a low resistance time. If the company cannot, or is unwilling, to tell you how they test their safes, I would recommend not purchasing the product. Fire resistance is an important purchasing factor, and a lack of information makes you vulnerable to loss. Bolt Work Assembly The bolt work is going to take up the most space on the door. The assembly of these internal mechanisms will provide protection against more advanced attacks. If the bolt work is composed in such a way that links the locking bolts to the cam (or similar device), sticking the bolts may open the safe. Pay attention to the steel in the locking bolts as well. The longer the bolts extend into the frame of the door the stronger the safe will hold. The thickness of the bolts will also offer you protection from attacks. Lock bolts that rotate will also increase protection by moving when cutting attempts are made. Warranty and Manufacturing

A lifetime warranty says a lot about a company. It means they have faith in their product’s ability and that they hold themselves to a higher standard. Warranties might also vary depending on the components. Often electronic locks and dials are not made by the safe manufacturer but are instead purchased from a third party. The dial might have a separate warranty, and this is not a reflection on the safe company unless the lock is low quality. Also, pay attention to where the safe is manufactured. A safe that is made in China might have a lifetime warranty because it costs little to replace it. At the risk of sounding ethnocentric, the best option is to buy American. U.S. factories allow for quality control and deliver a higher standard. Be aware that even though the company does manufacture in the U.S. that it might have certain models assembled in China.

Ralph Goodman's Pick: Top 5 Safe Companies

American Security (AMSEC)

Overview American Security Company has very clear warranty conditions that are available on their website. The UL fire resistive rating methodology is also on their website, and it is quite an impressive set of standards. 1-hour testing is done at a temperature of 1700º Fahrenheit (about 927º Celsius). 2-hour testing is done at a temperature of 1850º Fahrenheit (1010º Celsius). In order to pass the endurance test, the internal temperature of the safe must never exceed 350º Fahrenheit. Their burglary rating is also detailed to the UL’s specifications. The burglary science is a little too advanced to explain in an overview, but I do encourage potential buyers to review it themselves. When AMSEC gives their tag to a safe model saying it is fire and burglary resistant, these are the standards that it is holding the product to. Not all of their models pass these requirements, but if they do not, there will be no misleading information posted on the safe. Pros Higher end models are built with clear scientific standards. Criteria for safes to be called fire resistant and burglary resistant are demanding. Tight openings between the door and the body make pry bar attacks very difficult. High security safes are built in the United States. Cons Lack of customizability limits potential protection.

Fort Knox

Overview Everyone always talks about Fort Knox, so we will too. This brand has set a new standard that other companies are forced to compare themselves to. Go to their warranty page and the first thing you will read is, “Lifetime Warranty”. Their site has seemingly endless buttons challenging you to “Build & Price Your Vault”, but before you do that you can see the “Fort Knox Difference”. Customers can see cutaway diagrams that show the composition of the safe doors, interior options, and their fire resistance results. Their lowest end, Entry level safe will withstand a peak temperature of 1200º Fahrenheit (about 649º Celsius) for 45 minutes. The safety standards for burglary are not specified on the site. There is a significant gap between the door and the safe body that looks like it would fit a pry bar. The starting price for these safes begin at $1,200 and go up from there. The company allows for quite a bit of customization, but the door gap does seem to be standard. Pros Basic models have acceptable fire resistance. Every safe is built in the United States. Customization creates great potential for security. Lifetime Warranty. Cons Gap between the door and the body make pry bar attacks possible. There is no burglary resistance testing described on the site. Seems that you may be paying more for the name than you are for the protection.

Sturdy

Overview The Sturdy Safe Company is very transparent in how their products are designed and manufactured. If you go onto the company website or their youtube page, you can find many videos detailing just how sturdy their products are. Everything from the bolt manipulation to pry attacks (manual and mechanical) are shown to be ultimately useless against these safes. The site has a very informative page about how the safes’ are insulated from fire damage, but more than that there is a customer testimonial. A Sturdy safe customer by the name of Stan had his house burn down in a fire that lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. The contents of the safe had almost no damage, and it is reported that some of the responding firefighters were so impressed, they bought Sturdy safes for themselves. Pictures and video can be found on their site. If anecdotal evidence is not enough (and it shouldn’t be) Sturdy’s website offers tons of information on the construction and size of the steel it uses. At the lowest end, the steel falls somewhere between a 6 or a 7 gauge, and that is for the safe body. The videos on the steel stress test will say more than steel content numbers ever could. The company sells many safe models as well as offering custom safe designs. The cheapest available safe is $737 with dimensions of 20″ W 18″ D 20″ H. From there, the dimensions increase, and so does the price. The company has been making safes for 53 years. During their existence, they have remained operated and owned by the same family. All safes are 100% American made and exceed the UL safety requirements. And if that is not enough, all safes come with a lifetime warranty. Pros Documented and proven security. Every safe is built in the United States. Customization creates great potential for security. Lifetime Warranty. Cons Safes are very plain looking.

