Best Car Gun Safes – Portable Safes That Will Keep Your Firearms Secured
Car Gun Safes
For those of us who choose to carry firearms, the safe storage of those firearms is of paramount importance. One of the places that we spend the most time is our vehicles. Cars present some special security challenges. First and foremost: they’re mobile. You can do a lot to try to minimize the chances of the car itself (and thus your gun) from being stolen, but that is beside the point here. Second, cars have windows. Windows can be broken and contents can be stolen. This is annoying when it’s a laptop or a stereo: it’s a major security risk if it’s your firearm. So, today, we’re looking at eight in-car safes.
A few notes before we get started. This list focuses on relatively portable safes that are good for a handgun. While they’re meant mainly for cars, many of these are secured in a relatively simple manner that makes them somewhat portable, and thus also good for the home, office, or any other place you might need to leave your firearm.
Contents
- Car Gun Safes
- Safety First
- Club LB200 Personal Vault Lock Box
- SnapSafe Treklite Gun Safe Lock Box
- AmazonBasics Mounted Firearm Safety Device With Biometric Lock
- Jotto Gear Quick Access Locking Holster
- First Alert Portable Handgun Safe
- Vaultek Slider Series Smart Handgun Safe
- Hornady 98190 RAPiD AR Rifle Gunlocker
- Hornady Key Lock Safe
- Parting Shots
Safety First
The primary purpose here is safety. In many states, there’s nothing stopping you from just leaving a gun under the seat or in the glove box. But, if your window gets broken and the crook is at all intelligent, he or she will have your car and your gun in short order. Let’s try to prevent that. A car safe is excellent for people who have to go into places of business that don’t allow firearms but don’t want to be totally disarmed all day. Instead, keep a lockbox in the car so you can follow local rules while maintaining your right to self-defense.
Also, there’s an aspect of legal compliance here. Make sure to check your local laws as far as leaving firearms in vehicles is concerned. What we have here are simply recommendations, but some of them help satisfy certain requirements for safe storage, especially for folks without CCW permits, but who can have firearms inside of a car.
There’s a couple of types on this list, with their pros and cons. Some are electronic and really slick but do depend on batteries. Others are manual, and dependable, but not as fast and sometimes require keys. There are also a few ways to secure the safe itself. Hopefully, there’s something on this list that will help you make an informed and safe choice for firearm storage inside of your car.
Club LB200 Personal Vault Lock Box
Product
Winner International The Club LB200 Personal Vault Security...
Top Overall Pick
- Quickly attaches to seat mounts in your car
- Fits under most vehicle seats for easy access and secures with a...
- Perfect for securing valuables in a vehicle, hotel, camp site,...
- A great place to store valuables such as money, phones, cameras,...
- Two keys included
Our rating 
Details
- Quickly attaches to seat mounts in your car
- Fits under most vehicle seats for easy access and secures with a...
- Perfect for securing valuables in a vehicle, hotel, camp site,...
- A great place to store valuables such as money, phones, cameras,...
- Two keys included
First on our list is the Club LB200 Personal Vault Security Lock Box. This lockbox, meant for the budget-conscious, gives you fairly good options for keeping your firearm, or anything else, safe within your vehicle. Coming in a 7”x9”x3.5”, this should fit under the seat of most modern cars, or can easily be kept in the passenger footwell of any car. In terms of capacity, you should be able to fit any handgun shy of an AR pistol inside of this box with room to spare for extra magazines, important documents, cash, etc. The lock itself is a simple key. This means it is reliable, but you can’t lose the key, or else you’ll need recommendations for angle grinders instead of lockboxes. It’s secured by a steel cable that you can attach to the frame of a seat or, if you’re adventurous, to the floor or frame of the vehicle itself. This box would be perfect for passenger cars, especially if you can fit it under your seat. It would also be a fair choice for storing inside of a home if you had a steel i-hook to attach the cable.
SnapSafe Treklite Gun Safe Lock Box
Product
SnapSafe Treklite Key Lock Box - Polycarbonate Portable and...
Top Pick
- SnapSafe TrekLite Lock Box – Experience heavy-duty protection...
