Top 5 Best Budget Gun Safes • (Ultimate 2024 Reviews)

As long as your arms cache is a manageable one, you’re all set for greatness here. In this guide, we share the five best budget gun safes to store both your pistols and long guns. We have a lot of experience storing firearms and know what’s available in this price category. In our Top 5, you’ll find strictly mechanical up to more sophisticated biometric entry systems that allow for the quickest & easiest access.

Additionally, it’s good to get a clear idea of what you want before we get started with our helpful chart below. If your plan is to protect yourself and your significant other, it’s a wise idea to aim for the quickest access. Plus, you’ll want to consider the positioning of the safe and how you plan to see it at night. Some safes have built-in nightlights and LEDs while others need to be customized.

Next, we take child safety very seriously here. For folks who have children in the house, it’s best to stick with limited entry options, including safes with no backup or override keys since gun safe locks are notoriously easy to pick, especially in the sub-500 category. Now, with those few thoughts in your head, let’s go over the specs for our Top 5 picks before jumping to the reviews of each safe.

Top 5 Budget Gun Safes

Reviews of the Best Budget Gun Safes

Now that you have an idea of what’s available in this price range, you’ve most likely already chosen a couple of good candidates from the chart above. The best under-bed gun safes blend security with unmatched quick access. Under-bed safes with drawers are the ideal option for long guns to avoid having to pull the guns out of a front-facing door. With a drawer-style safe, you have quick access to the gun of your choice.

Additional options include gun cabinets for safely storing rifles and shotguns upright without worry. Gun cabinets also typically have a top shelf or lockbox to store handguns, ammo, and small accessories. The final option is a pistol safe. In the pistol safe category, we prefer reliable biometric options or mechanical-only safes for ultimate security and child safety.

Below, you’ll find reviews for each of the safes in our Top 5 to give you a clearer idea of what to expect from each safe before making your final decision.

#1) Verifi Smart.Safe. Biometric Gun Safe w/ FBI Certified Fingerprint Sensor

Verifi’s biometric Smart.Safe. features one of the most reliable fingerprint sensors that sports FBI-grade technology. With this safe, you don’t have to worry about reliability because the large sensor accurately reads your fingerprint every time. The main advantage is the 3D capacitive sensor with 508 dpi resolution. When you scan your fingerprint, the 3D capacitive sensor reads more deeply below the surface of the skin to create a better, more unique image for each scanned fingerprint.

The sensor is so good that it’s able to read dirty or even warn prints. In total, the safe stores up to 40 unique prints, which gives you and your significant other more than enough slots to use both of your hands if you like. Beyond the sensor, the safe is jam-packed with features that you may or may not use. Depending on your taste in safes and simplicity, the Smart.Safe. logs various activities such as user logs and failed entry attempts.

Outside of the technical features, the safe body is made of 14-gauge steel, which is about standard for gun safes, though we do really like that the Smart.Safe. has an 8-gauge steel door w/ two 3/4″ motorized locking bolts. Finally, the recessed door and concealed hinges help to protect against pry attacks, and there are pre-drilled holes at the back & bottom to mount the safe anywhere you want.

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#2) SnapSafe XXL 75400 Under Bed Safe

SnapSafe’s 75400 is a great budget alternative to MonsterVault’s under-bed safe. What we really like about the 75400 is that it features a pull-out drawer, plus there’s more than enough room to store several long guns along with handguns and ammo. Another thing we like about SnapSafe is it’s a Hornady company, and Hornady makes some really awesome quick-access RFID safes.

Regarding access, the 75400 model features electronic keypad access with a 3 to 8 digit access code and the option to open the safe with the included override key. While we’re not huge fans of override keys, it is nice to have one in this case in the event the battery does die, and you need to quickly access the safe.

Several final highlights of this safe are that it weighs 150 lbs making it hard for anyone to run off with, there are pre-drilled holes to bolt it down, it includes a heavy-duty security cable to attach it to a bed frame, the drawers are fairly easy to remove, and the door provides good pry resistance. Also, its low-profile design makes it nearly universal to slide beneath most beds, and once it’s set up, you get a clear view of all your firearms without having to bend or reach to access your weapon of choice.

