Customer Reviews

Secure-It Handgun Storage Safe

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

key lock version.

I recently locked myself out of my place. I had previously put a spare house key in the "secure it" in my truck. I keep a spare truck key in my wallet so getting to the truck was no problem. the problem was that i did not put a spare safe key on my key ring, so instead of sitting outside in my truck for 10 hours waiting for the apartment complex folks to show up to work, or paying maybe a hundred to get into my place, i decided to break into my safe.

i tried to use my leatherman to cut the cable but that did not work out well, i stripped the plastic coating and cut a few strands but not good enough. i only got halfway through the cable. i tried to turn the lock with the flathead portion of the screwdriver. i shredded the interior parts of the lock, but it would not budge. i then used my leatherman to break into the side along the seam. i used the flathead screwdriver part to pry a side open. i attacked for several minutes but the leatherman could only do but so much. however i was able to flex the metal enough to create a gap. then i got the idea to use my vehicle's crowbar. i worked for some time more. the interior side piece (a tack(?) welded piece of metal that happens to be on both sides) eventually popped loose, but remained vertical inside the safe so i could not insert the crowbar all the way across. eventually i popped the safe open and got my house keys.

this all took me 45 minutes.

pluses.

--the lock portion held up under my attack using a flathead
--the interior sidewalls prevented me from getting deeper inside with the crowbar

minuses.

--needs a thicker cable (i went to Lowes and made one using laminated 1/8 in cable, i think this one is 3/32nd).
--needs better welding. the spot welds are weak.
--the locking hasp eventually popped. i mean, it had that appearance as if a tubular piece of pottery had just broken off of a base it was attached to. needs a better weld.

as a lesson, do not leave any tools in your car that will make it easier for someone to break into your safe. (yeah, a no brainer, but the crowbar part escaped me).

update 10 Dec 11:

there is an easier way to get a thicker cable and it just occurred to me. buy one of those laptop cable locks to substitute for the issued cable. you should still be able to run the wire thru itself and you can place the locking portion inside the box. this would be a lot easier than buying a swagging(?) tool, wire, and hoping you get it right. after all, it'd be thicker and of a desirable length where that you could still secure the cable under your seat and still bring it up to your lap to operate it.

I have used this safe in many locations including my car and plan to buy another for my second vehicle. This isn't a 400 lb gun safe or as technically advanced as the GunVault, but it surely does the job. I have used it in motel rooms to secure valuables when a room safe was not available and did not have any problems. It is made well and is a bargain for the price.

The previous reviewer who left a single star review stated that this would be easy to break in to. I seriously doubt it. If you secure the cable to something secure in your car, it would take a pair of bolt cutters to remove it - don't know many car thieves carrying those around. Chances are your average car thief will have a screw driver to pry things open and remove your stereo. This is 21 gauge steel people, you'd have to have a vice and multiple long screwdrivers or mini-crowbars to pry this sucker open. For an average car thief, this is too much work and would take to long for a smash and grab. Make sure you attach it to something secure!

Love the product, can't wait for my second to arrive!

Here's a little more info about the safe:

A handgun storage safe that fits in a bag, under your vehicle seat or in a briefcase. Memory foam holds gun securely in place. Meets TSA airline firearm guidelines. Constructed of heavy-duty 21-gauge steel. Comes with a 1,500-lb. test security cable.

There is no "one" solution to securing a handgun with the exception of a vault, but this little box makes me feel a little better when I need to leave my pistol in my vehicle. It provides safe, secure storage and is not too big or too small. And the "Secure-It Handgun Storage Safe" is very well made with a professional finish and top quality securing cable. You'd play hell ripping one of these things from an automotive seat rail, and even if you did it might take some work to open the safe. This is also an excellent place to store your registration too.

This thing is sturdier than I expected. It appears to be made of powder coated steel, with a decent lock (2 sided key). I like that it comes with security cable, and you don't need to spend more $$$ to buy that separately.

The only "wish list" I could think of for this unit are:

1 - A push-button lock that requires a key to open, but just pushing in the spring-loaded lock to secure the box. Not a biggie.

