Many law-abiding gun owners often tussle with storing firearms in a secure manner but then have to put up with a heavy cabinet should they need to relocate it due to changing circumstances such as a move.
When purchasing a traditional safe often times the delivery person will refuse to move the safe into the house when dropping it off leaving it to the homeowner to figure out how to maneuver it into the home. You also may be drawing unwanted attention to yourself when your neighbors see a large heavy safe delivered.
In many cases the safe is needed on the 2nd story of a home. If that is the case a traditional full-size safe can simply be too heavy and cumbersome to accomplish this, so it is left on the ground level thus being less convenient to access.
There is something to be said for modular gun safes that serve a particular purpose. With that said T2S (Tech to Survive) will dive into the pros and cons of different modular style gun safes from two different manufactures.
Our Top Lightweight Modular Gun Safe
AGILE Ultralight: Model 52 Plus Gun Safe
Ease of Assembly:
The Agile Ultralight Model 52 Plus is made from 16G steel. The safe weighs approximately 100lbs empty. It also does not have corrosive materials that line/form the interior. The Agile Ultralight Gun Safe is delivered in a flat box and can be easily assembled in the home. The unit can be assembled by one person but two people will make the process a whole lot easier.
Key Features:
The base Model 52 Plus comes with 6 modular plastic cradles along with bungies to hold your long guns in place and a combination of 9 storage bins and trays. There are also 3 stock bases The package also includes 2 magnetic hooks which is also a nice touch.
It should be noted that at the time of this writing if you spend approximately $90 more, you can get an Agile Model 52 Door Organizer with 2 canvas handgun holsters, Molle webbing & Mesh pockets as a separate accessory.
A keyless access system comes by way of a keypad that defaults to silent but can have sound activated. Should you purchase this safe we would strongly recommend keeping the sound off. There are two backup keys to override the keypad should you forget to change the battery.
Right below the keypad are LED’s the light up and tell you the status of your key input. The status lights will either indicate that you can open the safe or if your input was incorrect. These lights will also indicate if your batter needs to be changed or is dead.
Storage & Capacity:
The interior dimensions of the safe are 51.875 length x 18.5 width. The safe has a depth of 12.25. One should expect to be able to store 6 long guns on average and multiple handguns when setup with handgun storage accessories which can be had in the upgraded Pro package or purchased separately.
The external dimensions of the safe are 52” x 20 ¼ x 15 ¼ .
The Agile Ultralight also comes with pre drilled holes, 4 on the bottom and 4 on the side that will allow you to bolt the safe to the floor or two a wall.
Other Benefits:
SecureIT (the company who produces the Agile Safe lines) claims that traditional safes will not prevent thieves from breaking in or protect your firearms from a fire. There is evidence online that bears this out. It has been shown that thieves can cut through the walls of an average safe with a very cheap circular saw blade in a matter of minutes.
Another advantage of this safe is all the various slots that are built into the back wall which allows one to hang a container and shelf in nearly any position.
Summary:
The SecureIt Agile Ultralight Gun Safe is a great modular setup. It is lightweight and easy to maneuver if needing to move to different locations such as when moving or taking to an upstairs floor in the home. This is an especially good option for individuals who live in an apartment or other temporary living situation.
The fact that this has venting letting in fresh air prevents your firearms from rusting provided you have a temperature-controlled environment such as central air conditioning in your home.
The modular setup allows an individual to storage a range of firearms with different barrel lengths while still maintaining an organize interior. The only items we would like to see changed is the bungie cords that attach to the barrel cradles can be finicky and unreliable at times.
Also, the fact that the keypad is not backlit could be a detriment in a home invasion scenario where needing to quickly access the contents of the safe in the dark and not giving away your position is a must. That aside, this is still one of the best gun safes with a modular setup.
Pros:
• Light weight design.
• Easy to customize interior layout.
• Open air venting to prevent rust and corrosion.
• Great price for what is included.
Cons:
• Will not protect against fire.
• Very thin steel.
• Keypad is not backlit.
Our Top Traditional Modular Gun Safe
SnapSafe TITAN
Ease of Assembly:
The SnapSafe Titan can be easily assembled while its individual parts are lying flat, but they can also be stood up to assemble. While safe can easily be assembled by one person, we would recommend two people if you have an extra set of hands nearby to speed things up.
Key Features:
Even though no safe is completely fireproof, the SnapSafe Titan offers Mgo (Magnesium Oxide) internal panels along with ceramic panels that offer up to 1 hour of protection at 2300 degrees. The door gaskets also expand upwards of 20 times when under extreme heat offering further protection against water and smoke.
The door is made of 3/16th solid steel and has a digital keyless entry that retains the passcode even when the battery is removed. The modular body panels lock together from the inside and have a two-piece welded steel construction which amounts to a 9 gauge thick exterior wall.
The interior can be arranged and customized to fit various needs and additional shelves can be purchased separately.
One of the defining features of the SnapSafe Titan is its 8-live locking bolts and non-breach seal on the hinge side of the door.
Storage & Capacity:
The exterior dimensions of the SnapSafe Titan are 59”H x 22”W x 17.5”D (you will need to add additional 3” depth for handle). The interior space comes in at 55.123”H x 17”W x 14.5”D. Unit weight approximately 400 pounds.
SnapSafe says the Titan modular safe will house up to 12 long-guns that are in sleeves with no scopes mounted. We believe 6 to 8 rifles will fit quite comfortably.
Other Benefits:
All SnapSafe Modular Safes come with a `Life-Time’ warranty. There are also pre-drilled holes so that two ½ wedge anchor concrete bolts can be used to secure safe to the floor. The safe is also delivered to the threshold of your front doorway or garage. Note: You must be home at time of delivery.
Summary:
The Snapsafe Titan is a great modular safe option for someone who believes they need a more traditional type of safe with fire protection and wish to spend more to have this peace of mind. Like the SecureIt Agile Model 52, there are plenty of accessories that can be purchased separately to suit individual needs.
Although accessories can be added to this safe, we would like to see a slightly more modular interior.
Pros:
• Offers a good degree of temporary fire protection
• 8 locking Bolts.
• Easy to assemble.
• Panels lock together from the inside.
Cons:
• Unit costs quite a bit more than the SecureIt Ultralight Model 52.
• The SnapSafe Titan is heavier coming in at 400 lbs.
• Needs to be outfitted with a dehumidifier to prevent rust and corrosion.
