Hornady Rapid Safe 2700, secure and accessible.

Hornady Rapid Safe

Last year I reviewed the then new Hornady Rapid Safe, you can read that review via following this link.  This year Hornady introduced a few variations of the original Rapid Safe: the 2600 and 2700. The exterior housing is made of thick 14 gauge steel with dual internal locking lugs and 4 point-capture mechanism. This child resistant design exceeds ASTM International safety standards for child and pry resistance, lock strength, drop/pick/saw tests. With a MSRP of $66.48 is it a viable and affordable secure storage box.

Hornady Rapid Safe-3

I received the 2700 a few months ago and have pressed it into service, making sure the electric motor held up over heavy usage.  The 2600 and 2700 models are the same except the 2700 being a little larger.

Hornady Rapid Safe-2

The 2700 does seem to pop open just a bit quicker than the original. I expect that is partly because the original Rapid Safe brings the handgun up with the lid.

Hornady Rapid Safe-6

The 2700 just pops open the top and the handgun is lying on the foam bottom. All Rapid Safes have power outlets as well as back up battery power, and a mechanical lock.

Hornady Rapid Safe-8

The mechanical lock on the 2700 is much easier and faster to get to, located on front and center on the lid,

Hornady Rapid Safe-4

while on the original Rapid Safe you have to remove a cover to access the mechanical lock.

Hornady Rapid Safe-7

The 2700 only ships with a single RFID, Radio Frequency Identification, wrist band but also a key fob and stickers. It should be noted that the RFID tags for the original Rapid Safe can be programmed to the 2700. I like the new model but there are a few things I liked better about the original. While the original can only be programmed for two tags, the 2700 can be programmed with up to five and it is easier to program the 2700.

Hornady Rapid Safe-5

The 2700 is lacking the buttons that allows you to open the safe by a programmed passcode as you can see in the above photo of the original Rapid Safe. To me the buttons allowing the safe to be opened is a very good idea but I expect they were abandoned on the 2700 to make it’s footprint a bit smaller. Both the original and newer version are equipped with a coated steel cable so the safe can be secured.

Hornady Rapid Safe-6

The 2700 is large enough to hold, what I would consider a duty size pistol, such as this CZ P-09 and a spare magazine and a small flashlight. Though smaller than the original the 2700 has similar interior space.

Speaking of security, ideal protection is a large dedicated quality gun safe that is bolted to the floor. While such safes offer solid protection, they are slow to access. Just like with handguns everything is a compromise. By making the Rapid Safe small and able to fit beside your bed and very quickly to access, you do have to give up a bit of that security. Also the fact the Rapid Safe is portable allows you to take it with you as an added measure of protection while away from home. In my mind this is an ideal set up for someone who has children or others you want to deny handgun access to, but still allows you to access your defensive handgun. Think of it like this, when you get home and are going to bed but do not want to leave your handgun adrift, you have means to reasonably secure it while maintaining quick access. While it is a well built box this is not something I would count on as an all out firearm secure storage. With that said, it is much better than nothing or even some of the cheap gun safes.

Another aspect of this is unexpected company. As many gun owners I keep a loaded pistol on the table within arms reach. Personally, I do not have children and if I did they would know gun safety and to leave guns alone. However, I have friends with children and I cannot assume their children are taught gun safety as I was. If a friend drops by with a child in tow, I can safely stow my handgun away while keeping it handy at the same time.

Many people keep a second handgun in their car, and while the glove box maybe the choice of some for storage that is not ideal. With the cable secured the Rapid Safe could be used to store a firearm in a vehicle, keeping the firearm a bit more secure.

Both safes are inexpensive and have enough similar features to make them viable enough to be used a quick and secure access to defensive handguns. They are however different enough you can pick the features you are looking for as well as giving you options depending on budget and size restrictions.

 

 

By Hunter Elliott

I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.

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