View Full Version : Glock storage question - quick access safes
Another newbie question now that I'm getting my G23. I have kids in the house and would prefer to keep my handgun loaded and in an easily accessible safe when I'm not carrying it. I haven't been able to find reviews of handgun safes with combination locks. I'm leaning toward a digital keypad or finger pads even though I'm aware that batteries will periodically need replacement... I just don't want to be fumbling in the dark looking for a key or trying to spin a dial. Anybody have a suggestion (or a different forum I should post this in)?
http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/strong_box_safes/ps-515.html
This is what i have i actully have 2 the one in the link and the smaller drawer model .. They are not fire safes just strong boxes the quality is great and the combination is easily changed and backed up with a key .. So far the batteries have never gone dead but there is a light on the front that will tell you when they are getting low. I changed the batteries after one year but they did not need it i just changed them to be on the safe side.I have a glock 17 with 6 mags , glock 36 with 4 mags , glock 19c with 3 mags in the size in the link it is a little tight .. Thats why i bought the smaller drawer model that now houses the 19c (thats the wifes gun ) here is a link to the smaller safe
http://www.stack-on.com/securityplus/strong_box_safes/pds-500.html
They are pretty reasonable to the big one was 56 bucks and the smaller was 35
Hope this helps :wavey:
oh yea a good habit that I got into is to when I leave a weapon loaded even if it is in the safe I place a red piece of paper over it reminding me that it is loaded.. or i load the weapon and put it in my fobus holster inside the safe to remind me it is loaded.. Just to be on the safe side I leave myself that reminder..I often do dry fire drills and just decieded one day to start that just to protect myself .. :supergrin:
Cornfedwhitey
02-12-2008, 00:20
I purchased a stackable keyed lock safe from Walmart for $19.00. Obviously it is in expensive, not a fire safe and if someone really wanted to get into it they could... However its good to prevent a quick smash and grab, or keeping youngins out.it's got a shelf inside with padding. I have both the 23 and the 27, a Sure fire light, decent fixed blade knife and extra mags and it all fits well.
It comes with hardware to mount into the corner of say like your closet, or near studs..I come home, slide whatever fire arm I am carrying that day in it and if its just me and the woman home I keep my keys in the key hole of the safe. If we expect company, or any friends with kids obviously thats different.
NYC Drew
02-12-2008, 07:11
See my thread here: >>>
http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=792374
'Drew
oh yea a good habit that I got into is to when I leave a weapon loaded even if it is in the safe I place a red piece of paper over it reminding me that it is loaded.. or i load the weapon and put it in my fobus holster inside the safe to remind me it is loaded.. Just to be on the safe side I leave myself that reminder..I often do dry fire drills and just decieded one day to start that just to protect myself .. :supergrin:
I rely on the 4 rules of firearms safety regardless of how my gun is stored.
Timberwulf
02-12-2008, 07:41
That's exactly what I was going to say Tito. Treat a firearm as if it is *always* loaded.
NYC Drew
02-12-2008, 07:46
That's exactly what I was going to say Tito. Treat a firearm as if it is *always* loaded.
Yes,v except I can tell neither of you have ever had to reach for a HANDGUN in a hurry, while in a disoriented state (no slam intended).
If you ASSUME that a firearm is ALWAYS loaded, what happens in the heat of the moment when you reach for a gun, but it is not loaded?
I use whatever tools & tricks are necessary to TELL ME my gun(s) is (are) loaded. Like the guy you responded to, loaded guns are usually holstered, or I put a piece of paper over it in the safe, to REMIND ME it's ready to go.
There is a difference between loaded guns for safety's sake, and loaded guns for readyness' sake.
Do you guys ever do press checks?
'Drew
Yes,v except I can tell neither of you have ever had to reach for a HANDGUN in a hurry, while in a disoriented state (no slam intended).
If you ASSUME that a firearm is ALWAYS loaded, what happens in the heat of the moment when you reach for a gun, but it is not loaded?
I use whatever tools & tricks are necessary to TELL ME my gun(s) is (are) loaded. Like the guy you responded to, loaded guns are usually holstered, or I put a piece of paper over it in the safe, to REMIND ME it's ready to go.
There is a difference between loaded guns for safety's sake, and loaded guns for readyness' sake.
Do you guys ever do press checks?
'Drew
I have designated guns for self defense and keep them loaded. If I were to deploy one for self defense, I would be confident it is loaded. If I were to use one for training, when I picked it up, I would be confident it is loaded, and then either unload it or leave it loaded, as the situation dictates (it may go directly onto my belt as a CCW or in a case)
Similarly, if I pull a gun out of the safe, although I think it is unloaded I assume it loaded.
I do not do press checks, per se, I prefer to retract the slide slightly to check that a round is in the chamber.
