Top 10 Best Quality Pistol (Handgun) Safes in 2023

Having a suitable handgun safe is so important, as you likely already know (since you are reading this article). This is a list of my favorite pistol safes, that has been in the works for years, and have been refining it constantly to get it to the point you see here. These safes are all high-quality and are safes I would purchase myself.

Why should you trust me? I have been writing and helping people find pistol and gun safes for years. This includes hands-on experience and discussions with owners of these companies, CEOs, salespeople, and more to figure out exactly which ones work the best and are the most reliable.

Here are the best pistol safes I have found over the years of helping people find them!

This is a safe that I have a lot of experience with. Vaultek has shown repeatedly with different types of safes that they are a thought and product leader in the industry. They pack a ton of security and technology into their safes, allowing you to quickly but securely access your safe. 

This top-opening safe can be opened with the keypad, fingerprint, phone, and key. While I have a full review of this safe (it used to be called the VT10i), I’ll say it is an exceptional safe here. Its high-quality build, multiple access points (including remotely), spring-loaded lid, and fantastic styling make it my favorite pistol safe. 

That said, it isn’t for the faint of heart regarding price point, as it is pretty expensive for its small size.

If you have searched online for a pistol safe for any period of time, you likely have stumbled upon Fort Knox’s Original Pistol Safe (also known as the PB1). This safe has extremely thick steel (for a handgun safe) and a simplex lock. It’s a straightforward but effective design that gets you exactly what you need when you need it, reliably.

Honestly, you really couldn’t go wrong with this safe. The only downside should be aware of is if you intend to be taking this safe on the go, you should look elsewhere (see the Amsec PS1208EZ lower on the list). Due to its gauge of steel (and heft), it’s best to be left bolted to a nightstand.

If the Vaultek VT10i above doesn’t quite do what you want it to but want something similar, the Konig 1.0 (previously the Gunbox 2.0) is another excellent choice for a smart gun safe. It offers many of the same features but is made of aluminum (rare in the gun safe industry) and has a futuristic design.

To access the safe, you can use a keypad, fingerprint, and RFID (it comes with RFID cards and fobs)! Making it easy for anyone to find the way that works for them. It also features gas struts to help the lid open, and impact detection, so you will be notified if someone tampers with it, whether it be your children or a burglar. I have a complete in-person review; you can read about it here to learn more.

I know I already have a Vaultek on this list; however, I could (and should) add more. They are excellent products built to give a great experience reliably.

I added this one to the list because it is one of the best desk or nightstand safes out there right now. It packs many of the features of the VS10i into a sliding-style safe.

You can anchor this to the inside of a desk (where you sit) or to the side of a nightstand (between the bed and the nightstand), and then it slides open when you use the provided keypad or fingerprint locking mechanism.

I’ll be honest. This is probably the strangest product on this list. Okay, it’s not a true safe, but more of a controlled access box that isn’t meant to be left alone.

Stopbox is one of the first companies out there to create something meant to be more of an in-between your other safes safe. It’s made of ABS plastic, meaning if someone was determined, they could gain access.

However, that is different from what it is meant for. This safe is intended to be incredibly light and is meant to be right by your side all the time. 

This makes it an excellent safe for sitting on the passenger seat while you drive, sitting by your bedside when you are right next to it, and more. This is something you would only leave for some time.

So what makes this better than actual safes, other than being lightweight? Well, it has almost instant access. The company has created a locking mechanism where you can open the safe in a split second. You can read my full in-person review of this unit here!

If you have read this article from the beginning, you will remember the Fort Knox PB1. While the PB1 is extremely heavy and not portable, this would be the best alternative to that safe while maintaining portability.

Rather than 9-gauge steel, this safe is 14-gauge and includes a handle. The rest of the safe (including the Simplex Lock) is similar to its closest competitor.

Amsec is among the best gun safe manufacturers today, with many options and a great warranty. I wouldn’t bat an eye to opting for one of their products, and if this is what you are looking for, I highly recommend it.

This is the third time you have seen Vaultek on this list (noticing a pattern?), and again, it’s for a good reason. While this pistol safe is one of the most expensive options on this list (by far), it makes up for its features.

