Mini-Vault Electronic Gun Safe Suggestions

[Erich_870]

The IP Camera thread got me thinking about a project idea that's been on the back burner.

With my kiddo's getting older and more mobile/inquisitive, I've had to put my home protection gun in the safe and not close to my bed. I'd like to move it back within reach at night and I'm looking into mini-vaults with electronic key pads for easy midnight access.

I'd like to incorporate it into a nearby piece of furniture to keep it out of sight of my kids and intruders (out of site, out of mind) so size is important. The more compact the better.

What would you guys suggest? Just a heads up, my current protection piece is a .357 revolver, so the safe needs to have enough internal room to fit the extra width of the cylinder.

Erich

[04 Rocko Taco]

For what you are looking at, I would look at one of the little "bio identifier" safes with the handprint on top, you can program most of them to accept 2 or 3 different hands, so you or your wife could open it. FRom the ones I have seen, they are relatively easy, reliable, and pretty unbeatable (by your kids)

[4x4mike]

Erich, I am in the same position as you. My large safe is on the other side of the house and houses all of my goodies. Once I get home I'll try to link up what I've been looking at as I'm at work. If you want/have $200 the choice is real easy. I don't want to spend that much and actually don't need a lot of storage room.

I almost bought a small safe that opens from the top but passed because this will probably go under the bed and not in furniture. I don't want it in furniture because I don't want someone breaking the safe out. Plan is to mount it to the floor or build something that mounts to the bed frame and the floor and the safe mounts to it.

This is not so much to hide from the kids but make it accessible to me when I need it. Young kids find most anything you try to hide so I'd rather educate them as to what it is and the dangers instead of leaving them curious and wanting to get in (me as a kid).

I've found a few cheap ideas on Midway and eBay. Backlit key pad with key back up.

[Erich_870]

For what you are looking at, I would look at one of the little "bio identifier" safes with the handprint on top, you can program most of them to accept 2 or 3 different hands, so you or your wife could open it. FRom the ones I have seen, they are relatively easy, reliable, and pretty unbeatable (by your kids)

A bio identifier would be cool. No groggy code remembering issues.

Erich, I am in the same position as you. My large safe is on the other side of the house and houses all of my goodies. Once I get home I'll try to link up what I've been looking at as I'm at work. If you want/have $200 the choice is real easy. I don't want to spend that much and actually don't need a lot of storage room.

I almost bought a small safe that opens from the top but passed because this will probably go under the bed and not in furniture. I don't want it in furniture because I don't want someone breaking the safe out. Plan is to mount it to the floor or build something that mounts to the bed frame and the floor and the safe mounts to it.

This is not so much to hide from the kids but make it accessible to me when I need it. Young kids find most anything you try to hide so I'd rather educate them as to what it is and the dangers instead of leaving them curious and wanting to get in (me as a kid).

I've found a few cheap ideas on Midway and eBay. Backlit key pad with key back up.

I'd rather not have to spend $200. It would mean I'd have to go longer before I could install it. Post up some links to what you found.

I’m definitely direct when it comes to teaching my kids what is okay to touch and what is off limits without me present, but I was a kid too and if it's easy to get to, I'd still get into it, “just because”.

Erich

[4x4mike]

The Gun Vault I was looking at is $120 locally. It's a bio one but a little spendy for what it is. Honeywell and some other companies make ones a little bigger, open with a little swinging door and use a key pad. I'm a super light sleeper and have been woken up near nightly for 3 years (love my little one) so I never get enough solid sleep to ever wake up groggy. Well that's my excuse. I think the key pad will be fine for me and be easier for me and my wife to use.

My plan is for a 4" semi auto. Do you have a big Alaska barrel on your .357? The Gun Vault I was looking at didn't look like it would fit my Dad's 5" 686.

[mastacox]

I have a Barska biometric fingerprint safe which I really like, it's programmed with both my fingerprint and my wife's, and you can get it open in about 10 seconds. It did cost about $200, but I decided the fingerprint scan and extra space was worth it over smaller units.



There are fingerprint scanners in smaller sizes if you're only looking to store 1 gun. Check out Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...metric&x=0&y=0

[4x4mike]

I was looking at stuff like this.

http://www.fireproofsafes.com/busine...andgunsafe.cfm

http://www.surefiregunsafes.com/7-1x...ompatible.html

I like this one as it can go on the wall and have a curtain or something similar over it.
http://www.guncabinetsandsafes.com/h...olboxsmall.cfm

[Erich_870]

I thought I responded last night, but I guess it didn't stick.

My .357 has a 3 3/4" barrel, so it's not super long. The grip is just over 1 1/2" thick, so that's going to be one of the controlling dimensions.

I really like the looks of this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846

It has the finger reader, but it may be too thin.

This one is also nice and thin: http://www.amazon.com/Gunvault-MVB50...ref=pd_cp_hi_0

The price is better as well.

Erich

[slosurfer]

There's a website I joined that has good deals on outdoors stuff everyday dvor.com and I see those gunvaults come up from time to time. In fact on tuesday they have listed that gunvaults are going to be on sale on the site.

You have to be a member, but it's no charge or anything.

http://www.dvor.com/s/730mom.html

[04 Rocko Taco]

I love Dvor. Got some great deals.