If you read my previous post on wall safes, you already know how I feel about them.  I think that they serve fantastically as a way to get to your firearms as quickly as possible, specifically rifles, shotguns, and SMGs.  The problem with bedside style pistol safes is that you can’t typically lock up a Remington 870 under your nightstand – it simply won’t fit.  Now, as most wall safes are built compactly, only allowing room for two handguns at best, there are a few out there that enable you to stow away a serious bit of firepower in an easy to access fashion.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Homak In The Wall Gun Safe

I’ve covered Homak products quite a bit on this site, mainly focusing on the cheap cost and relatively weak constitution associated with them.  Their in wall gun safe is no exception, however, ironically, I have to hand it to Homak for their development of this product.  First of all, it will only run you around $120, which is a very inexpensive way to keep your children out of your guns.  Secondly, it’s been built with a universally appealing, simple design.  It only weighs 50 lbs and can be fit in between nearly any set of studs, and the depth is just over 3″, so it’ll likely fit anywhere.  But my favorite part is that its 57″ height will allow you to comfortably store up to three rifles and shotguns.  A long gun, as opposed to a handgun, will almost always give you a tactical advantage during a home invasion.  The only issue I have with this model is that it’s opened by keyed entry, which still allows for quick access, only you must be sure that you always know where the keys are – especially in the dark.

Mesa Adjustable Wall Safe

Mesa’s wall gun safe offers a lot of pretty slick features for a relatively low price ($139).  First of all, as its name suggests, it gives you the option of not only convertible shelving, but adjustable depth as well.  This will sit back in your wall anywhere from 3 1/4″ to 6″, depending on your preference.  And unlike the aforementioned Homak, the Mesa is opened using an electronic lock combination, potentially cutting the time it takes to open it in half.  The only negative feature of this safe, in my opinion, is the height.  The Homak gun safe gives you the ability to easily store a full length rifle.  At 19 1/2″, you aren’t given that option with the Mesa.  However, this still offers significantly more space than the majority of other wall safes on the market.  You could easily store a short barreled UZI, a bull pup carbine like the FN P90, or even a 5.56 chambered “pistol” like the Bushmaster Carbon 15 series.  All fun is not lost.

Secure Logic Wall Vault ETL 20700

This biometric wall safe kind of goes against what I’ve been preaching in regards to the advantage of being able to store a rifle or shotgun in a readily available location, as the dimensions of this safe wouldn’t allow it.  That said, I had to include it on this list because they’re just so darn cool.  The safe sits nearly flush with your wall allowing you to easily conceal it with a mirror or a painting should you desire.  Of course, with the it’s lovely brushed stainless steel finish, why would you ever want to cover it up?  The safe uses fingerprint reading biometric technology to allow entry.  Short of leaving the door wide open, fingerprint safes are by far the quickest way to get to your guns out from behind closed doors.

And speaking of the door, when you unlock it with the swipe of your finger, the flush door drops down like magic instead of swinging open.  Aside from the novelty, this allows for a little more flexibility.  To add to the coolness factor, the ETL 20700 includes a secret compartment to stow away hidden documents.  I know what I said about a thief finding a hidden wall safe and ripping it out from the wall, but isn’t that still awesome?  I mean…secret hiding places, man!

The major downsides to this model is the price and the small capacity.  If you want this Secure Logic safe, you’ll likely be spending in the neighborhood of $350, and though it will hold a couple good sized handguns, there’s no way you’re fitting a 12 gauge in there (unless it’s of the AOW sawed off variety).  Nevertheless, if you do decide to pick one of these up, let me know, so I can come over to your house and play with it.