6 Best Car Gun Safes for Pistols & Rifles [Guide]

Have you ever been out and about and find yourself faced with a gun-free zone? 

I know I have — way more than once.

Sometimes it’s an unexpected trip to a federal facility like the post office, school, or courthouse.

And guess what…you’re packing your concealed carry. 

Not only do you have to park off-premises of most gun-free zones, but you gotta leave your gun behind. 

If you think just stashing it in the center console and locking your doors is good enough…well, you’ve got another thing coming. 

A car is not a holster.

Do you know what I call a vehicle with an unsecured firearm? A loot box. 

I see it time after time on social media. People leave a gun in their car, the car gets broken into, and the weapon is gone. Whoopsie.

If unexpected gun-free zones could become part of your day, the best way to keep your guns secure is a vehicle firearm safe. 

Don’t know where to even begin with that?

No worries! We’ll talk a little more about situations in which you need a car safe and we’ll even tell you some of favorite car gun safe brands, too!

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of how to properly store your gun should you need to on the go.

So, let’s hit it.

Why You Need a Car Safe 

Aside from losing a pricey investment, you need to secure your weapon because it’s your responsibility as a good gun owner. 

You have a right to own a gun, and you have a responsibility to secure it.

Someone willing to break into your car is ready to commit a crime. Leaving your guns out where they can be stolen means you’ve now armed a criminal. 

Plenty of gun rights advocates point to firearm theft as the way criminals obtain arms. If you’re not securing your firearm, you’re guilty of lending a helping hand to the bad guys. 

The good news is you don’t need a giant safe in your trunk or truck bed to store a firearm. 

Vehicle safes are short-term storage options. They are not safes you stash guns in for an extended period. 

With that in mind, they don’t need to be the uber-expensive, drill-proof, fireproof gun safe. A small, simplistic safe works well enough. 

If a thief breaks into your vehicle, they are looking for an easy and quick score most of the time. 

They don’t have the time to take power tools to cut through your safe to access your firearm. 

If you are only using the safe as a temporary storage option, then you are likely parked in populated areas where criminals have to be quick, or they’ll be spotted. 

So what’s one significant requirement for a vehicle gun safe? It must be attached in some way or another to your vehicle.

If your safe is small, it’s easy to grab and run away with. Prevent this by securing it to your car in some fashion.

So what gun safes would I suggest? 

Glad you asked! I picked out six of my favorites that should help you out in a pinch!

Best Car Gun Safes

1. Basic Lock Box 

A generic lockbox with a security cable provides a very cheap and affordable option for handgun storage.

Will it win any awards for security? Probably not, but it’ll get ‘er done.

It is affordable, and can be stashed under a seat. These types of storage options safely secure a firearm for short periods of time.

Exactly what we need.

A simple combination lock keeps things safe, and the security cable provides a means to lock it down.

Attach the security cable to a point underneath your car seat, and the safe goes nowhere without some serious tool work. 

If you use the cable, it also makes it tough to pull the safe out far enough to even try to use hand tools. 

This style is budget-friendly, so there’s no excuse for not picking one up. 

Before you buy a light, an optic, and your 8th Monster energy drink, buy a small safe to secure your weapon. 

2. RAPiD Vehicle Safe

The Hornady RAPiD series offer up some of my favorite safes.

This entire series of safes blends small size and modern technology. As the name implies, these are quick and easy to open. 

They mix RFID chips/bracelets/stickers, keys, and occasionally numeric pads to give users plenty of options to gain access to their firearms.

Yep, Hornady even brings a dedicated handgun safe designed for vehicles to the table.

Designed to sit between your chair and center console, an inflatable bladder secures it. This means it fits most vehicles. 

What I like about the RAPiD Vehicle Safe is the convenience.

It’s right there beside you, locked in an upright position that’s easy to access and very easy to safely store a firearm. 

No trunk, no digging under your seat, or anything like that. 

What I don’t like is the fact you can see it through a car window.

Although Hornady supplies a cable to secure to your vehicle…there’s a reason we don’t advertise we have a gun.

