19 OCT

Mechanical Handgun Safes Ranking Factors: Security, Warranty, Portability, Customer Service

Overview

Biometric fingerprint safes are unreliable, electronic handgun safes have malfunctions and key locks are just too easy to pick. The only truly reliable safe that will last a lifetime without ever having to change a set of batteries is a mechanical one.

There are about 3 different common mechanical locks on the market:

  1. The original KABA Simplex lock
  2. The Illinois Lock company’s copy of the KABA Simplex lock
  3. The Chinese 10 button lock

 

I can’t speak much on the Chinese version and will review the top 3 handgun safes with the KABA Simplex Lock installed. This tried and true lock has a possible 1,081 different combinations and with enough time, you could surely try every single one, however by the time you finish, I will have been able to break into every biometric, electronic and key locking handgun safe on the market. As with all safes, you are simply buying time and in my opinion, Mechanical Lock Handgun Safes are the absolute best option in buying yourself the most time within this category.

#1 – Stealth Original Handgun Safe
#2 – V-Line Brute Handgun Safe
#3 – Fort Knox Original Handgun Safe

#1 Best Mechanical Handgun Safe – Stealth Original Handgun Safe

Stealth-Original-Handgun-Safe

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Rankings:

#1 Security
#2 Warranty
#1 Portability
#1 Customer Service

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Review

Considering all 3 safes on this list are mere copies of the Fort Knox Original Handgun Safe, it is very difficult to come up with additional ranking factors outside of their minute differences in security. All 3 use the KABA Simplex Lock, all 3 are the exact same internal dimensions, all 3 use foam to protect the interior, all 3 have 4 bolt down holes in the bottom and all 3 are Made in the USA. So what seperates the Stealth from the others then, you ask?

First and most important is the steel housing underneath the lock. A very common attack among these types of safes is a chisel attack where a thief takes a chisel and a hammer and smashes in the buttons on the top of the safe. With enough pressure the lock will fall through and you have easy access to the safe. Fort Knox and V-Line have no barrier behind the lock allowing the locking bolt to release and the safe to open. Stealth added a steel housing behind the lock to prevents a chisel attack.

The second common attack is at the hinge where someone will just take a grinder and cut through the hinges giving access through the back of the safe. Here Stealth added a solid steel deadbar along the hinge internally to prevent this attack as well as adding two giant steel lugs to lock underneath the deadbar while closed. This makes a pry attack virtually impossible, especially considering the 3/16” steel door.

Stealth also differentiates this product from the rest of the pack by adding a steel chrome handle. These safes are well over 20 pounds and heavy to carry around. The handle allows for this safe to serve a dual purpose at home or in the car on the way to the range or airport.

Stealth backs this safe up with a 1 year warranty and has excellent customer service replacing or repairing the safe at no cost to the customer. They also answer the phone, which seems simple but is actually a huge place in today’s cyber world.

#2 Best Mechanical Handgun Safe – V-Line Brute Handgun Safe

V-Line-Brute-Handgun-Safe

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Rankings:

#2 Security
#3 Warranty
#3 Portability
#2 Customer Service

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