The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Tactics and Training

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 31, 2013, 11:08 PM   #1
rmocarsky
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2009
Posts: 406
pistol vault

Gunners,

I posted this in the Gear and Accessories and got no response.

So I will try here.

I already have a gun safe, but here lately I've been thinking I need a small lock box/vault big enough for a 1911, spare mag and flashlight. One that is quick to open, nearly impossible to "guess" the combination, will fit in the drawer of a night stand and has your approval.

Any comments?

Rmocarsky

Last edited by rmocarsky; February 1, 2013 at 12:25 AM. Reason: addition
rmocarsky is offline  
Old February 1, 2013, 10:43 AM   #2
southjk
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 5, 2012
Location: Memphis
Posts: 468
This is probably what I'll buy next for my nightstand drawer. Seems to get good reviews.

I've got this one now and love the fact that it doesn't use any batteries. I have it in my closet with a S&W 686, 2 speed loaders, S&W Shield 9mm and an extra magazine in it. The problem is that while it will fit in my drawer, I can't open it because of the way it is hinged. The other one looks to solve that problem.
southjk is offline  
Old February 1, 2013, 11:21 AM   #3
TailGator
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 8, 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,786
I have the GunVault box that opens on top. I am satisfied with it. The battery lasted about 2 years. You set the combination yourself. It also comes with a cable that you can use to secure the box in your car or hotel room.
TailGator is offline  
Old February 1, 2013, 11:41 AM   #4
dayman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 18, 2011
Location: The Woods
Posts: 1,197
I have a non biometric GunVault - it has a 3 digit combo, so no batteries to worry about changing, and it was relatively cheap on Amazon. It's worked well for me. For nightly storage I keep the combo set so all I have to do is turn the handle to get it open, but if for some reason I have to leave my gun at home for the day I can scramble it.
I can also bring it out to the car easily for times when I might have to leave my gun there.

While it would be possible to guess the combo, anyone with enough time to guess would also probably have time to cut the cable and just take the whole box, or take the drawer from the night stand, or smash/pry it open with a hammer/crowbar.
I think pretty much anything other than a full size bolt down safe is only going to prevent kids, idiot house guests, or very casual thieves from getting to the gun, and to that end you don't need anything too fancy.
__________________
si vis pacem para bellum
dayman is offline  
Old February 1, 2013, 11:51 AM   #5
allaroundhunter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 6, 2012
Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 1,670
You need a Gunvault Microvault. I keep my M&P, flashlight, and extra mag in mine every night. It is quick to open if you know the combo, and you don't have to see what you are pressing to get it open (perfect for nighttime).
allaroundhunter is offline  
Old February 2, 2013, 01:54 AM   #6
rmocarsky
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2009
Posts: 406
OP here.

Thanks for the input fellas.

After researching and reading your opinions, I ordered from Amazon a Stack On PDS 500 drawer safe.

It is battery operated with a keypad combination as well as a key.

$54.00 shipping included.

Rmocarsky

Last edited by rmocarsky; February 2, 2013 at 01:57 AM. Reason: correction
rmocarsky is offline  
Old February 3, 2013, 12:19 PM   #7
Jayster
Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2013
Posts: 74
This?

http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-PDS-5.../dp/B002KEIU4W

40 bucks it says?
Jayster is offline  
Old February 5, 2013, 12:27 AM   #8
Hook686
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 22, 2005
Location: USA The Great State of California
Posts: 2,090
Quote:
It is quick to open if you know the combo, and you don't have to see what you are pressing to get it open (perfect for nighttime).
How do you see to enter the combination in the night ?
__________________
Hook686

When the number of people in institutions reaches 51%, we change sides.
Hook686 is offline  
Old February 5, 2013, 12:43 AM   #9
allaroundhunter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 6, 2012
Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 1,670
Quote:
How do you see to enter the combination in the night ?
It isn't numerical. It has a hand-like impression in the top of the case that you can quickly feel and put your hand in the right place. Then the combo is whatever you create by pressing the buttons under your fingertips in a certain order.

allaroundhunter is offline  
Old February 5, 2013, 10:58 AM   #10
Murdock
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 4, 2008
Location: Down East Maine
Posts: 431
I take my home defense pistol with mounted light out of the safe when I come home in the evening and put it where I can get to it quickly, either next to my reading chair or upstairs on the night stand. When I go to work I take my carry gun with me and put the light-mounted pistol back in the safe.

I have considered one of the little gun vaults for next to the bed, but can't really justify it in light of the fact that the current arrangement works fine.
__________________
The United States Marine Corps: Providing the enemies of America the opportunity to die for their countries since 1775. Semper fi.
Murdock is offline  
Old February 5, 2013, 11:34 AM   #11
FAS1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 9, 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 541
I keep a dedicated HD gun in mine, so I don't like the idea of a drawer type handgun safe. If I used my EDC and took it out during the day, it might be different. Mine is bolted to my bed frame so it can't walk away quite as easily. Also made from thicker steel (7 ga).

__________________
Glenn
FAS1 SAFE
FAS1 is offline  
Old February 5, 2013, 09:08 PM   #12
rmocarsky
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2009
Posts: 406
Yep, Jayster.

That was the price. The rest was shipping charge.

