The Best Gun Safes Under $500
You know the old saying, “you get what you pay for” right? Well that sometimes is and isn’t the case in the world of gun products, especially gun safes. We’ve tackled the topic of gun safes several times before on Gun Laser Guide like here, here and here. However, we’ve never really tackled a collection of the best gun safes under $500 before.
Our experts rounded up the best gun safes for under $500 below:
Stack-On TC-16-GB-K-DS Tactical Gun Safe
When you’re looking for a good mix of quality and price in a gun safe, Stack-On is the company many trust to bring them what they want on a budget.
When it comes to standard rifles this gun cabinet will hold up to 14 rifles or shotguns, and possibly 2 tactical weapons, depending on how they are dressed out. If your little black rifle is oversize, you are going to run into space issues no matter what safe you choose, but you already know that if you own one. The three point locking system on the door, while not technically making this a safe, is much sturdier than other designs, especially at this price point and with this functionality.
The internal shelves include adjustable barrel rests , so you can move things around to suit your needs, but for most gun owners, your rifles, pistols, and spare ammo will fit easily. You can bolt it to the floor for added security if needed, but it will definitely keep your weapons away from prying little fingers. For well under $500, this one is a keeper folks.
Steelwater Standard Duty 16 Long Gun Safe
An electronic locking system that comes with a bypass key, just in case the batteries run out or in the event of an EMP. The safe is fire rated to 1550 degrees for 45 minutes, and it’s made by a top manufacturer. That said, they could have designed the bolt system a bit better, the bolts simply grab against the inside of a flat panel, but that’s hardly a deal-breaker. The safe weighs 305 pounds, and if the weight isn’t enough, you can always attach it to a hard-point with some lag bolts. The door unhinges, making it easier to manuever. Inside, the floor space is 19” by 9”, so while you could probably figure out how to stuff 16 guns inside, I think that is more an advertising description than what the safe is really built to hold.
Still, if you are looking for a way to stretch your $500 as far as possible (and then some), this is a very nicely furnished safe that you can be happy to have in your home, and probably the best deterrent against theft of your firearms.
American Furniture Classics 916 16 Gun Metal Cabinet
If you have a bunch of firearms to store away, and you don’t necessarily need the heaviest thing out there, just something to keep them safe when the neighbor comes over with their small children, you’re money can go the longest with a gun cabinet.
American Furniture Classics is concerned with keeping your weapons safely locked away in the most typical circumstances, but this safe would hardly be a deterrent to an experienced locksmith. The key entry is safe enough to keep the doors shut for normal day to day activities, and you can make up for the light 100 pound weight by bolting it to the floor an wall. All you would need is a drill and a little time. The cabinet also has a decorative look, even though it will likely reside in the back of a closet, and the inside is very roomy, so unlike other 16-gun safes, you can tell from the footprint that this one is made to pack away all your rifles. That footprint, by the way, is 34×11 inches, and with the money you save, you could nearly buy two of them for $500, or at least cover the shipping costs as well.
It’s been said that the assembly instructions are not to be relied on, so plan some time to figure everything out, and have a clear space available to work in. Other than that, it’s a reliable way to store your shotguns and other rifles.