- Heavy Duty and Sturdy – This SnapSafe Lock Box has an...
- Ideal for Travel – The handgun lock box provides firearm...
- Sizing and Specifications – Our XL lockbox measures 10 x 7 x 2...
- Install Anywhere – It easily fits in a suitcase or under a car...
Our rating
Details
- SnapSafe TrekLite Lock Box – Experience heavy-duty protection...
- Heavy Duty and Sturdy – This SnapSafe Lock Box has an...
- Ideal for Travel – The handgun lock box provides firearm...
- Sizing and Specifications – Our XL lockbox measures 10 x 7 x 2...
- Install Anywhere – It easily fits in a suitcase or under a car...
Next on our list is the light and portable SnapSafe Treklite Gun Safe Lock Box with TSA Combination Lock. This lock, coming in at an impressive price point, is the lightest on the list. In terms of size, the manufacturer claims it will easily fit a full-sized 1911 and two spare magazines. Thus, it should work for any reasonably sized handgun. The lock is a simple key, but in this case, meeting TSA regulations. We’ll get back to that in just a second. This particular box is not secured to the vehicle. That means that concealment is your best friend and what we’re really talking about is delaying access to a firearm rather than preventing it entirely. With that said, this box has a few interesting applications. It can be kept somewhere hidden in a vehicle, sure. But it would also be ideal if you wanted to keep a gun in a dresser drawer, but you were worried about a child or guest having immediate access. Finally, as the TSA lock would indicate, this would be a great choice for people who had to fly to travel but wanted to continue to carry when you arrive at your destination. Again, check all relevant local and state laws in your home and your destination, but the portability is a major asset to this box.
AmazonBasics Mounted Firearm Safety Device With Biometric Lock
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Details
Going a little bit outside of the box, we have the AmazonBasics Mounted Firearm Safety Device With Biometric Fingerprint Lock. While this safety device is meant for desks, it has potential applications for cars as well. While it’s a little on the pricey side, this safe is seriously slick. It’s meant to keep a single handgun in a fixed position that will drop open when you need it to. This helps shave seconds off your access time, which might be important if you need to defend yourself in a hurry. In terms of locking, this device comes with options. On the low tech side, there’s a key. Nothing new there, but seriously reliable. Second, there’s a number pad where you can input a code, meaning that you can get your gun without the key. Finally, there’s a fingerprint scanner so that you can get your firearm without a key and if you forget the code in a stressful moment. In terms of mounting, you will have to secure this one via screws. If you’re willing to mount this inside of a vehicle, you’ll have fast access and good security. This would be ideal for people working in law enforcement or some other job where modifying your vehicle is a sensible option.
Jotto Gear Quick Access Locking Holster
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Going for faster access yet, and a more minimalist design, we have the Jotto Gear Quick Access Rugged Steel NRA Locking Handgun Holster for Car, Office, Many Locations. This safe priced a little higher than the ones we’ve seen so far is a specialized tool for specific applications. This safety device stores a single, full-sized handgun. That’s it. While this means you’ll have to find another spot to stash your other valuables, it also means you won’t have to rifle through a box of stuff to get your handgun out. The lock is opened via key but is meant for fast access and a minimum of hassle. Like the previous lock, this one is meant to be screwed in place, and thus will require some modification of your car. If you wanted to be really high speed, have one of these at home and another in the car so you have one, consistent way to get to your firearm regardless of location.
First Alert Portable Handgun Safe
Product
First Alert Portable Handgun Safe, Small Multicolor, 5200DF
Top Pick
- Quick entry with three to eight digit number keypad
- Constructed of heavy 18 gauge steel
- Foam padded interior protects contents from scratches or dents
- Durable locking mechanism with spring loaded open closure for...
- Includes steel cable to secure in car trunk and mounting holes to...
Our rating
Details
- Quick entry with three to eight digit number keypad
- Constructed of heavy 18 gauge steel
- Foam padded interior protects contents from scratches or dents
- Durable locking mechanism with spring loaded open closure for...
- Includes steel cable to secure in car trunk and mounting holes to...