Homeland Security Safes

Overview Made in the United States. Check. Lifetime warranty. Check. The fireproofing on the safe will protect your valuables, on the lowest priced models, for 45 minutes at a peak temperature of 1500º Fahrenheit (about 816º Celsius). With customization, or in higher priced models, the safes can withstand 60 minutes with a peak temperature of 2300º Fahrenheit (1260º Celsius). The safe is also made with anti-pry construction, that makes it harder for burglars to leverage open the safe door. Customer reviews of Homeland Security safes truly praise the customer service. One customer stated that they would send him periodic messages and photos of the manufacturing process. Customer service is going to be key if you want to purchase a custom safe, which Home Security does offer. On their Facebook page, you can even see custom designs they have made for patrons. Designs include Dodgers, Sons of Anarchy, 49s, etc. Their high-security safes start at $1,099 and increase with customization, additional features, and larger sizes. Pros Customizable paint designs. Lifetime Warranty. Every safe is built in the United States. Customization creates great potential for security. Cons There is no burglary resistance testing described on the site.

Vault Pro

HOW TO CHOOSE A HIGH QUALITY SECURITY SAFE

Posted On October 7, 2015 by Ralph Goodman - SOURCE: UNITED LOCKSMITH A safe is an investment. Before starting the research process into the type of safes that can protect your belongings, ask yourself if you have valuables that warrant a significant investment in protection. I would say that everything warrants significant protection, but I will not be buying your safe. The price of the safe needs to be something that the buyer can justify to themselves. If you don’t want to buy something built sturdy and secure, and just want a safe, then you probably don’t need a safe. If you just want to keep your kids out of your guns or don’t want people seeing your files, a cabinet with a lock can do that. This is an article about safes. Safes are security. This is not about concealment or layers of security. Layers are of course the best way to protect your home from criminals, but this piece will focus on the best safe companies. What makes them superior, and by that same logic, what makes them expensive. Everyone is on a budget, but even homes can be purchased on a budget. All of these companies will have several models, varying in price and protection. Rest assured, with these brands, a larger investment will provide additional protection.

Education

The unfortunate thing about most safe companies is that so many do not advertise their product’s specific security and construction. As a result, you will have to know what questions to ask. When asking your questions, you should also know what answers you want to hear. Buying blind, or buying without independent research might end in a large purchase that does not offer the right protection. You have probably seen Weapons Education’s video about safes, and if you have not I recommend checking it out, but here are the points you want to focus on. Steel Content Find out the steel content for the body and the door. The body of most safes is ½ to ⅓ the metal content of the door. The gauge of the steel is also important. 12 gauge is the lowest gauge steel that the department of justice allows to call an item a safe. A Fire Axe will split 12 gauge steel. As the number decreases, the strength of the steel increases. Example: 12 gauge steel is two ratings lower than 10 gauge steel. Additional stainless steel layers will disperse heat from torch attacks, as well as provide added strength. Be wary of composite doors, as their thickness does not represent the steel content. Welding For the sturdiest construction, you want to buy a safe with a continuous weld. That means that the weld is used to fuse two metal pieces. A continuous weld varies greatly from a spot weld. A spot weld is significantly weaker and uses binding points that can be compromised. Sledge hammers can be used to break spot welds, but there are several other ways to take apart spot welded metal. You can drill out the spot welds, burn them out with a torch, or use a specific spot weld removal tool. The end result of a continuous weld is a solid piece of metal. Fire Resistance Standards Almost every safe company uses different standards to measure fire resistance. And despite some very bold claims, there is no safe that is fireproof. When you are finding out the company’s specific testing criteria pay attention to the heat that the safe was tested at and how long the test was run. A low temperature and a high resistance time might be the same as a high temperature and a low resistance time. If the company cannot, or is unwilling, to tell you how they test their safes, I would recommend not purchasing the product. Fire resistance is an important purchasing factor, and a lack of information makes you vulnerable to loss. Bolt Work Assembly The bolt work is going to take up the most space on the door. The assembly of these internal mechanisms will provide protection against more advanced attacks. If the bolt work is composed in such a way that links the locking bolts to the cam (or similar device), sticking the bolts may open the safe. Pay attention to the steel in the locking bolts as well. The longer the bolts extend into the frame of the door the stronger the safe will hold. The thickness of the bolts will also offer you protection from attacks. Lock bolts that rotate will also increase protection by moving when cutting attempts are made. Warranty and Manufacturing

A lifetime warranty says a lot about a company. It means they have faith in their product’s ability and that they hold themselves to a higher standard. Warranties might also vary depending on the components. Often electronic locks and dials are not made by the safe manufacturer but are instead purchased from a third party. The dial might have a separate warranty, and this is not a reflection on the safe company unless the lock is low quality. Also, pay attention to where the safe is manufactured. A safe that is made in China might have a lifetime warranty because it costs little to replace it. At the risk of sounding ethnocentric, the best option is to buy American. U.S. factories allow for quality control and deliver a higher standard. Be aware that even though the company does manufacture in the U.S. that it might have certain models assembled in China.

