10 Best Gun Safes Under $500: for Rifles and Pistols

Review

Here’s the best long gun safe under $500. It’ll hold around 14 long guns in padded rests, and there’s room for handguns and other things on the removable shelf. Use the included hardware to bolt it to your wall. It is a little top-heavy, especially when you stock the shelf.

It’s hard to break into. There are three locking rods that slide against the top, bottom and side of the door frame when you turn the key. There’s also a keypad for extra safety. Kids and adults alike will have a very hard time trying to get into this cabinet.

What Customers Are Saying

People who own many rifles and shotguns like that they can keep all of their long guns in one place and away from tiny, curious hands. They are often surprised that it weighs about 100 pounds. It looks a lot lighter online.

Pros/Cons

Review

Check this out if you’re looking for an affordable fireproof gun safe. It’ll protect guns and documents from a hotter-than-average house fire for a minimum of half an hour. You choose the code for the keypad, and you can give the code to as many people you want to. If you forget the code or can’t use the keypad due to fire damage, you just use the bypass key.

The regular price of this safe is pretty much higher than five hundred, but on the last sales, the price was lower that’s why we think this one is the best fireproof gun safe under $500. There are no others that match this kind of fire protection at this price.

What People are Saying

Those who own very long tactical guns or double-barrel shotguns like the wide barrel rests. Everyone likes the digital keypad. It makes them feel like they can get to their guns quickly if they ever need to. That’s a big plus for a gun safe. There have been reports of this safe protecting valuables, even paper documents, from damage during a fire. It really works.

Pros/Cons

Review

This may be the best gun safe under 300 for you if you have five long guns or less. There’s a lockbox that you can use for a couple pistols.

To get in it, you either use the programmable keypad, one of the two included bypass keys or your fingerprint on the biometric pad. You can program the fingerprint pad for up to 125 people, so everyone in your family can have access to the safe.

If you ever have to get into it quickly in the dark, there is a silent mode option. That way, a burglar won’t hear that he’s about to be dealt with.

What People Are Saying

A key selling point seems to be the multiple unlocking options. It’s great to have that kind of flexibility when you want to let several different people have access to the safe. Everyone likes the lockbox as well. This extra bonus adds to the overall value of the safe.

Pros/Cons

Review

You’ll like this one if you are concerned with self defense in the home. Imagine this:

You hear a noise. You press a few buttons on this safe’s keypad. The door immediately springs open. The inside is lit with a red light, so you easily grab your gun. Then you go take care of business. The whole process took less than five seconds.

There are four pre-drilled holes for bolting the safe down. Or you can use the strong cable. Either way, it would be hard for anyone to steal this safe. If you want to be able to get to your loaded handguns quick, take a good look at this one.

What People Are Saying

Customers who keep guns for home protection love this safe. They say it has everything they need. And it really does. People notice how much thought went into the design and engineering of this safe.

Pros/Cons

Review

Do you just need a basic and affordable gun safe for several long guns, and maybe a couple handguns or other smaller things? If so, you might be interested in this gun cabinet.

It offers protection from kids and will definitely slow burglars down. You can get in it in seconds, thanks to the programmable keypad. When all is said and done, this is a cool safe at a great value.

What People Are Saying

Some have complained that, although the door is pretty thick, the back, sides and top are only as thick as the sheet metal on a filing cabinet. This is true, but it is typical of any gun safe under $500. They’re made to make entry harder, not impossible.

Those who understand that reality like this safe. It’s easy to set up and move around when you need to, but it’s hard to budge after it’s anchored. People like that versatility.

Pros/Cons

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You may think that you can’t have a strong biometric gun safe if you’re on a tight budget. Well, now you can. The steel is thick, not just on the door, but in the walls as well. That’s good, because it would be much harder for a thief to cut or drill through it.

Anyone in your family can unlock this safe in about two seconds, if you scan their fingerprints into the system. That way, you can rest easier if you have to travel and leave them behind. They’ll be able to get to a gun if they need to in a hurry.