Going back to the box type design, we have the First Alert Portable Handgun Safe, Small Multicolor, RA31524. This moderately priced box has some benefits over some of the others considered on this list, with the risk of added complexity. The “small” size would fit a handgun plus some spare magazines but is not overly big to be concealed well. The lock comes in two varieties: a simple key and/or a keypad you can customize. This means that you have options in terms of access. While this box is not itself secured to the vehicle, it’s small enough to be easily concealed and would be sensible for both car and home applications.
Vaultek Slider Series Smart Handgun Safe
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Details
On the more high end of things, we have the Vaultek Slider Series Rugged Bluetooth Smart Handgun Safe Quick-Open Pistol Safe with Rechargeable Li-ion Battery. This somewhat expensive lockbox is meant for a single handgun with up to an 8” slide and maintains it in a fixed position. It’s a little bit bulky, but ultra-secure. The lock itself can be opened via key, of course, but also through a keypad and by fingerprint. The batteries are rechargeable. This brings up the question: how will I know when to charge the batteries? The safe also comes with an app that gives you such information, as well as an access log, which could come in handy if the gun or car get stolen. While this would also require putting screws into your car, this would be a great way to keep your firearm safe inside of a vehicle.
Hornady 98190 RAPiD AR Rifle Gunlocker
Product
Hornady RAPiD Safe AR Gun Locker with RFID Touch Free Entry...
Top Pick
- HEAVY-DUTY, TAMPER PROOF CONSTRUCTION - efficient gun storage for...
- TOUCH-FREE ENTRY RFID SAFE - rifle safes for home with patented...
- CERTIFIED CHILD-RESISTANT - every Hornady security rapid gun safe...
- GUN SAFES FOR RIFLES AND SHOTGUNS - prevent firearm accidents,...
- SAFE, READY, & EASY TO INSTALL - this fully enclosed design 50lb...
Our rating
Details
- HEAVY-DUTY, TAMPER PROOF CONSTRUCTION - efficient gun storage for...
- TOUCH-FREE ENTRY RFID SAFE - rifle safes for home with patented...
- CERTIFIED CHILD-RESISTANT - every Hornady security rapid gun safe...
- GUN SAFES FOR RIFLES AND SHOTGUNS - prevent firearm accidents,...
- SAFE, READY, & EASY TO INSTALL - this fully enclosed design 50lb...
Our biggest option on the list is the Hornady 98190 RAPiD Safe AR Rifle Gunlocker with RFID Touch-Free Entry. In terms of size, this case is four feet long. That said, it can fit an AR inside of it with room to spare (and the stock is collapsed). You can also keep as many handguns and magazines as your heart desires inside of this particular case. The lock is controlled by a key, or by keypad, keeping access a fast process no matter what. This is kind of specialized in application and would probably only fit in a truck or SUV. With that said, if you want to keep a truck gun, but keep it secure, this would be a fantastic option for that task.
Hornady Key Lock Safe
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Last, but not least, we have the more budget-minded Hornady Key Lock Safe with Accessories. This particular box can fit a single full-sized handgun and a few spare magazines well. It’s also small enough to tuck under most seats, or even in some seatback pockets. The lock is a simple key, so make sure to keep it somewhere you’ll remember! There’s a steel cable, meant to be hooked around the frame of a seat or some other secure point inside of the vehicle. Overall, a solid budget choice for vehicle storage.
Parting Shots
We’ve covered a lot on this list. Basically, there are three form factors to consider. Smaller lockboxes don’t usually require modification to the vehicle and are really portable, which is nice. But, they’re not the most secure. Single gun boxes, mounted to the car, mean secure and consistent access, but usually require mounting to the car itself, which some will consider a drawback. Finally, the Hornady box can keep anything you might need to keep secure, but is a little on the hefty side.
A final note: if you do decide to go with a non-specific box, consider picking up some pluck and pick foam. That way, you can get a custom fit for your specific gear, without paying the custom fit price. That, and picking foam can be a deeply satisfying experience if you’re into DIY projects.
Whatever case you pick from our list, you should be able to more safely store your firearm inside of a vehicle, and that’s key to responsible concealed carry and general firearm ownership.
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