Stealth ShadowVault Handgun Safe Review

“Solid Pistol Vault. I’ve got a baby on the way, and the wife kept telling me I can’t keep my house handgun unsecured anymore. After a little research, I found the ShadowVault SV1. I like the fact that there is no key backup, so there’s nothing that can be picked open. It can also hold more than one decently sized handgun.

The box itself fits perfectly in my nightstand (bolted down inside), and allows me quick and easy access to my firearm. As you can see from the picture, with the the way I have it positioned, even trying to pry on it is impossible without obliterating my nightstand first.

This thing is HEAVY duty. You can tell it’s solid just by hefting it. That 7 and 10 gauge steel is no joke. Sargent & Greenleaf is a widely known reliable lock company – I have their regular mechanical combination lock on my main safe, so I had no qualms with this Spartan lock. In fact, I love the ease of entering in my code and twisting the dial to unlock it – it’s got me wishing I had that one on my main safe too.

I have no worries that this pistol safe will serve me well for years to come, and keep kids/unwanted hands off my weapons.”

Gabe Hurst from Amazon.com

Wow, Wow, WOW!!! Now, this is what I call a true handgun safe. The Stealth ShadowVault is unlike any other handgun safe, I have ever seen. Stealth took all the features of a UL RSC Gun Safe and made it the size of a pistol safe. The ShadowVault earned approvals from Youtube channels Bosnian Bill and the notorious Handgun Safe Research Channel. Earning the Handgun Safe Research Approved status is nearly impossible and Stealth far exceeded even his expectations. In this review, I will explain why the Stealth ShadowVault handgun safe is my top recommendation.

Lock – Stealth ShadowVault Handgun Safe

First and always most important is the lock. For this pistol safe, Stealth used the S&G Spartan UL Approved High Security Electronic Lock with the deadbolt locking mechanism. This is by far one of the highest quality and most reliable electronic locks in the safe industry.

In a handgun safe, there isn’t room for thick steel locking bolts and Stealth decided to use the deadbolt from the lock mechanism to be the primary bolt. The deadbolt in the S&G Spartan is hardened steel and retracts by turning the shell on the keypad itself. This satisfies the space issue without sacrificing security. Finally, this lock has a silent mode, 6-digit code, red LED light and 15 minute lockout after four wrong attempts.

Stealth then took the S&G lock body and encased it in a steel housing to prevent punch attacks. They also added a hard plate above the lock that destroys drill bits. On the deadbolt side, it extends into another steel housing that protects against drilling from the side. Next, there is another hardplate to protect from drilling in the front. This pistol safe is an absolute tank.

Security – Stealth ShadowVault Handgun Safe

The steel used on the Stealth ShadowVault handgun safe is 10 gauge on the body and a thick 3/16″ door. This is modeled after the Fort Knox and American Security handgun safes. The big difference between the Fort Knox and American Security safes is that they use the Mechanical Simplex Lock. This used to be seen as the best lock available for handgun safes. That is until it was exposed that you can just punch it in with a screwdriver and a hammer in less than 30 seconds.

Now, the manufacturers added steel plates underneath the lock. However, you can still just drill through the 3/16″ steel and 10 gauge body to hit the lock bolt allowing you to just punch it in from the front. With the Stealth ShadowVault, you have to also drill through a hardplate and then drill out the hardened steel lock bolt. This hardened steel bolt is significantly stronger than the smaller bolt used on the Simplex lock from Fort Knox, American Security and V-Line.

As if all that security wasn’t enough, the backside of the safe has a continuous steel dead bar that is bolted together. Two large steel hooks lock underneath that deadbar. These prevent someone from grinding out the piano hinge adding additional pry resistance when attacking the doors lip with a crowbar.

Portable

You have two options to secure the Stealth ShadowVault handgun safe. First, is using a security cable through the carry handle. Second, is through the four bolt down holes on the bottom. All mounting hardware is included to bolt it down. No other manufacturer includes this.

Style and Function

Next, the Stealth ShadowVault handgun safe is more than just security, it’s also style. They used the exact same paint they use on all of the safes in their lineup which is this extremely durable and very attractive crinkled matte black style. In person, this finish is unmatched, prevents scratches and makes it the perfect portable safe.

Because the door is heavy, Stealth includes a gas strut piston that assists the door opening and holds it open until ready to be closed. Finally, the interior features a foam padding along the top of the safe, egg crate foam at the very bottom and pluck foam in the middle allowing full customization to the exact size of your handgun and preventing any scratches or damage to the finish.

The Bottom Line

Stealth really went through every single weakness and complaint from every other pistol safe available and developed the perfect handgun safe solution. It even has the coolest name of any handgun safe I’ve ever heard of, the ShadowVault. All things considered, I highly recommend this safe as my absolute top pick for any handgun safe.

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