What People Are Saying

People often talk about the value of this safe. It’s hard to find a gun safe in this price range that allows access with a fingerprint. Many have also commented on the simplicity. It’s just a solid, functional, cheap and reliable gun safe without any unnecessary bells and whistles to add to the cost. Everyone likes that.

Pros/Cons

Review

This is a good, cheap gun safe. What makes it so good is the tough steel cabinet. Cold-rolled steel is more expensive, but it is more resistant to attack by power tools.

It’s small enough to go in even a smaller closet, so you can hide it for even more security. Thieves can’t steal what they can’t find. The weight is a pro and a con. It makes it harder to set up, but it makes it harder to steal as well. Some people don’t even anchor this one down, but you should. You don’t want it to tip over.

What People Are Saying

The most common brag about this safe is the apparent toughness of the steel. Cold-rolled steel just feels tougher than other types of metal. Everyone likes the removable lockbox too. They like that they can just take it with them for portable protection of ammunition or even documents.

Pros/Cons

Review

It’s not easy to find a double-door gun safe with this much storage capacity for under $500. That’s what makes this one so unique. Being able to open both doors allows you to see everything and have plenty of room to grab what you need. You don’t have that cramped feeling that you do with most other safes.

It’s secure, too. The one essential feature of double-door safes is resistance to cutting between the doors. This safe has a thick steel plate that closes the gap. It would take a long time to cut through it. There’s no keypad or fingerprint scanner. You have to have one of the two included keys to open it.

What People Are Saying

Those looking for an affordable gun safe were happy that they could get something so big without spending a bunch of money. They talk about how much room they have for not only their guns, but jewelry and other expensive things.

Pros/Cons

Review

The star of this safe is the bolt mechanism. Three bolts provide very good protection from a pry bar. But this one has five. That makes for superior protection that is almost impossible to find in gun safes of this price. We like that kind of value.

It’s also versatile. You can program over 100 fingerprints for quick access. You can also program your own code into the keypad and give that code to anyone you wish. Of course, there’s also a bypass key for emergencies, like a dead battery.

What People Are Saying

People who have done a lot of research before deciding on this safe talk about the enhanced locking mechanism. They’ve noticed what we like to point out, which is that most gun safes under $500 only have three locking bolts. This one has five.

Pros/Cons

Review

This safe doesn’t provide serious protection from a determined thief, but it’s not meant to. It’s designed to keep children away from your guns.

The steel is rather thin. That’s where much of the cost savings comes from. There’s also no keypad, so that saves some more. You’ll need a key to get inside. But that saves you from having to worry about dead batteries. There are no electronic parts here.

So there you have it. This is a good, cheap gun safe that will keep small hands off of your family’s guns. That’s important. Just keep in mind that it won’t do much to stop a thief with power tools and about 20 minutes to work.

What People Are Saying

The thing we hear most about this safe is its price. It’s the best gun safe under $100. But that doesn’t mean it’s cheaply made. It can provide protection from a quick, mild attack. It’ll also keep kids out. That’s the main reason customers have bought this one. They want to keep their guns away from their kids.

Pros/Cons

You have questions, and we have answers. Here are the most common questions we answered when we took a poll among people shopping for a good, affordable gun safe.

Do Regular Gun Safes Protect Against Fire?

They do not. They may keep the flames off of their contents, but they will not keep them from burning.  The safe will get hot inside if there is a fire outside. If it gets hot enough, wooden rifle stocks and paper documents will ignite.

Do Gun Safes Under $500 Really Protect Against Burglars?

Yes, but only up to a point.

If you want something that a professional thief can’t get into, you’re going to have to spend a couple thousand dollars. Cheaper gun safes like these are meant to keep kids and unauthorized adults away from dangerous guns and important things that can’t get destroyed.

You can hide smaller gun safes, in closets or other out of the way places, for extra protection.

What If I Forget The Combination?

If you forget the combination to the digital keypad, which is the most common locking mechanism for this type of safe, you can use the bypass key to gain entry. Once you get into the safe, you’ll be able to reset the keypad and program a new code.

All of the safes we’ve looked at have bypass keys. Don’t buy one if it doesn’t have a key. If you do, and you forget the combo, you’ll have to destroy the safe to get inside. There’s no other way.