NYC Drew
02-12-2008, 08:12
I have designated guns for self defense and keep them loaded. If I were to deploy one for self defense, I would be confident it is loaded. If I were to use one for training, when I picked it up, I would be confident it is loaded, and then either unload it or leave it loaded, as the situation dictates (it may go directly onto my belt as a CCW or in a case)
Similarly, if I pull a gun out of the safe, although I think it is unloaded I assume it loaded.
I do not do press checks, per se, I prefer to retract the slide slightly to check that a round is in the chamber.
I take it you are the only person with access to your safe(s), then.
'Drew
Donut Slayer
02-12-2008, 08:34
I have to agree with Tito on this one. I have a couple of handguns that are loaded 24/7. I know which ones are and are not. But I still observe the basic gun rules. And I havent accidently shot myself or anyone else in 40 years.
Thanks guys! This is great info. I tried searching but when I tried "handgun safe" I got a whole lot of non-storage-related safety info.
Has anybody tried Gunsafe brand?
http://www.gunvault.com/
I use an Isteki bio safe that is pretty much identical to this one..
http://www.center-of-mass.com/Store_BioMax.htm
I think Isteki went out of business or something and the BioMAX seems to be a reincarnation.
I keep the safe right next to the bed and my wife and I are the only one's who can open it. So far I am very impressed and pleased with it.
Yes,v except I can tell neither of you have ever had to reach for a HANDGUN in a hurry, while in a disoriented state (no slam intended).
If you ASSUME that a firearm is ALWAYS loaded, what happens in the heat of the moment when you reach for a gun, but it is not loaded?
I use whatever tools & tricks are necessary to TELL ME my gun(s) is (are) loaded. Like the guy you responded to, loaded guns are usually holstered, or I put a piece of paper over it in the safe, to REMIND ME it's ready to go.
There is a difference between loaded guns for safety's sake, and loaded guns for readyness' sake.
Do you guys ever do press checks?
'Drew
My guns are always loaded; saves any mystery. This was also true when my son lived in the house (of course, I got him when he was twelve, and firearm skill and safety were among the very first things we discussed/trained. I don't advocate keeping guns loaded around small children. Nor do I use safes. All my life my gun has hung in its holster next to the bedroom door, last thing grabbed on the way out, and I've never had reason to change that.
My mother in law keeps her glock 19 in a safe at her bedside (far side from the door...if anyone comes through, I've had her practice rolling off that side of the bed and getting to it) and th safe she uses has four finger-slots with programable combination and a wall-cord with battery backup. This proved to be the easiest and most intuitive access.
It looks like ... actually, NDO, it looks like the link you posted for gunvault. She has room for the loaded (condition 1) glock with underslung flashlight, plus one extra mag. If you want a safe for child safety and fast access, I'd call that one the way to go...but only if you can be sure your child will never have access to it for long enough to sit and play "find the combination".
JMHO...there's not measure of safety for children in the house with guns that will ever beat a strong philosophy of education and training. I taught my son like my grandfather taught me at age 7...with watermelons as targets so he could see that getting shot is not just "a neat little hole" in someone. He's profoundly respected guns ever since...and now that he's grown with kids, he carries on that same philosophy. His grown son does, as well, and I'm sure the next two will follow suit. No one in our family as ever had a child hurt playing with a "discovered" weapon because there was no mystery and no "discovery".
Thx-1138
02-12-2008, 09:54
Thanks guys! This is great info. I tried searching but when I tried "handgun safe" I got a whole lot of non-storage-related safety info.
Has anybody tried Gunsafe brand?
http://www.gunvault.com/
I have a large deluxe gunvault at home. I keep my two loaded guns inside, as they are both daily carry weapons depending on my clothing that day.
Bottom shelf is big enough to store a G17 inside an MTAC, and have room for a couple of extra mags.
Behind the gun there's enough room for mag loaders, and a couple of 50-round boxes of ammo.
Top shelf isn't as deep, and has less clearance towards the back. It's (thick) plastic, and rests on side rails. I should probably glue it down or something, but then it'd be harder to replace the batteries (in the top inside of the safe). Maybe small strips of velcro, or even just felt lining on the sides to make it a snug fit would be all it took. Without something to make it snug, it can move when you're moving the only heavy object on it.
Anyway, I keep my G39 on the top shelf, and it's fine for that, but when the G39 is in a Mike's #4 pocket holster, there isn't much clearance, and the holster can sometimes catch on either the roof padding or the bottom shelf when I'm moving it.
Opening it is fast, and after the first month is done by muscle memory (unless you change your combination).
They come with a cable that you can secure to something in your home. They're not fire-rated, and a determined thief could eventually get it open or get it out of your house by cutting the cable or whatever it's attached to.
IMO, don't spend your money on the large deluxe version. Large, maybe. Deluxe, maybe.... but they don't work well together. Among other things, the deluxe gives you an interior light, which is awesome. It's in the center of the roof, which makes it nearly worthless with the top shelf installed. The top shelf has little enough clearance that the light doesn't much spill in front of a holstered pistol, and no light spills to the bottom.
