Top 7 Best Gun Safes for Apartments and Small Spaces in 2023

Do you have a gun safe at your apartment? If not, it’s time to get one. It may seem intimidating, but there are some great models out there that will work for any living space. The best gun safes for apartments can be found online and in stores where they are sold. There are many features that make these the best options, so let me share them with you!

Make sure to read through till the end of the article, as I will go over why these safes were all chosen, and what I was looking for to add to the list.

The SecureIt Agile 52 is an ultralight safe that can be torn down and put back together easily via internal bolts (making it an awesome modular safe). This compact safe has 14 gauge steel, an electronic lock (with key bypass), and internal hinges.

That said, what makes this safe special is its interior design. It not only has a modular build, but also a modular interior, which is called CradleGrid Technology. This storage system allows you to put bins, pistol hangers, and so many other accessories throughout the interior, all laid out exactly the way you want. It by far is THE BEST interior layout out of any gun safe.

What is left afterwards is an extremely quick access interior, where the firearms are laid out where you can pick them up in one quick motion, rather than being jumbled up like other gun safe interiors have (such as a u-shaped rack).

This is all packaged in a safe that offers awesome value for the price, and what you get out of it.

Need something even smaller and a bit less on price? You could always opt for their SecureIt Agile Ultralight Model 40 (right here), which is essentially the same thing, but a bit shorter.

Looking to hide your safe underneath the bed, because there isn’t anywhere better to put the safe? The Underbed Safe by Snapsafe might be the best option on the market, it is both value oriented, but also high quality.

The larger size can hold firearms and other long guns without them touching each other, plus a range of jewelry items and more.

Compact in size but not on features, this under-the-bed safe makes it possible to store everything from important documents to company trade secrets, and is constructed of 14-gauge heavy duty steel to prevent entry by children or unauthorized individuals.

Another great thing, that makes this a good apartment safe, is the fact that you can either tether it to a larger object like a bed, or you can bolt it to the floor if your landlord allows this (unlikely though).

Many people will put this safe right at the edge of the bottom of bed, open it with the keypad, and then the drawer rolls out into the room itself, making it so you don’t have to dig under your bed to access the inside.

Did you like the Model 52 at the top of this list, but wish it had a bit more tech like the Vaultek 10 series we talked about as well? Well this one is going to be your best bet then.

The Vaultek RS500i is one of the newer additions to the Vaultek lineup and is stuffed with tons of awesome features, updated with a powerful biometric imaging scanner that unlocks in less than 400 milliseconds.

Some notable features of this safe is LED interior lighting, a built in humidity sensor, impact sensors, high quality keypad, and its many, many ways to open the safe. You can open it with your phone (via an app), their nano key, standard key, keypad, and fingerprint.

All of these sensors will also notify you directly on your phone, not matter where you are in the world (as long as you have data).

There really isn’t any other full size safe on the market quite like this one, unless you consider the smaller version called the RS200i, or the larger RS800i.

The SecureIt Fast Box Model 47 gun safe system is ultralight, heavy-duty and can be quickly set up to the size you need. Designed with the same professional-grade craftsmanship that SecureIt uses for the U.S. Military, it features CradleGrid Technology that allows for versatile and organized storage.

If you thought the Model 52 or 40 that we talked about before was too large, than the 47 is an awesome alternative! This little safe can go underneath of the bed like the Snapsafe above, or you can put it upright (with additional accessories) like the Model 52. While it doesn’t have a huge interior, it is extremely functional, and reasonably priced.

Weighing 39 pounds without compromising safety and security of firearms inside, this model is tough, flexible and customizable while providing unsurpassed protection a weight of only 39 pounds increases transportability during house moves or relocations by saving precious time and money on delivery fees.

If you want to learn more about these, and its smaller version the 40, we have a full article talking about it here.

Keep your home safe with the my favorite biometric handgun safe on the market! There are a variety of product features that make this little pistol safe stand out, including but not limited to its quality, a plethora of access options, great company backing it, and tons of accessories.

The Vaultek VS series also comes equipped with a fast fingerprint scanning technology, an quick keypad for easy entry and readability in dark environments, as well as a key backup, phone access and more.

I personally have had quite a bit of experience with this little safe, and really do like the ability of having so many options for entry.

The size of the safe, quality of the safe, and everything is great for many different people. You can find a full write up of my experience in this article.

If you have spent any time at all looking for a gun safe for your apartment, then the Original Pistol safe from Fort Knox likely has shown up on your screen at some point. This is a high security, low tech safe that is one of the best out there. It utilizes a Simplex Lock that uses similar usability to an electronic lock, but without batteries.

