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:
- The original KABA Simplex lock
- The Illinois Lock company’s copy of the KABA Simplex lock
- 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.
#2 – V-Line Brute Handgun Safe
#3 – Fort Knox Original Handgun Safe
#1 Best Mechanical Handgun Safe – Stealth Original Handgun Safe
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
Review
Ranking second on my list of best mechanical handgun safes is the V-Line Brute. While this safe lacks the internal security of the Stealth Handgun Safe, it has one external improvement over both the Stealth and the Fort Knox in it’s clamshell design. They run the 10 gauge door all the way to the bottom of the body making the safe really near impossible to pry open. The only access points into this safe are through the back hinge or the lock, it’s really built like a tank.
This safe is not portable at all and is for home or vehicle use only while bolted down. V-Line backs it up with a 1 year warranty, the same as Stealth. V-Line has decent customer service. If you have trouble with your safe they are more likely to just send you a list of the 1,081 combinations rather than provide any actual help.
#3 Best Mechanical Handgun Safe – Fort Knox Original Handgun Safe
Review
Coming in last of this series is the Original. 10 years ago, this safe was the only one of it’s kind on the market and while others have come and surpassed this safes quality, it still stands as one of the greatest innovations of its time. Unfortunately, Fort Knox has made Zero improvements to the product and has had several runs of quality issues over the years. A few visits to Youtube and you can see how frustrated some customers get with Fort Knox Customer Service. While they offer the best warranty with a “lifetime guarantee”, read the fine print and you’ll find out that not only do you have to pay to ship the defective safe back to them but then you also have to pay the freight bill to get it back to you. God forbid, you have a handgun stored inside the defective safe or you’ve bolted it down which then prevents you from being able to send it back. Boom, you’re SOL! You’re now going to have to physically try all 1,081 combinations or break into the safe. And that’s why their “Lifetime Warranty” is bullshit. I know because it happened to me and that’s why I replaced it with my Stealth. I’ve read countless reviews of customers being promised the world and then being delivered nothing despite calling 10 more times.
If you choose this option, I would highly recommend a reputable dealer as many dealers will treat you like shit. If I had to choose one, I would buy from Dean Safe Company, I’ve had a lot of success in purchasing safes from them and dealing with returns/warranty issues. They act as the middle man between you and the shitty manufacturers if they are giving you the run around.
Comparison Chart
| Security | Warranty | Portability | Customer Service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stealth Original | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| V-Line Brute | #2 | #2 | #3 – Tie | #2 |
| Fort Knox Original | #3 | #3 | #3 – Tie | #3 |
