Best Gun Safe For Cars [2024]

Keeping your firearms concealed is the pillar of gun safety. Keeping them out of range of your children and potential burglars is essential at your home. But what about your vehicle?

What if you don’t want to rock a concealed carry but still want to have access to your firearm while driving? The answer: getting a car gun safe.

Here are some of our favorite options before we dive into our buyer’s guide. 

Image	Product	Price
	Vaultek LifePod	Check Price
	Hornady Rapid Vehicle Safe	Check Price
	Fort Knox PB1	Check Price
	First Alert 5200DF	Check Price
	RPNB Quick-Access	Check Price
	Center Consoles	Check Price

Vaultek LifePod

Vaultek releases something impressive every few months, and now they’ve decided to up their car gun safe. First of all, the LifePod is waterproof and perfect for storing various valuables such as your phone, your ID, your cash, passport, etc. The battery-operated electronic lock is also water-resistant.

Vaultek doesn’t emphasize that they’ve come up with this model with gun storage in mind, but you’ll find a ‘Handgun Filament’ specification on the product’s main page. It can store handguns of up to 7.75 inches in length, suitable for the vast majority of weapons. The LifePod is also roomy enough to allow you to keep a wide variety of other documents.

Although this is mostly used as a vehicle gun safe, it is fully TSA-approved and a perfect fit for air travel. It’s not too bulky, it’s well-reinforced, and it isn’t particularly expensive. 

Plus, it’s light enough to travel. It might be only two pounds in weight, but the case is made out of a resilient polymer, proprietary to Vaultek. The TSA agents will see you as a serious gun enthusiast, which is very important when traveling with a firearm.

Hornady Rapid Vehicle Safe

Hornady RAPiD is a uniquely patented vehicle gun safe, designed with vehicle storage in mind. It can fit securely and snug between the console and the vehicle seat, allowing safely concealed and quick-to-access storage. It’s secured with commercial-grade cable, of course.

On the inside, you get premium foam padding, while the exterior is secured with 14-gauge steel, which is almost impossible to penetrate.

Some safes can also store guns in your car, and then some safes were designed for car gun storage. The RAPiD is the latter kind. The model has been tested for reliability and security, and its safety standards are internationally-certified.

You also get a dependable and fast, touch-free entry to the safe. It’s activated via sticker, key fob, or wristband. You can program up to five RFID tags so that a maximum of five different people can gain access to it. Naturally, you’ll still be able to open the safe using the traditional lock and keypad option.

Unfortunately, this safe isn’t waterproof, which means that it’s not a perfect fit for document and valuables storage. However, you are looking for a portable gun safe for car usage, and the RAPiD is just perfect for that.

Fort Knox PB1

If you go on a car ride with a concealed carry, you don’t need to think about bringing along a car gun safe. However, if you intend to leave your gun in your vehicle while you’re out and about, your glove compartment is not a good idea.

Many gun safes don’t offer enough security and protection. Well, you can rest assured that your average thief won’t be able to break the PB1 just like that. 

With that said, you can’t expect a safe to be this tough and well-built without the extra weight. This is not your average truck gun safe designed for you to carry it around. It’s made to be a safe that stays inside your vehicle.

This Fort Knox model is built like a tank – it’s one of the toughest vehicle gun safe models on the block. It’s made out of solid 10-gauge steel, and then there’s a 3/16-inch wraparound door that’s tamper-resistant. Go ahead, take a swing with a sledgehammer, see if it breaks.

Don’t worry, though, as the PB1 has a gas strut that makes lifting the heavy door very easy. The strut will hold the door for you when necessary if you need easy access to the weapon.

First Alert 5200DF

When it comes to quick access, the 5200DF will rock your boat. The ‘no see’ keypad with braille indicators on the buttons features a code comprising three to eight digits—an easy-to-use feature not often found in many car gun storage options.

So, what happens when you’ve quickly and easily entered the correct code? A spring-loaded mechanism is opened. And that’s it. You’ve got access to your firearm. It’s simple as that – no extra moving parts, no need to load the mechanism using a lever or key.

In terms of materials, the First Alert 5200DF is made out of 18-gauge steel, meaning it’s tough to break. Still, it weighs a mere four pounds, making it a top portable gun safe for car usage on the market. Underneath the borderline-indestructible exterior is a cushioned interior that keeps your handgun and additional mags safe and scratch-free.

The model is officially certified by the California Department of Justice, which isn’t something you see every day.

RPNB Quick-Access

This is not a safe that’s built for storing your valuables that allows car gun storage as a bonus. No, this is primarily a gun safe. With that said, unlike most safes, the RPNB Quick-Access will enable you to store multiple handguns.

The pre-drilled holes and included hardware make this model ideal for securing in a safe spot, making it a brilliant hidden car gun safe. Despite this, the RPNB Quick-Access is still lightweight and portable.

You get a pry-resistant door, a sleek black finish, and a highly resilient finish.

The RPNB Quick-Access features a three-point entry. There’s a smart biometric access scanner that allows quick access using your fingerprint.

It’s also certified by the California Department of Justice and boasts a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Plus, you get a one-year warranty with this model.

Center Consoles

If you’re looking to get a center console gun safe, none of the models mentioned above will cut it. Center consoles are built into the actual vehicle. The huge plus here is that a thief can’t just steal the entire safe with your weapon(s) and valuables still inside. The downside is that you’re going to have to buy one for each vehicle that you own.

A safe isn’t ‘safe’ if it doesn’t allow you to lock it. Of course, a safe isn’t safe if it isn’t built out of resilient material. However, there are various types of safes available. Some are lightweight and portable, while others are heavy-duty and meant to stay in one place. Still, a heavy gun lock box for car usage doesn’t have to mean more security.

A great vehicle gun safe will be resilient – unbreakable using various tools. Ideally, you won’t be able to break it with a sledgehammer. If someone jacks your car, you’ll at least want to keep your weapon off the streets, right? Resilience is, therefore, the key.

Even if your hidden car gun safe is the most resilient on the planet, what use is it if you can’t access it in time? After all, the point of the US gun laws and the Second Amendment is protecting oneself through gun ownership.

If you have to enter a long passcode every time you want to use your handgun and then have to use the other hand to open its heavy lid, you’re going to waste a lot of time. Ease of access is another important consideration.

Yes, we are talking about car gun storage here, but what if you want to store other items and valuables inside? Many safes can also fit handguns. 

Although there is nothing wrong with these storage options, you might want to aim at getting a gun-specific safe. It’s much better to get the best budget gun safe than a cheaper general car safe that also stores guns.

On the other hand, if you want to get a safety compartment for storing both your handgun(s) and valuables, be prepared to cash out a bit more.

The rules here are simple. If your aim is to safely secure your car gun safe inside your vehicle, you don’t have to think about water resistance too much. Instead, focus on resilience and strength. However, if you believe that you’ll be taking your safety storage device outside a lot, consider the water-resistance factor. Even if your handgun is waterproof (and not all of them are), the documents and valuables you plan to store are at risk.

Again, though, water resistance doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker regarding car gun storage options. It all depends on your specific needs and plans.

Although we’re confident that every car gun storage option from this list will find its ideal owner, we have to go with First Alert 5200DF when it comes to the best car gun safe. 

It is made out of 18-gauge steel and is almost virtually impossible to break. Still, it weighs only four pounds, meaning that it’s portable. Access to your weapon is made very easy – you don’t even have to look at the safe to open it when you need it.

It may not offer extra room for storage of valuables, but it does what it’s intended to do – it’s a resilient, portable, secure car gun safe that will keep your handgun safely tucked away inside your vehicle.