Handgun Lock Box Guide: Portable Pistol Storage, Rated and Claimed

This page is about the handgun lock box: a portable pistol lock box for the home, the car or travel. For heavier, stationary pistol safes, see handgun safes. For full-size storage, see gun safes. For lock boxes for cash and documents, see lock boxes.

A handgun lock box is portable on purpose

A hand gun lock box is a small steel case, usually with a foam liner, a lock and often a steel cable. It's built to move: from a nightstand to a car, from a car to a range bag, from a closet to a checked suitcase.

That portability is the feature and the weakness. A pistol lock box for home use keeps a handgun locked away from children, guests and anyone else in the house. It doesn't stop someone from picking the whole box up. The cable, or a set of mounting screws, is what keeps it where you left it.

Common designs:

• Key lock boxes. A steel case with one or two keyed latches. No batteries, nothing to fail electronically.
• Combination boxes. A mechanical push-button or dial combination. No key to lose.
• Keypad and fingerprint boxes. Faster to open, with a backup key and batteries.
• Cable kits. A steel cable that loops through the box and around a fixed object, such as a bed frame or a vehicle seat bracket.

Gun safe vs lock box: two different jobs

The gun safe vs lock box decision is about what you're defending against.

• Access by people in the home. A locked handgun lock box does this job. Federal safe-storage guidance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont lists a lock box among the devices that count as secure storage, along with safes, gun safes and gun cases.
• Theft. A lock box can be carried off unless it's cabled or screwed down, and even then a cable can be cut. A gun safe is heavier and more likely to carry an independent burglary rating.
• Fire. Handgun lock boxes rarely carry a fire rating. Gun safes often claim one.
• Travel. A lock box goes with you. A gun safe doesn't.

Plenty of households use both: a gun safe for long-term storage and a lock box for the handgun that travels.

Who a handgun lock box suits, and who should skip it

It suits you if:

• you have one or two handguns and need them locked away from children or visitors
• you move a handgun between the home and a vehicle
• you fly with a firearm and need a hard-sided locked container
• you rent and can't bolt a safe to the floor

Skip it, or add something else, if:

• theft resistance is the main reason you're buying; look at handgun safes or gun safes
• you need fire protection
• the box would sit loose on a shelf with nothing to attach it to

If children live in or visit the home, keep the box locked whenever the handgun isn't in your hands. Keep the key or code where children can't find it. The same federal handout says hiding a gun is not storing it. Storage laws vary by state, so check your state's official government site.

Handgun lock box specs: what to look for

Here's the short list, in the order I'd read a listing.

Steel. A lower gauge number means thicker steel. Under the federal U.S. Standard Gauge, 14-gauge is 0.0781 in and 16-gauge is 0.0625 in. Lock boxes are small, so thickness is often listed. If it isn't, the table shows "—."

The lock. Key, combination, keypad or fingerprint. Each has a failure mode: a lost key, a forgotten code, a dead battery, a reader that doesn't like wet fingers. Pick the one whose failure you can live with, and make sure electronic locks have a mechanical backup.

Impact and latches. In 2018, Harbor Freight Tools recalled about 25,000 electronic handgun safes because they could open on impact without a key or combination, according to the CPSC. Look for listings that describe the latch and hinge construction, and check any electronic model against CPSC recall notices.

Drop testing. Under UL 1037, portable residential security containers are also drop-tested onto concrete, and the door must not come ajar. If a lock box carries that listing, the label is worth more than the adjectives around it.

The cable. Check the stated cable diameter and whether it locks inside the box. A cable whose end clips on outside the box is only as strong as that clip. (A cable coiled neatly beside the box, attached to nothing, makes a good product photo and a poor anchor.)

Size. Measure the handgun with any optic or light, then compare it with the interior dimensions. Room for a spare magazine helps.

Travel use. The TSA says firearms must be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container and carried as checked baggage only, declared to the airline. Only the passenger should keep the key or combination. A hard-sided handgun lock box can be that container; check your airline's rules too.

Handgun lock boxes in vehicles and in California

Many people buy a lock box for the car. A portable box with a cable is the most common car gun safe. Our car gun safes page covers console and under-seat options.

Rules differ by state. As one example, the California Department of Justice says a handgun transported in a vehicle must be unloaded and locked in the trunk or in a locked container. It defines a locked container as a secure container fully enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock or similar device, and says the utility or glove compartment does not count. California DOJ also keeps a roster of firearm safety devices certified for sale. Read the Department of Justice transport page for current text. Nothing here is legal advice.

Where a handgun lock box should live at home

A lock box at home works best with a fixed spot and an attachment.

• Bedroom. Cable the box to the bed frame or screw it inside a nightstand, if the manual allows it. For nightstand-specific designs, see bedside gun safes.
• Closet. Cable it to a shelf bracket or a bolted-down safe. A loose box on a closet shelf is the easiest kind to carry away.
• Office or desk. Mount it inside a drawer or cabinet, so it isn't visible.

Two habits matter as much as the spot. Change batteries on a schedule, before the low-battery warning, if the box is electronic. And practise opening it, so the code or fingerprint works under stress and in the dark.

Keep ammunition and the box's key or code where children can't reach them.

How to read the handgun lock box table: lock and steel first

The table lists portable lock boxes sized for a handgun. Unconfirmed values show as "—."

• Filter by lock type. Decide between key, combination, keypad and fingerprint first.
• Check backup key and batteries. Electronic boxes should have both a backup and a way to change batteries without opening the box.
• Sort by steel gauge. Lower is thicker.
• Check interior dimensions. Fit the handgun you own, not "most pistols."
• Look for a cable or mounting holes. A box that can't be attached to anything is the easiest to carry off.

When two boxes look alike, the one with thicker steel, a stated cable diameter and a mechanical backup usually gives more for the money.

Lock it, then attach it

Choose the lock you'll actually use every time, then the steel. Run the cable around something that doesn't move, and keep the key on your ring, not in the drawer with the box.