The question is often asked in this board about which safe to buy for handguns. The idea, of course, usually being something that is quickly accessible but also secure from children and/or burglars.

I have been using a pair of knockoff GunVault style safes for years now (ADF brand or something like that). These have worked well for me, EXCEPT that they operate on batteries. I have always been pretty religious about changing the batteries out, but after trying to get my gun out of one of them last week only to discover there wasn't enough juice left to operate the locking mechanism I decided it was time to make a change.

I purchased one each of the V-Line Top Draw safe and the Fort Knox Pistol Safe:

V-Line Top Draw
Fort Knox Pistol Safe

Including shipping, the V-Line was $154.99 and the Fort Knox was $211.49. Both were purchased through Amazon.

Both locks use the same Simplex locking system, which as many of you know is extremely reliable and 100% mechanical. No batteries, no electronics, almost no chance of failure whatsoever. The locks are also very easy to "reprogram".

For anyone interested, here are my observations regarding the differences between the two:

Price: The V-Line is cheaper (see above).

Weight: The Fort Knox safe weighs 24 pounds. The V-Line weighs 10. Obviously the Fort Knox Safe is constructed of much heavier gauge metals.

Hinge: The piano hinge on the back of the V-Line is welded on one end to prevent removal of the pin, but it could still be removed if someone were determined. The hinge on the Fort Knox safe is integral to the safe and completely concealed. No way to pop the pin out of the hinge.

Lid Operation: The Fort Knox safe has a gas strut on the lid that both assists with opening it and prevents it from opening too far. The V-Line lid, though not heavy, offers no assistance and will fall all the way over backward if allowed to do so.

Aesthetics: My wife says the V-Line is "prettier", for what it's worth. If you're like me you probably don't care much about that, but I thought it worth mentioning.

Interior: Both have egg crate foam on bottom and flat foam on top to protect your guns. The Fort Knox safe is deeper and actually has two layers of egg crate on bottom. One can be removed if you want additional space.

Capacity: I can easily fit two Glocks along with a spare magazine for each in either of these safes. A small flashlight fits as well, but beyond that it starts getting too crowded.

Mounting: Both have four holes in the bottom that can be used for mounted to a surface of your choice.

Summary: Though it costs more I definitely prefer the Fort Knox safe over the V-Line. I think BOTH are far better than any GunVault or other brand electronic safe that relies on batteries or electronic technology to operate. The Fort Knox is much heavier duty than the V-Line and therefore, in my opinion, more secure. I also like that it has the piston assisted lid, which is why I'm using it as my bedside safe and the V-Line will be mounted downstairs.

So, there are my thoughts on a couple of good safes that are frequently recommended on this board when folks start asking which safe to get. I'd recommend either, but Fort Knox gets the nod as "better".

Thanks for the review. How are you mounting at bedside? On floor? Night stand? I am struggling with this and not sure what I'm going to do as neither is much of an option for me.

I haven't decided yet. Right now it's just sitting on top of my nightstand. My old one is bolted to the lower shelf of the nightstand, but these both open from the top instead of the front so that won't work. I'm thinking I will probably screw it to the floor with big lag bolts right next to the bed, but we'll see.

Thanks for the reviews. Going to need to get one of those in a few months.

The problem I have with these is you pay a ton for something that can be cracked in under an hour, and about 10 minutes by pros. I wouldn't worry as much about a pro as they'll get into must any quick access, it's a kids friend or something like that I worry.

http://www.tech-faq.com/simplex-lock-combinations.html

I'm not really worried about someone stealing the gun. The home alarm should be enough deterrent and if it's not (or they are a pro) they will get whatever they want regardless. I believe not many pros are going to be robbing any of us on here. It's going to be punks/petty thieves. I'm more worried about the kids and having quick access in the middle of the night.

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I'm more worried about the kids and having quick access in the middle of the night.

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Yeah, understandable. But, since you talked about how heavy duty they were and such I figured I'd mention it. I prefer a little more comfort, not necessarily for my kid now, but in the future and they possibly have friends I don't trust.

Good point on when the kids get older. Mine are 2 and 4 so not much of an issue now.

I guess my complaint is you're paying a ton of money for a thick safe that's easy to crack, why not go cheap for $40 and you have something just as hard to get into (although mine is battery operated which you don't want).

You are more than welcome to spend more or less money on the safe of your choice. I really don't care. I was simply offering my thoughts and a comparison of these two safes. Feel free to use whatever you like.

No worries, was just discussing, I know it can come across differently on the internet. Wasn't meant to be argumentative.