There are two schools of thought when it comes to securing firearms.
The first is to lock them up, and the second is to find a means to hide them. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, binary thinking has limited us in options for both hiding and securing firearms.
Well, until now.
It’s really kind of surprising that until recently, no one tried to combine the idea of hiding a gun and locking it up.
So, today we’re going to explore hidden gun safes. We’ll discuss the advantages of hidden gun safes, the types, and why having one is a good idea.
THE QUICK LIST
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Editor’s Pick: Hidden Gun Safe
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Best Office Option
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Most Affordable
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Most Discreet Handgun Storage
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Most Discreet Long Gun Storage
Table of Contents
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| Exterior Dimensions | Interior Dimensions | Weight | Material | Lock Type | Price | |
| Vaultek DS2i Smart Station | 12.125″D x 8.25″W x 3″H | 9″D x 7.5″W x 1.5″H | 9.6 lbs | Progressive Formed 18-Gauge Steel | Electronic Keypad, Fingerprint, Nano Key, Manual Key | $399 |
| GunVault SpeedVault SV500 | 3.5″D x 6.5″W x 13″H | 2.6″D x 5.75″W x 8.5″H | 6.61 lbs | 20-Gauge Steel | Electronic Keypad, Manual Key | $145 |
| PS Products Peace Keeper Concealment Clock | 6.25″D x 9.5″W x 13.25″H | N/A | ~3.4 lbs | Solid wood | Magnetic Latch (no lock) | $62 |
| Liberty Home Concealment Peacemaker Concealment Clock | 4.5″D x 12.5″W x 13″H | 9.5″W x 11.25″H | N/A | Solid wood | Magnetic Key Lock | $134 |
| Tactical Traps Freedom 52R Concealment Shelf | 13.5″D x 46″W x 5″H | 8.5″D x 39″W x 3″H | 17 lbs | Wood | RFID | $399 |
Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
Part of the appeal, at least to me, is the secretive nature of hidden and disguised gun safes.
Hidden gun safes range from built-in wall units to plain-looking furniture, and more traditional safes designed to be stored in hard-to-see areas.
Being able to store a gun behind a mirror in my living room makes me feel like an American James Bond.
Discretion
The thing about criminals is that safes draw them in. More than anything, a nice safe is sure to contain treasures that criminals would love to get their hands on.
With enough time and the right tools, no safe is uncrackable. This is where a hidden or camouflaged gun safe comes in.
Thieves may be able to crack a safe, but only if they can find it.
Being discreet means being smart.
Not to mention, in some situations, a large and capable safe may not be possible. For example, if you live in an apartment several stories above the ground floor, a large safe may not be an option due to weight restrictions.
Hidden safes tend to be small and lightweight.
Easy to Reach
If your coffee table is housing a Mossberg 590A1 loaded with eight shots of Federal Flitecontrol buckshot, you have an immediate bad guy cure.
If your door is getting kicked in, you want to be able to respond with extreme prejudice, right?
A wide variety of hidden gun safes are designed to look like ordinary pieces of household furniture so that they can be stored in plain sight without raising suspicion from guests or criminals.
This also gives you the ability to surreptitiously place firearm storage throughout your home.
If you have the funds and the will, you could be in arm’s reach of a firearm, ready for home invaders or zombies.
Best Hidden Gun Safes
1. Vaultek DS2i Smart Station
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Pros
- Actually displays useful information
- Ball-bearing rails ensure the drawer opens smoothly
Cons
- The keypad and biometric scanner on top make it a bit more obvious that it is a safe
Specs:
- Exterior Dimensions: 12.125″D x 8.25″W x 3″H
- Interior Dimensions: 9″D x 7.5″W x 1.5″H
- Weight: 9.6 lbs
- Material: Progressive Formed 18-Gauge Steel
- Lock Type: Electronic Keypad, Fingerprint, Nano Key, Manual Key
The best hidden gun safe is one that can be hidden in plain sight.
Enter the Vaultek DS2i Smart Station that doubles as a quite useful desk clock, temperature/humidity sensor, and wireless phone charger.
The best part?
It holds a full-size handgun and an extra mag with ease.
And also has a fast/accurate biometric sensor along with capacitive buttons. See it in action:
Plus a nice app that allows for Bluetooth access and tamper warnings.
So if you want something next to you when you’re sleeping or working, the Smart Station does that and more.
2. GunVault SpeedVault SV500
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Pros
- Easily hidden underneath a desk or table
- Gun drops down into a position where it is easy to grab and deploy
Cons
- Not inherently disguised at anything other than a safe
- The foam interior can retain moisture, so you must mind the humidity
- Not easy to move around once it has been installed
Specs:
- Exterior Dimensions: 3.5″D x 6.5″W x 13″H
- Interior Dimensions: 2.6″D x 5.75″W x 8.5″H
- Weight: 6.61 lbs
- Material: 20-Gauge Steel
- Lock Type: Electronic Keypad, Manual Key
I really miss my Gunvault SpeedVault, but it, unfortunately, got left behind with the massive desk in my last home.