Ralph Goodman's Pick: Top 5 Safe Companies

American Security (AMSEC)

Overview American Security Company has very clear warranty conditions that are available on their website. The UL fire resistive rating methodology is also on their website, and it is quite an impressive set of standards. 1-hour testing is done at a temperature of 1700º Fahrenheit (about 927º Celsius). 2-hour testing is done at a temperature of 1850º Fahrenheit (1010º Celsius). In order to pass the endurance test, the internal temperature of the safe must never exceed 350º Fahrenheit. Their burglary rating is also detailed to the UL’s specifications. The burglary science is a little too advanced to explain in an overview, but I do encourage potential buyers to review it themselves. When AMSEC gives their tag to a safe model saying it is fire and burglary resistant, these are the standards that it is holding the product to. Not all of their models pass these requirements, but if they do not, there will be no misleading information posted on the safe. Pros Higher end models are built with clear scientific standards. Criteria for safes to be called fire resistant and burglary resistant are demanding. Tight openings between the door and the body make pry bar attacks very difficult. High security safes are built in the United States. Cons Lack of customizability limits potential protection.

Fort Knox

Overview Everyone always talks about Fort Knox, so we will too. This brand has set a new standard that other companies are forced to compare themselves to. Go to their warranty page and the first thing you will read is, “Lifetime Warranty”. Their site has seemingly endless buttons challenging you to “Build & Price Your Vault”, but before you do that you can see the “Fort Knox Difference”. Customers can see cutaway diagrams that show the composition of the safe doors, interior options, and their fire resistance results. Their lowest end, Entry level safe will withstand a peak temperature of 1200º Fahrenheit (about 649º Celsius) for 45 minutes. The safety standards for burglary are not specified on the site. There is a significant gap between the door and the safe body that looks like it would fit a pry bar. The starting price for these safes begin at $1,200 and go up from there. The company allows for quite a bit of customization, but the door gap does seem to be standard. Pros Basic models have acceptable fire resistance. Every safe is built in the United States. Customization creates great potential for security. Lifetime Warranty. Cons Gap between the door and the body make pry bar attacks possible. There is no burglary resistance testing described on the site. Seems that you may be paying more for the name than you are for the protection.

Sturdy

Overview The Sturdy Safe Company is very transparent in how their products are designed and manufactured. If you go onto the company website or their youtube page, you can find many videos detailing just how sturdy their products are. Everything from the bolt manipulation to pry attacks (manual and mechanical) are shown to be ultimately useless against these safes. The site has a very informative page about how the safes’ are insulated from fire damage, but more than that there is a customer testimonial. A Sturdy safe customer by the name of Stan had his house burn down in a fire that lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. The contents of the safe had almost no damage, and it is reported that some of the responding firefighters were so impressed, they bought Sturdy safes for themselves. Pictures and video can be found on their site. If anecdotal evidence is not enough (and it shouldn’t be) Sturdy’s website offers tons of information on the construction and size of the steel it uses. At the lowest end, the steel falls somewhere between a 6 or a 7 gauge, and that is for the safe body. The videos on the steel stress test will say more than steel content numbers ever could. The company sells many safe models as well as offering custom safe designs. The cheapest available safe is $737 with dimensions of 20″ W 18″ D 20″ H. From there, the dimensions increase, and so does the price. The company has been making safes for 53 years. During their existence, they have remained operated and owned by the same family. All safes are 100% American made and exceed the UL safety requirements. And if that is not enough, all safes come with a lifetime warranty. Pros Documented and proven security. Every safe is built in the United States. Customization creates great potential for security. Lifetime Warranty. Cons Safes are very plain looking.

Homeland Security Safes

Overview Made in the United States. Check. Lifetime warranty. Check. The fireproofing on the safe will protect your valuables, on the lowest priced models, for 45 minutes at a peak temperature of 1500º Fahrenheit (about 816º Celsius). With customization, or in higher priced models, the safes can withstand 60 minutes with a peak temperature of 2300º Fahrenheit (1260º Celsius). The safe is also made with anti-pry construction, that makes it harder for burglars to leverage open the safe door. Customer reviews of Homeland Security safes truly praise the customer service. One customer stated that they would send him periodic messages and photos of the manufacturing process. Customer service is going to be key if you want to purchase a custom safe, which Home Security does offer. On their Facebook page, you can even see custom designs they have made for patrons. Designs include Dodgers, Sons of Anarchy, 49s, etc. Their high-security safes start at $1,099 and increase with customization, additional features, and larger sizes. Pros Customizable paint designs. Lifetime Warranty. Every safe is built in the United States. Customization creates great potential for security. Cons There is no burglary resistance testing described on the site.

Vault Pro