Bedside Safe Recommendation

[Buck F]

The problem is that most big, heavy, high-security safes... 1) Generally don't end up in the master bedroom, and, 2) Take too much time to open in a real emergency.

At the same time, Maura and Andrea scream "SAFE STORAGE" (it's for the children, after all) and so a nice, loaded handgun sitting on the bedside table or in a nearby unlocked drawer is not legal in MA. We might not care a hoot, but Maura & Andrea's police care a whole bunch. Statistically speaking, it is their number one favorite way to screw legal gun owners.

Therefore, we need a solution and quick-opening pistol vaults seem to be it... they are both legal and reasonably effective. But as you point out, they are not going to prevent any theft since you can fairly easily break into them or even carry them away.

I'm still waiting for the Lock-Picking Lawyer to come up with a pistol vault that makes sense. So far, I'm still waiting.

Some might think leaving the beside/bedroom closet safe unlocked while you're in bed is an acceptable risk. If the cops show up in the middle of the night you lock it before answering the door. If they rappel through your bedroom window in the middle of the night I don't think it'll matter much if they caught you with the bedroom safe unlocked.

 

[EJFudd]

Some might think leaving the beside/bedroom closet safe unlocked while you're in bed is an acceptable risk. If the cops show up in the middle of the night you lock it before answering the door. If they rappel through your bedroom window in the middle of the night I don't think it'll matter much if they caught you with the bedroom safe unlocked.

Well, Maura & Andrea wouldn't approve, but you are not wrong. It probably is an acceptable risk.

But the good wife (Mrs. EJFudd) would never allow a REAL gun safe in the master bedroom and I'm too old and fuzzy in the middle of the night to find my glasses and make a selection from the REAL gun safe of what I want to go home invader hunting with.

 

[APFSDS]

Pick whatever you want and then go to youtube and watch the lock picking lawyer and watch the guy get into the small gun lock box in seconds, no matter what the initial conditions. He figures out flaws in designs and poof he's in. If he knows this then it's pretty much certainty that the criminal class knows this as well.

Is the purpose of the night stand type safe to prevent theft or to maintain compliance/keep kids out?

Pretty much all of the models listed can be broken into w/ simple tools, or yanked off whatever they're bolted to and taken away. If you get a real, heavy duty safe then you'll keep all but the most determined out, but the gun cabinets/small safes can be pried/pounded open easily.

Safes should be the last line of defense against theft, IMO. Before that: 1. Location (neighborhood) 2. Alarm system 3. Cameras 4. Dogs for the pet inclined. If they breach all those, then the safes are there to deter them for a little bit longer. And yes, I know that alarms, cameras & dogs can be overcome but if they're able to get past them they can get past any safe you have.

I don't have kids, so my safe is purely for compliance with the silly laws here. When I move back south next summer my 3rd gen glock 19 with TLR-1 and 20 round mag is going to live in my (unlocked) bedside table.

That being said, the layers of security are important IMHO. I live in arguably the safest part of the country but I still have motion lights, alarm, and a big doberman mix.

 

[chris_1001]

I live alone at the moment. My daughter lives an hour+ away (and is 30 y/o)

So if you have access to the inside of my house let alone my bedroom, you are a burglar and it should not be my problem. You broke the law.

 

[SIGNES]

Of the Vaultek products I own, the least 'iffy' by far is this bedside safe: VAULTEK® View all VT Series | Vaultek Safe

It's quite solidly built. It's roomy enough for a full sized duty pistol (M9, M17 etc) with optic, WML and spare mags. It can be bolted down and/or leashed with a sturdy wire rope.. It can stay plugged in 100% of the time and basically UPS itself with the battery.

Do not rely on the biometrics. Practice blindly entering your combination. The biometrics are purely a convenience feature not an emergency feature. A folded t-shirt on top goes a long way to silencing the sound of it unlocking.

Try to have it in reach of the bed, not in a stand up and fetch it spot. You want to be able to retrieve it, get a grip on it and be ready with the minimum of noisemaking and time.

The Bluetooth app is pure crap. The only use for it is to let you check battery level during periodic (say monthly?) tests to see of the battery needs replacement.

The advantage of keeping the bedside piece in a safe is not, primarily, compliance because you can have a nightly ritual of setting the carry gun on the nightstand when you hit the sack if you don't have kids in the house, it's that you can dedicate a firearm to the purpose that is absolutely always in the same place and (legally) available to the spousal unit even if you're not home. Also, it's a gun that never has a risk of drying out, having a set back chambered round, or lint and crap in it like a carry gun you may have slipped up with. It's always exactly as you prepped it after you range tested it with your ammo. (Obviously, you need to periodically confirm it's lubed etc.)

Drill with the safe. If you're married (or cohabitating in sin ) , drill your spouse with it.

P.S. You are making sure your partner is getting their LTC, Right? Even if they hate shooting.

P.P.S. If you can afford it, have the bedside gun be a duplicate of a gun you train with regularly.

 

[whatluck]

You can also day lock a safe. On mine I can turn the tumbler up to 2/3rd turn clockwise and the safe is locked, and the same distance counter clockwise unlocks it, just dial the last digit. Some safes also have a tumbler that you can lock in place with a key.

 

[APFSDS]

A folded t-shirt on top goes a long way to silencing the sound of it unlocking.

One of the best things about the safe I linked to is you can turn off the beeping when you enter your combination.

 

[ASHDUMP]

I'm kind of a moron... My two Gun Vault Speed Vault safe batteries lasted me about two years. I wrote the date on the batteries. 2/1/2020. I used Energizer lithium 9v. I guess that's pretty good considering they run about $20 a piece these days.

Short story short, I'm back to using my gun vault because it's easy and super fast. I just need to pay attention more to the length of time. My new VLine with the Simplex lock is dope and will use it for other things.

It appears GunVault is still in business according to their website.

 

[Amputee Marksman]

I use a Hornady safe next to the bed.

Pros: PIN, RFID and Key
Plug in with battery backup or battery only
Holds pistol, extra magazine, knife
Can hold full size (1911, P226 ...)

Cons: Battery life is too short
Not a big fan of the cable attachment

Hornady RAPiD Safe 4800KP Pistol Safe RFID Lock Steel

 

[SIGNES]

No clue if this actually any good (sure doesn't look it) but I just stumbled on this elsewhere and it cracked me up so I thought I'd share the chuckles.

 

[strangenh]

Just don't get this one.

 

[Caveman]

Fwiw got a note from Fas1 a short while back. Sounds like he was able to get the help he needed for manufacturing so he’s able to keep turning out safes. Thus far these have been the only handgun size safe that impressed me.

Fas1 Safe

fas1safe.com