Under desk or table gun safes are small handgun safes that can fit under the desk so you can quickly grab the gun in case of an emergency.  They are made to store only one handgun and (depending on the model) an extra munition for the handgun. Although they are mostly made for offices, you can use them in your home and car. The most important feature for an under desk gun safe is that it has to mount at the top of the desk at least but there are models that can mount at the inner side of the desk too.

You can’t do much with a gun safe that has pre-drilled mounting holes at the bottom because if you mount it upside down you will have a hard time accessing the safe, or the safe will drop the pistol on the floor the moment you open it. That can happen if you have a desk with the door at the top which is common for drawer gun safes.

If you are looking for a desk gun safe, make sure that the safe has a quick access lock. That can be a biometric lock, a digital combination lock or a simple mechanical combination lock. The reason for that is simple. If you want an under desk gun safe it mostly means you need a gun for your protection and if you want to protect yourself you have to be able to react quickly. That means you don’t have the time to look for a key and unlock the safe, you have to be able to do that in a few seconds. The best way to do that is to use your fingerprint as the key or to enter the right combination.

So, to make sure that you understand what a desk gun safe for your protection has to have, I have made a list of most popular and the best gun safes on the market at the moment. You will notice that there aren’t many different models because their installation is limited to space under the desk, right next to your legs.

5 Best Under Desk Gun Safes

GunVault SV500 SpeedVault Gun Safe

The first under desk gun safe I am about to show you is the most popular one because it is well-built, easy to use and has a quick reaction time. The SpeedVault gun safe comes in two versions. The first version has a biometric lock and the second one has a digital combination lock. The biometric lock can store up to 20 different fingerprints and you can use it to scan your fingerprints from different angles. The digital combination lock has 4 small buttons you have to press to unlock the safe and you can set your own code. That is actually the only difference between those two versions of the GunVault gun safe model. The moment you unlock the safe, the drop-down door opens and you can grab your gun.

The construction of the safe is made of 18-gauge steel and inside it has a foam that will keep the handgun safe from scratches. This safe has multiple mounting choices, which means you can mount it at the top or both sides of the safe so you can adjust it to you. The electronic key uses the battery to work, but if the battery ends up empty you can unlock the safe with override key so you don’t have to break into the safe (you will have a hard time doing it). Also, the safe comes with a small light so you can grab your gun even in the complete dark.

Ivation Under Desk Gun Safe

Ivation safe that goes under the desk looks like the SpeedVault above because it is the best design for this type of gun safe. It has a special L bracket for mounting so you can mount it at the sides and top. The lock on this gun safe is a digital combination lock and the buttons are illuminated with a blue light so you can see what you are pressing in the dark. The combination you have to enter the lock is 4-6 digits combination and if you fail for 3 times, the safe will start beeping.

The welded steel will keep the intruders away and your handgun safe at all times. The electronic lock uses batteries to function and the safe comes with an override key if the batteries end up empty, just like the GunVault gun safe above. The moment you unlock the safe the drop down the door will open and you can grab the gun by the handle.

SnapSafe Under Desk Gun Safe

SnapSafe is another under the desk gun safe with the similar design. This one looks a lot like the Ivation gun safe and I am not sure who copied who. It comes with the L bracket that mounts at the top and you can install it on both sides of the table. The reason why I’ve said that they look almost identical is the L bracket and the digital keypad that looks the same. It means that you can choose 4-6 digit PIN number to access the gun safe.

The construction of the gun safe is made of 16-gauge steel with the tamper-resistant drop down doors like the models I have reviewed above. You don’t have to use it only as the under desk gun safe, you can use it as the bedroom gun safe too.

V-Line Under Desk LockBox

The V-Line lockbox has a different design than other models on this list and it is an under desk gun safe that mounts only at the top of the safe so. This gun safe doesn’t require any batteries to work because it has a mechanical combination lock. It means you have to press the right buttons to unlock the safe. The moment you unlock it the door will open and you can pull the handgun out of the storage. The size and the design are made to hold only one handgun and that is all you need for your protection.

Its design and mounting characteristics make it hard to steal the safe or even break into one. The anti-pry brackets make sure that your handgun is safe inside. This little under desk gun safe is DOJ approved so you can be sure it is a good quality safe.

V-Line Under Desk LockBox

The reason why I am reviewing another V-Line lockbox is that this one is a bigger model than the one above. The only difference between those two models is the size which means that this lockbox can store up to 2 handguns, or a handgun with valuable documents and jewelry. The mounting option is the same as the V-Line above which means it mounts at the top of the safe.

The same mechanical lock requires you to enter the right PIN number to open the door. Just like the one above, this is also DOJ approved under desk gun safe so if you want to have more handguns by your side in the office, this might be the gun safe you are looking for.