Ideas for Handgun Lock-Box

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

A single mom of a teenage boy has noticed an increase in violent crime in her area of the country and is thinking about getting a handgun (and only a handgun, no long gun or carbine) for home defense. Not for on-body carry, ever, period. Home defense.

She is concerned about "safe storage" with her kid and that boy's friends hanging out at all hours of the day and night, including when she's out running errands or sleeping at 10 pm while the kids are staying up until 3 a.am. on weekend nights.

What kind of safe storage boxes / lockers / vaults / gun safes / locking cabinets / gun locks / locking gun racks or gun holders would you recommend?

Is anything new on the market today that wasn't out there 15 years ago, the last time I looked at such things?

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

This "Gun Vault" brand contraption called the "SpeedVault SV500" looks good on paper,
but the customer reviews on Amazon are mostly negative. It's not reliable and it seems that
a teenage boy could just disassemble it with a screwdriver from the outside, without needing a key or the combination.

https://www.amazon.com/GunVault-SV500-SpeedVault-Handgun-Safe/dp/B006OGNLKA?th=1

 

[lostchild]

Nothing is safe from a teenage boy.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

This one, LANGGER V brand, has a biometric option in addition to a 4-button pushbutton option.
(the keys are for emergency use if the battery fails or something breaks down with the other methods of opening it).

It has a lot more reviews on Amazon, and a better rating.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VHR4RQS/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08VHR4RQS&pd_rd_w=e7sp9&content-id=amzn1.sym.3481f441-61ac-4028-9c1a-7f9ce8ec50c5&pf_rd_p=3481f441-61ac-4028-9c1a-7f9ce8ec50c5&pf_rd_r=PJB6ZYYHYR2Q31ANXQ4G&pd_rd_wg=jtIX1&pd_rd_r=02a5c3c4-02e3-48cb-b63e-41e53ea22cfa&s=hi&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFVQ0hWQU9GVFFXVEImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1MjE3MjkySlRMWjRGMUtIUDBSJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MTgyNjUyN0JZVjlRNU0wSURXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==#customerReviews

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Nothing is safe from a teenage boy.

Well, of course you 're right.
She should just give up on firearms ownership.

Or...

Or go "all-in" on the gun thing.
Buy the kid his own gun that matches hers, so he won't be tempted to mess with Mom's gun.
Leave them out in the open, all the time.
A his-and-hers set. One in pink, and one in blue.

Thanks for contributing.

 

[BHPSteel]

Not a locksmith, but I play one on the internet from time to time.

On the matter of reviews and ratings, I dug down into reviewer histories. Some of them have very few submissions, but none of them are obvious 'product boosters' that only post positive reviews.

On the hardware itself, the three-attempt lockout on the biometric lock is good. From what I can see of the keys, the physical lock would be a challenge to pick, which is a good start. Obviously, it's not proof against the efforts of a strong lad with a pry-bar, and it looks like the actual lock mechanism seems to be unreachable with a slim jim.

So, it might present a challenge to someone who wants to gain access to the contents without damaging the safe.

There are reviews of this safe on youtube - which seem generally favorable. My biggest concern is that mom might be awy from the house long enough for a smart kid with an interest in recreational lock picking to eventually get into it over a period of time.

Edit: for me, one thing I'd like to know is if the safe has been tampered with in any way. I was roaming around Amazon, and I saw something very similar to the LANGGAR unit, with comparable ratings, that included a WiFi feature, Obviously, on the expectation that it works, a signal to a smart phone to tell you that someone's attempting to open the vault might be valuable for the mom in this situation.

Vaultek Biometric and WiFi Slider

 

[ole ed]

There are small metal lockboxes available for about 30.00 that are solid but, not impenetrable. What I would say is train the boy along with your self as to safety. And of course never tell anyone about it or talk about the firearm to anyone. If it's a revolver or pistol keep it unloaded and locked away. However, practice loading in Possable real conditions. Ex. In the dark. Or use speed loaders. Practice, practice, practice.

 

[Bennyboy]

I’d start by not even letting him know it’s there. It’ll be easier to keep it hidden than keep it secure.

 

[rbstern]

Given the circumstances described by the OP, I'd consider a between-the studs wall model. with a digital keypad(and maybe biometric), installed in mom's closet, behind hanging clothes. Reason being, it will psychologically deter the kid and his friends. The kid won't want to be in mom's closet, trying to fool with a safe with mom's clothes all around. Much more so than a dresser drawer or otherwise, easier to access place. Also, unlike a drawer unit, the safe can't be removed with part of the furniture and taken to another part of the house.

Amazon.com : between the studs safe

Another possibility: Add a home wireless camera that includes a view of the safe area. Mom can get visuals on her phone.

 

[Moe_Fugga]

I bought this one now that our daughter is older and has the ability to reach stuff. Perfect size to conceal in a drawer and holds a large frame .45 and a small frame 9mm. Extra mags for both also.

I looked into more expensive/nicer stuff, but decided I didn’t need that. Plus it’s small enough to conceal. I also looked at the cheaper biometric safes and read several reviews that it was hokum and could be opened by any fingerprint.

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