Best Budget Gun Safes: Lowest Price Tiers, Thickest Steel First
Cheap gun safes all look the same in the photos, which is the one thing the photos get right. This list takes gun safes in our lowest price tiers at our last check and sorts them by the number that differs most: steel thickness, thickest first.
The list
10 models · checked weekly
The ruleGun safes in our budget price tiers at our last check, sorted from thickest steel, then by fire rating.
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10 models
Comparison tableSort by any column · tap a photo or name to open Amazon
This list starts from every gun safe we track and keeps the ones in our lowest price tiers at our last check of the Amazon price. We don't publish prices, here or anywhere on the site. They change daily, and the Check price button shows the current one. "Budget tier" is the bracket the safe fell into when we last looked.
Then the list sorts by steel thickness, thickest first, and by fire rating where steel is equal.
Why steel? Because at this end of the market, it's the number that differs most from one safe to the next. Gauge numbers run backwards: under the federal U.S. Standard Gauge, 14 gauge is 0.0781 in, and 15 and 16 gauge are thinner. A 14-gauge budget safe and a 16-gauge budget safe can look identical in a photo and be different products in your hands.
Why fire rating as the tiebreaker? Because if a budget-tier safe ever carries a stated fire rating, it should rise above an equal-steel safe without one. At our last check, none in this list did.
A safe with no gauge in writing sorts below every safe that states one. That's by design. Most budget listings don't state a gauge. The ones that do give you something to compare.
How to read the best budget gun safe list
Gauge column. Lower is thicker. A 14 beats a 15, and a 15 beats a 16.
Interior dimensions. On budget listings, often missing. The listing gives outside dimensions and a gun count. The interior is smaller by the thickness of the walls and the door, plus any door organizer.
Gun count. Treat it as an upper limit for thin, unscoped long guns. Some listings combine rifles and pistols into one number. The verdicts point out where the title and the bullets disagree.
Lock column. Keypad, fingerprint, key. At our last check, every safe on this list had a backup key, per its listing. Check where the emergency power connects: several use an external battery box or a USB port, so a dead battery doesn't lock you out.
A dash ("—"). Nobody we found put that value in writing. On budget listings, you'll see a lot of them.
The sort is a reading order. The first row is the budget safe with the thickest steel we could confirm. It isn't a recommendation to buy the first row.
Best cheap gun safe for the job it can actually do
A budget gun safe is a different product from a full-size gun safe, and that's fine. It's lighter steel, usually without a burglary rating, and usually without a fire rating. What it does well is keep firearms locked, in one place, away from people in the household who shouldn't have access.
For that job, four things matter more than the gun count:
A lock you'll use every time. If the code is a hassle, the door stays open. Fingerprint, keypad or both; pick the one you'll actually use.
A backup you can find. A key, stored somewhere other than on top of the safe.
Anchoring. Light safes can be carried off. Pre-drilled holes and the right bolts are the cheapest upgrade a cheap safe can get. Our bolting guide covers floors and walls.
Interior room. Measure your longest gun with its scope against the outside height, minus a few inches for the walls.
For comparison, California's published gun safe standard asks for 12-gauge walls and a door of 7-gauge or double 12-gauge steel, or a UL RSC listing from a recognized lab. None of the budget safes in this list states either. That doesn't make them useless. It makes them a different category.
If children live in or visit the home, keep the safe locked whenever the firearms are not in your hands, and keep the backup key and code where a child cannot find them. Storage requirements differ by state; check your state's official government site.
Best budget rifle safe: what the narrow ones leave out
Several safes on this list are narrow cabinets, under 10 inches wide outside, built for two or three long guns. They're compact and they fit in a closet. They also leave very little room inside.
Length. One listing gives a maximum rifle length of 44 in. Check yours.
Scopes. A narrow body and a scoped rifle often disagree. If the listing doesn't mention scopes, assume the gun count is for unscoped guns.
Shelves. A top shelf takes height away from long guns.
Wider budget safes, around 23 inches outside, hold more but weigh more. Plan the floor and the stairs before ordering.
Locks on budget gun safes: the backup is the real spec
Almost every budget gun safe on this list uses an electronic lock: a keypad, a fingerprint reader, or both. Electronic locks run on batteries. That makes the backup part of the lock, not an accessory.
Three things to find on the listing, or in the manual, before you buy:
The backup key. Where the keyhole is, how many keys come in the box, and whether the key opens the door on its own or only lets you change the battery.
Emergency power. Several budget safes have an external battery box or a USB port. That lets you power the keypad from outside when the internal batteries are flat.
The battery compartment. Inside the door or outside. If it's inside, the backup key and the external power port are your only ways in when it runs down.
Fingerprint readers on budget safes state a stored-print capacity, often 30 or 100 prints. That's a convenience figure. It says nothing about how well the reader works on a cold or wet finger. Enroll more than one finger per person, and test the backup key on day one.
A mechanical dial needs no battery, but at our last check none of the budget-tier gun safes we track used one. If you want one, see our mechanical gun safes page.
What this list leaves out, and why
Higher price tiers. By definition. See best gun safes for a list built on fire rating and steel instead.
