Pistol Safe

Best Mechanical Lock Handgun Safes

In my opinion, the best pistol safe you can buy is one that uses a mechanical lock. It ain’t fancy, but it will almost never fail you. No batteries to go dead, no false acceptance rates, no electronic failures of any kind.

Does this mean that all biometric and electronic handgun safes are bad? No, far from it. I have reviewed many of them and highly recommended some. However, understand that any electronic or battery operated product can fail and will fail typically more easily than a mechanical product. What you as a handgun owner has to do is weigh these possibilities against your own risk tolerance.

For me, I prefer a mechanical solution. I want to reduce the risk of accidental opening (i.e., kids getting in) and reduce the risk of it not opening (i.e., me getting in).

There are three main companies that manufacture mechanical lock handgun and pistol safes: Fort Knox, V-Line Industries and Titan Security Products.

Fort Knox Vaults

Fort Knox handgun safes are among the strongest and most secure around, each made from a single piece of 10 gauge steel.

Proudly made here in the USA, they come in a range of sizes and capacities to suit just about any need.

I have reviewed my favorite 6 pistol safes from the Fort Knox handgun safe range here.

Titan Security Products

You have probably never heard of the Titan Gun Vault. This is about to change.

The Titan Gun Vault is designed for one thing and one thing only: Secure your handgun. Do you want to store other valuables in it as well? Too bad. While this may not be for you, maybe it should be.

What I like?

Adjustable Holster: The safe has an adjustable holster that fits into the safe. When you open the door, the holster rises out of the door opening making your weapon more accessible.

Mounting: The safe comes with two mounting brackets. One allows you to mount the safe to your bed frame. The second allows you to mount the safe to a wall, shelf or other flat surface. The Titan can be disengaged from the frame and carried with you. You can also purchase extra mounting brackets so you can take it in a car, RV, etc. There is also an opening which allows for cable locking (not included). All of these mounting options provide great flexibility.

California DOJ: This safe is California DOJ approved.

Ammo Box: Some states require the pistol and ammunition to be stored separately. For about $30-$50 you can purchase a separate locked ammo box that attaches to the pistol safe. I know of no other handgun safe that has this option.

Mechanical Lock: The mechanical lock has over 2,000 possible combinations, so you should be able to find the secure combination for you.

Bottom Line: I have not found a more flexible or reliable pistol safe than the Titan Gun Vault. It is not inexpensive, but it can be purchased for under $300. Personally, with all these benefits, I think it is very reasonably priced.

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V-Line Industries

Despite the love fest above for Titan, I also like the mechanical loch pistol safes from V-Line Industries. V-Line has three models suitable for handgun storage. It also makes a very good rifle wall safe and a normal wall safe.

Top Draw – 2912-S

This model looks like a simple metal box. It opens on top, hence the name “Top” Draw, and can be mounted to any flat surface through its pre drilled holes. There is an optional additional mounting bracket if you want the capability of moving the safe from place to place. This model is California DOJ approved.

Unlike the Titan Gun Vault, this model does not have a holster, so you do have some added flexibility for storage, if you want it. Overall, a strong little box with an excellent 5 button mechanical lock. It is reasonably priced at around $165.

Desk Mate – 2597-S

The Desk Mate is another smaller model from V-Line. It is designed to be top mounted. This means it will fit UNDER a desk, shelf, table, etc. The door opens down when opened allowing access to the safe’s contents. You can purchase an additional mounting bracket which will allow the unit to be mounted on the bottom.

The unit’s mounting bracket also allows for a quick release if you want to move it. It has five button mechanical lock, which has 1081 different combination possibilities. The construction of the unit is good, with internal brackets that help strengthen the Desk Mate against pry attacks.

This unit is only about 1.75 inches high inside, so it is not particularly roomy. Make sure your handgun will fit.

Overall, the Desk Mate pistol safe, and all of the V-Line products, are very simple. They are strong, have easy access and very few moving parts, which is exactly what you want. This unit is California DOJ approved.

Hide-Away – 3912-SH

The Hide-Away is the largest of the V-Line models. It is very similar to the Desk Mate, only with larger dimensions. Like the Desk Mate, it comes with a mounting bracket which provides for mounting UNDER a piece of furniture, shelf, etc. You can purchase a separate mounting bracket if you want to mount the unit on TOPsomething.

The Hide-Away’s best feature, in my opinion is its size. I find the Desk Mate just a little too cramped. Once again, V-Line designs a strong, easy to use gun safe that has multiple mounting options.

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