Rmocarsky
rmocarsky is offline  
Old February 7, 2013, 01:03 PM   #13
Cleet
Member
 
Join Date: May 12, 2009
Posts: 47
+1 on the Microvault
Cleet is offline  
Old February 13, 2013, 12:24 PM   #14
wizrd
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 26, 2012
Posts: 232
Stay away from those "fingerprint sensing boxes" -- GARBAGE - bought one for my son a year ago, sometimes it takes about 5 -6 minutes to get it to open.
WORST MONEY EVER SPENT !!!
__________________
Sumo magis ammo
wizrd is offline  
Old September 6, 2013, 12:18 PM   #15
grsthegreat
Junior Member
 
Join Date: August 28, 2013
Posts: 2
beware of cannon safes

i Purchased a brand new Gunvault biometric svb500 that failed right out of the box. Called customer service and they told me to try new batteries. I bought brand new set, still failed.

Same customer service joker told me he would contact me in a few days with RMA instructions. One week later i called back and they stated that they have never heard from me before. Even though i talked to same guy, he acted like hes never heard of this issue before. I went all through it again, and he promised me hed contact me within 24 hours.

One week later i called, and they would only put me thru to voice mail. I emailed them, and get NO response back.

I have lodged complaint thru credit card company, and there reversing the charges for me.

Since this happened, ive talked with many dissatisfied customers of gunvaults. Its a great idea, but built crappy in China.

My advise is to stay away...stay very faraway from them.
grsthegreat is offline  
Old September 6, 2013, 02:58 PM   #16
PeteApps
Member
 
Join Date: September 6, 2013
Location: Meridian, ID
Posts: 36
Biometric safe for nightstand

I bought this a while ago, works great. Never fails to open using the correct finger. This sits on my nightstand.

I have tried many times to get a false open using the wrong finger, with never a success.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/G-Inp...fe/1340532.uts
PeteApps is offline  
Old September 6, 2013, 04:21 PM   #17
csmsss
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Orange, TX
Posts: 3,078
If you're going to use one of these pistol vaults, remember that they are easily carried off and pried open, so if you intend to keep a firearm in one all the time, be sure to put it into a real gun safe when you aren't around.
csmsss is offline  
Old September 6, 2013, 10:43 PM   #18
Frank Ettin
Staff
 
Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
Quote:
Originally Posted by csmsss
...remember that they are easily carried off and pried open...
Not necessarily. Ours are bolted down in various places.
__________________
"It is long been a principle of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully." -- Jeff Cooper
Frank Ettin is offline  
Old September 9, 2013, 11:02 AM   #19
csmsss
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Orange, TX
Posts: 3,078
Frank, I was referring to the small, single-pistol type safes, not to actual gun cabinets which can be bolted down.
csmsss is offline  
Old September 9, 2013, 11:13 AM   #20
Frank Ettin
Staff
 
Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
Quote:
Originally Posted by csmsss
Frank, I was referring to the small, single-pistol type safes, not to actual gun cabinets which can be bolted down.
That's what I was referring to as well. We have several, and they have holes in the bottoms for bolting down.

They look like this:

__________________
"It is long been a principle of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully." -- Jeff Cooper
Frank Ettin is offline  
Old September 9, 2013, 04:10 PM   #21
csmsss
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Orange, TX
Posts: 3,078
But what do you bolt that down to that is (reasonably) more or less instantaneously accessible?
csmsss is offline  
Old September 9, 2013, 05:50 PM   #22
Frank Ettin
Staff
 
Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
pistol vault

Quote:
Originally Posted by csmsss View Post
But what do you bolt that down to that is (reasonably) more or less instantaneously accessible?
Use your imagination, and be creative. I'm sure you can think of places. How about builtin shelves, cabinets (open door, punch combination, about a second), a heavy piece of furniture (like a solid wood armoire), etc.
Frank Ettin is offline  
Old September 9, 2013, 07:07 PM   #23
ejfalvo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 8, 2009
Posts: 279
I have a clam shell style gunvault with the combo lock. The cable is looped through the center of the bed frame. If someone wanted to steal the vault they pretty much would need to disassemble a king size bed. The vault sits right under my side of the bed and is easy to reach if needed.
ejfalvo is offline  
Old September 10, 2013, 03:30 AM   #24
dakota.potts
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2013
Location: Keystone Heights, Florida
Posts: 3,084
I have the exact safe that the OP has. My mom got it from Walmart. It's marketed under Remington or Winchester, but I'll be darned if his isn't the exact same as mine, right down to the hidden key flap on the front.

I like it. It's quick to get into and does everything I need it to do. I will say, though, to get used to the keypad and the handle. I can do the keypad in the dark at this point, but you do have to hit the # at the end (that tripped me up at first) and you have to know how to work the handle. It won't open if it hasn't been pressed all the way to the left, etc. These are little things and I can get it open reliably in about a second every time, but you do have to get a feel for the way it operates.
dakota.potts is offline  
Old September 10, 2013, 08:50 AM   #25
FAS1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 9, 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 541
Quote:
But what do you bolt that down to that is (reasonably) more or less instantaneously accessible?
A few ideas for you.

To the bed frame and anchored to the floor:




To a heavy desk:



Wall stud:



Nightstand with it bolted to the floor:

__________________
Glenn
FAS1 SAFE
FAS1 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.12274 seconds with 10 queries