The SpeedVault isn’t like the camouflage gun safes on this list. Rather, it’s a simple safe designed to be hidden under a desk, table, etc.
It holds a single handgun and is quite compact.
3. PS Products Peace Keeper Concealment Clock
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Pros
- Very inconspicuous
- Easy to move an reposition to anywhere
Cons
- No foam or hangars are included to secure the handgun
- No locking mechanism means it is very easy for anyone to access
Specs:
- Exterior Dimensions: 6.25″D x 9.5″W x 13.25″H
- Interior Dimensions: N/A
- Weight: ~3.4 lbs
- Material: Solid wood
- Lock Type: Magnetic Latch (no lock)
I was originally given a gun clock as a gift, and I have had it for quite a few years at this point.
The Peace Keeper clock from PS Products is the most affordable option on this list and also the smallest.
These are pretty straightforward. They look like a clock, but you can hide a gun behind the face. The clock on this one is fully functional, giving an added layer of stealth.
You can stuff a full-sized handgun like a 1911, Glock 17, or 4-inch barreled revolver in it, but there isn’t much room for much else other than maybe a spare mag.
They use a magnetic non-locking latch, which makes it easy to access, but isn’t very secure. There are also no provisions for mounting your gun inside the body of the clock itself; it just kind of sits in there vertically. You will want to be careful when opening the safe that the gun doesn’t just flop out and onto the floor.
Gun clocks are easy to place while remaining inconspicuous. Toss it on a mantle, bookshelf, countertop, or nightstand. Mine sits in the living room, out of the way, and in the shadows of some shelves.
4. Liberty Home Concealment Peacemaker Concealment Clock
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Pros
- Tons of color options to help match surrounding settings
- Can fit two handguns
Cons
- Expensive for what it is
- Magnetic key lock isn't the best opening system
Specs:
- Exterior Dimensions: 4.5″D x 12.5″W x 13″H
- Interior Dimensions: 9.5″W x 11.25″H
- Weight: N/A
- Material: Solid wood
- Lock Type: Magnetic Key Lock
We also tested another concealment clock. This one is the Peacemaker (similar names, I know) from Liberty Home Concealment.
This clock is made of solid wood and is much better looking than the PS Products gun clock, in our opinion.
The Peacemaker clock is available in a whopping 13 different finishes, or an unfinished option for those who want to paint or stain it a custom color.
More colors means you can match it to your existing interior or furniture better, which means it will blend in that much more.
Unlike the PS Products clock, the Peacemaker comes with a Kaizen foam sheet that you can cut to fit your gun or accessories that you want to store in the clock.
This safe features a magnetic lock that can be opened using a magnetic key. You can also remove the magnetic lock if you wish to have the safe unlocked and accessible at all times.
The door on the Peacemaker also opens sideways rather than downward. This minimizes the risk of the door falling open too fast, potentially tipping the whole thing, and spilling your gun out.
5. Tactical Traps Freedom 52R Concealment Shelf
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Pros
- More discreet than just about anything
- Large enough to store long guns
- One second opening time
Cons
- Requires semi-permanent wall installation
- Different room layouts might make it hard to find a place to install this safe
Specs:
- Exterior Dimensions: 13.5″D x 46″W x 5″H
- Interior Dimensions: 8.5″D x 39″W x 3″H
- Weight: 17 lbs
- Material: Wood
- Lock Type: RFID
The Freedom 52R wall shelf from Tactical Traps is likely the most concealed option on the list.
Even the most thoughtful crook or paranoid thief is not going to consider a simple shelf as a place where you might conceal a gun.
This wall shelf is plain on the top, but has a slightly enlarged compartment section underneath that drops down to reveal storage space.
It blends in perfectly thanks to its design and six available color options. These are extremely difficult to spot for almost everyone unless they are already familiar with the product.
The best part about all of this is that the sheer length of the shelf means you can store a long gun, a handgun, and a fair number of accessories all in one spot. An included foam insert makes it easy to customize everything for your exact setup.
You also get included LED lighting on the underside to illuminate everything. The lower part of the shelf also features shock absorbers to make sure that nothing slams open.
Accessing everything is super easy, too. The fake candle houses an RFID card that can be used to quickly unlock the RFID mechanism. It also features emergency lockout prevention.
The Freedom 52R shelf isn’t cheap, but it is super concealable and feature-rich.
Rules for Using Hidden Gun Safes
Keep Your Mouth Shut
OPSEC, a.k.a. Operational Security, is critical for a hidden gun or disguised safe.
If you start showing and telling friends, then they are bound to talk about it — a Mossberg shotgun inside a coffee table is kinda cool.
The more people who know, the more likely it’ll reach the ears of less honest people.
Is it Really Hidden?
Does the supposedly hidden safe stand out? Is there something that makes your concealed gun safe look just a bit too bulky?