Handgun safes. This rule covers gun safes for long guns. See cheap gun safes, which includes handgun safes in the same price tiers.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; outside 52 x 9.85 x 8.66 in per the listing; 14-gauge steel. Two rifles up to 44 in long, per the listing, though the title says 2–3. Lock: keypad with code memory and backup key; three 20 mm bolts. Pre-drilled for floor or wall. 14-gauge steel, in a box built for very few guns.
Buy it ifyou have two unscoped rifles under 44 in and want 14-gauge steel behind a keypad and backup key.
Skip it ifany of your long guns is over 44 in or wears a scope.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; outside 52 x 9.85 x 8.66 in per the listing; 14-gauge steel. Three long guns, per the title. Lock: keypad and emergency key, with an external emergency power box; wrong-code and vibration alarm. Same outside size and weight as the KAER 1320K; the listing doesn't say whether it's the same safe.
Buy it ifyou want a keypad with an emergency key, an external power box and a wrong-code and vibration alarm.
Skip it ifyou need interior dimensions in writing before you buy.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; outside 5 x 26 x 20 in (H x W x D) per SnapSafe; 14-gauge steel. Lock: keypad (3–8 digit code per SnapSafe, 3–6 per the listing) and backup key; slide-out drawer. Pre-drilled holes and a 5-foot cable; lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship per SnapSafe. An under-bed drawer, not a standing safe.
Buy it ifyou want a slide-out drawer that lives under the bed, in 14-gauge steel with a keypad and backup key.
Skip it ifyou need to store long guns upright; it's 5 in tall.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; the listing gives a 57 in height and no width or depth. 15-gauge steel per the listing. Lock: fingerprint (30 prints), keypad and emergency key. Marketed for 14–15 firearms, with removable racks, a top compartment and door hooks. A height, a gun count and nothing else to plan a space with.
Buy it ifyou have a 57 in tall space and want a fingerprint reader for 30 prints, a keypad and an emergency key.
Skip it ifyou need width and depth before you choose where it goes.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; outside 54.33 x 11.8 x 11.02 in per the listing; 15-gauge steel. Three to five rifles up to 53 in, plus four to five handguns, per the listing. Lock: keypad, two backup keys and an external power box; alarm, silent mode and an LED light. Rifle length is stated, which saves a tape measure.
Buy it ifyour rifles run up to 53 in and you want a keypad, two backup keys and room for handguns too.
Skip it ifyou want a fingerprint reader; this one is keypad and key.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; the listing gives a 51.97 in height only. 15-gauge steel per the listing. Lock: fingerprint (100 prints), illuminated keypad and backup keys; external battery box; four bolts. The title says 6–8 guns; the bullets say up to 5 scoped rifles. Believe the bullets.
Buy it ifyou store up to five scoped rifles and want a fingerprint reader for 100 prints plus an illuminated keypad.
Skip it ifyou have more than five scoped long guns to store.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; outside 53.2 x 23 x 15.7 in per the listing; 15-gauge steel; 99.21 lb. Lock: fingerprint (30 prints), keypad and emergency keys; four bolts. Marketed as 20–25 rifles and pistols combined, with door pouches. A wide budget body, at 23 in outside.
Buy it ifyou keep rifles and pistols together and have floor space for a body 23 in wide outside.
Skip it ifyou're counting on 20 or more long guns; that count includes pistols.
Fire rating: none claimed. Interior: not confirmed; outside 53.2 x 23 x 15.7 in per the listing; 15-gauge steel. Lock: fingerprint, keypad and backup key; print capacity not confirmed. Marketed for 20–25 long guns, with detachable partitions. Two KAER 20–25 listings share this outside size and disagree on what goes inside.
Buy it ifyou want a 23 in wide body with fingerprint, keypad and backup key, and detachable partitions inside.
Skip it ifyou need a confirmed weight before you plan the floor and the stairs.
The one in your price range with the thickest steel, a backup to the lock, interior room for your longest gun, and holes to bolt it down. This list sorts gun safes in our lowest price tiers by steel thickness so that comparison is the first thing you see.
What does budget tier mean on this page?
It means the safe was in one of our lowest price tiers at our last check of the Amazon price. We don't show prices because they change daily. Use the Check price button for the current price.
Do budget gun safes have a fire rating?
At our last check, none of the budget-tier gun safes in this list claimed a fire rating. If fire protection matters, see our fire-rated gun safes list, or keep important papers in a separate fire-rated document box.
Is a cheap gun safe worth it?
It can be, for the right job. A budget gun safe can keep firearms locked away from people in the household who shouldn't have access. It is lighter steel than a full-size safe and usually has no burglary or fire rating, so bolt it down and keep expectations matched to the steel.
What should I check on a budget gun safe listing?
Steel gauge, the backup to the lock, interior dimensions, and pre-drilled anchor holes. Many budget listings give only outside dimensions and a gun count. If the interior isn't stated, ask the seller or measure against the outside size minus the walls and door.
Why are some budget gun safes listed with a range of guns, like 20–25?
The count usually assumes thin, unscoped long guns, and some listings combine rifles and pistols in one figure. Read the bullets for the long-gun number and compare interior dimensions with your own guns.