Fort Knox PB1’s gas strut-assisted door means that lid opens itself when you open it, and also keeps itself open. It also has four pre-drilled anchor holes which will come in handy if you have any doubts about how much weight your floor can handle.

If security matters (as it should) then let me tell you! You’ll find more than enough of that with this 3/16″ steel body and door combo.

Looking for security, and reliability for your new safe? This is going to be it.

This will be a safe that you likely will secure to a nightstand (here are some great mechanical gun safes), or in your closet, as you will want to bolt it down during installation, so that no one is able to carry it away.

With this Tactical Walls 1410 Wall Clock you no longer have to worry about what to do with your handgun, or taser if you’re faced with a home invasion. As this diversion “safe” looks just like a wall clock you would have normally, however it has a hidden compartment behind the fact of the clock.

It provides a convenient storage space that is easily hidden from view but still accessible.

Made in the USA out of durable material and resistant against water damage, this clock will go well in any setting while providing peace of mind for life’s unexpected emergencies.

Don’t like the face of the clock, you can choose from quite a few different version at purchase.

Please keep in mind though, that while this is incredibly cool, it isn’t great if you have children, or if you are gone for longer periods of time, as it is not truly locked, and is just covered by a clock face.

There are some other great clock safe options in this article here!

What to look for in an Apartment Safe?

Buying a gun safe for an apartment is a very different experience, than buying a gun safe for a normal home that you own! Apartments are generally rentals (otherwise its a condo), so you can’t damage the flooring, can’t have anything too big, and so much more. Let’s take a look at the things you should be thinking about!

This should also shed some light on why I chose many of the safes above!

1. Lightweight

Apartments generally have units on top of units, and because of this you don’t want to have something incredibly heavy on the floors that will cause structural issues. This rules out most all of the standard gun safes on the market today, so you have start looking at some lighter weight alternatives. This also means you likely won’t have fire rating, or thick steel.

2. Good locking mechanism

Just because you don’t have a fire rating, or thick steel doesn’t mean your safe has to have a cheapo locking mechanism!

This is what is going to keep you safe, not just from burglary of the inside of your safe, but also the quick access to the inside of the safe that you need.

Make sure that on full-size safes you look for a name-brand lock, and on other safes that are smaller that you are looking for a reputable brand gun safe manufacturer.

The ones on this list above are going to tend to move towards that latter on this.

3. Can exist without being bolted down

Apartments are a bit of a pain, as you cannot damage the flooring in the unit. Why is this a problem? Because gun safes need to be bolted down to be the most secure, and not allow anyone to just carry away the safe.

The larger safes on this list are able to be modified at your home to be bolted into the wall, and then the wall can be patched up later. It’s not ideal, but not the end of the world.

On the other hand, the smaller safes on this list can be tethered to something, or bolted to a piece of furniture in some way.

4. Can be hidden away

Hiding away a gun safe in an apartment is extremely important! There are unique situations with apartments that owned homes don’t have, in the way of landlords looking through the place, handymen that were hired by the landlord, or even people looking to buy the complex from the current owners.

All of these people will be accessing the home, and you need to make sure you are making your best effort to keep your firearms out of the eyes of these people you don’t know, or at least don’t know well.

A great example of this is the Model 52 by SecureIt you see in the picture below, as it is easily installed right into a closet (here is a full list of safes that fit into closets).

5. Causes the least amount of damage possible

Going to what we talked about earlier, minimizing damage to the apartment will allow you to keep a larger portion of your deposit, and save you time and money in the long run! Finding the right gun safe for your life is important, but you have to also walk that fine line.

6. Relatively Inexpensive

While not a firm rule by any means, you tend to move often when living in apartments, and if you have ever had to move a standard gun safe, you have found that damage just will occur. So not investing a ton into glass like finishes, or expensive additions will keep you from freaking out if damage happens.

How does damage happen to a gun safe? Dropping it, hitting door frames, dragging it along the ground, falling off the truck, sliding down the stairs, shipping damage, stuff falling on it in the moving truck, and so much more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

If you are gun owner in an apartment, I hope this article has helped you to find the perfect gun safe for your needs. If not, let me know what more information you need and I’ll write a post about it!

When thinking about this topic, I really wanted to make sure that there were some good unique options, and not just what everyone else says, without thinking about what an apartment actually needs.

In the end though, my favorite safes on this list are definitely the SecureIt branded products, and you can’t go wrong with them!