Are the times for the hidden compartment just a little obvious? Is your clock handgun safe actually set and on display? Consider these things.
Also, stay away from things with logos. Nothing says, “There’s a gun here” like “Bob’s Concealment Safes” stamped on the side.
The same goes for any logos featuring guns, knives, or the word tactical.
What Are the Downsides of Hidden Safes?
Hidden gun safes are great; they are a clever way to secure your firearms and have them ready at a moment’s notice.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t also a few disadvantages to be aware of.
Beware of Fire
Most of these hidden gun safes are not fireproof.
A coffee table that hides guns is still just a coffee table. This is something to keep in mind, and probably means you should have some form of insurance on your guns.
If It’s Discovered, It’s Gone
A good safe (read big, heavy, and expensive) that’s hard to crack is going to keep a lot of criminals out. They understand they may not have the time to fully crack the safe and move on, smashing and grabbing as they go.
If the thief is smashing and grabbing and happens to break your desk, a clock, or a coffee table with a gun in it, that gun is pretty much gone.
Meet the Experts
This article comes to you from Pew Pew Tactical founder and CEO Eric Hung. Eric is an NRA-certified pistol instructor and a USPSA/3-Gun/NRL22 competitor. He has also researched and written over 250 articles on firearms and gear. He has an absolute ton of guns and gear, and brings his expertise to this article through the sheer amount of firearm storage solutions he has.
Editing this article is Pew Pew Tactical Editor Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a competitive shooter. He owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales under his belt. Wyatt uses his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.
Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.
Final Thoughts
Hidden gun safes are pretty cool and offer a unique perspective on gun storage.
As with anything, they do have their downsides, but if you need a convenient way to store your guns in a discreet manner, they work!
What’s your fave hidden storage option? Let us know in the comments below. For more storage options, check out 10 Great Gun Safes for At-Home and On the Go.
Latest Updates
- August 2025: Removed SecureIt Fast Box, Hollon B1500 in-floor safe. Added specs for each product and a product comparison chart.
- March 2025: Removed Tactical Walls 1450.
11 Leave a Reply
Are you handy? Have mechanical/carpentry skills? Go find a breaker box, the entire box, with all the breakers, etc. intact. Electricians will probably give you the entire setup from a panel upgrade. Gut out the interior of the box, remove all the wires, tabs, screws, etc. Take the plate that supports all the breakers and glue a flat piece of metal or wood over the holes where the breakers go from the back. Now disassemble, cut, etc each breaker so that you only have the visible part that you would see from the front side. Glue all the breakers to the front plate in their respective holes. Instead of screws, use multiple magnetic cabinet catches to secure the front plate. Basically what I'm trying to explain is creating a faux breaker box, with a magnetically mounted front plate. Breaker boxes are designed to be recessed in walls. Nobody gives them a second glance. Even if you open the door, the breakers will all appear to be real. Well, they are, or were. Hide whatever you want in the inside. Nobody messes with electricity, a faux breaker panel is a safe storage space. Try it.
Looking for pistol safe that is a alarm clock phone charger and opens with finger print. Want it to look like ordinary alarm clock not safe setting on night stand
Look up the Vaultek DS2i - it is literally that.
I discovered that the RFID lock fails when a battery dies. The new battery I put into this shelf died long before its predicted shelf life. It was a real chore to get the shelf open without damaging the shelf itself.
I changed out all of the electronic locks to a simple magnetic cabinet lock like you'd use to keep kids out of a kitchen cabinet. The magnetic lock works every time. The kids are safe. Then gun is always available.
Win-win.
The shelf option is almost perfect for me, but a 20LB load probably won't handle the force of a 15 pound cat (or two) jumping onto it... unless I'm able to reinforce it somehow.
It certainly can be reinforced so that a 250 lb person could jump on it.
It might deform a bit but it'll hold.
All it would take is a "U" piece of 2" x 2" x ⅛" angle iron with the closed end bolted to 2 studs in the wall.
If you REALLY want to over do it use ¼" thick steel, open the wall up, put 1½" x 6-8" x ⅛ piece of steel backer plate behind the stud and through bolt it.
It would take a rather determined person with tools and knowledge to get that off the wall.
Good article Travis. Great job going over the pros and cons of all of them.
Yes, keeping your mouth shut is critical.
I wouldn't use and firearms lock box/safe that wasn't somehow secured to the structure of the home.
If I have a 20lb or so clock with a glock in it and someone walks out the door with it tucked under their arm to force it open at their leisure then I haven't done my due diligence in securing my firearms.
Thanks for the great article. I especially like the James Bond photo, holding a .177 cal pellet pistol. I've got one identical to that. It wouldn't be my first choice for home defense, but does look cool.
Wise old man told me once, the ONLY gun that will do you any good, is the one that nobody knows you have
:-)
Thanks Travis for the great article! I get overwhelmed looking at options for safes and this article makes me think outside of the box for options.