Nighttime Gun Box

A couple of weeks ago I did some online shopping. Amazon has great prices, even on “GunVaults.” You see, with the blessing (or urging) of sweetie, I recently purchased a lock box for my Glock 27. I usually carry it, when awake, but I’m not always awake….

I shopped around, looking at features and always looking at prices. And like I said, Amazon has some good prices. Amazon’s price for MultiVault Deluxe by GunVault was $126. (Yikes! it’s since gone up to $150) But in shopping around and looking at features, I thought the Winchester EV600 for $104 from www.Safes4You.com was the best bang for the buck. (Hey, I think it use to be $99!)

I was looking for quick and easy access and Winchester box looked good. It has the “No-Look entry system” and “Spring loaded door for quick access” and it comes with a power adapter, unlike the GunVault. It also has an LCD display for battery power and locked status. So I that’s what I ordered online.

Then, I couldn’t stop looking around some more … and so I watched a Titan video at Safes4You. It looked good but was more expensive. (Hey, I think it’s gone up in price too!)

Well, I had double clicked the link and so I was watching the video at YouTube. And after I watched the video I noticed the related videos and saw one showing a GunVault.

The GunVaults and Winchester eVaults are very similar, so I was interested. I became very interested. The video showing a Mini Deluxe GunVault was titled “Unsafe Gun Safe.” Yup, the video showed the “vault” opening with a tap of a knuckle.

Then I found several other similar videos:
ADG Secure Vault opened with a bounce:

Powering a motorized electronic safe:

Hack a safe with electronic number pad and key:

So, on the following business day, I called Safes4You and canceled my order but placed a new order for a $135 V-Line Deskmate. (Oh my, and the new price is now $154.) The cancellation and re-ordering could have been smoother and done in one call instead of a couple, but the Deskmate was shipped and arrived promptly.

The Deskmate doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like the GunVault or Winchester (no really, look at the lights bells on those two) but V-Line does appear to be more solid. It’s hefty, 8 pounds of 14 gauge steel, with a reliable mechanical lock and no batteries to fail for either primary or backup power. There’s no backup lock with a key for when I forget the code—or for someone else to pop open). And I like that the box didn’t pop open when I dropped and tapped it….

The model I purchased, the DeskMate, is only big enough for one handgun, unlike the Winchester model I first ordered, but it is big enough to hold my 4″ Colt .44 magnum (with the protective plastic cover removed from the inside of the locking mechanism on the door).

Here’s a picture of the box under a shelf on my nightstand:

V-Line Deskmate Mounted under shelf

I mounted the Deskmate under the shelf for convenience. It’s readily accessible and easy to use. I had thought about mounting it to the bed frame. Although being mounted to the metal frame might have been more secure, it would have been less convenient to access quickly and conveniently—requiring bending over and lifting a dust ruffle etc. With the Deskmate mounted under the shelf, I can open the box easily, even in the dark and while still in bed.

Well, I did find one difficulty with opening the box while still in bed. Using a code with that required pressing two buttons simultaneously was a little tricky. With the Deskmate in front of me, I had no trouble, but from the angle of my bed I had trouble pressing the two buttons simultaneously.

Of course, that was my own fault. It’s easy to change the code from the factory setting and I had programmed the lock with a two-button push as part of the combination. My new combination uses only single button pushes.

Did I say it’s STURDY? Well it is, but it’s not as sturdy as the 24 pound Fort Knox Handgun Safe The Fort Knox is the epitome of secure for a handgun box, but 24 pounds and “gas strut” assistance for opening (but might fail?) made it appear less than ideal for convenience. The V-line, however, is front opening and has more mounting options that make it convenient to use. So for regular use and for the best bang for my buck the V-Line was the choice.

If you’re really interested in BIG and STURDY, Safes4You may be the place. The invoice I received was clearly for large safes, the really big ones. So for a deal on either a little box like the Deskmate, or a big fireproof safe, give Safes4You a look.