With a fully modular interior (you can adjust it as you need), this 14-gauge steel safe is a reasonable deal, even at its high price. Just like all other Vaultek products, it features a ton of tech, including being accessible via your phone, keypad, biometric, and even a physical and portable button that you can buy for it.

This is also one of the larger pistol safes on this list, as it can handle up to 8 pistols in the interior. This large interior is monitored for humidity and temperature constantly, and the exterior is monitored for tampering (will notify you on your phone if it is an issue).

This is one of the newest additions to my favorite pistol safes! While I have been recommending SnapSafe products for years, this is one of their latest releases. This might be it if you want a high-quality, unique drawer-style safe.

While drawer-style safes are nothing new, this is one of the first decently styled ones. Instead of a rustic design, they went with a design that is at home in an office and not just hidden away. With a glass face featuring capacitive buttons, it looks way different than any competition.

I am not a massive fan of capacitive buttons for things you need to use quickly and efficiently (like a pistol safe), so decide how you feel about that feature.

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While all of the other handgun safes on this list are meant for a home or office, this is the only one on this list where it is built specifically for vehicles. By specific, I mean they are all custom-made for each particular vehicle. Instead of being a universal fit for all cars, they design each safe to fill or cover up your console (which is different for each vehicle model).

I had one of these safes in my old truck and was incredibly impressed (read the review here). I should get another one for my newest SUV, but I still need to. With 12-gauge steel and reliable mechanical locking mechanisms, these are great safes at fantastic value.

Sometimes simplicity low cost is exactly what you need. That is an excellent explanation of the Liberty HD-90. This Liberty is the basic safe from this company with a single barrel key lock and an a “just decent” 16 gauge steel. That said, it also offers a reliable, quality basic safe for a lower price, backed by a warranty from one of the best gun safe companies on the planet.

If you have a small budget and don’t need too much of a gun safe, this is a great one to opt for. Make sure, if you ever plan on leaving it alone, you utilize the included cable to lock it up to something sturdy.

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What to think about when shopping for a handgun safe

Gun safes have so many different specifications and things to look at. However, to buy a safe handgun, these are the four primary things you should be paying attention to.

1. Quality Lock

Like any gun safe, whether it be a pistol safe like we are talking about here or a full-size safe, the lock is essential to a gun safe. Without a good lock, you only have a metal box that keeps you away from your belongings.

Because of this, you need to weigh whether you need something reliable like a key (yet not as secure) or something more secure like a biometric or electric keypad (but it isn’t nearly as reliable). There are different hand-offs to each style of locking mechanism.

2. Portability

Now, just thinking about portability doesn’t mean that you have to have portable handgun safes. These safes come in all types and sizes. For example, the Fort Knox PB1 is one of the best handgun safes out there, yet I would not consider it a portable safe due to its size and weight.

However, if you want something portable, you will want to go with a different safe other than the PB1.

Remember that the more portable a safe is, the less secure it tends to be. This is because portability is gained by lowering the steel gauge or style of the outer skin in general (like switching to plastic or aluminum).

3. Capacity

You can easily buy the best gun safe on the planet; however, if you don’t take a few moments to ensure your firearm will fit in the safe, you will find that it becomes a paperweight when your handgun doesn’t quite fit.

Pay attention to the internal dimensions of a gun safe, which many manufacturers will advertise. Once you find those dimensions, I recommend making a rough sketch of those dimensions on paper and making sure whatever you are looking to store will fit inside that sketch.

A home safe might be your best option if you want something bigger than a handgun safe but smaller than a full-size gun safe.

4. Quality build

In the list above, I tried only to include handgun safes that are quality units instead of just whatever I found. A quality build can decide whether someone gains access to your firearm and uses it for bad or if it keeps the thief away and keeps you safe.

Quality build is more than just the thickness of the steel; but also comes down to welds, interior pieces, paintwork, opening latches, external components, phone applications, and more.

All these things work together to give you the experience with a safe, and they should all be accounted for. Thankfully, if you know a particular brand stands for quality in this industry, most of their safes should be ready.

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Conclusion

This is the list of the best handgun (aka pistol) safes I know. You will likely find what safe may work best for your application. In the end, every safe has little things that make it better than others, so I kept a variety of safes in mind when putting this together.