2 - A security cable slot on the other side of the box. As supplied, the cable fits in a slot on one side of the box. There is no slot if you want to run the cable in through the other side.

3 - Some quick & dirty instructions on how to secure the box to your vehicle, for the users who need them. No instructions were provided.

As to this thing being easy to break into, I doubt it. Today, I used a Dremel tool with abrasive cutting disc to cut a cable slot in the other side of the box. It was NOT easy going. On either of the long sides of the box is an extra sheet of thick steel (approx 0.05-0.07" thick). When added to the already significant wall thickness, this was not simple to cut through, even with the Dremel tool. This steel reinforcement would make it MUCH harder to twist or pry the box open. Yes, if you cut the aircraft cable (?portable Dremel tool with cutting disc?), take the box home, you could chop open the hinge side of the box with your Dremel, but that's much more work than your average crack-head thief wants to hassle with.

For a fairly small amount of money, you can secure firearms in your vehicle much better than just stashing them in the flimsy glove box.

For me this item fills the bill for two areas for which I needed help. 1. It prevents a quick or discreet snatch of my firearm or credit cards/wallet from my car while it is unattended, in for service, parked at night, etc. 2. It adds one more layer of defense from a child gaining access to my firearm. $30 is cheap for a good nights sleep. Also, I have used it when traveling to lock up my wallet in the room to keep the maids from skimming and it does happen more often than you think.

I won't give warnings because we are all adults but obviously it nor anything else will prevent a determined thief that has ample time but most are too lazy or else they'd have jobs. And most any kid over 5 or so can open it if they had a key. However, I keep my car locked and don't allow my kids or anyone else access to the car without me. I don't allow anyone access to my keys either which are in two different places. But even if I forget to lock the car which I don't then I have a little more peace of mind knowing that I have yet another layer of protection against accidents.

Great safe for the price. Lets face it no safe is break in proof. Criminals will always find a way. Most thefts from an auto are smash and grab of items left in plain view. Radar detectors, GPS and other items are generally taken by breaking a window. This little safe will definetly stop a casual theif. If they want more then they will steal the whole car and have all the time in the world to crack a safe.

This was easy to install. Loop the cable around a seat bracket and pass the large loop through the smaller one and then put the large loop around the locking mechanism inside the box and pass the cable out through the slot. Less than one minute to install. I am buying a second for my other vehicle.

This locking box seems well made, and the foam does not have a strong odor. We are pleased with it except for one thing. We can't figure out how to secure it with the cable. The larger loop will not fit over the lock receiver (the packaging says to slide it over the "lock receiver") inside the box, and we see no other place to attach it. Can someone please describe in detail how to secure the loop inside the box, or provide a customer service number?

There is no contact information on the cardboard sleeve, the only packaging from the manufacturer. Also, the picture on the sleeve shows a small locking receiver inside the box, but ours is two inches wide, too wide for the loop to fit over the whole thing. We tried looping it around the lock (the part the key goes in), but the loop fell off. It also moved the position of the latch, resulting in the box not locking with the key. We were able to fix this, but we're taking off a star. It moved out of position very easily and could be a problem in an emergency.

Because of that, we wouldn't advise keeping it locked when you want a gun quickly accessible, or recommend it for securing a loaded gun from children. This box should be useful for securing a gun or small valuables from sticky fingers or smash and grabs. It has two holes in the bottom so it could be attached to a shelf with screws or bolts.

The metal is heavy for a box this size, and it seems a good value for the price. However, we may have to return it if we can't find a way to secure it with the cable. We would appreciate knowing how others are attaching the cable loop inside the box. Thanks

Will raise the review to 4 stars if we can find a way to use the cable.

The promised cable was not included. The company said it is no longer included.

This product is well-made and works as described. It would be nice if a keyless version were available (i.e. with a push-button combination lock).

This is a pretty good buy. Yes the foam in mine smelled horrible but, a washing in some mild laundry detergent and hanging out to dry fixed that.

I use this to secure my weapon in my nightstand as well as in my vehicle and camper. Only wished I had checked Cabela's first, could have saved a few dollars as shipping for this was expensive.