The emergence of the concealed gun vault | Diversion Gun Safes Intro

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Owning a firearm for personal safety carries substantial responsibilities, especially to prevent tragic consequences if it ends up in the wrong hands. For those seeking to securely store firearms and valuables with an added layer of discretion, hidden handgun safes present, on paper, an interesting solution.

Traditionally, firearm security has been divided into two approaches: locking them away in a security safe box or concealing them cleverly within surroundings. Interestingly, the concept of concealing a secure lockbox safe via camouflage has only recently gained attention.

The problem with old-school safes and electronic lockboxes for pistol

Proper secure storage not only safeguards against unauthorized access but also ensures that firearms are kept out of reach of children, guests, or potential thieves. A traditional gun safe box for home provides robust security but is often bulky, conspicuous, and challenging to incorporate into everyday living spaces. While modern electronic lockboxes are more compact and easier to hide, they do not offer the same level of security and can be easily grabbed or compromised if found.

A small gun safe is broken by burglars at night, budget gun safe on amazon can’t stop motivated thieves

The submarine strategy of diversion safes

Diversion safes began as an alternative to hiding money under your pillow. They have evolved into realistic replicas of everyday household objects with secret compartments straight out of a James Bond movie. This allows them to be hidden in plain sight and easier to reach quickly. However, depending on the product and your situation, it can be risky to rely only on obfuscation especially if you have clever kids. Let’s dig further to understand the pros and cons.

Diversion safes advantages:

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Any obvious box containing valuables inside like a home safe, small or large, is an attractive target for criminals. While breaking into a true security safe might take a long time, most budget gun safes are not that tough. With its obvious ‘tactical’ look and thin case, a trendy electronic lock box for handgun is easy to spot, smash or snatch.

➔ Unlike a hidden safe that can eventually be found, a properly designed secret gun safe will stay invisible to thieves even in plain sight:

secret handgun safe hidden in plain sight, hidden gun furniture with secret compartments

In the Burglar’s Blind Spot

Unless it is solidly secured to a wall, a gun lock box found is gone, no matter how strong it claims to be. A secret handgun safe needs to be unattractive by design with low apparent resale value or it might be grabbed as well, for the wrong reason.

➔ Vintage or unsellable items are the burglar’s blind spot, unlike hot electronic gadgets:

Inconspicuous diversion safe escape robbery, unattractive book safe box holding a pistol

Closer, Faster Access

Since quick access gun safes are so conspicuous, they need to be hidden in a closet or drawer or they will be snatched right away. This begs the question: How fast is it to access their content then?

➔ A well camouflaged safe hidden in plain sight allows immediate access in case of emergency because it can stealthily stay where you need it most:

A woman in bed hold a pistol taken from a fast access gun safe for bedside

Low-security diversion safes downsides:

Unsecured secret gun compartments are a bad idea!

Legacy diversion safes weren’t designed to hold firearms. These are not made of metal and have unsafe locks if any. Curious kids can easily open them, with potentially tragic consequences. A secure lockbox with a security lock is the bare minimum.

➔ Do not store guns in unsecured secret compartments. Often a screwdriver is all it takes to break a simple lock:

A secret gun safe can’t be fragile

Burglars in a hurry smash and grab as they go. A wooden 'cuckoo' gun safe clock will end up in pieces as collateral damage, revealing its surprising content to a lucky criminal.

➔ Choose a diversion safe that can take a beating. Avoid secret hiding containers made of wood or plastic:

Poorly disguising a safe is not enough

Most gun safe shelves tend to look too thick, bulky or tasteless. A lonely hollow book safe made of plastic is fooling nobody. As is a gun safe alarm clock with a large fingerprint sensor or digital keypad. Burglars will spot a flawed camouflage right away. Also avoid printed or embossed names or logos conveying a ‘tactical’ meaning, they are obvious giveaways.

➔ Carefully pick a diversion safe that blend into your place realistically and ensure its location feels natural:

Finally, don’t tell anyone

Security through obscurity requires operating your safe in secrecy. People talk and if you show how clever your secret gun safe is, the wrong people might know eventually. Even worse, if your kids observe you manipulating secret compartments, you can bet they will play with your guns in no time.

➔ If you store guns in a diversion safe, be discreet about it and mind who you share this information with:

Want to know more?

In the following posts, we explore different kinds of diversion safes for handguns, examining their benefits and limitations, and whether it's possible to find a safe that gets discreet concealment and robust security right.