Hornady includes an RFID bracelet, two RFID stickers, a key fob, and keys to manually open the Vehicle Rapid Safe. 

I think the keyfob seems the handiest of options. It allows you to keep your keyfob on your car key ring. So, as long as you have your car keys, you can get into the safe.

The safe pops open with ease, and makes inserting a firearm safe and easy. 

Also, a car adapter provides power to the safe. But if you aren’t a fan of additional cords/cables, four AA batteries will work as well. 

3. Hornady RAPiD Handgun Safe

I told you I liked RAPiD series. If you prefer an invisible option, the standard RAPiD Handgun Safe works.

It comes in large and standard sizes, providing you with the same RAPiD opening RFID design. 

You also get a manual key option and a four-digit combination of your choosing. 

It squeezes under most car seats and also comes with a cable system to lock it down.

The RAPiD Handgun Safe sports a power adapter as well. But, like the vehicle safe, it can use AA batteries to function correctly. 

One big benefit of this safe is that you can easily transfer from your car to your home and use one safe for two purposes.

Or, if staying at a hotel, you have a potential room safe.

Have you tried the RAPiD Safe? If so, give it a rating below!

4. Hornady RAPiD AR Safe 

I included this one on the list for those who like to travel and train.

As someone who lives nowhere near decent training facilities, I am forced to drive several hours to attend a class. 

Traveling with rifles means stopping at gas stations to pee, restaurants to eat, so forth, and so on.

And let’s be real…rifles are a little hard to just secure under the front seat.

I also like to hunt with family on private property several hours from my house. So the same need applies.

A long gun safe is a must and the Hornady RAPiD AR Safe has me covered. 

This 56-pound locker will fit two long guns, storing them safely in a metal locker. 

It’s transportable and utilizes the same high-tech features of all the Hornady RAPiD Safe series. 

5. Console Vault 

Console Vault gives you a vehicle safe residing in your center console.

These safes are custom-made to accommodate your vehicle’s specific center console. 

Sadly, they can’t make a center console that accommodates every single make/model, though. 

However, they cover an impressive amount of vehicles. 

Once installed, the Console Vault is invisible. But you can easily access the vault and drop your firearm in the safe and be on with your day.

This bad boy secures the safe to your center console, ensuring no one grabs it on the run. 

It’s a sweet system, and I’m sad I don’t have a vehicle that accommodates the Console Vault.

I imagine the size of your center console will affect the size of your safe. But I’m betting even the smallest accommodates a handgun. 

6. Vaultek Life Pod 

If you want a simple, super small lockbox that’s of the utmost quality, then the Vaultek Life Pod is the way to go. 

The Vaultek Life Pod provides you with a superbly thin safe that will accommodate a subcompact or compact handgun. 

You might find it constraining when rocking an RMR, compensator, and light. 

However, for the average concealed carry pistol, the Vaultek is perfect.

The Lifepod is a great vehicle safe and can work outside of the vehicle too. 

Completely waterproof, go ahead and take it adventuring with you. Shower guns, anyone?

It also has a touch-sensitive keypad for quick access and dual side compression latches.

The Vaultek utilizes a 9-volt battery…but it also works with manual keys should the battery die. 

A micro USB can be plugged into the Lifepod to power it, which is easy in a vehicle. 

I’m a gadget guy, and the Vaultek Lifepod is quite gadgety. So, I love its aesthetic. 

Conclusion 

Never leave a gun unsecured in your vehicle. Get a good vehicle safe; heck, even a cheap safe will keep most bad guys out. 

Seriously, locking the doors when you have windows means nothing. An unsecured gun in a vehicle turns the vehicle into a loot box.

Still don’t believe me? 

Go to the r/guns subreddit and search “stolen.” Look how many people ask for advice after their gun is stolen from their vehicle. Yeah, don’t be that guy…

And for more tips on truck guns and storage, check out the Brownells Daily Defense video below.

How do you secure your firearm in a vehicle? Let us know below and share your wisdom with the crowd. And if you don’t have a safe at home, check out the Best Safes for Handguns and Long Guns!