I take it you are the only person with access to your safe(s), then.
'Drew
My wife has access to my safe, and she is taught to follow the same rules:
When you take a gun out of the safe, assume it loaded.
1) Keep it pointed in a safe direction.
2) Always make sure your finger is outside the trigger guard.
3) Visually inspect to see if a magazine is in the gun, if there is remove it.
4) visually inspect the chamber to make sure it is empty.
5) drop the hammer on the empty chamber.
BTW, I strive to keep all of the guns in my safe unloaded. I strive to keep my three self defense guns loaded. We have an infant and very soon I will be relying on only one gun for self defense which will either be on me or in a mini vault at all times.
Edit; NDO, no disrespect intended, however keeping a red piece of paper on top of your gun only tells you that there is red piece of paper on top of your gun.
ClydeG19
02-12-2008, 10:42
I have a Multivault and a Gunvault (all from the gunvault company, the Multi just holds 2 guns). The Multi is in my bedroom mounted to the nightstand with 2 Glocks in it. A burglar could make off with it if he took the whole nightstand, but that would look kind of funny walking down the street. The single vault is in an undisclosed location at the other end of the house. It contains a third Glock. All three are loaded and ready to go with some extra mags. What good does an unloaded gun do you? Especially when you get woken up from a dead sleep when the dog start barking at the bedroom door at 3am when you are a cross between :shocked:, :yawn:, and :wow:. I wouldn't want to have to load the thing while I'm busy getting my wits about me.
Some people have complained about the Gunvault brand vaults eating up batteries, but I haven't had that problem. I haven't changed the batteries in the 3.5 years since I've had them.
huntpro13
02-12-2008, 11:21
I didn't take the time to read all the posts here, but wanted to say that I have a Stack-On combo safe and I would not rely on it for emergency access. Put in my 4-digit code plus # sign, green light comes on.... nuthin. It unlocks about 30% of the time on the first try. So in a home invasion scenerio, I'd be pretty much SOL.
Just sayin...
Edit; NDO, no disrespect intended, however keeping a red piece of paper on top of your gun only tells you that there is red piece of paper on top of your gun.
I didn't mention anything about red paper... my plan is to keep the weapon loaded in a paddle holster inside the safe. If I need it in the middle of the night... I assume I'll need it to be loaded.
I like the looks of the gunvault multi so far.
I didn't mention anything about red paper... my plan is to keep the weapon loaded in a paddle holster inside the safe. If I need it in the middle of the night... I assume I'll need it to be loaded.
I like the looks of the gunvault multi so far.
Oops sorry, it was iijisfo who used the red paper technique.
When my kids were small, I kept all my house guns in something like this. http://www.lock-depot.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=213. Still do, though now they have the combo. No batteries, I can open them in the dark, etc. I bought mine at a local shop. Probably cheaper ones than this one out there.
Thx-1138
02-12-2008, 20:53
Without something to make [the top shelf of a large Gunvault] snug, it can move when you're moving the only heavy object on it.
I went home tonight to see what I could do to fix this, and realized that I had the shelf installed improperly. It slides in from the front, with U-shaped rails on each wall. Very secure, and gives about 1/8" extra clearance up top since I'd had it sitting on the top of the U-rails.
I use an Isteki bio safe that is pretty much identical to this one..
http://www.center-of-mass.com/Store_BioMax.htm
I think Isteki went out of business or something and the BioMAX seems to be a reincarnation.
I keep the safe right next to the bed and my wife and I are the only one's who can open it. So far I am very impressed and pleased with it.
Igloid, what's your estimate on how long it takes to open that "fingerprint" safe once you reach it? I'm considering buying a BioMAX shortly, but haven't had a chance to play with one in person yet.
biker,
The time to open it is about 2 seconds. Press the button to open the scanner and press in my thumb. Takes about 1 second to read and unlock.
To date I have never had a false read either. I have had others try to open it and it has yet to open.
So far I am extremely pleased with it.
My safe is a Winchester eVault eV400, comes with a key but uses a keypad.
http://www.winchesterevault.com/App_Themes/Winchester/images/home_eV400.jpg
Keep it under the bed with a steel wire securing it to the center post. The only way it is coming off is with a)industrial strength wire cutter b)knowing the combination to the lock that secures the wire c)lifting a kingsize Tempurpedic mattress off the bed (takes 2-3 people), lifting up both box springs, and lifting up the frame while at the same time unhooking the loop from the center post of the bed. I don't loose any sleep over it going anywhere :supergrin:
Call me clumsy call me Mr. Murphy's Law, but I won't count on an electronic safe for an "absolutely, must have it now" solution (key backup takes away from the instant access element for me).
A really simple solution is the line of safes that use the mechanical push-button system--very tactile, can access it easily in the dark with one hand, and no batteries or electronics to fail...ever. The V-line safes all have Simplex locks and work very well.
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