The GunBox is sized to hold even a large gun along with spare magazine.
Here’s an accessory that is supremely elegant, tasteful in appearance, but the with constitution of a tank.
The GunBox looks like a high-tech computer or sound system accessory. Its space-age appearance and sleek looks won’t give away its real purpose – safe and secure storage of a handgun.
I spent some quality time with a pre-production model and here’s what I found.
The GunBox is built like a tank – no doubt about that. Someone would have to work hard to break into it. But that’s beside the point. The primary idea of something like a gun box is to keep unauthorized hands away from your gun. If your primary concern is protection from fire and/or burglary, then get a 1,500 pound safe and bolt it to your floor.
The GunBox does offer some anti-theft features. You can mount the GunBox to wall studs or perhaps a heavy piece of furniture. It even features a Kensington style cable lock interface that allows use of a sturdy cable lock. These features will help deter theft of the entire box, but it’s not something you want to rely on to protect from burglary.
The idea behind the GunBox is to keep little fingers off of your gun, yet keep it instantly available to you in case of emergency. The classic use case of something like a gun box is safe, yet accessible, storage on your nightstand. Your gun is secure from children or guests, but you can get access to it any time you like.
When used on a nightstand or desk, the dual USB ports are handy for charging phones or other devices.
The GunBox has different options for secure access to the interior. The primary access method is via an RFID chip embedded in the unit itself. Simply wave a provided bracelet or ring over the top of the box, and it opens automatically. You can also get a fingerprint scanner in addition to the RFID lock. The fingerprint scanner allows you to store multiple fingerprints so you can open it with different fingers on your own hands, and also program fingerprints from a spouse or significant other. In my testing, I found that I could open the box with any orientation of my finger on the scan pad – it didn’t require me to achieve perfect, or even consistent, placement.
Other options available with the GunBox include a motion sensor alarm which makes a loud beeping sound when somebody is messing with the unit, for example, attempting to open or steal it. The premier model offers GPS tracking and 7×24 alarm service that will notify you by text message of unusual activity.
The GunBox includes an RFID bracelet as the default opening tool and AC power adapter.
The construction and mechanics are elegant. One nice touch is the inclusion of two pneumatic pistons that assist the opening of the door when unlocked. Instead of just flinging open by spring power, the door gently opens in a controlled fashion. The lock itself is a motor driven affair. Using the fingerprint scanner or RFID sensor, a motor is activated which slides a metal bar off of a fixed piston in the lower half of the unit, thereby allowing the pneumatic pistons to gently the door. One thing that I found slightly annoying was the noise of the motor. It gently grinds for several seconds in the process of unlocking. I couldn’t help but think how loud that would be in a dead quiet house, in the middle of the night.
The GunBox is a nice piece of gear. When it comes to safety, it doesn’t benefit you or anyone else to skimp on quality. This box is secure from unauthorized use yet offers dependable options for immediate access. If your home has kids or frequent guests, then you owe it to them to secure your guns.
Tom,
Have you come across a good way to secure a handgun on a motorcycle? It is a very rare occasion when I need to enter some place where CCW forbidden. I go elsewhere, but it might not be possible some time in my future travels. I certainly don’t want to advertise there’s a handgun on a parked bike!
Thanks,
Jo
Not being a biker myself (but I do want a big, loud, cruising chopper!) I’m a little stumped. If you have some type of saddlebag or box arrangement, perhaps a GunBox or similar device that comes with a Kensington Cable lock, so the cable could be attached to the frame of the bike?
Or perhaps just innovative use of a gun cable lock that goes through the mag well and slide (or cylinder / barrel with a revolver) Just use one with a longer cable so there is enough free cable to wrap around a part of the bike frame. The key would be a saddlebag with a hole for the cable to go through. Gun is not visible, but within the saddlebag it’s cable locked to the bike frame? Just thinking out loud…