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#3) BARSKA HQ800 Standard Quick-Access Keypad Biometric Rifle Safe

Next up is the first of our two favorite budget gun cabinets. At the time of this writing, this safe actually costs under 400, which is good news for people on a tighter budget. First, let’s go over the entry methods. The HQ800 features a biometric fingerprint scanner, digital keypad, and override keys for a total of three access methods. Considering the fingerprint sensor isn’t quite on par with the 3D capacitive sensors featured on Verifi’s safes, it’s good to know that this safe does feature keypad access.

Inside the safe, you’ll find padded slots to fit up to four long guns and a top shelf to store ammunition, pistols, and/or accessories. If you want to store both pistols and rifles for quick access, it is possible to store your handguns in the included handgun rack on the back of the door. Next, the locking system features three sold steel deadbolts for good pry resistance and a secure fit to keep family and children out.

Lastly, the safe body is made of 16-gauge steel, which is the main reason this safe weighs just 66 lbs. The good news is the safe does feature pre-drilled holes to bolt it to a wall. A couple of final features we want to highlight are the option to store up to 120 fingerprints and the versatility of the internal storage with its removable shelving.

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#4) V-Line BRUTE-Tactical Heavy Duty Large Capacity Handgun Safe

This pistol safe by V-Line is one of our favorites on the market, comparable to the Fort Knox pistol safe. With this Safe, you get heavy-duty 10-gauge steel and a single access method. Of the safes in this guide, the BRUTE is one of the safest for homes with children since there’s no possible way to pick this safe, and it provides excellent pry resistance with its overlapping clamshell-style lid.

The second feature we really like is the reliable Simplex push-button mechanical lock. You program your code, and that’s it. There’s no need to worry about battery power or anyone who doesn’t know the code accessing your safe. Once you open the safe, you’ll be glad to feel the support of the heavy-duty gas-assisted opening strut that props the door up. Also, the thick egg crate foam padding ensures your pistols won’t get damaged.

A handful of final features that make this safe more than worthy is it’s made in the USA, California DOJ approved, the 12-gauge steel handle that prevents prying the lock, and there are four 1/4″ pre-drilled holes for mounting. Overall, the BRUTE safe is the most affordable and secure pistol safe in our guide.

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#5) Moutec Quick Access 5-Gun Rifle Safe w/ Internal Pistol Lockbox

The final safe is another good budget gun cabinet that’s similar to the Barska safe, and it costs less at the time of this writing. Two key differences between this Safe and the Barska safe are this has a roomier interior, and the company is lesser-known. In fact, Moutec does not have an official website, while Barska does. Having said that, this safe does offer awesome value for the money, and the current feedback backs up our thoughts on it.

For the money, you get a lot of room inside the safe. It’s built to hold five long guns up to 50″ long with or without accessories including lights and scopes. Another advantage of this safe over the Barska safe is the integrated pistol lock box located at the top of the safe. The lockbox is the ideal spot to store your ammo and most precious handguns, especially if you have children in the house to get that extra peace of mind.

Accessing the safe is easy with the keypad or with the included manual key. Compared to a couple of the safes above that have complaints about not being able to mute the keypad, this safe does offer silent mode for stealthier access. Finally, this safe is built with heavier steel than the Barska safe (14 ga compared to 16 ga), there’s a failed attempt alarm, and a low-battery indicator that emits a beeping sound. All in all, this safe is a value for the money play.

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Bottom Line

When choosing the best budget gun safe, you have the option to get very secure pistol boxes, yet not the most secure long gun safes. However, that doesn’t mean the long gun safes in our guide aren’t secure. Most folks don’t need a Fort-Knox-style gun safe that costs 1000s to secure several rifles or shotguns. Additionally, most gun owners prefer a quick-access gun safe to better protect themselves and their families.

All the models in this guide deliver excellent value for the money because they’re some of the best budget gun safes on the market made by leading brands. Once you take the time to evaluate your needs and the options in our guide, you’ll undoubtedly land on the right safe for a budget price.

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