Looking for a nightstand safe

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  • cantstop

    Pentultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2012
    8,158
    MD
    That Amazon safe looks like a great deal at $75. They have free returns so I went ahead and ordered one. I'll check it out and return if I'm not happy with it. Thanks for posting.

    So... How do you like it?

    Can you open it with a strong magnet? Did you invite LPL over to stare at it until it's open? (He's local, you know...)
     

    attila.

    Member
    May 18, 2013
    10
    Just arrived one hour ago. I'll dig into it tomorrow and let ya know.

    Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S20 using Tapatalk

    Hi,

    I just started my bedside-safe research, and I was wondering what your thoughts are now that you’ve had some time with this one.

    Thanks!
     

    AKbythebay

    Ultimate Member
    Hi,

    I just started my bedside-safe research, and I was wondering what your thoughts are now that you’ve had some time with this one.

    Thanks!

    Good morning, thanks for the reminder.

    Yes I have been using the AmazonBasics gun safe for a couple weeks now. Has some positives and negatives

    Positives - Nice compact design. Very easy to operate. Easy access to battery compartment and reset button. Big enough to accommodate two handguns. Buttons are large, easy to access. You could enter the combination in the dark without too much difficulty. Sound can be turned off. Top is spring loaded so when you hit the final number of the combination is swings up. No enter button, nothing to turn, it just opens right up. Price is a big plus. Only ~$75 delivered. Hard to touch that price on such a good safe anywhere.

    Negatives - The top hatch design can make it difficult for the hatch to open far enough to easily access the firearm depending on the clearance of the drawer. With mine it is enough room but smaller drawers could be a problem. When it opens inside a drawer it hits the top of the drawer making a pretty loud sound. So if you need this done silently you are going to have to pad it or use two hands to keep it from banging on the top of the drawer. The biggest issue I have with it is it is difficult to secure the safe itself. There are four holes on the bottom but that means the best you can really do is screw it to the bottom of the drawer. Obviously if someone wants to steal it they can just pull the drawer out with it. For my use theft was not the concern, it was just to keep other people from accessing my firearm. However if theft is an issue you may need to mount it somewhere else to secure it. Right now there is nothing preventing anyone from taking the safe with them.

    At home I use a "GunVault" drawer safe. It has two advantages over the Amazon safe. The drawer pops downward from an end, so no issue with clearance. The second is it comes with a cable lock so I have it running out the back of the drawer and through the headboard. Makes it a little harder to steal. Problem with the GunVault safes is they have reliability concerns. No problems with mine but have heard plenty of reports of the motor dying, or batteries draining. Also accessing the battery compartment is a total PITA.

    Hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions. I'm sure I'm forgetting things.
     

    cantstop

    Pentultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2012
    8,158
    MD
    Cables are pretty ease to slice through. You would do just as well (maybe better) bolting galvanized steel tabs (decking stuff) to the back of the drawer to stop its removal.

     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,407
    Glen Burnie
    Cables are pretty ease to slice through. You would do just as well (maybe better) bolting galvanized steel tabs (decking stuff) to the back of the drawer to stop its removal.

    The casual thief doesn't carry bolt cutters around with them. Things that are "cabled" work well.

    People need to stop overthinking things.
     

    AKbythebay

    Ultimate Member
    I just ordered a security cable off Amazon. Not sure where or if I can mount it yet but I'll give it a shot. Hoping I can come out the lower half of the side since I don't have the clearance to mount on the back panel. Will report back after.

    And I agree that no cable lock or nightstand safe will stop a determined thief. All we are really doing here is making it a little harder and a little more time consuming. The bigger issue is that the safe keeps your gun out of someone else's hand.
     

    BigCountry14

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 17, 2013
    1,668
    The casual thief doesn't carry bolt cutters around with them. Things that are "cabled" work well.



    People need to stop overthinking things.
    I look at my under bed boxes as strictly a deterent to keep my 1 and 3 year old away our bedside handguns that still allow relatively quick access. Other than that, I dont consider it a theft deterrent in any way, and if I am gone for an extended period, the guns go in the big safe. And Honestly, I'm not entirely sure an enterprising theif, given adequate time and drive couldn't manage to get those out as well.



    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
     

    AKbythebay

    Ultimate Member
    Quick update. I was easily able to add a cable lock to the Amazon safe. Bought the cable for ~$15 and drilled a 1/4" hole in the side if the safe, good-to-go.

    6087fa5cd436420550f662b8b2f5c629.jpg


    ecb104fd8f5da45cb390ac2e3ffb997b.jpg


    Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S20 using Tapatalk
     

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